Industry’s eco record ‘is appalling’


Lucy Huxley Travel Convention, Bodrum, Turkey


The co-founder and chairman of Intrepid Travel “banged the drum” for climate action at The Travel Convention, describing the sector’s record on sustainability as “appalling”. Darrell Wade spoke to delegates


at the event in Bodrum, Turkey, to highlight the need for action. Talking to Travel Weekly at the


conference, he said: “It’s a two-sided drum. On one side, you have got lots of good things about the travel industry – it is a wonderful industry; we employ millions of people around the world; our GDP impact is huge; we really build bridges with cultures


– we should feel really proud. “The other side of the drum is


that our record on sustainability is really pretty poor. In fact, it is appalling. It is one of the few industries where carbon emissions are outstripping GDP growth.” Wade said the industry talks


about sustainability, decarbonisation and sustainable aviation fuels, but warned: “The reality is we’re getting further behind, it’s getting worse.” Adventure specialist Intrepid is


the largest travel B Corp company, which means its social performance is assessed for the highest standards. “When we – not just Intrepid


but everyone – started talking about climate change in 2005, 2006, we were talking about something a long


Tanzer: Sector on brink of new era over climate and AI


Robin Murray and Ian Taylor


Travel Convention, Bodrum, Turkey


The travel industry is on “the threshold of a new era”, with artificial intelligence (AI) set to have a “transformative” impact and rising temperatures “making many reassess investment”, Abta chief Mark Tanzer warned this week. Tanzer told The Travel


Convention in Bodrum on Tuesday: “The path the industry is on over the next decade won’t be easy, [with] the challenges we face set against a background of international


4 2 NOVEMBER 2023


conflict and economic stagnation.” He noted the “uphill battle to


bring new talent into our industry” as generative AI transforms many tasks and said: “We need to communicate more effectively the opportunities we can give people.” Tanzer suggested record


temperatures in popular destinations this year “are making many reassess their future investment strategy”. He also warned against “clumsy


legislation or taxation” by the government, which risked “severe damage” to the industry, calling instead for “investment support for growth in sustainable aviation fuels”.


Darrell Wade


things that are reducing emissions.” But he said many companies


don’t know “relatively basic things” such as their emissions. His speech came a year after


distance in the future, in the 2020s, 30s, 40s. Well, guess what? Climate change has landed. You only have to look at last summer – record heatwaves and fires everywhere.” Wade said there is more


awareness in the UK than many other countries, adding: “EasyJet is a pretty good example of doing quantifiable


James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Travel, spoke at The Travel Convention in Morocco, urging industry bosses to urgently shift to “rapid decarbonisation” to help avert climate disaster. Wade also commented on the


Israel-Gaza war, saying it is starting to affect demand for Egypt. “It’s not serious yet but we can


see, if this continues for a longer time, Egypt will not have the year that we thought we would have next year. That’s real people, real jobs, real harms,” he added.


Mark Tanzer, Abta


At the same time, he noted “the


strong recovery” in the sector, which Abta consumer research suggests will carry into next year, but with growing numbers of consumers taking holidays outside the traditional summer peak. The research among 2,000 UK


adults in August for Abta’s Holiday Habits Report found 72% thought the cost of living would affect their 2024 travel plans, with a growing number looking to take holidays in spring and autumn to avoid peak prices. May and June appear the most


popular months, with 21% of respondents planning to travel in each of those months, and 19% in October,


ahead of July (17%) and August (17%). Almost a quarter (22%) said they


would take fewer holidays, 21% book cheaper accommodation and 17% eat out less to ensure they can go away. The survey also found a growing


number of people booking package holidays through agents as they believe it offered the best value. Three out of five adults who took


an overseas trip in the last year (61%) booked a package holiday, citing price as the main driver. Of the 35% who booked with a


travel consultant, 38% cited value for


money, up from 26% last year. i Business, page 54


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: AG Studios


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64