Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, is attending the World Travel Market, one of the largest tourism fairs globally taking place in London (England) on 6-8 November 2017.
During the World Travel Market, there is a range of events and presentations dedicated to Responsible Tourism. The presentations of main interest for Green Key includes debates about the major environmental challenges: carbon and water, the next steps for certification schemes, the priorities for responsible tourism in the coming five years, how tourism businesses can embrace the UN Sustainable Development Goals, how to engage travellers and holidaymakers, how to market sustainable tourism, etc.
In the discussion about the main priorities for responsible tourism in the coming five years, the main focus areas identified were environmental responsibility (lower carbon emissions, good waste- and water management, etc.) as well as social responsibility (attention to vulnerable groups, inclusive tourism, etc.). In the discussion about certification schemes, the importance of staying focused in order to make certification relevant and affordance for the hospitality sector was highlighted. In the debate about engaging travellers, the importance of story-telling and personalised messages were emphasised.
During the World Travel Market, Green Key International also had a range of meetings with partners and other stakeholders relevant for Green Key, including researchers, consultants, major tour operators, leading hotel chains, tourism organisations, etc.
In addition, World Responsible Tourism Day is celebrated on the last day of the fair, on 8 November and the Global Responsible Tourism Awards were once again handed out. As 2017 has been designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the participants were challenged to report their progress against one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about the Awards, visit WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017. This year's awards were given for the categories Best for Accommodation, Best for Carbon Reduction, Best for Communication, Best Community Initiative, Best for Poverty Reduction and Best Tour Operator. Download the 'Leaders in Responsible Tourism Report' and see all the Winners here.
