WTM Global Hub

World Responsible Tourism Day at WTM – Wednesday 6th November

WTM Team

Don’t miss the World Responsible Tourism Awards 11:00 – 13:00 today in the Europe Inspiration Zone

11:00 – 11:15 Opening of WRTD

Europe Inspiration Zone  EU80  WTM

World Travel Market Means Responsible Business
Responsible Tourism is fundamental to the future of travel and tourism and the success of our industry.  Simon Press, Director of WTM, London opens World Responsible Tourism Day reflecting on the 25 years of Responsible Tourism at WTM in the 40th year of the show. WTM, London is the world’s biggest Responsible Tourism event and the programme has been extended across all four shows in the portfolio Africa, Arabia, Latin America and the global show in London. Simon will be announcing exciting new developments for all four shows

Five years ago Professor Kevin Anderson from the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester was the opening speaker on World Responsible Tourism Day in 2015. We have invited him to address us again

11:15 Decarbonising Travel and Tourism: is the industry doing enough?

Europe Inspiration Zone  EU80  WTM

There is a growing awareness of the climate change crisis with school strikes and the Extinction Rebellion movement. Business, as usual, is no longer sensible and is increasingly recognised as a poor business strategy. Our panel will share with you their views about how we address the challenge of reducing our carbon emissions – we cannot continue to leave it to others. We have brought together a panel which includes a city, a tour operator, a travel agent, an airline and the hotel sector.

Moderator Tanya Beckett BBC
Albert Dalmau, Manager, Area of  Economy, Resources and Economic Promotion, Barcelona City Council
Justin Francis CEO Responsible Travel
Madhu Rajesh Director – International Tourism Partnership at Business in the Community
Jane Ashton Director of Sustainability, TUI
Saskia Griep Founder and CEO of Better Places

12:15 – 13:00 The World Responsible Tourism Awards with interviews by Tanya Beckett

Europe Inspiration Zone  EU80 WTM

The highlight of World Responsible Tourism Day with the presentation of the Gold and Silver 2019 World Responsible Tourism Awards. Again this year the Awards will be presented by the BBC’s Tanya Beckett who will interview the Gold winners and the Overall winner on stage. The Awards are designed to inspire, educate and challenge all of us to do more and to take responsibility for making tourism better. This year there are six categories: Best for Wildlife, Best for Transparent Reporting, Coping with Success, Best for Reducing Carbon, Best for Reducing Plastic Waste and Local Economic Benefit. Come along to hear their stories and join in the celebration of the good that tourism can do. For the first time at WTM, London there are two World Responsible Tourism Judges’ Awards, these awards are rare and are used to recognise businesses which achieve in multiple categories and have been previously recognised a number of times.

This year’s finalists are:

Who will get Gold and Silver? Who will be the overall winner?

13:00 – 14:00 Meet the Winners Reception
Europe Inspiration Zone  EU80  WTM

13:30 – 14:00 Enhancing Employment in Hospitality

Americas Inspiration Zone LA570  WTM

The hospitality sector is often seen as providing low skilled low paid jobs. Can employment in hospitality be made more rewarding either by increasing pay or offering better progression opportunities within the sector or into other sectors?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Kevin Curran Vice-Chair of Unite London Hotel Workers Branch
Kate Nicholls, CEO, UK Hospitality

14:15 – 15:30 Decent Employment [solutions]

Americas Inspiration Zone LA570  WTM

The industry suffers from a reputation for low paid casual work. What can the industry do to counter this perception and to demonstrate the opportunities which exist within the sector for progression? Our panel includes people from hotels and tour operating who will share with you their initiatives, all designed to open the sector for employment and progression to those struggling to find employment. These are all great examples of our industry reaching out to give the vulnerable and excluded a helping hand into employment and promotion.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor
Kathryn Porter, Director of Youth Strategy, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Hilton
Priscilla Costa and Shiksha Khemani, YCI Partnership Managers
Zina Bencheikh, Regional General Manager for Europe, Intrepid
Allan Moussa, sharing his personal experiences as a participant in a decent employment program, BC Hospitality Group

14:30 – 15:30 The Future of Aviation [solutions]

Press Conference Theatre- International Media Centre  WTM

The aviation industry has been described as the Achilles heel of the industry. There are challenges in all sectors of travel and tourism but the elephant in the room is aviation. Airlines emit 80% of our industry’s greenhouse gasses and air travel is growing at 5% per year. As other industries reduce their carbon emissions aviation will account for ever-larger shares of global emissions.  We have brought together a panel of experts to share their views about the prospects for the decarbonisation of air travel.

Moderator: Moderator Tanya Beckett BBC
Peter Castellas CEO Tasman Environmental Markets
Neil Cloughley  founder of Faradair
Angela Foster-Rice, Principal Aerial Consulting, LLC, Chicago
Justin Francis, CEO Responsible Travel
Chris Lyle Chief Executive, Air Transport Economics

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