Skift Global Forum East 2023: One Week Away

Balancing on a narrow ledge at the top of Lone Mountain Peak, I peer down one of North America’s steepest and most challenging ski runs, the Big Couloir — a triple black diamond-graded gully ranging from 40 to 50 degrees over an intense 460 vertical meters. I’m going to ski down alone, with just the voice of legendary extreme skier Dan Egan cheering me on from behind. It’s the last day of Big Sky’s Steep and Deep camp, led by Egan, and this is the crux moment. 

“Bella want look at world,” says Bella Baxter early on in Poor Things. Bella, played by Emma Stone, has the physical appearance of a fully-grown woman but the brain and insolence of, it seems, a small child. She’s spent her life up to this point safe within the grand London townhouse of her creator, mad scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter, whom she calls “God" (played by William Dafoe). She has long played a game on the floor of his study with a stack of atlases, wherein she closes her eyes and drops an index finger down like a rocketon a random point—her playmate must then tell her about wherever it is she’s ‘landed.’ Eventually her curiosity must be quenched by experience.

The most powerful decision-makers from across the region’s travel and tourism landscape will be attending the Skift Global Forum East over the course of three days. The event kicks off tonight (Tuesday, December 12), with an invite-only networking event at Atlantis The Royal’s panoramic Cloud 22 venue. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Diamond Ballroom of the Atlantis will set the stage for two days of thought-provoking panels and discussions with the greatest minds in the Middle East.

As we prepare to return to Dubai for Skift Global Forum East on December 12-14, we’re revisiting a few of the most popular sessions from last year’s event.

Bali–Lombok–Gili Islands may be the classic Indonesian "tour," but there is so much more to Indonesia. With more than 13,000 islands to choose from, the world’s biggest island nation offers an entire playground of adventure. 

As a Brooklynite, I’ve got a little checklist for winter weekend getaways. The destination shouldn’t take more than several hours to get to. It should also have excellent restaurants and bars. Above all else, the place should be thoroughly relaxing and absent of crowds, traffic, and unnecessary noise.

If you’re looking for culture, activities, wildlife or sheer adventure, Indonesia is one of the richest countries in the world. With an estimated 13,466 islands, it's a whopper too. But Indonesia beyond Bali and Lombok (and the Gili Islands) remains largely unknown to many travelers. To pick just one example, Sumatra (80 times the size of Bali) is almost a world in itself. And yet people ask the question: “Is Indonesia worth visiting?”

Sri Lanka has finally announced its plans to roll out its global tourism marketing campaign urging tourists “You’ll Come Back For More,” marking the first such campaign since 2007.  

Visiting Belfast for a romantic break is probably not the first place that comes to mind. Instead, you probably picture west Belfast's segrated areas with their murals that were most affected by the Troubles. However, there is another side to Belfast, showcased in the recent Sky original series The Lovers, which visited some of Belfast's more charming spots.

Over 200 top companies plan to attend Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on December 12-14. This includes household names like Air Arabia, Auberge Resorts, Booking.com, Emirates, Hilton, Seera, and Shangri-La Group, just to name a few.

With a million rupiah currently equal to around US$65, you’ll be transformed into a millionaire the moment you touch down in Indonesia.

The Middle East is not just a destination; it’s a living testament to the transformative power of forward-thinking ideas. It’s a natural fit for Skift to host a Forum, a location that thrives on innovation and embraces the ever-evolving landscape of global travel. Which is why I am excited Skift and Dubai are hosting Skift Global Forum East there for the second year on December 12-14 at Atlantis The Royal.