CONFERENCES
NOVUS heads speak at Philippine Hospitality for Sustainable Tourism Conference 2024
NOVUS youth representatives speaking at the Philippine Hospitality for Sustainable Tourism Conference
June 12, 2024 • SAMANTHA LAI
Last May 24, 2024, TAJARA Leisure and Hospitality kicked off its annual PhilHOST National Conference at Ascott Hotel, BGC. NOVUS Executive Director Joaquin de Castro and Vice President Stephanie Lai were invited to speak on the success of the 2023 ENVision Case Competition and the ongoing 2024 iteration, which aligns with the conference’s theme as it focuses on Sustainable Food Systems in Hospitality and Tourism.
The Philippine Hospitality for Sustainable Tourism conference organized by TAJARA convenes key leaders in the hospitality space to discuss the future and sustainability of the industry. This allows experts from all over the world to come together and share their ideas and possible solutions for the development of the industry. Looking to usher in a more sustainable future for hospitality, representatives from global organizations, such as the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Urban Land Institute, and even Filipino-American rapper APL.DE.AP spoke about the efforts they took as they journey towards a more sustainable hospitality space.
From left to right: NOVUS Vice President Stephanie Lai, Apl.de.ap, NOVUS Executive Director Joaquin de Castro, World Travel & Tourism Council Managing Director Liz Ortiguera, ULI Philippines Chair Sylvester Wong
Representing NOVUS, Joaquin and Stephanie were also among various esteemed speakers invited to this event. Through their portion, they opened the eyes of numerous influential business stakeholders to the power of their generation as they shared the continuing success of the ENVision Case Competition in fostering youth innovation in the hospitality industry. NOVUS also called for further inter-generational collaboration in supporting youth-led solutions as their support could be the backbone to a sustainable future for hospitality and tourism.
Overall, the PhilHOST National Conference was not only a place where success stories were shared and insights were exchanged, but also a platform for the youth to gain valuable knowledge and build connections towards a more sustainable future.