Philippines edition of WTTC Global Summit postponed to March 2022

The 21st World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, due to be held in the Philippines in October, has been postponed to the first quarter of 2022, WTTC has confirmed to CMW. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced the news during Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX 2021) in Subic. PHITEX welcomed 156 Philippine suppliers and 122 buyers from 33 countries for the hybrid event. Now the 21^st WTTC Global Summit is planned also as a hybrid event, for 650 in-person, with another 30,000 individuals tuning in via the digital platform. It is understood the postponement is a mutual decision between the WTTC and the host country, although senior politicians in the Philippines have expressed differing views on whether the event should go ahead at all. The decision on the WTTC Global Summit contrasted with the AHIC (Arabian and African Hospitality Investment Conference) that was held in Dubai recently with a large in-person contingent. In the Philippines, event venues, hotels and restaurants are either opened with reduced capacity or closed depending upon the lockdown classification of the destination as determined by the local government every two weeks.