Baku, March 2 (AZERTAC). Experts from the private sector, opinion leaders and government representatives from within and outside the tourism sector will examine the state of global tourism at the upcoming Global Tourism Forum Andorra 2011 (Andorra la Vella, Andorra, 6-7 March 2011). Against a backdrop of economic challenges, and considering current developments in the Middle East and North Africa, the spotlight is clearly set on the future development of tourism, as one of the leading socio-economic phenomena of our time.

The Global Tourism Forum Andorra (GTF) organized by UNWTO, in collaboration with the Government of Andorra, will for the first time bring together representatives from inside and outside the sector to debate the best path for more sustained and responsible tourism development. Participants include stakeholders from the public sector, global tourism companies, civil society, academia and representatives from international organizations.

Panellists include, among others, the Ministers of Tourism of South Africa and Mexico, Marthinus van Schalkwyk and Gloria Guevara Manzo, the Chairman of VisitBritain, Christopher Rodrigues, the Vice-Chairman of Sol Melia, Sebastian Escarrer, the Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Hiran Cooray, the President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), David Scowsill, the Director of the China Tourism Academy, Li Zhongguang, and the Deputy Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center, Marina Apaydin.

The three plenary sessions of the Forum will analyze the current state of the sector, debate how to move tourism forward along a more competitive and responsible growth path and outline the role of tourism in responding to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Alongside the plenary sessions at the GTF, side events will highlight key tourism issues, such as the links between mega-events, notably the FIFA World Cup, and tourism in collaboration with Visa.

“We are pleased to be working with UNWTO on an ongoing basis in analyzing consumer trends and behavior, particularly in the areas of sustainable tourism and the impact of sport and mega-events,” said Visa spokesperson, Paul Wilke. “Visa supports the Forum in Andorra as an ideal platform from which to provide new insights into the challenges and opportunities of the tourism sector”.

UNWTO global media partner, CNN, will host a further side event on how to effectively communicate the importance of tourism through traditional and new media, while the World Economic Forum (WEF) will officially launch its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011.

“CNN is proud to be Global Media Partner of the 2011 Global Tourism Forum. The CNN TASK Group, CNN`s dedicated tourism and economic development communications advisory group, is committed to supporting the global travel and tourism industry. It is our hope that the Global Tourism Forum will continue to raise the profile of the industry and its important role in contributing to the global economy,” said Rani R Raad, SVP and MD, CNN International Ad Sales and Business Development.

The GTF will be moderated by CNN International anchor, Max Foster.

With CNN as global media partner, the GTF also counts on the support of Spanish international news agency, EFE, Spain`s leading financial daily, Expansion, and key travel media including E-Turbo News, Caribbean News Digital and Travel Daily News.