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Welcome

Christian REY - President of Geneva-Tourism, Chairman of the Swiss Landlord Association

 

Mr. President,
Madam Minister,
Mr. State Councillor,
Ladies and Gentlemen Representatives of the International Organisations,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Mayors and Mayoresses,
Ladies and Gentlemen Guests and Participants in the Tourism Summit

 

In the name of Geneva-Tourism, of the President of the Association of Tourism Summits, Mr. CHARLET, and of the President of the Scientific Commission, Professor Peter Keller, we are pleased to welcome you to the second Tourism Summit of Chamonix Mont-Blanc Geneva.

This cross-frontier project is the annual organisation of a large event, which gathers together political decision-makers, economic actors and heads of associations from five continents.

This project symbolises the joining of the local and global vision, which is one of the objectives of the conference cycle ; because it is true, Ladies and Gentlemen, that tourism is indifferent to the frontiers.

The international tourist town of Geneva is a place of mobilisation where there are 101 ideas to say and do.
Today it is a framework for reflection on the notion of growth and lasting development of tourism.

The analysis of tourism can only be favoured by prestigious experts working within international organisations.
They will discuss the perspectives of growth of world tourism. Many issues will then be addressed by the specialists of the International Tourist Economy.

It is in Chamonix, very close to the summits, where the practical work will be developed in round tables moderated by important personalities and experts in different sectors.

The geographic, cultural, historic and economic dimensions of the Mont-Blanc Chain has transformed with country village and this region into an extraordinary tourist research laboratory. The cross reflections carried out for some years to search for a strategy, which is coherent with this exceptional place, define the global development policy of Chamonix.

The participants from the operational sector and from the academic world will enable us to discuss factors, which seem to be the key to success of tourist growth, as well as the innovation creation mechanisms or the tourist incentive systems. The debates will be intense in Chamonix, where it will be shown how the synergies can be used between different sectors to exploit the tourist potential to the full.

The conference cycle of Chamonix Mont-Blanc permits an open reflection on the political notion of lasting development. And this promises to be passionate as no political party, whatever its tendency, can take advantage of the monopoly of lasting development.

The second Tourism Summits will be the place for an analysis, in so far as world first, of the determinants of tourist growth according to the most modern theories, where the most propitious factors for success will be provided for the long-term economic survival of a tourist enterprise or location.

The aim of the Tourism Summit network, a permanent Organisation, is to provide an interaction between the people and the institutions that are interested in lasting tourism, during the whole year.

The 2000 Edition of the Tourism Summits provides us with passionate debates, based on the concept of interdisciplinarity and dialogue.

It concerns, in fact, more specifically, and I personally insist on this, in being able to answer the question of knowing if economic growth, lasting development and the preservation of the locations are contradictory elements like fire and water, or if, on the contrary, they are compatible.

Ladies, Gentlemen,

So Welcome to each of you on the occasion of this total and unique Event in its genre:

I thank you for your attention.