AirAsia invited to share tourism industry insights at inaugural World Bank Group Tourism Forum

By Anthony Tan | VIRGIN Communications

email: anthonykhtan@yahoo.co.uk

Tourism is a powerful tool for reducing poverty, boosting economic growth, building social progress and ensuring peace. How can the World Bank Group, country clients and business leaders work together to ensure that tourism contributes to the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity?

The World Bank Group organised a Tourism Forum with the themed 'Driving Development Through Tourism', which was held in Washington DC from the 8-9 December 2015.

The inaugural World Bank Group Tourism Forum was attended by Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the World Bank Group President, as well as tourism ministers and other top ministry officials from across the globe, along with top private tourism industry players.

The forum was a gathering of global thought leaders and proven achievers to identify new ways to channel growth while addressing the challenges and opportunities of developing the tourism sector in emerging economies. 

AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar

Multi international awards recipient AirAsia from Malaysia was the only airline to be invited to share its experience in providing affordable travel to connecting the ASEAN region to the people, growing small and medium enterprises as well as to how the airline has contributed to development and economic growth.

AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Aireen Omar, represented AirAsia was one speaker of the first plenary session moderated by Maggie Lake, CNN Anchor & Correspondent to discuss the topic on ‘Tourism for Development’. Other panelists during the plenary session were Sandra Howard, Vice-Minister for Tourism of Colombia; and Christopher J. Nasetta, President & Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Worldwide.

 

Below: Video recording of opening speech by World Bank Group President Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Plenary Session 1 By Sandra Howard, Vice-Minister for Tourism of Colombia; Christopher J. Nasetta, President & Chief Executive Officer of Hilton Worldwide; Aireen Omar; AirAsia Chief Executive Officer; and moderated by Maggie Lake, CNN Anchor & Correspondent.