IMPACT 2020 Announces Speakers, Themes
The only conference in Canada to tackle the sustainable future of tourism both nationally and abroad is bringing together national and global experts to lead the discussions as concerns over the future of our planet and tourism’s impact continue to grow.
Set for the Victoria Conference Centre in Victoria from Jan. 19 to 22, 2020, the Conference will be co-chaired by Keith Henry, president and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) and Marion Joppé, representing the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) of Canada.
Moderated session topics in 2020 will include; Canada’s tourism industry’s progress year over year on climate action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, challenges and best practices from across the country with a special focus on Atlantic Canada, workshops to help delegates choose the best metrics for their regenerative tourism goals – which will help measure and develop holistic tourism development, determining the best SDG’s for each organization and community, and where regenerative tourism fits in tourism and hospitality programs and what it takes to attract and retain talent.
Kayli Anderson, Synergy Enterprises and IMPACT’s program coordinator, said: “We went back to our delegates from the past two years and asked them to review our program and provide topics they want to dig deeper on. Based on that feedback, we will no longer have keynotes, while instead focusing on panel discussions to allow more dialogue and sharing of knowledge.”
Confirmed moderators and panellists will include:
- Charlotte Bell, President and CEO Of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada
- Geof Rochester, Founder and CEO of CRV Advising
- Geoffrey Tauvette, Director, Environment and Fuel WestJet
- Greg Klassen, Principal, Twenty31
- Joe Baker, Dean, School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Centennial College
- Kehkashan Basu, Founder and President of Green Hope Foundation, and a United Nations Human Rights Champion
- Pauline J. Sheldon, Professor Emerita, University of Hawai’i
- Philippe Lacamp, SVP, America, Cathay Pacific Airways
- Sam Dolling, Director Guide Network
- Wade Davis National Geographic Explorer
The IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference is held annually in Victoria in January (Jan. 19 to Jan. 22, 2020) and was born to create a safe space for inspiring, candid conversations about what the legacy of tourism will be in Canada while facing the climate crisis and too much dependence on a mass tourism model. With a goal to capture actionable items and provide a foundation for year over year discussions, a conference proceedings paper is created each year.
Those registering by Nov. 11, 2019 will pay the early bird registration fee, $595 plus tax, compared to the regular fee of $695 plus tax.
To register for the conference, and for more information, visit www.impactnational.ca .
