In June, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) hosted a one-day North America Leaders Forum in New York City. TIAC President and CEO Charlotte Bell joined a select group of tourism leaders at this invitation-only event that brought together public and private-sector tourism leaders from across North America.

This successful forum brought together high-level speakers and nearly 200 participants to discuss the most pressing concerns for the North American Travel & Tourism sector.

The topics discussed included; sustainability, crisis management, safety, infrastructure, labour and the possibilities of leveraging social media.

Here are some key takeaways: 

• The world is going through a historic demographic shift: There is a significant increase in the number of retirees, with time and disposable income. At the same time, millennials, who are now in their prime, value experiences above all.

• Biometrics are the future. We live in an on-demand, point & click economy, and key brands have redefined the customer experience. The tourism sector needs to connect, build trust and continuously innovate.

• Travel & Tourism needs to be perceived as a tool valued by the local community. The sector needs to consider how to drive traffic to destinations that want tourism and steer away from those that aren’t as eager.
  
  
• Making travel & tourism an attractive sector for workers will require public and private engagement and will need to highlight its path to quality jobs with decent wages.

TIAC’s presence at the invitation-only event attests to our solid reputation as a recognizable voice of Canadian tourism nationally and abroad. Forums like this, provide additional opportunities to leverage international perspectives and best practices on key industry issues.

Keep an eye out at this year’s Tourism Congress in November for a keynote by WTTC President & Chief Executive Officer Gloria Guevara Manzo.

For more valuable insights from the North America Leaders Forum, download the WTTC post-event report.

 This article was written with contributions from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).