The World Tourism Forum Lucerne Think Tank is a highly focused, top-level strategic body which allows leaders from around the world to reflect on the bigger challenges faced by the tourism industry.
The Think Tank takes place on a yearly basis with the purpose of intensively exploring one single topic which is of strategic importance and as a result, advancing the defined strategy.
By embracing the value of diverse opinions and bringing together different groups of individuals from within and outside the industry, including ministers, CEOs and academia, the Think Tank provides the perfect opportunity within which to incubate new perspectives, grow fresh ideas and form new collaborations which will engage and build a stronger tourism industry.
The small size, the quality of participants, and the informality make the World Tourism Forum Lucerne Think Tank unique.
The key focus of the WTFL Think Tank 2018 will be Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism Growth. Over the next 20 years, is expecting the near doubling of international tourist arrivals and even more impressive growth in domestic tourism. To sustain this growth in a way that is consistent with the goals of environmental sustainability and social inclusion, massive new infrastructure investment will be required from inside and outside the sector. This includes both physical infrastructure (e.g. airlift, road and rail transport, ports, streamlined borders, accommodation, tourist attractions, ICT and public services) as well as soft infrastructure (e.g. human resources in hospitality, tourism marketing and management, disruptive technology, and the aviation sector). To create this new infrastructure will require significant funding, the deployment of innovative technologies and capacity-building support.
The importance of PPPs and institutional investors to close the infrastructure gap is taking even greater prominence in raising new capital where the public purse is stretched. Innovative new models, where the public and private sectors as well as communities are joining forces, are emerging across the world. The WTFL Think Tank will explore these issues from the perspective of policy makers, investors, private operators, academia and other stakeholders.
