World Travel & Tourism Council has confirmed it will hold its regional Asia Summit in Korea in September, in recognition of the recent acceleration of tourism in the region.

WTTC Asia Summit will take place in Seoul from September 10th-11th.

The public sector and leading private sector organisations in Korea are hosting the Summit, which will bring tourism leaders together from around the world to engage in lively debate around current issues and future trends.

Speakers will include chief executives from regional and global hotel companies, airlines, cruise lines, tour operators, travel management and online agencies; ministers of tourism; high level representatives from the NGO sector and opinion formers from the world of finance, academia and the media. 

WTTC president David Scowsill said: “The Summit will have a pan-Asian focus and address economic and travel related issues, which are of vital importance to one of the world’s most important tourism regions.

“Leaders in the region are really keen to stay ahead of tomorrow, and see how countries can find innovative ways to help increase tourism benefits and work together to facilitate sustainable growth.”

The continuous increasing demand for travel in Asia is a result of healthy emerging economies across most of the region. 

Figures released by WTTC today show that Asia has led tourism growth in 2012, with 7.3 per cent total tourism year-on-year growth in contribution to GDP in south-east Asia, 6.3 per cent in north-east Asia and four per cent in south Asia, compared with a growth contribution to GDP of only 0.4 per cent in Europe.