Keynote Sessions
We are delighted to introduce WLC 2025’s Keynote Lectures and the Speakers leading them:
Prof. Kathleen Andereck
Professor of Sustainable Tourism
School of Community Resources and Development, Arizona State University
Keynote Lecture 1: “Travel as Transformation: The Social Power of Responsible Tourism”
25 August 2025 | 14:15 – 15:15 CEST
This inspiring keynote will examine how mindful, inclusive, and ethical tourism practices can go beyond economic impact—empowering communities, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and shaping more equitable and connected societies.
This lecture will resonate with anyone invested in sustainable development, community engagement, and the evolving role of leisure and tourism in shaping the world we want to live in.
Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and reminded of the transformational potential that lies at the heart of responsible travel.
Dr. Jane Ali-Knight
Professor in Festival and Event Management
The Business School, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland
A recognised academic, she has presented at major international and national conferences, and has published widely in the areas of wine tourism and regional development; destination marketing and management; festival and event marketing and management, accessibility, and well-being. She has also edited seminal texts in Festival and Event Management. Jane has extensive experience in planning, designing, and delivering undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional courses and consultancy projects in tourism, festival, and event management both in the UK and overseas.
Jane is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and Higher Education Academy and a Trustee of Women in Tourism; British Arts Festivals Association; Without Walls: Innovators in Outdoor Arts and Chair of Hidden Door Festival[/modal_popup_box]
Keynote Lecture 2: “Fringe Benefits: How the Edinburgh Festivals Make the City a Better Place to Live, Work and Play In”
26 August 2025 | 09:00 – 10:00 CEST
Drawing from her deep expertise and lived experience in one of the world’s largest festival cities, Dr. Ali-Knight will explore how Edinburgh’s 11 annual festivals generate significant cultural, social and economic impacts.
“I’ll be looking at the positive things festivals bring to cities—like community cohesion and a richer cultural offer—but also the challenges we must address, such as rising costs and sector-wide funding pressures.” – Dr. Jane Ali-Knight
Hear directly from Dr. Ali-Knight, via the session preview on the left, on why this conversation matters now more than ever and make sure to add her lecture to your Congress agenda.
Yvonne Nassar
Chair of the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), the Netherlands
Before joining NBTC, Yvonne was a member of the management team at the Van Gogh Museum, where she led the Group Marketing & Communications. At RAI Amsterdam, she established the Marketing & Innovation department. Earlier in her career, she worked in Paris as Director of Marketing Europe for Dolce Hotels & Resorts.
Yvonne studied at the Hotel Management School in Leeuwarden and obtained an MBA in General Management & Strategy in Maastricht. She also completed executive leadership programmes at IMD Business School in Lausanne, where she currently serves as President of the IMD Alumni Club of The Netherlands.
In addition, Yvonne has held various board positions, including Chair of the Platform Innovation in Marketing (PIM) and board member of the Dutch & Japanese Trade Federation (Dujat). She also briefly served as a member of the Supervisory Board of MECC Maastricht.
Yvonne lives in Amsterdam with her partner, Iskandar Pané.[/modal_popup_box]
Keynote Lecture 3: “Welcome to the Netherlands: Steering and Collaborating for Future-Proof Leisure”
27 August 2025 | 09:30 – 10:30 CEST
This keynote offers a forward-looking glimpse into how the Netherlands is reimagining leisure in the face of societal, spatial, and environmental change. It will explore how Dutch public, private, and academic sectors are working together to create resilient, inclusive, and adaptive leisure spaces.
Focusing on collaboration, governance, and innovation, this keynote will showcase practical strategies and visionary thinking that aim to ensure leisure remains accessible, relevant, and impactful in the decades ahead.
Whether you’re planning for policy, practice, or people—this is your invitation to learn from a country leading the way in shaping the future of leisure.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Alexander Klippel
Professor of Immersive Experiences and Sustainable Transitions Science Advisor WANDER – XR Experience Lab
Cultural Geography Research Group (GEO), Wageningen University and Research
Keynote Lecture 4: “Physical Entanglements in the Digital World – Creating Meaningful and Transformative Experiences Through Immersive Technologies”
28 August 2025 | 14:45 – 15:45 CEST
As digital and physical realities become increasingly intertwined, what does it mean to create meaningful leisure experiences?
This thought-provoking keynote delves into the potential of immersive technologies—from virtual reality to augmented and mixed reality—to reshape how we connect, play, learn, and experience the world around us. It will explore how the fusion of tech and embodiment can support transformative, inclusive, and emotionally resonant experiences in leisure and beyond.
This keynote will speak to anyone curious about the future of digital engagement, sensory design, and the ethical, creative possibilities of tech-enhanced leisure.
Mr. Senthil Gopinath
CEO, ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)
Prof. Dr. Jeroen Klijs
Prof., Tourism Impacts on Society, Breda University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Melinda Ratkai
Prof. of Hospitality Business at Hotelschool The Hague & Researcher in Economics, International Relations, Cognitive Sciences, and Tourism
Prof. Dr. Lawal Marafa
WLO Vice-Chair; Professor, Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Global Leisure Debate: “Social and Ecological Sustainability Considerations for Hospitable Tourism and Leisure Destinations”
26 August 2025 | 10:00 – 10:45 CEST
One of the highlights of the World Leisure Congress – the Global Leisure Debate, returns as a dynamic plenary session that brings global voices together to address the sector’s most urgent challenges and opportunities.
This year’s debate will focus on the theme: “Social and Ecological Sustainability Considerations for Hospitable Tourism and Leisure Destinations”.
As leisure and tourism destinations around the world face mounting pressure to be both socially inclusive and ecologically responsible, this session will explore what it truly means to design and deliver hospitable spaces for all—across cultures, generations, and environments.
Whether you’re a researcher, policymaker, or practitioner, this session will inspire new thinking on how leisure can drive positive change!