Global leaders from the travel industry and non-profit organisations will meet in Singapore in October, when the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Congress will be held outside the United States for the first time. The event, will be held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre on 20 October, and will discuss initiatives to limit the environmental impact of tourism, and to improve the health, education and economic well-being of communities worldwide. Driven by the belief that the travel industry has tremendous power to create positive change, the first three events were held in New York and featured a range of high profile speakers including Queen Rania of Jordan, actors Matt Damon and Ed Norton, musician Wyclef Jean and actress and activist Ashley Judd.

This year’s World Savers Congress will also feature a powerful international speaker line-up and is expected to attract an audience of more than 250 CEOs and senior executives across the global and regional travel industry. Some of the confirmed panellists include:

• Greg Dogan – President & CEO, Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts
• Ho Kwon Ping – Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
• Hubert Joly – President, CEO and Director, Carlson
• Lee Tabler, CEO, Abu Dhabi Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC)
• Sonu Shivdasani – Chairman & CEO, Six Senses Spas & Resorts
• William Heinecke – Chairman & CEO, Minor International

Winners of the 2010 Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Awards will also be honored at the congress.  These are travel companies from around the world hailed for their leadership in social responsibility in five key areas: education, environmental and/or cultural preservation, health, poverty relief, and wildlife conservation.

“There is nothing fringe any longer about corporate social responsibility in the travel industry—more and more companies are engaged in truly creative, deep thinking about how they can make a difference in the communities and environments in which they operate,” said Klara Glowczewska, Editor in Chief, Condé Nast Traveler.  “Real visionaries have emerged among the travel industry leaders—especially in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but elsewhere as well. It’s exciting to see this level of commitment and action. Yes, with these awards we recognize forward-thinking members of the travel industry; but the biggest winners are travel consumers—never before have we had so many at once fabulous and sustainable travel options to choose from. It’s very exciting to see this happening.”

This year’s congress will also include five feature panel sessions. Examples include a CEO Travel Industry Panel, a panel exploring Success Stories of NGOs and others focusing on initiatives by global travel industry leaders, Poverty Relief & Education, Health, and Preservation & Conservation. The panellists for these sessions feature executives from Anantara, Banyan Tree, Carlson, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Royal Caribbean, Shangri-la, Six Senses Resorts & Spas, and more.

The fourth Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Congress is also supported by the Singapore Tourism Board and will occur during TravelRave, a travel and tourism festival taking place in the same week.

 “It is our honor to help Condé Nast Traveler salute those in the industry who are making the world a better place, protecting the environment, and leading the way forward,” said Aw Kah Peng, CEO, Singapore Tourism Board. “TravelRave aims to celebrate Asia’s unique and multi-faceted tourism landscape by bringing together key industry events.  The spirit of Condé Nast Traveler’s World Savers Congress fits perfectly with the objectives of TravelRave.”