HTM Conference( Theme-Spirit of the Himalayas )

A Word Renowned Mountaineer, First Briton to climb Mount Everest and the Founder of Community Action Nepal A world-renowned English Mountaineer ‘Born to Climb’- Doug Scott who started climbing at the age of 12 is well recognized as the first Briton to climb Everest on 24 September 1975. Scott is regarded as one of the world’s leading high altitude and big wall climbers. He is best known for surviving an unplanned bivouac with Dougal Haston 100 meters below the summit of Everest without oxygen, sleeping bags and, as it turned out, without frostbite. Apart from his first ascent of the southwest face of Everest with Haston, all his other Himalayan climbs were achieved in lightweight or pure Alpine style. Doug Scott has made 45 expeditions to the high mountains of Asia. He has reached the highest peaks on all seven continents – ‘the seven summits’. He pioneered big wall climbing on Baffin Island, Mount Kenya and in the Karakoram, famously on The Ogre (Baintha Brakk) with Chris Bonington, and later on Shivling in the Indian Himal. Scott has been rewarded with several prestigious awards including one of mountaineering’s highest honors, the Piolet d’Or Lifetime Achievement Award. His contribution, expertise and visionary deeds in the field of mountaineering, voluntary work for mountaineering, charity work in Nepal, advocacy and action for responsible tourism development are ideal and great inspiration for tourism fraternity. He is also the preferent lecturer and author of several famous books.

President - Professional Travel Blogger Association (PTBA) Janicke Hansen has been working within the field of Marketing for over 17 years, and now runs her own consulting firm providing travel and marketing related services within the field of destination marketing and quality improvement for tourism organisations, destinations and brands within travel and hospitality. She is the founder and editor of the Adventure travel blog letsgetlost.no, the Co-founder of NordicTB, a collective of professional travel influencers in the Nordic countries and works as the Sales Manager for Traveldudes. She is also the President of the Professional Travel Bloggers Association (PTBA). Janicke has spoken at various travel conferences and travel trade fairs around the globe including ITB Berlin, New York Times Travel Show, New York Travel Festival, World Tourism Forum, KILIFAIR, MATKA, and ITE HCMC.

Vidyadhara Acharya Mahayogi Sridhar Rana Rinpoche began his spiritual pursuits early in life, and soon after high-school graduation embracing the teachings and lessons of Hinduism and Buddhism. His Wisdom through years of retreats and meditation, Insights, contributions and expertise in spreading the Teachings of Lord Buddha and his visions for Buddhism in the modern age are unparalleled, truly commendable and inspiring amongst many people around the world. He has been sharing the correct views and Buddhist meditation practice to interested people in the various cities and institutions in U.S.A, U.K. and India. He also travelled to remote areas in western Nepal for Dharma teachings to local ethnic Buddhist communities. While his Hindu background has facilitated his teachings and interactions in Nepal, his wide knowledge of western philosophy and psychology makes his style especially suited for western and western-oriented sangha members. In addition to traditional Vajrayana teachings, including those based on his Termas, he also conducts healing and therapeutic workshops, and advocates integrating various psycho-therapeutic and psychological practices with Buddhist meditation techniques in order to expedite mind transformation and enable his disciples to advance rapidly along the path. Besides the Vajrayana tradition of Tibet and Nepal, the Vidyadhara is also a scholar of Chan and Zen Buddhism; Jodo Shinshu; and the Abhidharma of the Mahayana, Vaibhashika and Theravada traditions. He promotes a non-sectarian and universal Buddhist tradition, where all lineages and traditions of Buddhist practices are respected. With Hotel management diploma in Delhi and post graduate in Italy and further training in UK and France, His contribution and visionary deeds are well respected amongst hoteliers and in the field of hospitality education in Nepal, and he was honoured as a mascot of ‘peace’ by the Lumbini along with a certificate of honor by the Lumbini Development Trust, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoCTCA) for his contributions towards world peace. He was also conferred with letter of appreciation by National Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) in recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of Human Resource Development of NATHM.

Venerable Burin Thitakusalo or B.T. Bhikkhu is the Executive Director of The Middle Way Meditation Institute (MMI). MMI is a New York-based global non-profit organization that converges timeless wisdom and evidence-based science to promote world peace through research, education, and outreach. As a Thai Theravada Buddhist monk, B.T. Bhikkhu has led MMI to introduce meditation to tens of thousands of people in over 30 countries across 6 continents. Two of his “World Peace through Inner Peace” events even resulted in Guinness World Records. In addition to spearheading these events, B.T. Bhikkhu has worked tirelessly over the past 17 years to deliver the profound wisdom of Buddha’s Teachings in the most engaging and practical way to people of all ages, races, religion, and no religion. These efforts have culminated in the production of Inner Peace Education (IPE), which is a simplified, systematic, and results-oriented platform of the Buddha’s Teachings. Through a practice of discipline, meditation, and wisdom, IPE helps practitioners overcome health, relationship, work, and fulfillment problems by cultivating a more Healthy Body, Caring Heart, Intelligent Mind and Enlightened Spirit. Through collaboration with many influential CEOs, Educators, university Professors, World Leaders, and various other public figures, B.T. Bhikkhu is making quick progress towards the implementation of IPE in primary schools, universities, and organizations around the world. MMI has also partnered with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the sake of conducting IPE research. The research results will be implemented into a book which will be released in the next few years for the benefit of the entire world. These are just some of the many ways that B.T. Bhikkhu, MMI, and their partners are making the romantic idea of world peace more of a reality.

Nancy founded Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) to provide for orphans and vulnerable children in 1996 while working as a flight attendant for American Airlines. AAI is the only non-profit leveraging connections with the airline industry to facilitate humanitarian efforts and is recognized by the US Congress and the United Nations. Prompted by the sudden death of her father, Nancy left a career management track, returned to a position as a flight attendant, to begin a profound search for meaning. During extensive travel over the next seven years, she saw the glaring inequities between the developed and developing world, and potential for the travel industry to play a more fundamental role building sharing, understanding and goodwill between peoples and cultures. She founded Airline Ambassadors Intl (AAI) in 1996 to provide a way for individuals to match their unique skills and interests with actual world need. AAI is the only charity representing the entire travel industry. Airline Ambassadors has hand-delivered over $60 million of aid to children in 62 countries in orphanages, clinics and remote communities, impacting over 500,000 children. Volunteers have escorted 3,000 children for life changing medical care. Since correctly identifying human trafficking on four flights in 2009, AAI developed the first “industry specific” training and has become the leading advocate for awareness in the airline industry. AAI’s, Recognize It – Report It training has been provided at 75 airports to over 7000 flight and airport personnel. Nancy has a Masters Degree from Southern Methodist University and is married to contractor and environmentalist, Dave Rivard. She runs the Airline Ambassadors office from Arlington VA and retired in 2013 as an international flight attendant to run Airline Ambassadors full time. She serves on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking. Nancy was honored with the 1999 Woman of Peace Award, the 2000 Ambassador of Peace Award, in 2001 as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow; she received the National Caring Award, in 2004; the President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2006. She received honors from the Governor of Mississippi and the Foreign Ministry of El Salvador in 2007; Boys Town in 2010; She received the President’s Volunteer Service Award and Global Woman of the Year at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Ambassador of Peace Award at the London Travel Market in 2013 and recognized at IPTI in 2014 and the Human Rights Hero Award by the Foundation for a Slavery Free World in 2015 and Commendation from Congresswoman Lee in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 AAI was honored by Nevada ChildSeekers. Airline Ambassadors has been featured in 202 TV features, 434 print and 76 radio features since their inception. She signed a contract for her life rights for a future book and feature film on her life story.

Galeo Saintz is a conservation adventurer, philanthropist, professional speaker, and mountain wilderness guide. A founding member of multiple conservation NGOs, including the mountain conservation trail Rim of Africa and the biodiversity corridor initiative Eden to Addo in South Africa. He is skilled at leading and convening civil society non-profit boards, task teams, and projects for good all with a focus on conservation, trails, and peacebuilding. Saintz is the founding Chairperson of the World Trails Network, an international non-profit associa0on registered in Geneva, Switzerland. He is Co-Chair of the Interna0onal Union for Conserva0on’s CEESP Theme on Environment and Peace and its global Task Force on Migration and Environmental Change. Through the World Trails Network, he champions the global trails industry, supporting best practices and sustainable trails, while simultaneously promoting the world’s leading trails and trail destinations. Saintz holds an MSc degree from Schumacher College (UK). He loves wild nature, rock climbing, poetry and sleeping beneath the stars.