Geoff Elske, General Manager at AA South Africa, was re-elected as Chairman of the Travel and Tourism Commission of the FIA, while Prof Ernie Heath, Head of the Department of Tourism Management at the University of Pretoria, presented a keynote address entitled: The Changing Global Tourism Environment: Posing new Challenges and Opportunities” at the Conference and also facilitated a policy and strategy work session for the travel and tourism stakeholders of the FIA.

Based on the outcomes of the work session, Ernie and Geoff prepared a position paper, which was presented to and very well received by the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism.

Under Geoff’s chairmanship the key focus of the Travel and Tourism Commission during the next planning period will be threefold, namely to address travel and tourism issues of common interest and mutual benefit to members; to leverage strategic opportunities related to travel and tourism; and to contribute to the enhancement of responsible travel and tourism on a global basis”.

The next conference of the FIA will be held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia during 2011.