Where international travel was once the privilege of an elite wealthy few, it is now accessible to all, expanding at an impressive speed. International arrivals increased by six percent in 2018, hitting the 1.4 billion mark, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
It’s both an impressive and alarming figure as its commercial activity creates demand and growth for many industries, but on the other hand has seen too many visitors to particular destinations including Amsterdam, Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona – causing a rise in overtourism.
That’s one of the reasons why this year’s Skift Global Forum theme is entitled: The Future of Travel – What is Travels Responsibility to the World? It’s an opportunity to discuss how stakeholders, including local communities, regulators, employees, guests and competitors define the future of travel and ensure the success of the tourism industry in the long run.
What is skift global forum?
The Skift Global Forum is Skift’s biggest and most diverse event held on the main stage at Lincoln Centre’s Jazz in New York City, this two-day event attracts 1,000+ attendees from 40+ countries.
Skift carefully curates’ topics and speakers in order to inspire our fellow travel professionals about the business and creative potential of Travel the world’s largest industry.
The single stage event is focused, fast paced, intimate and thought-provoking featuring TED-style talks and deep dive Q&A’s withtravel’s most insightful business leaders and creative thinkers.
Skift Journalists ask tough questions that go way beyond the obvious, draw on original Skift Research and push the boundaries of strategy and creative imagination.
The program
This Year’s Topics Will Include:
• Travel’s Green New Deal: What are the priorities? How much must be invested to meaningfully address global sustainability issues?
• Hospitality’s Next Move: Strategies for addressing experience, differentiation, and scale in an increasingly competitive and consolidated market
• The Transparency Conundrum: Online booking diversification, packaging and brand partnerships
• The Future of Mobility: From aviation to ride-sharing, strategies, markets, and technologies that are redefining mobility and transforming customer experience
• Innovations and Challenges from Asia: What do the fastest-growing markets tell us about where travel is headed? How are destinations preparing for the demands of outbound travellers?
• Raising the Stakes on Experiences: More and more travellers are focused on bringing home memories and Instagram moments rather than souvenirs. Skift examines the experience landscape from luxury and wellness retreats to curated events, and more.
SPEAKERS
Confirmed speakers include so far:
- Christopher Nassetta, CEO of Hilton Worldwide
- Mark Okerstrom, President and CEO of Expedia Group, Inc.
- Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group
- Leeny Oberg, Chief Financial Officer of Marriott International
- Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM
- Arnold Donald, President & CEO of Carnival Group
- Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines
- Jen Rubio, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Away
- Glenn Fogel, CEO & President of Booking Holdings
- Trevor Horwell, CEO of Nobu Hotels
Who will you meet?
- Decision makers and strategists at global travel brands, especially hospitality, aviation and online travel
- Hospitality executives exploring the landscape of service and technology partnerships that can improve their business performance
- Tourism and destination professionals looking to understand their markets and customers and learn best practices from travels most innovative leaders
- Marketers and creative executives looking to understand the consumer to develop more engaging campaigns
- Travel advisors and tour operators seeking to understand new ways to surprise and delight their customers
- Investors and business development executives looking to understand the market and assess buy, build or partner opportunities for expansion
- Entrepreneurs seeking to understand the market and connect with decision makers to help shape their ideas and partner with their start-ups
- Consumer and enterprise tech companies providing platforms and solutions that underling in the industry
Skift has worked hard this year to bring together the biggest names in travel to discuss challenges within the industry. Having already reached London, Singapore, and San Francisco, they’re heading to New York on September 18-19 for their final — and largest — Forum of the year.
