New event organised by The Economist

A new Sea Tourism Summit is to be held ahead of next year’s Boot Düsseldorf exhibition in Germany. The event, entitled ‘Navigating a Sea of Opportunities’, will take place on January 17 and is being organised by Economist Events in conjunction with the show.

The organisers say: “Sea tourism has always been a significant part of the tourist industry and an engine of growth for coastal countries. Some aspects of globalisation, such as the liberalisation of transport and communication, the digital revolution and the increased interest in travelling abroad have favoured the sector, resulting in innovative services and infrastructures.”

The summit will address:

Challenges & Opportunities – the aftermath of the last global recession, fears of a new recession, tight government budgets and an ageing of population have raised new challenges. In times of environmental crisis, the sustainability issue is of critical importance; enhancing environmental awareness is not just a necessity but also an opportunity.

Bringing Politics & Business Together – the summit is being held in Düsseldorf on January 17, 2020, and will conclude with a formal dinner in the evening, at which Matteo Renzi, the former Prime Minister of Italy, will give the keynote speech. A mix of political, government and business people will participate in the summit to brainstorm, openly debate and put forward new proposals on the issues that the event will be covering.

The programme includes:

  • Speaker: John Andrews, consultant editor, The Economist; with welcome remarks by Andreas Pinkwart, Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westfalia
  • Changing of the Guard in Europe: How will the Global Economic and Business Landscape be Affected? Speaker: Sigmar Gabriel, former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • The Nautical Tourism Industry: Contributing to an Extrovert and Innovative Economy - In dialogue with the Ministers: Gari Cappelli, Minister of Tourism, Croatia; Dario Franceschini, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Italy; Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Spain; Haris Theoharis, Minister of Tourism, Greece
  • The Importance of Sustainability in Tourism and Recreation
  • The EU’s perspective - Director General, DG Mare, European Commission (TBA)
  • Maria Damanaki - Global Managing Director for Oceans, The Nature Conservancy
  • Angelo Riccaboni - Chair, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Mediterranean, Chair, PRIMA-Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area
  • Vienna Eleiteri - Founding Member & Vice Chair, Water Revolution Foundation
  • How is the Nautical Tourism Sector Contributing to the World’s Economy? Speakers include Jean-Pierre Goudant, President European Boating Industry; Andrea Razeto, President ICOMIA, Ben Speciale, Chairperson NMMA, Robert Marx, President BVWW and Nic Arnold, Director UK, PwC
  • Sailing & Yachting: The Cultural, Practical and Economical Impact on People’s Lives – speaker John Kalogerakis, CEO of JMK Anthropocentric Corporate Training and People Development
  • Shipbuilding & Yachting: What Lies Ahead? A discussion moderated by Martin Redmayne, Chairman & Editor The Superyacht Group, with Michael Breman, President SYBAss, Yves Lyon-Caen, President French Yachting Association, Paolo Vitelli, President Azimut Benetti Group, Antony Sheriff, Executive Chairman Princess Yachts, Massimo Perotti, Chairman and CEO Sanlorenzo
  • Looking into the Future of the Tourism Industry, with speakers Tom Mukamal, President IGY Marinas, Kostas Axarloglou, Dean Alba Graduate Business School and a representative of Grand Harbour Marina, Malta

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