Seeing the green wood for the trees at WTM

As the big week of traipsing the floors of Excel arrives, it always fills me with a mixture of both excitement and dread.

Dread of the impending headache caused by bad lighting, too much coffee and endless, airless spaces, but excitement about meeting new people, discovering new product, watching the green and sustainable tourism flag spread across the global map, and about being inspired by the people who are flying these flags with such commitment and belief. Writes Catherine Mack

As I fill my Excel spreadsheets with press meetings, tourist board meetings, receptions, awards ceremonies and seminars, I remember what I love about the World Travel Market. It is my one chance every year to get a view of the bigger picture. This often follows a pattern for me at WTM. . On Monday, I am so overwhelmed by the marketing pitches and sales patters, that I leave depressed about any sense of sustainability in the world of travel. By Tuesday, I take in a couple of seminars, have some one to one meetings, and hear individuals talk about their favourite walks, train journeys, cycle routes, canoeing trips and so on, and start to breathe a sigh of relief as I am reminded of the human side of it all – that this vast travel industry is actually made up of individuals, many of whom went into the business not just for a quick tourist buck, but because they truly adore their destination. They are in it for the love, not just for a one night stand.  

Wednesday and I live and breathe Responsible Tourism at the various World Responsible Tourism Day activities, and watch some of these individuals being awarded accolades for their contributions to the responsible travel movement. Many of these people have, literally, lived a dream, and then get a chance to stand on the world stage and be applauded for that.

By Thursday I have arranged interviews and meetings with many of these individuals, and plan ways in which I, a mere voice for the superb products they have created, can help market their dreams through articles, blogs and so on. A travel editor once told me, “Oh no, we never write about people, only places. Unless you can get an interview with Richard Branson, of course”. But it is these people who make me want to visit the destinations which are embracing green and sustainable principles in the first place. It is the people who really care about the destination, about sustainability, protecting their natural and cultural heritage, who can truly sell, sell, sell.  And without the World Travel Market, we wouldn’t have one place to meet these people  and see them all together, making one big picture. By Thursday night the headache has gone, my travel wishlist has multiplied, and my instinct that sustainable travel is moving from niche to norm is confirmed. So, breathing in, here goes, another World Travel Market begins.

Catherine Mack is the co-editor of www.greentraveller.co.uk, www.twitter.com/greentraveller