ABOUT WORLD TOURISM FORUM INSTITUTE

VISION

Reshaping economies through tourism.

MISSION

A well-executed tourism strategy = Economic multiplier for a nation

• Building sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism communities.
• Telling the untold story of tourism in under-developed countries.
• Eliminating poverty by driving tourism investments and creating jobs.
• Making the tourism economy the prime motivator for governments to maintain the highest level of good governance.

World Tourism Forum Institute (WTFI) is reshaping economies through tourism development in countries where there are untold tourism stories to share. Our aim is to reduce the negative impact of tourism by increasing the positive impact of sustainable development goals in tourism globally.

As the leading international tourism development and investment brand, World Tourism Forum Institute, based in London, UK, is committed to promoting developing countries in the field of tourism development, economic growth, foreign direct investment through tourism investments, and human resource development within the industry.

World Tourism Forum Institute also has a research and academic vertical under WTFI, which has been established to generate market knowledge, promote competitive and sustainable tourism development goals (UNSDGs), foster tourism education and skills development, and strive to make tourism an effective tool for development through its global calendar of events, training, marketing, research, and HR solutions.

World Tourism Forum Institute creates a legacy for the host country through carefully selected and tailor-made initiatives aiming to promote and support the country’s soft image internationally. These experiences are designed to strengthen the country’s branding abroad through its conferences, WTFI’s masterclasses, and international media promotions.

World Tourism Forum Institute also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment to the target country by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and lending support to foreign investors willing to allocate resources into the target country.

Ultimately, we support the host country through our various in-house resources by rebranding, executing their tourism products, conducting strategic market studies and analyses, and developing destination management, investment, and visitor management plans in various tourism sectors.

WTFI OBJECTIVES

DEVELOP

Tourism destinations must have a clear vision of maximizing economic, environmental, and socio-cultural sustainability for their residents while delivering a quality visitor experience. WTFI, through its various portfolios, helps host countries improve their destination experience, which may be through its academic outreach programs or strategically developed destination management and visitor experience management plans.

MARKET

Tourism destinations tend to use “innovation” as a vehicle for developing new products, addressing niche markets, upgrading the quality of their services, and improving their market competitiveness. Within this context, we address and market the host country’s tourism potential in the ever-evolving tourism industry.

INVEST

If correctly planned, developed, and efficiently managed, tourism can be a catalyst for vigorous economic development. In our events, we aim to attract foreign direct investments to the host country through smart investment strategies.

ABOUT GLOBAL TOURISM FORUM

VISION

To develop and promote the host country and attract foreign direct investment into its tourism portfolio.

MISSION

Develop the host country’s tourism product to become more innovative, competitive, and sustainable, as per international benchmarks.

Global Tourism Forum is the brand of the London-based World Tourism Forum Institute. Starting from 2020, World Tourism Forum Institute's events will be entitled as Global Tourism Forum.

The Global Tourism Forum, or GTF for short, is an international collaboration platform focused on addressing the challenges for the travel industry. Combining the joint efforts of government agencies, industry stakeholders, and academia, GTF strives to achieve sustainable development models for emerging travel markets and devise strategies to ensure tourism growth.

World Tourism Forum Institute organizes several initiatives aiming to promote the hosting country internationally. As a brand of WTFI, Global Tourism Forum organizes select activities designed to strengthen the host country’s branding abroad.

Global Tourism Forum also plays a leading role in attracting foreign direct investment to the target country by working to identify business opportunities, promoting strategic events, and lending support to foreign investors willing to allocate resources to the target country.

WHAT IS GTF ANNUAL MEETING?

Global Tourism Forum (GTF) Annual Meetings are the largest creative business events in the global travel industry. Participants of the meeting series include leaders shaping world tourism, travel agencies and tour operators, local and foreign businessmen, investment groups and bankers, investment consultancy companies, politicians, senior executives, public authorities, strategists, and technologists in travel – the people creating and defining the future of travel, who form the majority of the groups participating in the meeting.

Through talks, panels, workshops, networking, and micro-events, GTF Annual Meetings help top travel professionals understand changing trends across sectors, geographies, and functional aspects of the travel industry and promote the internationalization of businesses and the attraction of foreign direct investment.

Delegates from all over the world attend the meetings as keynote speakers, C-level executives of international companies, influencers, academicians, and politicians.

WHO WILL ATTEND GTF ANNUAL MEETING?

• Politicians and Ex-Politicians
• World Tourist Industry Leaders
• Travel Agencies and Tour Operators
• Local or Foreign Investors, Investment Groups, and Banks
• Investment Consultants, Legislators
• Senior Managers
• Public Authorities
• Travel Strategists and Travel Technologists - people who shape the future of travel
• Entrepreneurs
• Tourism & Travel Associations

WHY BE A HOST CITY?

• Host City and/or Facility would have partner rights to the GTF Annual Meeting.
• Recognition of Host City and partners by a representative at the GTF Annual Meeting.
• Host City will have an opportunity for stage time at the GTF Annual Meeting.
• Distribution of amenities/collateral at the GTF Annual Meeting.
• Exclusive and shared logo recognition on print/digital signage during the GTF Annual Meeting.
• Recognition of Host City (where appropriate by GTF guidelines) for sponsoring the Summit in all program collateral, including:
  • Logo with link in e-invitation
  • GTF Annual Meeting e-communications
  • GTF Annual Meeting web page on the WTFI website
  • Printed collateral promoting the GTF Annual Meeting
  • On-site program material at the GTF Annual Meeting
• Additional marketing tools before the event (as approved by WTFI).
• Coverage in WTFI Media (where appropriate).

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE BIDDING COUNTRY

All submissions must be made by a legal body in the country. All submissions must:

1. Propose a city.
2. Propose a venue.
3. Provide three sets of dates for the event.
4. Include information on accommodation options and pricing at or near the proposed venue.
5. Include information on travel and transportation options and connectivity to the proposed city and venue.
6. Indicate any support and funding from national, regional, or provincial/state governments as well as respective tourism or convention authorities.
7. Outline a budget for the event (please contact WTFI COO Barış KAHRIMAN at b.kahriman@worldtourismforum.net to receive the Excel version of the template to use for the budget).

Failure to adhere to the requirements above may result in the non-recommendation of the submission by the Council. Additional information that will aid in the evaluation of the submission includes:

1. Estimate of the affordability of meals, transportation, and recreation within the proposed city.
2. Suggested social activities and technical visits.

The criteria for selecting the host member association and their nominated city and venue will not only be technical and logistical but will also include financial viability, the robustness of the capacity, and the contribution of the host member association, the co-organizer.

The Bidder must explain the motivation for hosting the GTF by responding to the following questions:

• Why do you want to host the GTF Congress?
• What are your objectives and outcomes you hope to achieve by hosting the Congress?
• What will be your suggested theme for the Congress?
• What previous professional events have been organized or hosted by your member association in the past three years?
• What major events have been organized at the proposed venue in the past two years?
• What major events are planned, if any, in the proposed city?
• What initiatives or activities are you suggesting to ensure a sustainable conference environment?
• What new initiatives or activities are you suggesting to expand the visibility and attractiveness of this premier and flagship global forum for the profession?
• What legacy do you expect to leave your member association and your profession locally from the Congress?

EVALUATION OF THE BIDS

Bidders are requested to note and adhere to the instructions to bidders, particularly the requirements and questions listed, as they form the criteria for evaluation. WTFI places equal importance on:

1. The ability and capacity of the member association to successfully deliver this annual premier event in WTFI’s events calendar and its objective. b. The capacity and suitability of the proposed venue and its facilities. c. The desire that the destination of WTFI’s annual premier global forum for the profession be rotated between different regions and countries.
2. The financial viability of the event together with the ability to return a surplus. e. The support, including financial, by local or national authorities. f. The affordability and “better value for money” for participants, including registration fees, travel, and local costs. g. Environmental sustainability, safety, and security for participants. h. Motivation for being the host of the GTF Annual Meeting.

FINAL DECISION

All submissions will be evaluated by the WTFI Executive Council and independent advisors, who after full due diligence, will submit the selected country to the WTFI Executive Advisory Board for final approval of their recommendation. The Council will inform all parties of the GTF Annual Meeting of all expressions of interest and reserves the right to comment and make reservations on any submission.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

The outline budget for the Congress is to be prepared and submitted as part of the expression of interest and is needed primarily to evaluate the economic and financial viability of each submission. WTFI has an event budget template that shall be used for this purpose (Appendix A). The purpose of using the budget template is to ensure that WTFI Administration and Council can compare competing bids using the same criteria.

It would be most useful if the submission includes information and indicative prices for local services to provide a reasonable assessment of the local pricing level and the registration fee structure that is normal to the host country. Additional information about support and funding (funds and/or in-kind) that is available, such as financial support from the government, tourism or convention authorities, public guarantees, receptions hosted by the hosting city/country, social events, etc., are welcome. In addition, the bidder is encouraged to include information and ideas on how the bidder may encourage and support participants from developing countries, students, young professionals, and other underrepresented groups to attend the event.

COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATION

Bidders should note that in accordance with current operating norms, as well as bilateral agreements and understandings, the budget must include complimentary registration to the Congress for the following, depending on the overall size of the meeting (minimum 2,500 delegates to 8,000 delegates):

• All Keynote/Plenary Speakers (5-15)
• All Ministers & Their Team (30-50)
• CEOs & Influencers (30-50)
• Press (40-50)

The budget is also expected to support invited speakers, particularly from WTFI partners and agencies from the World Bank, United Nations, and regional groupings (e.g., European Union, African Union, ASEAN), as well as from developing countries by providing complimentary registration. The number of supported speakers will be budgeted. Additional support will be sought from development and aid programs, donors, and collaborative agreements with UN agencies or from within the budget. Local contributions/programs will also be of interest.

Please note that the conference budget covers only complimentary registration, and all participants bear their own travel, local subsistence, and accommodation costs. These complimentary registrations must be covered in the budget.

COMPLIMENTARY ACCOMMODATION

The budget must provide complimentary accommodation for the GTF Annual Meeting:

• WTFI Operation Team (10 Pax – 15 Nights)
• VIP & Keynote Speakers (10 Pax – 3 Nights)
• Ministers (50 Pax – 2 Nights)
• CEOs & Influencers (60 Pax – 2 Nights)
• Press (30 Pax – 2 Nights)

SPONSORSHIP

GTF Annual Meetings have traditionally relied heavily on local and international sponsorships to offer low registration fees to delegates and still be financially viable. The local commitment and local sponsorship possibilities are crucial for the conference budget and the general interest of hosting the event in a specific country. WTFI is responsible for international sponsorships and ensures that all sponsors receive excellent exposure in the run-up to the event, during the event, and immediate aftermath.

WTFI Administration and the Local Organizing Committee will include sponsorship in early planning meetings and agree on fees and responsibilities.

APPOINTMENT OF A PCO (Professional Congress Organizer)

• In most cases, the WTFI HQ Team will deliver the meeting through in-house support and team.
• However, for more complex meetings and destinations, WTFI reserves the right to appoint a PCO partner to help deliver all logistics of the meeting, depending on the complexity of the meeting.
• If a PCO is appointed, the company will be appointed by WTFI through a fair bidding process, and their budget will be covered by WTFI through the overall budget.
• WTFI/GTF will be responsible for overall budget management, marketing, branding, meeting design and content, and speaker appointments.
• The PCO will be responsible for local logistics, speaker management, and local sponsorship.

SPLIT OF RESPONSIBILITIES