Eliza Jean Reid, the First Lady of Iceland, was born in 1976 in Ottawa, Canada. She moved to Iceland in 2003. Madame Reid holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Trinity College, University of Toronto, where she held the position of Head of College in her final year. She holds a Master of Studies degree in modern history from St. Antony’s College, Oxford University.

Madame Reid is Co-Founder of the acclaimed Iceland Writers Retreat, an annual event that combines small-group writing workshops with cultural tours to introduce visitors to Iceland’s unique literary heritage. In this capacity, she has been active in helping to promote Icelandic writers and literary heritage abroad, especially in North America.

She was previously editor for Icelandair’s in-flight magazine, a staff writer at Iceland Review, and has been published in Monocle, The Globe and Mail, and several other newspapers and magazines. Prior to becoming First Lady, Madame Reid was also a frequent commentator on Icelandic current affairs for foreign media.

Madame Reid loves to travel and has made solo trips to many countries. She is a member of the Association of Women Business Leaders in Iceland (FKA) and until becoming First Lady was a member of the Canadian branch of the Society of American Travel Writers. She is patron of several organizations in Iceland, including the United Nations Association Iceland and is also a Goodwill Ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages Iceland. In September 2017, Madame Reid visited the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan at the invitation of UN Women.

Eliza Reid and President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson have four children together.

HRH Princess Dana Firas is a global advocate for heritage protection and preservation as a foundation for development, responsible tourism, political identity and participation.

Her Royal Highness currently serves as President of the Petra National Trust (PNT) established in 1989, Jordan’s oldest national nongovernmental organization in the field of heritage protection and preservation. . Since 2008, she has chaired the Board of the Petra National Foundation (PNF).

Her Royal Highness was designated a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in June 2017 by the UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in recognition of her outstanding commitment to heritage protection and her contribution to responsible tourism and community participation.

Since the early 1990s, Princess Dana Firas has worked to promote cultural heritage preservation, education and sustainable development in various capacities , both in Jordan and in the United States. She worked in the office of HM Queen Noor on projects in related fields and , peace and human rights. She participated in the establishment of a number of non-governmental organizations, locally and internationally. In 2016 she joined the Board of the Fulbright Commission in Jordan.

In 2003, Princess Dana co-authored an article entitled “From the Environment and Human Security to Sustainable Security and Development” in the Journal of Human Development. In 2006, she authored an article for the 2007 State of the World Report and participated in the launch of the report in Washington DC. In 2012, she contributed to a publication entitled “Tourism and Archeological Heritage Management at Petra: Driver to Development or Destruction.”

Her Royal Highness holds a BA degree from Boston University in economics and international relations. She also holds an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MPA from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government where she was a Fulbright Scholar. She is married to HRH Prince Firas bin Raad and has two daughters, Safa (born 2001) and Haya (born 2003), and one son, Hashem (born 2010). 

A leading figure in the Arab culture and art scenes, H.E. Shaikha Mai has spearheaded national efforts to develop the cultural infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain for heritage conservation and the growth of sustainable tourism.

H.E. launched the nation-wide ‘Invest in Culture’ initiative, building an unprecedented partnership between the private and public sectors for heritage preservation, leading to the establishment of key cultural infrastructures.

Amongst her myriad achievements have been the 2005 and 2012 inscriptions of the “Bahrain Fort Site” and “the Pearling: Testimony of an Island Economy” as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in addition to the founding of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage in Manama.

Today, a role model for culture and heritage enthusiasts, HE Shaikha Mai was the first laureate of the Colbert Prize for Creativity and Heritage in 2010. The mastermind of annual cultural and tourism initiatives such as the Spring of Culture and Bahrain Summer Festival, her efforts have also been recognized by the Arab Thought Foundation, which bestowed upon her the Social Creativity Award.

H.E. has been recognized with several awards and prizes such as the Arab Women of the Year Award 2015, Watch Award 2015 by World Monuments Fund, the Légion d’Honneur, the Moroccan Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Grand Officer) and the Order of the Italian Star as well as the First Class Order of Merit from HM King Hamad of Bahrain. She also played a significant role that helped the Bahrain Pavilion win the silver Pavilion Architecture Award at Expo Milan 2015 and she was designated as “The Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainability for Development 2017” until 2019 from the World Tourism Organization.

H.E. is also renowned as a local historian, published seven books both in London and Beirut which were distributed in Bahrain and internationally.

Francesco Bandarin is the UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture.

From 2000 to 2010 he was Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Secretary of the World Heritage Convention. From 2010 to 2014 he served as Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Culture. He was re-appointed in this position for an interim period until February, 2018.

In 2014, he was appointed President of the Jury of the Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Rem Koolhaas and President of the Jury of the First Shenzhen Creative Design Award (SCDA).

He is President of the Italian Association of Historic Cities (ANCSA), member of the Visiting Committee of the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles and member of the Steering Committee of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

He holds degrees in Architecture (IUAV Venice) and City and Regional Planning (UC Berkeley). He has been Professor of Urban planning and Urban Conservation at the University of Venice (IUAV) from 1980 to 2000.

His recent publications include: The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century, 2012 and Reconnecting the City. The Historic Urban Landscape Approach and the Future of Urban Heritage, 2015, both published by Wiley-Blackwell.

Gerald Lawless started his career with Forte Hotels which culminated in him setting up and growing Forte’s operations in the Middle East.

After a 23-year career with Forte Hotels, he joined Jumeirah in 1997 and helped establish it as one of the premier luxury hotel brands in the world. Taking on the challenge of launching Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, after the successful introduction of Jumeirah Beach Hotel to an eager travelling public, Mr. Lawless went on to become President and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Jumeirah Group.

In April 2016, Mr. Lawless became Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Mr. Lawless is a Graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland and holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management by the Johnson & Wales University, State of Rhode Island, USA; an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the National University of Ireland, Galway; and an Honorary Doctorate by the Middlesex University Dubai. He is a member of the Global Future Council on the Future of Mobility of the World Economic Forum; a fellow member of the Institute of Hospitality; and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne.

Recipient of the 2017 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.

Sameh Wahba, an Egyptian national, is Director for Urban and Territorial Development, Disaster Risk Management and Resilience at the World Bank Group’s Social, Rural, Urban and Resilience Global Practice, based in Washington D.C, where he oversees the formulation of Bank strategy and the design and delivery of all Bank lending, technical assistance, policy advisory activities and partnerships at the global level.

Prior to this, he was Practice Manager for the Urban and Disaster Risk Management unit in Africa and the Global Urban and Resilience Unit, and he served as Acting Director of Operations and Strategy for the Global Practice. He also worked as Sustainable Development Sector Leader for Brazil, based in Brasilia, and worked as urban specialist focused on housing, land, local economic development and municipal management and service delivery in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East and North Africa Regions.

Prior to joining the Bank in 2004, he worked at the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies in Rotterdam and at the Harvard Center for Urban Development Studies.

He holds a Ph.D. and Masters in urban planning from Harvard University, and a B.Sc and M.Sc in Architectural Engineering from Cairo University. He speaks Arabic, French, English and Portuguese. Most recently, he co-authored the Bank’s flagship publication on “Regenerating Urban Land: A Practitioner’s Guide to Leveraging Private Investment.”

Mr. Valencia is Vice Minister of Tourism of Peru, a position he has held since September, 2016. He holds a Bachelor's degree in tourism with a postgraduate degree in Tourism Marketing and has more than 30 years of experience in this sector.

He has been a pioneer in the development of unique tourist experiences, such as the high mountain trek called "Camino al Apu Ausangate" and the "Rainbow Mountain". He has been an active promoter of rural community tourism in Cusco - Peru. His work included the development of inclusive initiatives through educational and conservation programs, as well as international cooperation projects with host communities.

Mr. Valencia has extensive experience in the private sector. He founded "Auqui Mountain Spirit", an adventure tourism travel agency based in Cusco, and was later appointed Director of the sustainable tourism company "Andean Lodges". He has also represented the private sector as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Regional Chamber of Tourism of Cusco, a position he has held on several occasions.

His academic work has allowed him to work as a professor at the Graduate School of Tourism of the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences and as a researcher at the San Martin de Porres University in Peru.

Mr. Valencia has also worked as an international consultant in tourism businesses and management of protected areas, member of the Transparency Civil Association and member of the Advisory Council of "Turismo Cuida", a Peruvian civil association committed to social, cultural and environmental responsibility in tourism, partner of the American foundation “Tourism Cares”.

He was also appointed Honorary Consul of Belgium in Cusco.

Mr. Valencia was born in Cusco in 1959. He is married and has two children.

Ms. Pansy Ho is the Group Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited, a listed conglomerate with core businesses in property, transportation, hospitality and investments spanning the Pearl River Delta. She is also Co-chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, and holds a number of executive roles in various private and quasi-government entities.

Beyond the boardroom, Ms. Ho is dedicated to the promotion of tourism development on the international front. She is Executive Committee Member of World Travel and Tourism Council, Vice President of China Chamber of Tourism, and the first PATA Foundation Ambassador. In 2011, she founded the Global Tourism Economy Forum, the international conference popularly attended by tourism-related ministers and leaders around the globe, and partners with the UNWTO in joint research on Asia tourism trends.

Ms. Ho is also a keen supporter of art development and cultural exchanges between nations. She has organized and curated a number of exhibitions including the “One Belt One Road Visual Arts Exhibition 2016” in Hong Kong. Under Ms. Ho’s stewardship, her companies are key patrons for art events such as the “Hong Kong Art Festival” and “Le French May”. In 2013, Ms. Ho launched the “MGM Art Space” at MGM Macau to feature valuable collections taken out of museum settings. Not only does this pioneering platform promote public interest in the enjoyment of art and culture, but also nurtures and celebrates international cultural exchange and collaboration, fostering local strengths and talents to give Macau a new identity as a regional creative hub. Ms. Ho is the first Ambassador for the Louvre in China, Member of the Sotheby’s International Advisory Board, and the Joint Vice-President of the Society of the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. She was bestowed an Honorary Fellowship by the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts in 2014.

Dr. Al Rawas is a Professor of Islamic History at the History Department of the College of Arts and Social Sciences. He was also the Deputy Chairperson of Public Authority for Crafts Industries in 2011 and the Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences from 2001 to 2011.

Member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Oman, Dr. Al Rawas is also the Chair and founder of the History and Archaeology Society in GCC Countries, the Chair of Omani History Society and a Member of Board of Trustees of the Arab Cultural Academy in Beirut, Lebanon, since 2002.

From 1992 to 2002, he was a Member of the Oman National Commission for Education and Science; a Member of the Educational Development Committee in GCC Countries and General Secretariat of the GCC in 2003; a Member of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Implementation of the GCC Summit Resolutions on Education; the Chair of Oman’s Cultural Strategy Team in 2005 and a Member of the Advisory Board of Arab Knowledge Report, Mohamed bin Rashid’s Association in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2008.

Brian Badura is director for Global Public Relations & Strategic Initiatives for Seabourn, the world’s finest ultra-luxury travel experience. In this position, he is responsible for the line’s overall public relations strategy. In addition to a team of three at the company’s headquarters in Seattle, he manages a global team of public relations agencies in New York, London, Sydney, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Wiesbaden, Germany. His role also includes primary management for key brand partnerships, including the multi-year agreement with UNESCO World Heritage, where the line is committed to contributing a minimum of $1 million U.S. to support the organization’s effort to preserve and protect World Heritage sites.

Badura joined Seabourn in February 2016. Prior to that, he spent the previous 16 years of his career with the United States Navy, most recently serving as public affairs officer for Commander, Submarine Group Nine in Bangor, Wash., where he was responsible for the overall communication efforts for the guided-missile and ballistic-missile submarine fleet on the U.S. West Coast. During his tenure with the Navy, he held positions at medical, operational and fleet headquarters and commands located in Norfolk, VA; Kabul, Afghanistan; Naples, Italy; and Washington DC. He also has experience in business to business sales.

Badura is passionate about travel along with the wisdom and insight it brings to people from around the world, helping to connect us all and break down barriers to cooperation and understanding. He is always keen to uncover better and more efficient strategies that allow the company and his team to gain awareness in the global luxury travel marketplace using traditional media, influencers, and digital communication strategies.

A U.S. national, Badura and his family reside in the greater Seattle area.

It is after diverse work experiences in the sector of the transport and the bank that Mr. Verdier-Magneau integrated the Georges Pompidou Center for his first experience into the universe of the Museums where he collaborated in the implementation of a new information system and in contributed to the implementation of a new department of the broadcasting with a definition of programming adapted to all the public of the CNAC G.P. He then joined, in 1996, the Public institution of the castle, the museum and the national domain of Versailles for his creation as autonomous administrative public institution.

Since then, he evolved on several missions concerning the welcome and the cultural offer for the public compound for more than 75 % of foreign visitors. It is at present as Cultural Vice-President, Business Development that he realizes the coordination of the annual cultural programming with a team of 220 people working in the services of the exhibitions, the publishing, cultural and school programs, marketing products, studies and quality as well as with an office of information and the sale.

Worried of finding the best modes of mediation for all, he attempts to favor the access of all to the site of the Palace of Versailles, in a context of strong development of his attendance. He participates besides in the definition and in the implementation of the strategic directions of the establishment. He participates and contributes to the exchanges organized by the Ministry of Culture about cultural policies and about development of the public and represents the Establishment in various associations or grouping interministerial handling questions concerning the culture and concerning the tourism, (Association intermuseums, regional Committee of the Tourism, ect …) 

Prof. Zeray Alemseged is an anthropologist and professor at the University of Chicago.

He is one of the most prominent anthropologists and popularly known for his discovery of the fossil “Selam”. This fossil represents the “earliest child” and the most complete fossil from older than 3 million years’ time period. He has held many prominent positions in the past including the Irvine Chair of Anthropology at the California Academy of Science, San Francisco, a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute, Germany and a researcher at Arizona State University, USA and has published over 40 peer reviewed journal articles and 3 books.

Dr. Alemseged was born in Axum, Ethiopia and holds a BSc in geology from Addis Ababa University, a MSc degree in anthropology from the University of Montpellier, France; and a PhD. in Anthropology from the University of Paris. In 1999 he established the “Dikika Research Project”, which led to the discovery of “Selam” and many other great finds.

He is a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science, National Geographic Explorer and co-founder and President of East African Association of Anthropology. He engages the publicly at all levels and has been featured on TED, PBS-NOVA, National Geographic, BBC, CNN etc.

Haitham Mattar, CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, was appointed in May 2015 to drive the economic growth of Ras Al Khaimah by positioning the emirate as a world-class destination for sustainable tourism.

With more than 25 years of experience in global destination and hospitality management and marketing, Mattar has held senior roles with leading global brands including Marriott, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and most recently Hilton Worldwide.

As Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hilton Worldwide, he was managing a 240+ strong team across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Russia, and responsible for 126 trading properties with a further 100 in the pipeline, sharpening his aptitude in hospitality, travel and tourism.

Mattar’s cross-continent experience and valuable global insights have allowed him to effectively lead Ras Al Khaimah’s destination growth strategy, through capturing existing and emerging source market movements and global tourism trends. Under Mattar’s leadership, the Destination 2019 tourism strategy was launched and Ras Al Khaimah is achieving continued growth in visitor numbers and netting a growing share of the global outbound tourism market.

In 2017, Mattar was elected as Vice Chair of the UNWTO Board of Affiliate Members as well as being appointed as a member of the steering committee for the UNWTO 2017 International Year for Sustainable Development in Tourism. He was also named as the ‘Tourism Promotion CEO of the Year’ at the UK’s influential Global CEO Excellence Awards. Mattar has also been named a full-time advisory board member of the Global Thinkers Forum (GTF), an international platform that brings together a diverse network of thought leaders to share their vision for the future, create meaningful conversations around them and effect positive change in the world.

A Lebanese-born American citizen and Arabic speaker, Mattar holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida, USA, and a MBA in Marketing from the University of Liverpool, UK, having completed a thesis on the sustainability of tourism in Dubai.

Mr. Jamal Al Moosawi is Director General of the National Museum - Sultanate of Oman - since 2017. Mr. Al Moosawi has worked as Director of the National Museum - effectively Project Director - starting from 2010, then Acting Director General 2015 - 2016.

Previously, he worked for the British Council Middle East as Regional Arts Projects Manager (Middle East). Mr. Moosawi’s experience in curatorial and exhibition management is well-known in the region and beyond. Specifically, he worked on such projects in Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Mr. Al Moosawi has a Masters of Design in Visual Communication and Cultural Studies, and Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Visual Communication from Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Great Britain. He has number of publications in international journals and he is a member of multiple local and international associations in the areas of Museums and Arts.

“Working for the development of the community while keeping traditions and history.”

Mr. Adam Reuterskiöld is born and raised in the municipality of Ekerö where his family has been active for generations. He took on the position as mayor 2014 but has been working hard for the municipality for several years prior to that. “Our goal is to keep the rural and proud feeling of Ekerö while developing and expanding the municipality”. Ekerö is located only 20 minutes from the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, and has the privilege of having two world heritages.

Adam has a B.Sc. in finance and has ten years’ experience of international business working for Ericsson Telecommunications in various positions, ending up as VP of sales. During his time at Ericsson he has been living in different countries with his family, mainly in South East Asia but also USA during his studies.

After taking over the family estate in 2001, he has been running a modern business mainly based on traditional farming and real-estate. It was the love of history and traditions in combination with the desire make a local change that led him into politics. For the past ten years he has held a number of positions as chairman of different boards within the municipality and is now running for a second term as Mayor.

Ahmed Eiweida is the World Bank Global Lead for Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development. He is also Lead Urban Specialist covering East Asia & Pacific Region. He is based in the World Bank’s Singapore Urban & Infrastructure Hub Office.

Ahmed has over 25-year experience in cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, urban policies, municipal finance & infrastructure, local economic development, urban upgrading and urban regeneration. He joined the World Bank in 2000 and since then worked in more than 15 countries in East Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, East Asia and Pacific Islands.

Previously, he was the Program Leader of Sustainable Development in the South Caucasus Region (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan), based in Tbilisi, Georgia. He assisted the Governments of Georgia and Armenia to prepare their sustainable tourism strategies and led several World Bank-financed projects in support of regional development through strategic investments in cultural heritage, sustainable tourism and urban regeneration.

He is currently leading similar initiatives in China, Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked as Senior Technical Advisor to GiZ, DANIDA, DFID and UNDP. He was also Manager of Aswan’s Urban Development and Land Management Unit- Ministry of Housing, Utilities and New Urban Communities, Egypt.

He holds a PhD on Urban Development and an MSc. on Environmental Management from the University of Glasgow, The UK. He also holds a Pre-MSc. on Urban and Regional Development from University of Cairo, and a BSc. on Architecture and Engineering from Assuit University.

Sarah leads the Destination Marketing Sales team at TripAdvisor, for the Asia Pacific region. The Destination Marketing team’s key focus is to work with and support all tourism boards in Asia Pacific, as well as help local hospitality businesses better understand the impact of digital to their business. Under her leadership, the Asia Pacific team launched the first TripAdvisor’s Destination Academy, a three-day Digital Boot camp for government organizations and the CEO Challenge, a campaign that supports the discovery of lesser known destinations

She started her TripAdvisor career in the London office, where she was responsible for the European, Asian and African markets. During that time, she worked closely with key clients like South Africa Tourism and Greek National Tourism Organization, sharing best practices with all relevant industry partners. Her work with South Africa Tourism on the first global strategic partnership was featured in the recent UNWTO E-Marketing Handbook.

Born and raised in Hong Kong and fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, Sarah has lived in Hong Kong SAR, Beijing and Australia, giving her a deep understanding of the region.

Manvendra Singh Shekhawat’s love lies in hotels, heritage conservation, community development, design, agriculture and social entrepreneurship.

His work is a representation of a unique way of life, carefully preserving traditions of the past yet framing them in a modern idiom. His hotels, Suryagarh and Narendra Bhawan, take the path less travelled and his NGO “I Love Jaisalmer”, was responsible for launching Jaisalmer’s largest cleanliness and conservation drive.

He believes in India and her endless possibilities. Through his work, he wants to create regenerative ecosystems by marrying heritage, human potential and diversity. His love for travel and cultures over the years has inspired him to become an avid movie maker.

Manvendra is currently working on building experiential hotels, restoring historic forts and palaces and developing a biome for sustainable living.

Sandra Carvão is Chief of the Communications and Publications at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Spokesperson for the Organization since April 2010. Between 2007 and 2010, Sandra was Deputy Chief of the UNWTO Market Trends, Competitiveness and Trade in Tourism Services Section.

Prior to joining UNWTO in 2003, Sandra was Market Manager at the Portuguese National Tourist Office in Lisbon. Sandra has a degree in International Relations, Economics Branch, by the Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Políticas/Universidade Técnica de Lisboa and a postgraduade degree in Marketing by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Oliver Hillel has been a Programme Officer at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity (a multilateral environmental agreement administered by UNEP) in Montreal, Canada, for the past 11 years. He is responsible for sustainable tourism, stakeholder engagement and partnership development, including on issues of sub-national implementation (involvement of States, Regions and cities), and the Convention’s programme of work on island biodiversity.

A biologist with a master's Degree in Environmental Education and 2 MBAs on Managerial Accounting and Hotel Management, Oliver has over 24 years’ experience on international cooperation and negotiations on science-policy interfaces related to management of natural resources, sustainable tourism, event organization, and training and capacity building programs across many themes and issues related to sustainable development. Previously, he was the team leader for a 17-million USD tourism development cooperation project in the Philippines (3 years), the Tourism Programme Coordinator for UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics based in Paris, France (4 years), and Conservation International’s Ecotourism Program director (4 years).

Oliver has coordinated the SCBD’s activities in support of the Global Islands Partnership (GLISPA), and negotiations that led to the adoption of a CBD Plan of Action for Subnational Governments, Cities and other Local Authorities. He has co-organized more than 25 large-scale UN meetings including four Summits for city and subnational governments, parallel to meetings of the Conference of the Parties, and managed the production of several publications including manuals and technical papers on the contribution of tourism to protected areas, and the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook, a reference publication on the links between urbanization and biodiversity. Mr Hillel speaks and writes fluently in English, German, French, Spanish and Portuguese, the native language of his native Brazil.

Dr. Diane Dodd is President and co-Founder of IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) as well as Executive Director and the inspiration behind the European Region of Gastronomy Platform and Award.

The award is an instrument to support regional development by highlighting distinctive food cultures, educating for better health and sustainability and stimulating gastronomic innovation. Together with the first ten awarded Regions of Gastronomy she has pioneered the European Young Chef Award and Local Food Gift Award. She is also European coordinator for the global network IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies).

She leads an MA course in Cultural Institutions and Policies for the International University of Catalonia in Barcelona, and an MA course on Events and Destination management for EUHTSTPol. She is an independent evaluator for the Cultural Routes programme of the Council of Europe and editor of a number of Cultural Policy and Cultural Management publications for the European Cultural Foundation (ECF). She is co-author of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth European Capitals of Culture Reports (published by ATLAS in 2015, 2014, 2012 and 2011) and has provided expert advise to Rhodes, Arad, Plovdiv, Valletta and Burgos in the preparation for their respective bids to be European Capital of Culture and long-term cultural strategies.

Diane has worked in the cultural policy and management field for over 20 years and maintains relations with a number of important Global and European Institutions including UNWTO, UNESCO, European Commission, OEI, Commonwealth, Asia-Europe Foundation and many others. Earlier in her career she founded ConnectCP – an international online database of experts on cultural policy, planning and research which gave international networking opportunities to more than 1,200 experts from 128 countries and she co-authored the book entitled ‘a Cultural Component as an integral part of the EU’s Foreign Policy?’ – which looks at foreign cultural policies and the state of international cultural co-operation in EU member states and which led to this subject being addressed by Foreign Institutes at the Hague in 2007.

She obtained her PhD from the University of Girona in 2010.

Mariglo Laririt is the Director of Sustainability of El Nido Resorts in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. This cluster of island resorts is the most awarded and recognised in the country for its sustainable tourism practices that have become the benchmark in the region.

Under Laririt’s leadership, community engagement and environmental stewardship were incorporated in the company’s Quadruple Bottomline (alongside financial profitability and organisational development), against which company performance is measured.

At El Nido Resorts, sustainable menus, ecological waste management, marine turtle conservation, community outreach, low carbon footprint-activities, and many other similar initiatives are aligned with providing guests distinct nature-based and high quality leisure experiences. To achieve this, Laririt and her team of Resort Environmental Officers work with many sectors, including local government units, NGOs, community cooperatives, and the academe.

John Defterios is the CNN Money Emerging Markets Editor. Based in the network's Abu Dhabi bureau since 2011 his reporting focuses on the top business stories from emerging economies.

In addition to his daily reporting for CNN's main business programming, John hosts 'CNN Marketplace Middle East', a business programme featuring in-depth analysis and top newsmakers from across the Middle East. John also hosts "One Square Meter" the first television and digital platform to explore world class property developments in emerging markets.

He is a World Economic Forum media leader and member of the Global Agenda Council on the Arab World and has served as Chairman of the Business Week Leadership Forums in London, Beijing and New York, the World Islamic Economic Forum amongst others. Defterios started at CNN in New York as correspondent on 'Moneyline with Lou Dobbs', anchored CNN's 'World Business Today' and the top-rated U.S. morning business program 'Ahead of the Curve'.

Defterios has secured numerous interviews with high-level figures in the worlds of politics and economics including: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rachid, PM of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Ali Al Naimi, Petroleum Minister of Saudi Arabia, HH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Al Saud, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and British Prime Minister David Cameron as well many of the top executives in the Fortune 500 including BP CEO Robert Dudley and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote.

Prior to CNN, Defterios worked for Reuters Television as European Correspondent, West Coast Correspondent and special series producer in a joint-venture with The Nightly Business Report on PBS-TV. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in Journalism and Political Economics.

Dr. Anna Paolini is UNESCO Representative in the Arab States of the Gulf and Yemen and Director UNESCO Doha Office since September 2013.

She was UNESCO Representative and Head of Office in Uzbekistan from 2007 to 2009 and later she covered the same position in Jordan. In 1992, she joined UNESCO as specialist in the field of culture at the Regional Office in Amman. In 1997, she moved to UNESCO HQ covering several positions within the Culture Sector including for being responsible of movable heritage activities and on heritage in conflict response. Prior to that, she held a research associate role at the Institute of Architecture of Venice, worked in restoration in Italy and carried out researches in the field of urban rehabilitation in several Arab and African countries. She holds a Master’s degrees in Architecture and a master degree in Urban and Regional Planning for Developing Countries, a post-graduate degree on Development Cooperation, as well as a Ph.D in Urban and Territorial Engineering.

Mrs. Paolini is a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Italian Association of Professional Architects and author of several papers on different cultural heritage subjects.

Greg Richards is Professor of Placemaking and Events at NHTV Breda University and Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Tilburg in The Netherlands. He has worked on projects for numerous national governments, national tourism organisations and municipalities, and he has extensive experience and publications in the fields of cultural and creative tourism.

Maria Gravari-Barbas, is Vice-Provost for International Relations in Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University. She has a degree in Architecture and Urban Design (University of Athens, 1985), and a PhD in Geography and Planning (Paris 4 – Sorbonne, 1991).

She was Fellow at the Urban Program of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA (1990). She is the Director of the EIREST, a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to tourism studies, with main focus cultural heritage, development, and urban-tourism evolutions.

From 2008 to 2017 she was the director of the Institute for Research and High Studies on Tourism (Institut de Recherches et d’Etudes Supérieures du Tourisme, IREST) of Paris 1 – Sorbonne University. Since 2009 she is the director of the UNESCO Chair of Paris 1- Sorbonne University and the coordinator of the UNITWIN network “Tourism, Culture, Development”, comprising 30 top level universities all around the World. She is invited professor in different Universities in Europe, the States and Latin America. She is the author of several books and papers related to Tourism, Culture and Heritage.

Some recent references:

(2017) Tourism and Gentrification in Contemporary Metropolises. International Perspectives. Maria Gravari-Barbas, Sandra Guinand (eds), London Routledge / (2017) World Heritage Sites and Tourism. Global and Local Relations, M. Gravari-Barbas, Mike Robinson, Laurent Bourdeau, London: Routledge / (2016), Tourism Imaginaries at the Disciplinary Crossroads. Place, Practice, Media, Maria Gravari-Barbas, Nelson Graburn, (eds.) London: Routledge / (2016) Nouveaux Territoires Touristiques. Invention, reconfigurations, repositionnements. Marie Delaplace, Maria Gravari-Barbas, Presses Universitaires du Québec. (2015) World Heritage ; Tourism and Identity, M. Gravari-Barbas, Mike Robinson, Laurent Bourdeau (eds), Routledge / (2015) Nouveaux musées, nouvelles ères urbaines, nouvelles pratiques touristiques, Maria Gravari-Barbas, Edith Fagnoni, Presses Universitaires de Laval / (2015) Figures d’Architectes et Espace Urbain / Celebrity Architects and Urban Space, Maria Gravari-Barbas, Cécile Renard, L’Harmattan/

Prince Sultan was born in Riyadh on the 27th of June, 1956, the second son of His Majesty, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

He earned his Master’s Degree in Social and Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs – Syracuse University, USA in 1999.

He has been an avid pilot since 1976 and has accumulated more than 7000 flight hours.

In June 17th 1985, Prince Sultan was chosen to represent Arab Sat-the Arab world’s satellite agency-as Payload Specialist on the Space Shuttle Discovery Mission STS 51G.

Since 2008 he has served as the President and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. He had served as the Commission’s Secretary General since its inception in 2000.

Prince Sultan was elected Chairman of the Board of the Disabled Children’s Association in 1988.
In 1996 he founded the non-profit foundation Al-Turath [Heritage], and serves as its president.

Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Aviation Club since 2001. Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Presidency of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia since 2005.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, King Salman Center Foundation and Center for Disability Research since 2008.

Prince Sultan is active in many charitable and humanitarian organizations and enjoys skiing, flying, photography, architecture, reading and travel.

A trusted and respected global strategic advisor and five-time author in Tourism & Development, Anita Mendiratta is the Founder and Managing Director of CACHET CONSULTING – an international consulting firm working closely with leaders in governments, private sector businesses, and international organisations.

Originally from Canada, Anita now possesses over two decades of professional working and living experience across almost all continents. This unique, direct global experience, innate ability to feel the ‘heartbeat’ of societies, and acute understanding of the economic, social, political and environmental dynamics impacting and inspiring nations facing change, have turned Anita into one of the most sought after international speakers and advisors on the subject of national growth, development, and often, recovery.

Alongside her business leadership, Anita is also honoured to be:

• Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the UNWTO

• Strategic partner to the WORLD BANK GROUP

• Lead consultant of CNN International’s T.A.S.K. GROUP

As a result of her international reputation as an advisor, author, presenter and confidante at the highest levels, Anita has become a sought after speaker, moderator, facilitator and coach for leaders and nations across the globe.