Dr. Michael Frenzel, Chairman of TUI AG, the world’s leading travel and tourism group, is guest speaker at this year’s prestigious World Travel Market Captains of Industry lunch, to be held on the opening day (Monday 8 November).

A total of 200 senior management from tour operating companies, cruising, car rental, attractions and airlines will attend the invitation-only lunch on the riverboat the Silver Sturgeon, moored at the main entrance to London’s ExCeL. The lunch is in aid of World Travel Market’s water-based international industry charity ‘Just a Drop’, raising money for children and their families who have no clean water close to their homes.

Fiona Jeffery, Group Exhibition Director said:” TUI now includes over 3,600 travel agencies, 104 aircraft, 37 incoming agencies and 285 hotels in 25 countries worldwide. I am extremely grateful and privileged to have the major player in global travel and tourism at the Captains of Industry Lunch.”

“We are delighted that Dr. Frenzel has agreed to travel from Germany to attend the lunch, now an established and important event within the programme.”

Dr. Frenzel was appointed Chairman of the executive board of TUI in 1994. In just a few years, under his leadership, the multi-business conglomerate became Europe’s top tourism group. In 2000 TUI took over of the UK Thomson Travel Group. In the same year, the Group acquired a stake in the French group Nouvelles Frontières, which is now wholly owned. The acquisition of additional shareholdings and the establishment of new companies in countries such as Belgium, Switzerland and Eastern Europe gained the Group major positions in all the key European markets.

Dr Frenzel said:  “I’m delighted to be attending the World Travel Market in London and look forward to meeting tourism colleagues from across the world.” 

Ms. Jeffery continued: “We have long worked with our friends at Jordan and are delighted that the tourism board has decided to sponsor this high profile lunch. In fact two years ago, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan was the guest speaker at the lunch and has taken an interest in the charity and its work.”

“We are both proud and privileged to be hosting this year’s Captain’s of Industry Lunch, which is now firmly established as one of the premier events in the global travel calendar”, said Mr. Marwan Khoury, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board.