David Y. Ige

GLOBAL TOURISM SUMMIT: DAY ONE

Charting the Course is the Summit Theme as Tourism Stakeholders, Industry
Professionals and Community Members Gather to Address Tourism’s Future

WHAT:
Highlights of Opening Day include Keynote Presentation by New Zealand’s Tourism Chief, Talk Story with Sophia the Robot, Hawaii’s Global Marketing Programs for 2019, and a Session Addressing Legal and Illegal Vacation Rentals

WHEN:
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 (See Schedule Below)

WHERE:
Hawaii Convention Center, 1801 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI

HONOLULU – The 2018 Global Tourism Summit opens Monday, October 1, offering a variety of presentations, panel discussions and sessions on topics important to the future of tourism in Hawaii and other destinations (see schedule below).

Highlights of day one include the opening keynote address by Stephen England-Hall, Tourism Chief for New Zealand, the luncheon featuring Talk Story with Sophia the Robot, presentations on marketing programs promoting travel to Hawaii in 2019, and a session on the subject of managing legal and illegal vacation rentals.

Presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), the Global Tourism Summit runs from Monday through Wednesday, October 1-3, at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. The theme of the summit – Charting the Course – speaks to the ever-present need of destinations and travel suppliers to continuously balance the power of tourism’s popularity globally with its impact on residents and communities locally.

Registration Information
Participants can register online via the dedicated website, www.globaltourismsummithawaii.com, and choose from one of several options offering savings for groups, students and faculty.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1

7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Innovation Days. Day 1: Ideate
Room 323 ABC
Innovation Days connects students with companies to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Participants pitch ideas, get support from mentors, and work together to develop prototypes to solve companies’ innovation challenges.

8:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Student Debate Preliminary Rounds
Rooms 303 AB, 305 AB, 307 AB, 308 AB, and 309
Twelve student debate teams from Hawaii (three teams), the mainland U.S.(two teams), Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will address issues involving tourism. The teams are paired off in different rooms as they compete in four rounds of debate.

9:30-10:15 a.m.
Keynote Presentation: Stephen England-Hall, Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand:
For Global Good – The Transformative Power of Tourism
Kalakaua Ballroom

10:15-10:45 a.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: United States
Kalakaua Ballroom

10:55-11:30 a.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: China and Hong Kong
Kalakaua Ballroom

11:30-11:45 a.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Taiwan
Kalakaua Ballroom

12:00-1:15 p.m.
Luncheon: Charting the Course for Technology:
Talk Story with Sophia the Robot
Kamehameha Exhibit Hall III
From Siri to Alexa and beyond, the world of AI and robotics is evolving continuously, bringing advancements to our lives. How can such innovations be integrated into your world and affect change and growth within the travel and tourism industry in the near future? Join Oahu Visitors Bureau’s
Kainoa Daines and Sophia the Robot, of Hanson Robotics, and discover how in this exciting and entertaining session. Gain a better understanding and identify opportunities for AI and robotics. A brief Q&A will follow with Sophia herself.

1:30-1:50 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Oceania (Australia and New Zealand)
Kalakaua Ballroom

1:50-2:10 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Canada
Kalakaua Ballroom

2:00-2:45 p.m.
Student Debate Final
Liliu Theater (Room 310)
Watch the two finalist teams debate on the topic: Resolved: The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Tourism Will Improve the Visitor Experience

2:10-2:30 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Europe
Kalakaua Ballroom

2:30-2:50 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Korea
Kalakaua Ballroom

2:55-3:15 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Japan
Kalakaua Ballroom

3:00-5:00 p.m.
PATA Student Forum
Liliu Theater (Room 310)
The Pacific Asia Travel Association Hawaii Chapter provides students majoring in hospitality, tourism, or transportation management with an opportunity to obtain valuable career advice from a panel of successful professionals in the field.

3:40-4:00 p.m.
General Session: 2019 Market Outlook & Activities: Global Meetings, Conventions and Incentives
Kalakaua Ballroom

4:00-5:00 p.m.
General Session: How Destinations Manage Both Legal and Illegal Vacations Rentals
Kalakaua Ballroom
This panel discussion will feature guest speakers from New Orleans, San Francisco and Los Angeles, three cities in which government officials have successfully taken action to prevent legal and illegal short-term vacation rentals from encroaching into residential neighborhoods.

5:00-6:00 p.m.
Networking Reception: Connect with exhibitors and fellow attendees in the Networking Lounge in
Room 316 ABC.

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About the Hawaii Tourism Authority
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawaii’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawaii, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawaii’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success.

For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.

Media Contacts:

Charlene Chan
Director of Communications
Hawaii Tourism Authority
808-973-2272 (o)
808-781-7733 (m)
[email protected]

Patrick Dugan
Anthology Marketing Group
(808) 539-3411 (o)
(808) 741-2712 (m)
[email protected]