WTTC invites cities to bid to host the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in 2012

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today opened the tendering process to find the host city of the 12th Global Travel & Tourism Summit. The organization has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for cities around the world to submit applications to host the 12th summit in a little less than two years’ time. The RFP and the supporting documents must be returned by September 1, 2010 to WTTC’s events director Tony Thompson at [email protected] .

The summit is the world’s highest-level gathering of travel and tourism industry chairs, chief executives, and senior government officials, working together to unlock the industry’s significant potential for sustainable development and economic growth across the globe.

The summit hosts will be able to showcase their destination to over 1,000 senior business and industry leaders from the travel and tourism, hospitality, aviation, and cruise sectors.

Hosting the summit also demonstrates the destination’s commitment to recognizing the value of travel and tourism as an economic driver and potentially attracts further investments from global businesses.

“As well as strong interest from around the world from companies coming to do business in a host destination, the summit attracts broadcast and media coverage that can equally benefit the host,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president and CEO, WTTC.

Earlier this year (April), WTTC announced Las Vegas as the host of the 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, which is scheduled for May 17-19, 2011. As one of the world’s most popular destinations for leisure and business travel, this is a very topical choice as the United States travel and tourism industry looks forward to the impact of the US government’s recently-announced Travel Promotion Act on marketing and promoting the destination abroad.