The physiotherapy world will meet in person for the first time in four years in 2023, but not in the originally planned destination.
Due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in Tokyo, Japan, namely its borders remaining closed to international visitors, World Physiotherapy has decided to move its 2023 Congress to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Despite the 2023 Congress being more than a year away, planners have been unable to conduct site visits in Tokyo and remain doubtful they would get the opportunity before May 2022. This would make it challenging to plan and confirm arrangements with local stakeholders and contractors for an in-person event in 2023.
Hideyuki Saito, Japanese Physical Therapy Association (JPTA) president, said: “After correspondence with World Physiotherapy, I understand the present situation and the difficult decision World Physiotherapy has had to make about not holding the Congress in Japan in 2023.”
However, World Physiotherapy has announced that the Congress will be hosted by JPTA in 2025.
"If the Congress is held in Japan in 2025, it would coincide with JPTA's 60th anniversary. This would be a great opportunity for JPTA to demonstrate our value and advocacy in Japan,” Saito added.
Dubai, which has been open to international visitors since July 2020, was scheduled to host the World Physiotherapy Congress in 2021, but planners decided it would be safer to host an online Congress due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Emma Stokes, World Physiotherapy president, said: “We are grateful to the Japanese Physical Therapy Association for their support and flexibility as we have adapted to challenging circumstances and made difficult decisions.
“We acknowledge that a small number of our member organisations raised some concerns in 2020 about Dubai as the location for our Congress in 2021. In the past few years, there have been significant conversations, some within our member organisations, around diversity, inclusion, and belonging. In addition, there have been positive developments in diplomatic relations in the region and significant global participation by over 190 nations in Expo 2020. All of these have provided an opportunity for dialogue around issues raised by our member organisations and their members.
“We recognise that no location is perfect and acknowledge that some of our member organisations would prefer a different location.
“The board believes changing the location for our Congress in 2023 to Dubai offers the best chance for us to bring the global physiotherapy profession together – after a gap of four years. We appreciate how the Emirates Physiotherapy Society has responded with generosity and a warm welcome, to the situation.”
The format and location for the World Physiotherapy general meeting in 2023 will be confirmed at a later date.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
