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Luxury hotelier and forthright hospitality veteran, to address key
regional players from the travel and tourism sector during inaugural closed-door
networking event
Leading
regional travel industry professionals will come together at Arabian Travel
Market (ATM) 2016, as organiser, Reed Travel Exhibitions, hosts its first ever Leaders
Breakfast.
The
invitation-only event, will take
place on Wednesday 27th April 2016. As well as providing a unique
platform for peer to peer networking, the highlight of the session will be an
open one-on-one interview by BBC World News television anchor Zeinab
Badawi, with veteran luxury hotelier, Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman of Rocco Forte
Hotels.
Topical
industry issues such as opportunities for luxury brands in Iran, the impact of
technology on distribution channels and guest experience as well as his views
on the future of the industry – online travel agents and the future of luxury
in the Middle East post 2020.
“Sir
Rocco and Zeinab will discuss current industry issues and the trends that will
undoubtedly shape the future of the travel and tourism industry. With almost 47
years’ hands-on experience, Sir Rocco has in-depth knowledge of the hospitality
business that is virtually unmatched. Add to that his frank and candid interview
style and he was the perfect choice for our first ATM Leaders Breakfast event,”
said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market.
Son
of the late Lord Charles Forte, and a descendant of one of the UK’s best known
hospitality dynasties, Sir Rocco Forte founded his luxury hotel company in 1996
following a distinguished career with Forte Plc, which he joined as a young man
in 1969. He oversaw the group which at one point, managed a portfolio of more
than 800 hotels, 1,000 restaurants and almost 100,000 employees located in 50
countries.
Rocco
Forte Hotels currently operates hotels in major European destinations including
London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Florence, Rome, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, and St.
Petersburg, as well as a flagship property in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia. In 2009,
Rocco Forte Hotels launched Verdura, the company’s first resort on the island
of Sicily and has an active strategy for future expansion into new European
destinations and other global markets, with a Shanghai hotel set to open in
2018.
Knighted
in 1994 for services to the UK tourism industry he was also president of the
British Hospitality Association (the main trade body for the UK hotel and
catering industry) from 1991-6, and has also been an active member of the
Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council.
“As
well as an engaging speaker, the breakfast presents a unique, closed-door
opportunity for the very top echelon of the commercial travel industry to
network with fellow senior industry professionals in an exclusive,
relaxed atmosphere,” said Noblet-Segers.
Held under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the
UAE, Ruler of Dubai, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its
kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.
Now in its 23rd year, ATM
2016 will build on the success of this year’s edition with the announcement of
an additional hall as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its
record-breaking achievements earlier this year. ATM 2015 witnessed a
year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 15% to over 26,000, with exhibiting
companies increasing by 5% to 2,873. Business deals worth more than US$2.5
billion were signed over the four days.
For
more information on Arabian Travel Market 2016, please log on to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
