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Sustainablity is the industry’s biggest challenge – TravelMole column by The Travel Foundation
As the industry prepares for World Travel Market in just a few days’ time, there is as always an air of excitement and optimism, tinged with a little worry and fear for the future.
It is a good moment to ask ourselves whether we are doing all the right things to secure that future.
The travel industry has always been good at selling. It has always been entrepreneurial, risk-taking, innovative, and efficient. All good things. But it is still young – less than half as old as the car industry, for instance.
And like all human activities, what started in an opportunist way when our “product” seemed infinite is now in its maturity having to adapt to a very finite resource: our planet and its people and cultures.
When early humans applied the “use up and move on” approach, it worked well at first, but not for long. Our real success only took off when we learned to till the soil, and plant seeds again for next year – then we could stay where we were. Our history and culture started with that first leap towards “sustainability”.
Now “sustainability” is the best word to sum up the travel industry’s biggest challenge – which is after all the planet’s biggest challenge. How can those in charge of our favourite “destinations”, who will all be heading towards ExCel next week, “till the soil and plant seeds again for next year”?
Putting the question this way shows why “sustainability” is not optional add-on. It is our future. Tourism can be sustainable, or die. Using up and moving on is not an option.
That is why the Travel Foundation are bringing together the people who are running our sustainability projects worldwide to share their practical, hands-on experience of what works, and how the lessons we are learning can be applied to any destination.
If you are involved in managing a destination, you are invited to “Making Destinations Sustainable – Practical Steps to Secure your Future” at WTM on Wednesday, November 16 from 2:15pm to 3:15pm, in Cityside Room 5.
*Sue Hurdle is director of The Travel Foundation –www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk
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