Eliana Willis

High-level speakers from across UNWTO and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) came together for a virtual talk on how best to harness the enormous potential that tourism has for the development of rural areas and communities.
Representatives of the two agencies were joined by experts from the European Commission, as well by a number of entrepreneurs from the fields of agri-tourism and gastronomy, including representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and renowned international chef Fatamata Tarazid-Tarawali (better known as “Chef Binta”).
The scope of the ‘virtual coffee’, which was moderated by FAO’s Rosa Laura Romeo, was to establish new links and widen participants’ knowledge on the future challenges but also opportunities faced by tourism rapidly evolving in rural areas.
Tourism currently faces many challenges, including the ongoing pandemic, but also many opportunities. There is a chance of “building back better” especially through the involvement of rural communities and youth, in line with the UN’s motto for the 2030 Agenda of leaving no one behind.
According to Valentina Superti, Director for Tourism and Proximity in the European Commission´s DG GROW, recovery from the current global health crisis is already leading to the transformation of the tourism sector, which today supports 23 million jobs in the European Union alone. In particular, agri-tourism has been identified as one of the key elements in sustaining national economies as recover and build back more inclusively, sustainably and with greater resilience.ADVERTISEMENTIn particular, participants in the virtual conference highlighted several transversal areas that would need to be leveraged urgently accelerating this transformation in the tourism sector:
Creating more attractive employment opportunities;
Developing the basic infrastructure, such as hotels and transport routes;
Better integration of digital technologies in the ways tourism destinations are conceived and managed by the relevant authorities.
In this respect, Maciej Golubiewski, Head of Cabinet of the European Agriculture Commissioner, observed that agri-tourism fits across the main priorities of the current Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Participants also agreed on the need for tourism activities to be planned so as to both meet changing consumer demands and to benefit rural communitiesYoshihide Endo, presented an overview of the FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme.
Alongside this, UNWTO provided participants with an update on the Best Tourism Villages initiative. Launched in 2021, the initiative identifies and supports villages harnessing the power of tourism for opportunity and transformation. Illustrating the criteria of the BTV, the presentations of GIAHS sites in Spain (La Axarquía) and Slovenia (Brda-Collio) showed how agri-tourism best practices, such as strategising and marketing of products for tourists, could be applied across selected sites in Europe building on the region’s deep-rooted natural and cultural heritage. At the same time, the presentations of Chef Binta and representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr Frans Teguh, underlined how the character of tourism destinations is showcased through authentic local cuisine.

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Michael Massari, chief sales officer for Caesars Entertainment, Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president of MGM Resorts International, Chandra Allison, senior vice president of sales of The Venetian® Resort Las Vegas, Steve Blanner, executive vice president of hotel sales for Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, and Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)
Meeting and convention industry leaders in Las Vegas gathered at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, symbolizing the resort community’s united commitment to moving business forward in honor of Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID).
Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said: “Today we celebrate the many contributions that help Las Vegas maintain its position as the number one Trade Show destination. We have been honored to welcome our trade show organizers, exhibitors and attendees back to Las Vegas for valuable, in-person connections and we are grateful for their business and commitment to our destination.”
Conceived by the U.S. Travel Association, the premiere advocacy association for the travel industry, GMID showcases the impact of the meeting industry to the U.S. economy. According to the U.S. Travel Association, as a result of the pandemic, the U.S. saw a decline of $211 billion in business travel spending, $97 billion of which was due to the decline in meetings, conventions and trade shows. In-person meetings benefit attendees by fostering deeper connections, enhanced education and training opportunities and access to information through informal conversations.
“As co-chair of Meetings Mean Business, I encourage everyone to advocate for the industry,” said Michael Massari. “To bring business back to 2019 levels, we must continue to do what we do best – plan and execute extraordinary meetings and events. Over the last 12 months, Caesars Entertainment has proudly hosted many conferences at CAESARS FORUM, including PCMA Convening Leaders, Meeting Professionals International’s World Education Congress and Cvent Connect. We look forward to welcoming more meetings and conventions back to the destination.”
An estimated 2.2 million convention attendees were hosted in Las Vegas in 2021. In-person meetings and conventions returned to the destination in June 2021, reigniting the industry and showcasing confidence by tradeshow and meeting organizers that meetings can be held safely and efficiently. Sales teams throughout the destination have also been hard at work securing new deals that will bring new business to the destination over the next decade. ADVERTISEMENTTradeshow organizers say Las Vegas is a is preferred destination due to the ease of conducting business and ample entertainment and hotel options – offerings that are critical to the success of a show. The 2021 SEMA Show, an automotive tradeshow, garnered more than 100,000 attendees for its November show at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). The LVCC is owned and operated by the LVCVA.
“The event marked the first automotive industry-wide gathering since the pandemic hit, and it did not disappoint,” said Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for SEMA. “In addition to the business that takes place every year at the SEMA Show, the 2021 event was a unique celebration for uniting the automotive aftermarket industry. Las Vegas continues to support our industry in a way that no other city could.”
“Our team liaises with clients every day that recognize the importance of face-to-face interaction and delivering a first-class experience that warrants travel,” said Steve Blanner. “Now more than ever, groups place safety and meticulous event programming in the forefront and we are steadfast partners in every step of that process to ensure a successful and memorable event. There is no place in the world that delivers the excitement of Las Vegas.”
Las Vegas is home to 14 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space throughout the destination, combining business with more than 150,000 hotel rooms and direct access to world-class sports and entertainment. For 26 consecutive years, Las Vegas has remained the number one trade show destination in North America, according to the Trade Show News Network (TSNN).
With construction on several key developments continuing throughout the pandemic, Las Vegas was poised to welcome business travelers back with exciting new offerings and Only Vegas experiences when business travel resumed. The destination saw the debut of Resorts World, Caesars Forum and the LVCC’s West Hall. MSG Sphere at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, a venue for the next generation of experiences, is scheduled to open the second half of 2023. More than $4.5 billion in investments are projected over the next two years, adding approximately 7,000 more hotel rooms and 791,000 square feet of convention space, in Southern Nevada by the end of 2024.
“Two years after our worlds were turned upside down, this GMID is a true celebration of our resilience as an industry,” said Stephanie Glanzer, SVP and chief sales officer for MGM Resorts International. “We emerged better and stronger with new creative approaches, enhanced technology and an overwhelming desire to develop events that are not only productive for our attendees, but also meaningful and memorable.” 
“The Venetian Meetings team is passionate about helping our customers return to in-person events safely. And we remain dedicated to creating new and exciting opportunities to meet and do business,” said Chandra Allison. “The team has brought creativity and safety together for some truly innovative events recently. The last couple of years have solidified the need for in-person meetings and events. As an industry, we need to continue to advocate for the positive impact in-person meetings have on communities and how they bring people together.”

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Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the global association for meeting and event professionals, has announced destinations for the next four editions of the World Education Congress (WEC), with events in Rivera Maya, Mexico (2023); St. Louis, Missouri (2024); Louisville, Kentucky (2025); and San Antonio, Texas (2026).
WEC is MPI’s signature event, drawing approximately 2,500 event professionals annually. The event aims to provide leading edge education, share the latest industry innovations and ultimately take risks in its design and implementation, so that attendees can glean from its learnings.
WEC heads to Riviera Maya, Mexico in June 2023 at the Barcelo Maya Riviera resort. This will mark the second time since 2019 that WEC has taken place outside the U.S. and is aligned with MPI’s dedication to think global. “In the Mexican Caribbean, we are very excited to be hosting the World Education Conference 2023, where we will have the opportunity to showcase not only all the beautiful sceneries that our destination has, but also the facilities, meetings infrastructure and the high-quality service that the meeting professionals of the Mexican Caribbean offer,” states Dario Flota, CEO for Quintana Roo Tourism, “We are confident that WEC 2023 will be a great experience, and with that joy we are preparing everything to welcome you and make this event one of the best yet.”
Previously announced, WEC returns in 2024 to St. Louis, Missouri, where it was last held in 2012.
In 2025, WEC will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, where for the first time in more than a decade, WEC will return to the southeastern U.S. “It is an honor to host MPI WEC and welcome the industry to Louisville in 2025,” says Cleo Battle, President and CEO at Louisville Tourism, “By hosting one of the industry’s major think tanks, we are moving our business forward together and creating growth opportunities for both Louisville as a destination and our peers.”ADVERTISEMENTAlso announced recently, the association’s largest annual event will make its way to San Antonio, Texas in 2026. “San Antonio is very excited to host the World Education Congress (WEC) for the first time in 2026,” said Marc Anderson, President & CEO, Visit San Antonio, “San Antonio offers an experience unlike any other, where a cutting edge, modern meeting scene has evolved amid a city full of rich culture and history.”
“We are thrilled about our future WEC destinations.” said Annette Gregg, CMM MBA, Senior Vice President of Experience for MPI, “Each of these areas is unique, with authentic and diverse cultures. Their destination assets will help us craft incredible experiences for our WEC participants.”
This year’s WEC will take place in San Francisco, CA from June 21-23, where MPI will celebrate the return of meetings and events together as a global community. Registration for WEC San Francisco is now open.

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