Noel Josephides, Abta


Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy Group


‘The travel sector must find ways to diversify tourism’


The travel industry risks “its own destruction” if it does not diversify tourists away from a small number of overcrowded destinations, according to Ogilvy Group’s vice-chairman. Rory Sutherland said: “There


Josephides: Destinations hold the key to their futures


Abta chairman Noel Josephides has urged destinations to act to limit damage from overtourism and demanded the industry “note” the severity of scientists’ warnings on global warming.


Josephides said: “In almost 50


years in travel, I have seen the damage caused by overtourism all too many times. Our industry has enormous power for good, but do we know when to stop? “If a destination feels the time has come, it should not be frightened to shout ‘stop’ – because our industry will not do it for them.” Josephides told senior industry


figures: “We had a warning this week of the increasing severity of global warming. Hopefully, our industry will heed the message.” Leading climate scientists


warned last Monday that the world has only until 2030 to restrict global warming to a maximum of 1.5C – beyond which the effects will be severe. Josephides said: “We carry a grave responsibility and we need to take note.” Addressing the closing


session of the Seville convention, 18 October 2018 travelweekly.co.uk 19


Josephides argued: “Spain is the oldest and most professional of modern tourism industries. It has suffered and tackled successfully problems which others have yet to face. As a result, other destinations look to Spain to lead the way.” He recalled “the mass exodus of British tourists from Spain in the 1980s, when the country fell from fashion” and said: “Spain turned to its culture and history to revive and transform its tourism. This country performed a miracle. “Fifty years ago, we were amateurs. Our industry is


better educated and far more sophisticated now. Most important, destinations are increasingly aware of the dangers. “In conversations with those


responsible for the future of Seville, it is clear they are aware of the difficult decisions that could lie ahead and have no intention of allowing the city’s image to suffer. “It is the destinations, rather


than we the intermediaries, that hold the key to their future. “Tourism-dependent countries


are learning to look after their interests like never before.”


Tokyo to host The Travel Convention 2019


The 2019 Travel Convention will be held in Tokyo on October 7-9. Accommodation will be at Prince Hotels & Resorts’ Grand Prince


Hotel New Takanawa, which is directly connected to the International Convention Center Pamir. Abta has received 131 registrations already. Host partners for the event – the first held by Abta in eastern Asia – will be the Japan National Tourism Organization, Japan Association of Travel Agents, ANA All Nippon Airways and Prince Hotels & Resorts. Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive, said: “With British holidaymakers


showing an increasing interest in Japan, the convention will provide a great opportunity to show travel professionals all that it has to offer.”


Tokyo


is a problem where tourists all go to the same place. It has to change. [Technology] makes individual decision-making uniform. It makes behaviour work at a collective level. “If we can’t find ways of


diversifying, the travel industry will bring on its own destruction. “We’ll have cities overrun.


It’s already happening.We want individual behaviour to be messy for collective behaviour to be rational, otherwise we create tourism hotspots. “Most technology innovation is about psychology. “Uber’s success comes from an insight that humans hate uncertainty. We’d rather wait 10 minutes for a train knowing it will come in 10 minutes than wait five minutes not knowing. Uber gives certainty – you can watch the car approaching. “Apple is not really a technol-


ogy company, it’s a psychology company. It is supreme at understanding what humans want from a phone, [and] that has not meant a lower price.”


PICTURES: ARIF GARDNER/AG STUDIOS; SHUTTERSTOCK


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