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AI Set to Revolutionise Travel and Tourism, WTTC Report

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London, United Kingdom, February 2, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / Major new reports from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Microsoft highlight the transformative power of AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Travel & Tourism, marking a commitment to a digital future with unparalleled customer experiences.

The first in a series of AI reports, announced during the global tourism body’s event at FITUR and in collaboration with WTTC’s Industry Partner, Microsoft, is poised to redefine Travel & Tourism standards and call on the sector for greater integration of such technologies.

As the global leader in Travel & Tourism, WTTC is committed to driving innovation and supporting the sector to embrace AI and other cutting-edge technologies. To promote sustainability and excellent customer experiences, WTTC acknowledges the crucial importance of AI in revolutionising the sector.

Throughout the traveller’s journey, WTTC believes AI can play a pivotal role in delivering a tailored and enhanced experience now and in the future.

This technology can empower personalised recommendations and marketing strategies by analysing traveller data, optimising pricing strategies through real-time adjustments, and offering instant responses and fine-tuned interactions via sophisticated AI powered chatbots.

The report also highlights AI’s capabilities extend to predicting future demand patterns, efficiently allocating resources, and providing valuable insights for governments and Travel & Tourism stakeholders.

This contribution can be pivotal in promoting sustainability with efficient resource management by monitoring and minimising environmental impacts, ensuring a more responsible and sustainable sector.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of Travel & Tourism, AI emerges as a catalyst for positive change.

“The transformative capabilities highlighted in this report demonstrate that AI is not just a technological advancement, it is a strategic tool that can personalise the customer experience, drive sustainable improvements, and create real time pricing models.”

Julie Shainock, Microsoft Managing Director Travel, Transport & Logistics, said: “Using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Models across the travel sector allows greater productivity for companies and drive a more personalised consumer experience.

“For travellers, the ability to drive more inspiration and personalized offers at booking to providing tools to consumers to proactively assist them while in destination to anticipate their needs with relevant information to improve their journey. For travel companies, GenAI is there to increase productivity, automate the predictable, and allow our human centric approach to the high value moments in travel to shine more.”

Despite the increasing examples of AI applications in Travel & Tourism, the report reveals the sector lags other consumer-facing industries in AI adoption. AI’s surge across various sector’s last year is now a relevant force, and the Travel & Tourism sector must act now to leverage its impact.

Challenges that must be overcome by Travel & Tourism businesses include a shortage of AI-skilled workers, limited AI infrastructure, and the absence of a formal ‘AI strategy’ in many business plans.

Travel & Tourism businesses are urged to embrace AI as a strategic priority, investing heavily in talent to foster collaboration between humans and AI.

Amidst concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, the report addresses the potential for job creation, recognising that although AI will be disruptive, it will in turn generate new opportunities.

In the quest for sustainable AI practices within the Travel & Tourism sector, responsible data management emerges as a crucial strategy.

Implementing measures such as data minimisation, efficient storage, and responsible data disposal, becomes pivotal for organisations seeking to minimise their carbon emissions when using new digital technologies, and reduce their AI environmental footprint significantly.

The report explores AI applications in society and business, emphasising the need for safe and responsible AI system design in Travel & Tourism, signifying a milestone in the sector’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, and showcasing AI’s potential to shape a bright future for Travel & Tourism.

 

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics for a Sustainable 2024

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London, United Kingdom, January 8, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics is set to end if first year on a high with more than 1,300 hotels verified, across more than 30 countries from around the world.

The Hotel Sustainability Basics is an independent global sustainability verification programme, overseen by internationally recognised verifiers, Green Key and SGS.

The aim is for hotels around the world, regardless of their size, to follow a 12 step programme to reduce carbon emissions, protect and promote nature, and ensure local communities benefit from the hotel.

It is achievable for all hotels to implement as a bare minimum, and crucially, they serve as a stepping-stone to more complex sustainability schemes.

In its first year, Hotel Sustainability Basics has been endorsed by destinations around the world such as the Caribbean, Mauritius, Colombia, Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Mexico, and Ecuador.

The ‘Basics’ has also been adopted by a number of major hotel brands around the world such as Jin Jiang, the world’s second biggest hotel group with more than 10,000 hotels, European hotel giant Louvre Hotel Group, and Radisson Hotel Group.

Other major brands which have signed up Hotel Sustainability Basics include adventure travel specialist Intrepid, British Airways Holidays, HBX Group, WebBeds, Biosphere, and Abercrombie & Kent.

Together, this underscores a global commitment to sustainable Travel & Tourism from across the hospitality industry, and the global tourism body expects thousands more hotels from all four corners of the globe will adopt Hotel Sustainability Basics next year.

Significantly, the recently announced partnership between WTTC, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has cemented a clear pathway in the hospitality sustainability journey.

This collaboration will establish a structured framework from the Basics towards advanced global standards for hotel sustainability.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said “Basics is a global programme to support hotels to cut emissions, support local communities and protect nature. Launched last year, it is the only independent scheme that gives hotels a helping hand to look at their environmental impact. The take up of Basics is going from strength to strength with whole countries committed to make real, lasting change.

“As we look to the future, our focus remains on strengthening these efforts, ensuring that every step we take brings us closer to a unified vision of sustainability in hospitality. Hotel Sustainability Basics has gone from strength to strength in its first year and we’re expecting thousands more properties to adopt the initiative throughout 2024.”

Satu Rouhiainen, Sustainability Manager, British Airways Holidays said: “Working closely together with our industry and value chain partners is paramount to British Airways Holidays. We are delighted to be supporting the Hotel Sustainability Basics, offering our hotel partners a fair and industry recognised criteria to start their sustainability journey.

“Not only does it give us visibility of the hotels’ progress, but it also provides our customers a way to search for hotels that are committed to progressing in sustainability.”

WTTC is committed to leading the charge in sustainable Travel & Tourism. Continuously fostering collaborations and setting new sustainability, the global tourism body global is committed to ensuring a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable future for the Travel & Tourism sector.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

PATA and WTCF Sign MOU to Promote Cooperation in BRI Cultural Tourism Industry

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PATA and WTCF Sign MOU to Promote Cooperation in BRI Cultural Tourism Industry - TRAVELINDEXBeijing, China, November 17, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is pleased to announce a new organisational partnership with the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), a global international tourism organisation with tourism cities as its focus. The agreement aims to establish a strategic partnership for constructive cooperation in areas of mutual interest based on the principles of organisational development and mutual benefit.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by PATA Chair Peter Semone and WTCF Secretary-General Yang Shuo on October 18, 2023, during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the “Forum”) at the event’s Thematic Forum on Sub-national Cooperation in Beijing, China.

“As global travel continues to accelerate and recover from the pandemic, PATA has renewed its focus on the People’s Republic of China and its domestic, inbound and outbound tourism portfolios. Our partnership with the World Tourism Cities Federation comes at the right time. WTCF has a superlative network of cities across the globe and is a leading voice for tourism in China, and PATA is finding ways to support the next wave of China’s tourism growth. We look forward to working with WTCF in the coming years for mutual success.” said Mr Semone.

The MOU was included in the List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables of the Forum, a list incorporating a series of practical cooperation projects and bilateral cooperation agreements agreed upon by national governments, financial institutions, local governments, and enterprises. It emphasizes the important roles of the international tourism organisations in promoting the development of the tourism industry.

On signing of the MOU, Mr. Yang stated that “the agreement fully leverages the role of WTCF as a platform. As the initiating and headquarters’ city, Beijing actively promotes the construction of a win-win tourism and cultural industry under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It demonstrates its exemplary and leading role as a BRI hub city, narrates the story of Beijing’s high-level openness to the world, and has ushered into a new stage of high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.”

Mr. Yang also pointed out that “in the future, WTCF will work closely with PATA, fully leverage their respective advantages, implement the practical content of the MOU, and jointly promote the prosperous development of the tourism and cultural industries of the Belt and Road, to ensure that the practical results will benefit more global tourism cities.”

As a global international tourism organization with tourism cities as its primary focus, WTCF adheres to the core concept of “Better City Life through Tourism”. It is dedicated to promoting exchanges and cooperation between cities and organisations and plays a significant role in driving the innovative development of the global tourism industry.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, which includes government, state and city tourism bodies; international airlines and airports; hospitality organisations, and educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism of the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 32 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 28 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

GSTC Partners with WTTC to Strengthen Global Hospitality Standards

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GSTC Partners with WTTC to Strengthen Global Hospitality Standards - TRAVELINDEXLondon, United Kingdom, October 20, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announce a major new partnership, aligning to establish a structured framework for hotel sustainability, leading to GSTC Certification.

The partnership endorses the existing WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics whilst paving the way for a stepped progression toward GSTC Certification* for sustainable hotels.

In an era where sustainability is paramount, GSTC and WTTC are joining forces to send a potent message to the market regarding the coherence and collaboration in the Travel & Tourism sector.

The three-stage framework for hotel sustainability will now see the integration between the WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics verification and GSTC Certification*, designed to support hotels in their pathway towards full sustainability. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Collaborating with an esteemed body like GSTC reinforces our dedication to leading the industry towards a more sustainable future. It’s imperative that we work with key global players like GSTC to drive change, set benchmarks, and inspire others to follow.

With members spanning across the world, GSTC’s rigorous accreditation program not only elevates our initiative but also ensures that the hospitality sector worldwide moves toward a unified vision of sustainability.”

Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC, added, “WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics is a finely crafted entry level for hotels of any size and type to begin their journey to sustainable practices. GSTC’s certification by GSTC-Accredited Certification Bodies is recognised widely as the gold standard in certification of sustainable hotels, with the highest levels of assurance that exists.

Today’s announcement of the combined pathway provides clarity for beginning and for continuous improvement. Stages must be just that, stages, and not levels to reach and stay in place.” Randy Durband, GSTC CEO

The WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics are already accessible to the industry, and the next phase in collaboration with GSTC is scheduled to launch in 2024.

This will provide the crucial stepping stone between WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics, a three-year programme, and GSTC’s rigorous certification, ensuring a gradual yet comprehensive progression towards sustainability in hospitality.

About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.

The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for Accreditation of Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services; but it accredits those that do. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGO’s, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

New Data Shows Investment Returning to Global Tourism Sector

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New Data Shows Investment Returning to Global Tourism Sector - TRAVELINDEXMadrid, Spain, September 18, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / Investment in the global tourism cluster has started to bounce back from the lows it touched during the pandemic off the back of the steady recovery of international tourist arrivals, according to a newly released report jointly produced by UNWTO and fDi Intelligence.

The report, which is based on data from fDi Markets, fDi Intelligence’s proprietary database of greenfield FDI projects, as well as international tourism data from UNWTO, provides a broad overview of the ongoing investment cycle in the tourism sector, breaking down investment figures by region, segments and companies. Key findings include:

  • Both FDI project numbers and job creation rates in the tourism cluster grew by 23% from 286 investments in 2021 to 352 in 2022. Job creation in tourism FDI also increased by 23% over the same period, to an estimated 36,400 in 2022.
  • The leading destination region for tourism FDI projects in 2022 was Western Europe with 143 announced investments at a combined estimated value of $2.2bn.
  • The number of announced projects into the Asia-Pacific region increased marginally by 2.4% to 42 projects in 2022.
  • The hotel and tourism sector accounted for almost two-thirds of all projects in the tourism cluster between 2018 and 2022. FDI projects increased by 25% from 2021 to 2022.

These investments will then pave the way for a skilled workforce that can deliver exceptional growth, drive innovation and, by embracing digital technologies, enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the tourism sector

“Greenfield FDI into the tourism sector is showing signs of life after all but vanishing in the pandemic years. With Covid–19 behind us, the sector has no time to waste in addressing the biggest challenge of our times: climate change and the resulting sustainability imperative,” comments Jacopo Dettoni, the editor of fDi Intelligence.

“To ensure the growth and competitiveness of the sector, significant investments must be made in education and talent by upskilling the professional workforce and implementing vocational and technical programmes. Only in this way can we equip young people — of whom only 50% have completed secondary education — with the knowledge and capabilities they need to thrive in the sector. These investments will then pave the way for a skilled workforce that can deliver exceptional growth, drive innovation and, by embracing digital technologies, enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the tourism sector,” argues Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General.

“As the sector steers its course towards recovery and growth, UNWTO now, more than ever, prioritises innovation, education and strategic investments as the pillars for recalibrating and adapting to these ever-evolving market dynamics. Spearheading a series of initiatives, we equip the professional workforce with new skills through upskilling and vocational workforce programmes, creating quality job opportunities, and raising average wages across the entire tourism value chain,” says Natalia Bayona, executive director of the UNWTO.

The North America and Asia-Pacific regions each contribute three companies to the top 10 investors list for tourism foreign direct investment (FDI) between 2018 and 2022. The rest of the top 10 comprises companies from Europe, with Spain-based Melia, UK-based Intercontinental Hotels Group, France-based Accor and UK-based Selina all featuring.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

WTTC Predicts Germany Tourism Sector to Rebound Fast

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WTTC Predicts Germany Tourism Sector to Rebound Fast - TRAVELINDEX - GLOBALTOURISMFORUM.comBerlin, Germany, August 17, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals Germany’s Travel & Tourism sector is recovering at pace to recover to within 95% of pre-pandemic levels.

The sector is set to contribute €355BN to the national economy this year, getting to within 95% of the 2019 highpoint, and representing 9.3% of the economy. WTTC is also forecasting that the sector will create more than 168,000 jobs this year, recovering most of the jobs lost due to the COVID 19 pandemic to reach 5.6MN.

A look back on last year

Last year, the Travel & Tourism sector’s GDP contribution grew by 43.4% to reach more than €338BN, representing 8.8% of the economy, edging closer to the 2019 high of €374BN.

Last year the sector also created 550,000 more jobs from the previous year to reach 5.4MN jobs nationally – one in eight jobs across Germany.
The sector has now recovered over 50% of the 1MN jobs lost during the pandemic.

Last year also saw the return of international travellers heading to Germany with spending from overseas visitors growing 61% to reach almost €31BN.

Domestic visitor spend is within touching distance of the pre-pandemic level of €307.8BN and is currently €304.4BN, a year-on-year increase of 49%.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The Travel & Tourism sector in Germany is making a strong recovery. It will contribute €355BN to the German economy this year and employ one in eight jobs across the country.

“Germany is forecast to remain the fifth most popular tourism destination in Europe over the next decade, demonstrating its enduring appeal.”

What does the next decade look like?

The global tourism body is forecasting that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to more than €440BN by 2033, 10.3% of the overall economy and will employ almost 6.1MN people across the country, with one in seven Germans working in the sector.

Europe

In 2022, the European Travel & Tourism sector contributed €1.9TN to the regional economy, just 7% below the 2019 peak. WTTC forecasts the region’s GDP contribution from the sector will reach more than €2TN in 2023 – within touching distance of the 2019 highpoint.

The sector employed almost 35MN people across the region in 2022, an increase of 2.9MN from the previous year but still 3.2MN behind pre-pandemic levels. WTTC forecasts the sector will fully recover the jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of 2024.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Tourism Leaders Place African Focus on Global Challenges

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Tourism Leaders Place African Focus on Global Challenges - TRAVELINDEX - TOURISMAFRICA.orgPort Louis, Mauritius, August 14, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The Conference on Rethinking Africa: Rethinking Tourism for Africa: Addressing global challenges; Promoting investment and partnerships brought expert African perspectives to global challenges, highlighting the need of investments towards a greener tourism sector and access to finance within the sector and the need to further strengthen public-private collaboration at every level.

Tourism Ministers set out visions

  • Reflecting the heightened relevance of tourism as a solution to a range of global challenges and pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Conference was structured around two thematic sessions with a ministerial panel on Addressing global challenges followed by a second one focusing on “Promoting Investment and Partnerships in Tourism for Economic Development. His Excellency Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing, and Land Use Planning and Minister of Tourism for the Republic of Mauritius, and Vice-Chair of the UNWTO Executive Council joined Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, African Union who delivered the  keynote address .
  • A special Ministerial Panel Session focusing on global challenges featured contributions from the Ministers of Tourism of DR Congo Didier Mazenga Mukanzu, Minister of Tourism of Ghana Hon. Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Awal, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Kenya Peninah Malonza, and Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage of Zambia Rhodney Sikumba, as well as Ms Lisa Singh, the UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles and Prof Nazia M Habib, Head, Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge.

Advancing investments and partnerships

In line with UNWTO’s priorities for the sector, the second session put the focus on the importance of building strategic relations and partnerships as well as the vital need for more and better-targeted investments in tourism, building tourism intelligence particularly in projects with the potential to deliver greater sustainability, resilience and inclusivity. UNWTO Executive Director Natalia Bayona opened the session with an overview of the tourism investment climate followed by presentations  by Mr. Kevin Ramkaloan CEO Business Mauritius and messages from Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, Secretary General of The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Leila Farah Mokaddenm, Director General, Southern Africa Region, African Development Bank.

Botswana’s Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism Philda Kereng, and Hon. Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Côte d´Ivoire, also contributed their unique, expert insights into rethinking tourism investments and partnerships. They were joined by Ms. Amanda Serumaga – Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme for Mauritius and Seychelles, Ms. Michaella Rugwizangoga, Chief Tourism Officer, Rwanda Development Board and Mr. Mamadu Serifo Jaquite, Mamadu Serifo Jaquite, Commissioner in charge of the Department of Human Development of the West African Monetary and Economic Union

The Mauritius Declaration

The conference culminated with the presentation of the Mauritius Declaration by the host country and UNWTO. The program of actions proposed in the Mauritius Declaration, aims to promote sustainable and resilient tourism ecosystems through multi-sectoral partnerships, ethical practices, investment promotion, nature-based solutions, decarbonization, coordination of public health, policy alignment and data-driven decision-making. This program includes a range of measures, including:

  • Encourage partnership and tourism ethics;
  • The promotion of investment, innovation and accessibility to financing;
  • Public health coordination and crisis management;
  • The integration of internal and regional tourism;
  • The encouragement of responsible and solidarity tourism;
  • The implementation of blue tourism;
  • Partnerships between public, private and community actors and models of  governance; And
  • Pan-African Fund for Sustainable Tourism;

To enable this programme to be carried out under the best possible conditions, the Declaration also calls for the support, in accordance with their respective mandates, of the Member States of the UNWTO, the African Union Commission, the regional economic communities organizations, regional aviation institutions, banking institutions, the African Development Bank, international aid partners, donor communities and financial institutions.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

WTTC Urges Governments to Support Sustainable Cruise Shipping for Net-Zero Emissions

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WTTC Urges Governments to Support Sustainable Cruise Shipping for Net-Zero Emissions - TRAVELINDEX - JULIA SIMPSONLondon, United Kingdom, July 14, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / WTTC welcomes the UN IMO’s ambitious plan to achieve net-zero emissions from international shipping by 2050, a crucial milestone for the cruise industry and our planet.

We urge governments to actively support sustainable marine fuels, shoreside power, and other net-zero technologies in all shipping sectors. Collaboration between governments and the industry is vital to achieve net-zero emissions.

Sustainable growth in Travel & Tourism, including aviation, rail, and cruise liners, remains a key objective for the sector worldwide.

Julia Simpson
WTTC President & CEO

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

VFS Global Founder Zubin Karkaria Joins WTTC Executive Committee

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VFS Global Founder Zubin Karkaria Joins WTTC Executive Committee - TRAVELINDEXLondon, United Kingdom, May 1, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced the appointment of Zubin Karkaria, Founder & CEO of VFS Global, to the Executive Committee of WTTC. Karkaria’s appointment comes following significant growth of VFS Global in the last two decades, and the significant contribution made by Karkaria to the Travel & Tourism sector.

Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, VFS Global is the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions. A trusted partner of 67 client governments, VFS Global has a global network of more than 3,400 application centres in 145 countries, managing non-judgemental and administrative tasks related to applications for visa, passport and consular services.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “We are delighted to welcome such an im-portant partner to the Travel & Tourism sector to WTTC’s Executive Committee.

“VFS Global’s growth over the last twenty years is testament to Zubin’s vision and leader-ship. Hundreds of millions of travellers have been able to move around the world seamlessly thanks to the crucial role VFS Global plays behind the scenes in the sector.”

Zubin Karkaria said: “It is an honour and a privilege for me to become a member of the Ex-ecutive Committee of WTTC, the preeminent global travel and tourism body, comprising thought leaders from leading travel, hospitality, and tourism organisations from across ge-ographies.

“I look forward to contributing to the continuing development of the global travel and tour-ism industry in a sustainable, inclusive, and secure manner further enhancing its contribution to global socio-economic development, and more specifically to the implementation of WTTC’s agenda.”

The World Travel & Tourism Council represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world’s leading Travel & Tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries.

The original vision of WTTC’s founding members remains the same: governments must rec-ognise Travel & Tourism’s value, not only to economies, but to the millions of livelihoods that depend on it.

Members of WTTC range from airlines to tour operators and hospitality groups. The Execu-tive Council is comprised of Chairs, Presidents, and Chief Executives from many of the world’s most powerful Travel & Tourism businesses.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

WTTC Unveils World-First Global Tourism Water Footprint

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WTTC Unveils World-First Global Tourism Water Footprint - TRAVELINDEXUnited Nations, New York, United States, April 29, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the total water usage of the global Travel & Tourism sector.

In one of the largest research projects of its kind, WTTC can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact the sector has on the environment.

The findings were launched today at the United Nations in New York at the UN 2023 Water Conference.

Direct Water Use

Speaking at the UN Headquarters, Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability at WTTC, revealed that Travel & Tourism’s entire water footprint is just 0.6% of the global water use according to the latest figures (2021).

In 2019, when the sector was at its peak, the sector’s total water footprint was only 50% higher, but still less than 1% of the global total at 0.9%.

Travel & Tourism’s direct water use is significantly lower – in 2019 it was 0.2% of the global total and has fallen by half to just 0.1% of the global total.

Much of the sector’s water use is indirect, through its supply chain, with agriculture and food production accounting for two-thirds of Travel & Tourism’s entire water footprint.

Between 2010 and 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector in Europe and Africa reduced direct water use. In Europe, direct water use fell by 8% and in Africa direct water use by the sector fell by 6%.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “This ground-breaking new data reveals our sector’s water consumption for the first time ever, revealing that Travel & Tourism uses less than 1% of the water used around the world, with the overwhelming majority of that usage coming from the sector’s supply chain.

“The data also shows that whilst the sector has grown economically around the world, its direct-use water intensity has decreased.

“The data is the most in depth study of the sector’s water use, and like the world-first cli-mate footprint data we released at our Global Summit in Riyadh last year, we can also re-veal individual countries Travel & Tourism sector’s water footprints. This will enable governments to work with the sector to further reduce water usage.”

Water Intensity

The water intensity of Travel & Tourism per unit of GDP has also fallen since 2010, across both direct and indirect use.

In 2010, the sector used 0.57m³ of water for every $1 USD contributed to the global econo-my.

In 2019 this fell by 19% to reach 0.46m³ of water for every $1 USD contributed to the global economy.

In a world-first, this comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with revised figures. This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186BN USD of in-vestment in the green economy.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News