The WTTC is to collaborate with Carnival Corporation on a Covid-19 virtual scientific summit featuring input from leading scientists and health experts.
The WTTC/Carnival Corporation Global Science Summit on Covid-19 will take place on July 23 and will be open to the public.
Other speakers will include tourism leaders, government agencies, destination partners, trade and private businesses, who will discuss “practical, adaptable and science-based solutions for mitigating and living with Covid-19”.
Topics will include epidemiology, transmission, screening and testing, therapeutics and practical risk mitigation.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC chief executive, said: “This event will be a powerful platform for harnessing the best thinking from across all fields of knowledge in the public and private sectors. The science of this virus is rapidly evolving and these real-time insights will be invaluable in helping us determine evidence-based protection and mitigation measures to combat Covid-19.
“They will also help drive global alignment and collaboration on the frontiers of science and policy, which is critical to the survival of this important sector.”
She added: “Covid-19 has had a crushing global socio-economic impact and is threatening the jobs of millions of people whose very livelihoods depend upon a thriving travel & tourism sector for their survival.”
Arnold Donald, chief executive of Carnival Corporation, is a member of the WTTC’s executive committee and proposed the joint event to the organisation.
He said: “Our highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, protecting the environment and the safety, health and well-being of our guests, our crew members and the people in the communities we visit.
“Throughout the pause in our guest operations, we have been consulting and assembling the best minds in medical science, public health and infectious disease control. We are grateful to bring together a select group of science and medical experts who bring such relevant insight into Covid-19 for the public to hear.”
The summit will take place between 2pm and 5.30pm GMT on July 23. More details can be found at CovidScienceSummit.com.