Adventure and Beyond: Annual North Wales Tourism Conference, 2018
As thrill seekers head to north Wales, the 鈥榗apital鈥� of adventure tourism, 吾爱吃瓜鈥檚 Pontio Innovation Centre and Go North Wales, co-host the annual North Wales Tourism conference in Pontio on 6 December. The title of the conference is 鈥淎dventure and Beyond鈥�.
Image: Dan StruthersKeynote speakers are include Lord Ellis- Thomas, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, television presenter, Kate Humble, writer and public speaker, John Thackara as well as Yangtze River Walk adventurer and extreme athlete, Ash Dykes, from North Wales, who will join by video conference.
鈥淣orth Wales is already a top adventure travel destination鈥� said John Thackara. 鈥淭his event is about connecting visitors with the social, cultural and natural assets of North Wales in new ways鈥�.
Described by Business Week as 鈥渙ne of the great voices on sustainability鈥� - Thackara鈥檚 talk will feature biodiversity walks, heritage learning journeys, ecomuseums, food routes, code clubs, maker camps - and other examples of what he calls 鈥渢he new hospitality鈥�.
Jim Jones MD of North Wales Tourism said:
鈥淚 am really looking forward to this conference. We have designed it to focus on three key themes - wellness, discovery and innovation - and have brought together thought provoking presenters who are extremely engaging. And where better to host a conference on innovation than Pontio Innovation; one of most innovative places in North Wales.鈥�
Delegates to Adventure and Beyond will also brainstorm ideas in small multi-disciplinary groups. A key topic will be the multiple dimensions of wellness and health, to create opportunities for the $4.2 trillion dollar wellness industry.
鈥淭he best wellness travel ideas generated in the Beyond Adventure workshops will be developed in this year鈥檚 Enterprise by Design (EbD) challenge鈥� said Andy Goodman, Pontio Innovation鈥檚 director.
鈥淭his ten-week programme is highly effective in turning would-be-nice ideas into live prototypes that are close to market-ready. We will connect faculty experts and sixty students - from across six schools - with local firms to develop new product ideas鈥�.
At the conference, 吾爱吃瓜 will also describe two new degree courses that together will inform and develop innovations within Wellness Tourism.
Jamie Macdonald, Head of Sport, Health & Exercise Science at 吾爱吃瓜, said:
鈥淥ur new undergraduate degree in Adventure Sport Science will apply established, world leading research in Sport Science and Elite Performance within the burgeoning adventure sports industry in Snowdonia.鈥�
Andy Goodman added: 鈥淏ridging between academic research and industry, students taking our new Masters in Relational Design will work with adventure sport scientists and tourism companies to create new products, services and experiences.鈥�
Publication date: 30 November 2018