WTTC and Carnival Corporation Present Unique COVID-19 Scientific Summit

London, United Kingdom, July 7, 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), together with the world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corporation Plc, will host the WTTC/Carnival Corporation Global Science Summit on COVID-19.

Set for July 23, this will be a virtual scientific summit focused on COVID-19 and the ‘new normal’.

Taking place from 14:00 hours to 17:30 GMT (10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, July 23, the summit, which is open to the public, will share the latest scientific knowledge and evidence-based best practices related to prevention, detection, treatment and mitigation of COVID-19.

The joint summit will see global tourism leaders, WTTC Members, government agencies, destination partners, trade and private businesses, share the very latest science and medical evidence that can be used to inform practical, adaptable and science-based solutions for mitigating and living with COVID-19.

The WTTC/Carnival Corporation Global Science Summit on COVID-19, is the latest initiative to continue building global understanding concerning COVID’s impact on society, including travel and tourism. The Summit will consider practices from the leading scientists and health experts for mitigating the spread of the virus.

This unique virtual Summit is hosted by WTTC, which represents the global Travel &Tourism private sector, and Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, and is free to attend.

Summit convenes global scientists and health experts at forefront of COVID-19 fight

The summit will bring together a robust lineup of world renowned medical, epidemiology and public health experts to explore and share the latest best practice on the science of COVID-19 and how best to address the many practical questions people have about the disease.

Speakers and panelists represent a diverse range of science, research, clinical, academic, policy and business backgrounds, including amongst others, members of Scientists to Stop Covid-19, who have volunteered to participate. For additional information on the program and panelists, see the registration site at CovidScienceSummit.com.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: “I was excited when Arnold, on behalf of Carnival Corporation, approached me with this idea. 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. 

 “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.”

Summit will discuss practical approaches to living in a world with COVID-19

The event will feature a series of panels, each focusing on a critical area of science surrounding COVID-19 and will include best practices from different industry sectors and world regions to control and limit the spread of COVID-19. Panels will include a mix of science-based debates and discussions sharing the latest thinking on the following key topic areas:

• Epidemiology: Incubation and peak infectivity periods for SARS-CoV-2; disease progression from exposure to illness; and symptom variability among different individuals and groups.
• Transmission: How, when and where SARS-CoV-2 spreads; significance of environmental transmission; guidelines for mitigating spread
• Screening and Testing: Availability and accuracy of current testing methods; viable and cost effective ways to detect illness and effectiveness of screening using temperature and health questionnaires.
• Therapeutics: Status of vaccine development; available and approved SARS-CoV-2 treatment protocols; the role of cytokine storms; and profiles of COVID-19 recovery.
• Practical Risk Mitigation: Measures to mitigate the risks of social gatherings; balancing the benefits and risks of social gatherings; the role of testing, contact tracing, and managing the psychology of fear.

Arnold Donald, President & CEO of Carnival Corporation, is a member of the WTTC Executive Committee and its Vice Chair for North America. Carnival Corporation designed and is producing the Summit in close coordination with WTTC leadership.

“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,” said Donald. “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. Hopefully, this Summit will be an efficient way for attendees to become more informed about COVID-19 in the space of just a few hours.”

Registration Details

To register for the Summit, please go to CovidScienceSummit.com. Global participants will be invited to submit questions in advance and during the online event. Members of the media are welcome to join for all or part of the sessions or connect with members and/or presenters.

Members of the media are welcome to join for all or part of the sessions or connect with members and/or presenters.

Evidence from WTTC’s Crisis Readiness report, which looked at 90 different types of crises, highlights the importance of public-private cooperation to ensure that smart policies and effective communities are in place to enable a more resilient travel and tourism sector.

According to WTTC’s 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel &Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.