François VELLAS is Professor of International Tourism Economicsat the University of Toulouse 1 and at Ecole Nationale de l’Aviation Civile, (ENAC). He has a PhD in Economics and is Director of the Master (M2) in international tourism economics. François Vellas has got a large experience of analysing international air transport and tourism globalisation, sustainable and cultural tourism development, economic development, export of tourism servicesand air transport, direct international investments and economic impacts of tourism. He is the author of a dozen books and numerous reports on international economics (including "Le transport aérien", "Le commerce sud-sud", and "Echange international et qualification du travail" Economica – Paris), tourism and air transport (including "International tourism: an economic perspective" and "The international marketing of travel and tourism" MacMillan – London with L. Becherel) and on the politics and economy of international tourism "Economie et Politique du Tourisme International" Economica – Paris".

François Vellas has got a vast experience of collaboration with United Nations and European Union agencies, particularly: WTO (World Tourism Organisation): Published "Tourism, micro finance and poverty reduction" during the year of micro finance (2005) and "The impact of rising oil prices on international tourism (2006), UNCTAD six months sabbatical in Geneva in the International Trade of Basic Goods and Services Division and participation in technical assistance programmes within the framework of commercial negotiations (contributed to the reports "Tourism in the least developed countries" and "Investment in pre-emerging markets", ICAO, UNESCO, ICC, UNPD, World Bank, and many missions notably technical assistance programmes on sustainable development and on capacity building particular concerning trade and development, the European Union Co-responsibility for the coordination of PHARE programmes on Tourism Education in Romania and in Bulgaria and participation in tourism regional cooperation programmes (Indian Ocean and the Caribbean). He is involved as Managing and Scientific Director for ACTING FOR LIFE, Paris Le Bourget (NGO established by European tourism and air transport firms) and Scientific Director for international cooperation programmes and the university research team (CERTOP- Toulouse and CERTOP Asia – Kuala Lumpur specialised in international cooperation for education, research and air transport, and tourism cooperation in Europe and in South-East Asia).