Alongside the summit and usual blend of meetings, networking and entertainment from across the globe, Routes Theatre sessions also allowed delegates to drill down into specific topics.

The first session, presented by John Grant, director of Aviation Consultant, and Dr Zheng Lei President of the Institute of Aviation Research at University of Surrey. The pair discussed how and why doing business with China is different, how the Chinese aviation sector operates, and the nuances of the market in terms of how decisions are made.

Routes Theatre also played host to addresses from a number of airlines throughout the day, including Jetstar Group, Air India, LOT Polish Airlines and Finnair.

The 13,000 scheduled meetings continued apace, with airlines and airports taking advantage of World Routes' unique opportunity to do business face to face with industry figures from across the globe.

Following on from yesterday's Strategy Summit, the tourism side of aviation was the focus in the main conference room, with speakers tackling a wide range of topics throughout the day.

The opening remarks for the day were provided by Daniel Pearce, the managing director and owner of TTG Media which publishes the Routes News magazine.

Next up were the Chinese dignitaries representing the leadership and decision-making in the province, who discussed the impact that aviation is making in Chengdu and the Sichuan Province. Speaking were the vice governor of Sichuan Province; the leader of China National Tourism Authority; and the deputy mayor of Chengdu.

Keynote addresses were next, with Shanzhong Zhu, executive director at the World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] and David Scowsill, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, who among other subjects outlined the vital importance of protecting the natural and architectural beauty that inspire global tourism.

The first panel session then took place, in which industry leaders discussed key challenges faced in the travel and tourism industry, such as increased pressure on destinations and infrastructure, and how the industry is responding to disruptors.

Taking part were: moderator Daniel Pearce, managing director and owner, TTG Media; John O’Sullivan, managing director, Tourism Australia; Erik J. Hansen, senior director, domestic policy, US Travel Association; David Scowsill, president and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council; Dr Adam Wu, CEO, CBN Travel & MICE and the World Travel Online; the honourable minister Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism, Government of Jamaica; and Eduardo Santander, Executive Director & CEO, European Travel Commission.

Professor D. Wolfgang Arlt, director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute followed, discussing how to the industry must keep pace with the changes in China’s outbound tourism market.

Then the second panel session took place on aviation and tourism partnerships and how critical they are for travel development. Speakers were: moderator Alfredo Gonzalez, vice president of sales and global development, Visit Florida; Trevor Sadler, CEO, interCaribbean Airways; Arik De, head of commercial, AirAsia X Berhad; Khalil Lamrabet , director - aviation business development, Dubai Airports; Lennart Johansson, director leisure tourism & airport and airlines collaboration, Gothenburg & CO; and Andrew Cowen, CEO, HK Express.

Lunch was followed by a keynote interview with John O’Sullivan, managing director, Tourism Australia, with questions posed by Daniel Pearce of TTG Media. Sarah Matthews, head of destination marketing APAC, TripAdvisor delivered a keynote address next, focussing on the impact of travel technology on destination marketing.

The third panel discussed the shift from traditional marketing to digital and social marketing, the key drivers in destination marketing, the impact of travel technology on destination marketing and how destinations can keep up and embrace these rapid changes. Participants were moderator Yolanta Strikitsa, director, Strikitsa Consulting; Miguel Angel Perez, sales promotion director, Valencia Tourism; Carol Dray, commercial director, VisitBritain; Beverly Nicholson-Doty, commissioner, US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; Kathy Smits, vice president, International Tourism, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board; and Sarah Matthews, head of destination Marketing APAC, TripAdvisor.

The final panel session of the day outlined how we track travel tourists, including the best tools to track travel tourists, what can we learn from the numbers and what are the effects of the events that disrupt tourist travel. Taking the stage were moderator Ed Roberston, editor, Routes News; Steve King, CEO, Black Swan; Olivier Jager, CEO & co-founder, Forward Keys; Dr Matt McDougal, founder & CEO, Digital Jungle; Azim Barodawala, co-founder & CEO, Volatino; and Hugh Aitken, director of business development and commercial operations, Skyscanner.

Finally Dr Adam Wu, CEO, CBN Travel & MICE and the World Travel Online delivered a presentation on the most cost effective way of attracting Chinese travellers.