Headline sponsor business breakfast Continued from page 64 It found 53% of UK adults


‘very likely’ or ‘highly likely’ to take an overseas holiday in 2020, with 18% undecided. Given typical conversion


levels, that would make the number of overseas holidays forecast this year 2.5% higher than in 2019. Te research suggested 36


million UK adults expect to take at least one domestic holiday in 2020, with 67% of adults very likely or highly likely to take one. Pritchard said: “Generally,


consumer fundamentals have been prety strong for a number of years. “We have high levels of


employment, low levels of unemployment, low interest rates, and generally good wage growth, exceeding inflation. “Tat should be a prety strong


position for the UK consumer. But there are challenges, such as Brexit and the Tomas Cook situation. Uncertainty does create some challenges and a squeeze on consumers.” Pritchard said Deloite’s


leisure spending tracker showed that, while some sectors have faced challenges, people place holidays as the top priority for discretionary spend. “Tere is uncertainty, and


some pressure on consumer spending, but people are not saying they are going to go on holiday less oſten,” he said. “Tey are going for similar


durations and are likely to spend the same or more, and there’s been no indication they are going to downgrade their accommodation. “Taken together, that’s a very


positive outlook for 2020.” i Download the report at:


go.travelweekly.co.uk/insight20


Moderator Ian Taylor


EasyJet urges firms to follow sustainability lead


Budget carrier easyJet has encouraged all travel firms to “follow its lead” in reducing its impact on the environment and operating more sustainably. Sheelagh Mahoney, easyJet head


of leisure distribution, denied the £25 million a year it will spend to carbon offset all its flights is a form


62 2 JANUARY 2020


of ‘greenwashing’. She said the airline would not be puting prices up and that the offseting scheme, involving 17 “gold standard” projects, was one part of a three-year initiative. “We believe in this,” said


Mahoney. “It’s not just a soundbite. But there is more to be done. Tat £25 million is just one strand. “We are leading the charge and


would encourage everyone else to follow our lead. “Ultimately, we want to be using


sustainable fuel, hybrid and electric flights in the future. What we are saying is if you are still going to fly,


we want to be the airline of choice.” Alistair Rowland, Abta chairman


and chief retail officer for specialist business at Midcounties Co- operative, said: “Everyone now has this in their sights, which is great.”


travelweekly.co.uk


Sponsor


Report partner and host


Consumer concern about climate at ‘tipping point’


Consumer concern about the impact of holidays on the climate is starting to reach a “tipping point”, delegates at the launch of the annual Travel Weekly Insight report heard. Alistair Pritchard, lead partner


of travel and aviation at Deloite, picked out changing booking habits, how concern over Brexit is affecting generations differently and sustainability, as three key trends to watch out for. He said: “We are starting to see


the [sustainabillity] stats back up how important this is going to be.


“We are really close to a tipping


point in this space. Tere has been a six percentage point increase in concern around the environmental impact of flying. “When you bear in mind the total


number of people who are concerned is 20%, a rise from 14%, it’s significant.” Pritchard said as well as climate


concerns, people are increasingly worried about issues such as waste management and this is particularly stark among the millennial generation. “Tese percentages show how important sustainability and the


environment is becoming on the back of Greta Tunberg, Extinction Rebellion and flight shaming. “It’s something the industry needs


to pay closer atention to over the next 24 months.” Te Kantar/Service Science


research for the Insight Report showed that whether holidays benefit locals remains the number one concern among holidaymakers, up one point on the previous year. But the impact of flying and impact on the destination were not far behind, tied in second, and up six and two percentage points respectively. However, the research suggested


a sharp divergence in atitude to sustainability according to age, with a four-percentage-point decline among 35 to 44 year-olds between 2012 and 2019, and an eight-point fall among those aged 45-54. By contrast, 16 to 24-year-olds


showed a 13-point increase in concern, and 25 to 34-year-olds a seven-point rise in tourism sustainability concern.


Sheelagh Mahoney, easyJet


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