Events, Tourism, Organisations & Operators,

Qatar is delivering innovative environmental solutions to boost the sustainability goals associated with hosting this year’s FIFA World Cup™.
The FIFA Arab Cup™, which was held in November and December 2021, provided a testing ground for projects to be delivered during the World Cup. On Earth Day 2022, we take a look at Qatar’s environmental efforts to recycle and compost the organic waste produced from hosting major football matches.
More than 75 tonnes of organic waste was collected during the 19-day tournament and has now been turned into compost. A cohesive organic waste management system was implemented during the FIFA Arab Cup™ to achieve this. At stadium sites, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC worked to maximise the use of compostable food containers and cutlery, as well as building awareness with the workforce on the appropriate use of the waste segregation systems, which included a compostable green bin. The SC organised additional waste segregation activities and worked with Qatar-based Agricompost to compost organic waste produced during the tournament.
ADVERTISEMENTOrjan Lundberg, Sustainability & Environmental Expert at the SC, said: “Food waste is a major challenge around the world. Approximately a third of all the food produced for human consumption is thrown away. In addition, mixing organic waste with non-compostable packaging can make the treatment of such waste very difficult. We chose to turn this challenge into an opportunity during the FIFA Arab Cup.”
Lundberg added: “We learned so much from this project, including how to procure compostable consumables, how to segregate waste, and use the composting machines compatible with local farms. We are proud to be investing in our planet, and in a good place to deliver something bigger and better during the FIFA World Cup later this year.”
Nasser Al Khalaf, Chief Executive Officer at Agricompost, said: “No matter the type of organic waste, our recycling process aims to create compost that is suitable for growing plants, fruit and vegetables. Some of the waste can also be turned into animal feed. Basically, anything that came from trees, animals and plants can be recycled back into nature.”

He added: “The recycling process to turn waste into compost takes about four weeks. During the FIFA Arab Cup, we gathered about 5 tonnes per day. During the matches, we used special containers to recycle waste. The containers gathered waste in a closed space that has a biological filter which moves the air inside the containers. The temperature inside increases to 70C. This is where the different materials, food, agricultural or biological waste are decomposed in order for them to be turned into compost.”
During the FIFA Arab Cup™, 70% of waste from Al Bayt Stadium – which hosted the opening match and final – was recycled, with the remainder sent to a waste-to-energy plant.
Sustainability Progress at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

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Thailand strongly represented at WTTC Global Summit 2022

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Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, is among the dignitaries speaking at the WTTC Global Summit 2022 in Manila, Philippines, with her focus on accelerating the recovery efforts in the travel and tourism sector.

South Africa’s tourism trade is significant contributor to the nation’s GDP and employs an estimated 1.5 million people. However, Covid-19 has had a significant effect on the sector.
The 2020 tourism report from Statistics South Africa showed that foreign arrivals into the country fell from 10.2 million to 2.8 million in 2019. Sisulu is tasked with rebuilding South Africa’s tourism economy to pre-pandemic levels.
The minister has supported the decision to scrap the PCR tests for people visiting South Africa, and is overseeing plans to host Africa’s Travel Indaba in May, one of world’s signature trade shows, after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. She has also expressed her delight as sporting codes, music festivals and other major conferences are now permitted, meaning more tourist in the country.ADVERTISEMENT“South African borders are open and we are ready to welcome regional and international visitors. Our globally-benchmarked norms and standards are in place to ensure the safety of all citizens and visitors alike,” Minister Sisulu said.
“Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,” she concluded.
Sisulu took up the Minister of Tourism role last August, bringing a wealth of international experience. Previously, she was the Minister of Human Settlements and Minister of International Relations (2018 – 2019). She holds an MA in History and an M. Phil from the Centre for Southern African Studies, University of York.
“Now is a great time to travel for business and leisure, come and explore our beautiful country, we stand ready to welcome travellers near and far,”
She was detained for political activism in 1975, and upon release joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). A keen student of history, she specialised in intelligence matters while undergoing military training.
Prior to her appointment as Minister of Public Service and Administration, she served government as a Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Intelligence, Housing and Defence.
South Africa was nominated for ‘Africa’s Leading Destination 2021’ at the World Travel Awards and was named winner in 2018.

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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to advise that Thailand, in its role as the host of the APEC 2022, will hold the 11th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 60th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Bangkok from 14-20 August, 2022.

H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, said that the meetings will discuss the tourism direction after the COVID-19 crisis in the Asia-Pacific region to revitalise tourism in the region for the better, which the deliverable results will be reported at the APEC Leaders’ Summit. The tourism sector will reflect on the restorative strategy of the Thai economy by focusing on promoting tourism under the new normal of safety and health and providing service quality and consistency, and most importantly, supporting responsible tourism under the 5 factors of safe tourism – clean – love the environment – fair – and sustainable or Safe – Clean – Green – Fair – Sustainable.
In its leadership role as the host country, Thailand is aiming to push forward the APEC Policy Recommendations on Regenerative Tourism to pave the way forward for the future of tourism that ensures that the industry contributes to all types of well-being locally. This is in line with the Royal Thai Government’s Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model, which is being used to revive Thailand’s tourism industry with the aim for safe, inclusive, and sustainable travel. The BCG Economy Model capitalises on Thailand’s strengths in biological diversity and cultural richness, and conforms to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The arrangement of the event will be environmentally conscious and embrace the use and presentation of local products, which reflect creativity and local wisdom knowledge.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “Thailand’s tourism transformation, in response to growing trends in the new normal era, is in a direction towards stronger and sustainable, more responsible, more digital, and more inclusive growth. These objectives are incorporated into TAT’s ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ marketing campaign, and are being used in the organisation and hosting of the various APEC events Thailand as the APEC host country will stage throughout the year.”ADVERTISEMENTThailand’s theme for its hosting of the APEC 2022 is “Open. Connect. Balance.” under which it is pushing forward three key priorities to develop the Asia-Pacific region. These include facilitating trade and investment with a refreshed conversation on the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific or FTAAP, promoting balance, sustainability, and inclusivity through the concept of the Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model, and restoring regional connectivity, particularly in the travel and tourism industry towards safe and seamless cross-border travel in the region, including the APEC Information Portal for Safe Passage as a one-stop portal for information on cross-border travel within the region and the proposal to expand the scope of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) to cover a broader range of businesses and professionals as the world exits the COVID-19 era.
At the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2022, Thailand will propose the “Bangkok Goals on BCG Economy”, in response to the BCG Economy Model, Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, UN SDGs, and APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040. The paper is to serve as an affirmation of the 21 APEC nations’ commitment to pursue a more inclusive, balanced, and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 pandemic and achieve long-term environmental and climate objectives.

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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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With the easing of travel restrictions and reopening of the Malaysian leisure and tourism industry, local residents have sought out to satiate their appetite for adventure and discovery by exploring the many wonderful holiday destinations this beautiful country has to offer. From exciting urban quests, to exotic beach escapades, to lofty mountaintop retreats – and everything in between – Malaysia certainly has it all, with so much just waiting to be seen and discovered.
For 21 GoPro content creators, it was certainly an opportunity for adventure and discovery when they were recently whisked away on a 3-Day-2-Night lush tropical getaway to Sabah’s Bungaraya Island Resort. The retreat is a continuation of the Dream Malaysia campaign by GoPro and Tourism Malaysia to amplify the success of the campaign held last year which sought to celebrate the beauty of local lifestyle and travel through the production of videos.
“With the reopening of travel and tourism, it will definitely be bigger and more exciting this time around. Beginning with this excursion with our creators to Gaya Island and other parts in Sabah, we will explore the length and breadth of East and West Malaysia from the most vantage and immersive angles that can only be shot using a GoPro,” said Rick Loughery, Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications at GoPro.
“Dream Malaysia seeks to inspire and amaze through the production of videos of Malaysia’s awesome and incredibly diverse destinations, which simply has to be seen and experienced to be appreciated – and what better way to achieve this than using the immense capability of a GoPro? Naturally, we are thrilled to work with Tourism Malaysia and ECHO Resorts to strategically reinvigorate travel and tourism by placing Malaysia as one of the most must-visit destinations in the world,” he added.
The content creators certainly received an unforgettable experience when ECHO Resorts closed out the entire tropical paradise of Bungaraya Island Resort, perched on the hillsides of Polish Bay on Gaya Island. They were feted to full board throughout the duration of the retreat, including accommodation, meals and a plethora of activities, which included diving, snorkeling, sailing, paddle boarding, and mangrove kayaking, among others.ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, the excursion also saw the GoPro team exploring other hidden wonders in Sabah, while engaging in activities which include river tubing at Tambatuon Eco-Village and visiting Tamu Kundasang, MOGGILAND Waterfall and Lasau Podi.
“With the reopening of Malaysia’s borders, the continuation of Dream Malaysia campaign kicks off at a truly opportune time. We are confident that the amazing video content created using GoPro’s industry-leading technology will play an incredibly instrumental role in showcasing Sabah and other local destinations to the world, especially those with an insatiable appetite for adventure travel,” said Dato’ Hj. Zainuddin Abdul Wahab, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia.
“This collaboration between Tourism Malaysia and GoPro also bears testament to the tremendous potential for economic development that can be realized through Public-Private Partnerships, which can be strategic and instrumental tools to accomplish what neither can do alone. But together, the sum can truly be greater than its parts. We certainly look forward to working with GoPro to realizing the dream of what we hope to be a truly successful campaign in every right. As Malaysia welcomes international visitors, let the adventure begin!” he added.

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