National Geographic and Sky News support historic international tourism summit The National Geographic Channel and Sky News have announced that they are to sponsor the Ministers' Lunch at this year's World Travel Market.

This is the second year that the National Geographic Channel, in association with Sky News, have supported the Lunch, which invites international government tourism ministers and senior aides to discuss key issues in the travel industry.

More than 100 ministers will congregate at this year's World Travel Market (WTM) to examine the impact of the current economic meltdown on the global issues of poverty reduction, sustainability and climate change.

Through its partnership with WTM, the National Geographic Channel and Sky News hope to foster relationships with countries looking to help alleviate climate change, protect indigenous cultures, tackle poverty and implement new conservation strategies within the tourism sector.

Sophie Thompson, spokesperson for National Geographic, said: "The issues discussed at the UNWTO Ministers' Summit are at the heart of the National Geographic Channel and Sky News, and WTM provides the perfect platform to communicate these issues to the wider tourism industry and to foster relationships with industry partners who are taking positive steps. We are proud to sponsor the Ministers' Lunch again this year and we see this as a long-term partnership."

The Ministers' Summit will be held on Tuesday 11th November at ExCeL London, as part of WTM's Ministers' Programme. The half-day meeting will be broadcast into a separate viewing room and on screens in ExCeL's Central Boulevard. More than 50,000 travel professionals, senior management, buyers and opinion formers from regions, countries and industry sectors throughout the world are expected to attend this year's World Travel Market at ExCeL, London. The event takes place from 10-13 November.

The National Geographic Channel is committed to exploration, education and conservation, and has been addressing the issues of climate change and poverty for over 120 years. The organisation recently established the $25 million National Geographic Geotourism Charter, designed to support tourism that sustains or enhances the environmental, cultural, aesthetic or geographical character of a place. To find out more visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

World Travel Market - New Admissions Policy World Travel Market (WTM), the global trade event for the travel industry announces a new admission policy, designed to benefit both exhibitors and visitors alike. The new WTM policy includes changes to the structure of the daily format, with WTM Opening Day on Monday 10 November, open to Exhibitors, Exhibitor Invitees, Ministers, and press. The following three days, Tuesday 11 November - Thursday 13 November, will be accessible to all Meridian Club members, Travel Trade professionals, Ministers and press, giving participants more flexibility to choose the days they wish to visit the exhibition.

Students will be invited to attend WTM on Wednesday 12 November and Thursday 13 November, where they will participate in a structured education programme. Individuals from the retail arm of the travel industry including travel agents, homeworkers and call centre staff will be invited to attend WTM on Thursday 13 November.

WTM remains a trade only exhibition. A full programme of conferences, seminars, B2B meetings, and industry initiatives will run across three days, Tuesday 11 November - Thursday 13 November and includes the UNWTO Minister's Summit, WTM World Responsible Tourism Day (WTM WRTD), along with a number of new initiatives on Thursday 13 November, such as an extended Responsible Tourism programme and exhibitor to exhibitor networking initiatives. For further details visit www.wtmlondon.com

About National Geographic

National Geographic Channel invites viewers to re-think the way they see television - and the world - with smart and innovative programming, including groundbreaking science, technology, investigation, and its blue-chip natural history programming. The channel contributes to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education. Globally, National Geographic Channel can currently be seen in over 242 million households, in 34 languages and in 165 countries around the world. For more information visit www.ngceurope.com.

Reed Exhibitions Reed Exhibitions is the world's leading events organiser. In 2007 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 39 fully staffed offices. Reed organises a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 500 events serves 47 industry sectors, including: Aerospace & aviation, automobiles, building & construction, electronics, energy, engineering, entertainment, environment, food & hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT, jewellery, life sciences & pharmaceuticals, property, manufacturing, medical education, packaging & converting, printing & visual communication, security, sports & recreation, travel. Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field. Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE-100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider. In 2006, Reed Elsevier made adjusted profit before taxation of �1,052 million on turnover of �5,398 million.

For further press information please contact Arleigh Galant Vasconcellos on +44 (0)20 8910 7038 email: arleigh.galantvasconcellos@reedexpo.co.uk