Forum to provide platform for opportunities, exchange of ideas
GCC youth to contribute in re-mapping tourism in 15 years
KUWAIT:
Organizers of the first Kuwait Youth and Tourism Forum seek to transform the event into a comprehensive platform for opportunities and enhancing relations between young entrepreneurs, as well as promoting tourism as a supporter for true development.
In this regard, Nabila Al-Anjeri, head of the organizing committee and General Manager of Leaders Group for Consultancy and Development, stressed that the forum would be held in collaboration between the information ministry’s tourism sector and the Leaders Group, which serves as the representative of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Kuwait. The event takes place on the 27th and 28th of March, 2017 under the patronage of Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdulla Al-Sabah.
The forum will discuss the ways of activating tourism in Kuwait, Anjeri said. She also expected that the forum would attract considerable participation from state departments concerned with youth, tourism, development and planning since it also coincides with selecting Kuwait as the ‘Youth Capital in 2017.’ Anjeri added that the forum fits with the UN’s new strategy to empower the youth in sustainable development for 2030.
Further, Anjeri highlighted the emergence of the ‘millennial generation,’ otherwise known as ‘first-time travelers’ or ‘new generation travelers.’ The term refers to people born at the beginning of the new century and are expected to join world travelers seeking new experiences, especially after the spread of social media. “The fifth Global Summit on City Tourism was recently held with participation of 400 experts from 40 different countries, and all of them focused on the significance of the ‘millennial generation,’ specialized emerging markets, means to build authentic cultural experiences and enrolling local communities.” she added. Furthermore, she noted that participants also stressed the significance of means used today to provide 270 million young travelers with access to good genuine touristic products as well as the capability to communicate electronically on a 24/7 basis.
Moreover, Anjeri urged Kuwaiti young entrepreneurs, companies and planners working in the fields of tourism, travel and hospitality to become fully aware of changes expected in local and GCC tourism maps, according to specialized studies and international organizations’ reports. “The reports say that GCC youth who are due to become adults over the next 15 years will contribute in re-mapping travel and tourism by using modern digital and technological methods, smartphones and social media networks to run and manage their travels and bookings,” Ajneri explained, noting that young people’s ideas would help create new projects and job opportunities for thousands of graduates.
“If the world’s youth make up the largest segment of people working in travel, tourism and hospitality, young entrepreneurs and investors will be much closer to them in terms of understanding the need for creativity in tourism techniques and methods, namely those which are suitable for youth and their thinking patterns,” Anjeri indicated. “This makes young entrepreneurs highly qualified to come up with new ideas on starting and managing successful small and medium touristic projects, only if they get proper spiritual, technical and financial support.”