Renown Tourism expert, Professor Jafar Jafari has arrived in Maldives for the UNWTO Global Tourism Summit.

Professor Jafari was received at the Velena Inernational Airport by the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom and the Ministry's team, along with officials of Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL).

Professor Jafari will deliver a keynote address at the inaugural session of the Summit.

Professor Jafari is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA. He came to the position after being trained as a cultural anthropologist and as a hotel administration graduate. He also holds an honorary doctorate.

His contributions to the academic community span international boundaries and institutions. In addition to research and teaching, Professor Jafari holds numerous editorial board positions and has established foundational journals, books, and networks within tourism studies.

He is the Founding Editor of Annals of Tourism Research: A Social Sciences Journal. The Chief Editor of Tourism Social Science (book) Series; Co-Chief Editor, Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice book series; Chief Editor, Encyclopedia of Tourism; Co-Founding Editor, Information Technology & Tourism; Co-Founder, TRINET: Tourism Research Information Network; and Founding President, International Academy for the Study of Tourism.

UNWTO Global Summit will be held from June 15th to 16th in Crossroads Maldives and Paradise Island Resort and Spa. The Summit is composed of three sessions; UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism – Thematic Session 1: Gastronomy Tourism, UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism – Thematic Session 2: Agro-Tourism and UNWTO Global Summit on Community-based Tourism – Thematic Session 3: Community-based Tourism.

Before the Global Summit, UNWTO Ministerial Roundtable on Tourism Resilience through Innovation and Digitalization in Asia and the Pacific, will be held in Crossroads Maldives, on June 14.