Blog

November 17, 2017May 10, 2018

Digital Hospitality

Technology

At World Travel Market London this year, I ran a Summit called Future Digital Thinking. I split this into 2 two hour sessions, the first focusing on the hospitality sector ... Read more

November 17, 2017

Cape Town, the ‘Events Capital of Africa’ and a year-round destination

Blog, Destinations, WTM Africa

Cape Town is synonymous with a healthy, balanced quality of life and has become a preferred destination for events, exhibitions, concerts and conferences. There are venues across the city, ... Read more

November 14, 2017November 21, 2017

WTM London: Taking responsibility for making tourism better

Responsible Tourism

Tuesday the 14th November 2007 was the first WTM & UNWTO World Responsible Tourism Day, today we are ten years on. This year at WTM London we looked back at ... Read more

November 8, 2017November 8, 2017

#WTMLDN Day 3 – The best bits!

Blog, WTM Team

It may have been the final day of WTM London 2017 but that didn’t mean things slowed down at all, the event was once again packed with business opportunities and ... Read more

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017

#WTMLDN Day 2 – The Highlights!

Blog, WTM Team

The halls were buzzing again on day two at WTM London 2017. Exhibitors continued to meet and conduct business deals with the thousands of industry professionals from around the world. ... Read more

November 6, 2017November 20, 2017

#WTMLDN Day 1 – What did you miss?

Blog, WTM Team

At 10am WTM London 2017 opened its doors to travel professionals from around the world. As the leading global event for the travel industry, everyone was here for the same ... Read more

November 2, 2017February 5, 2018

How businesses can add value beyond the bottom line and create greater benefits for society

Charity

The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for businesses to explore how they can add value beyond the bottom line and create greater benefits for society, argues Fiona Jeffery ... Read more

November 1, 2017

The Good the Bad and the Ugly – The Airline Business in 2017

Aviation

What a year 2017 is turning out to be for the airline business. It’s been good, it’s been bad & sure as heck it’s been ugly! Good for airlines that ... Read more

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017

Andalusia, an age-old history that has left behind a wealth of artistic heritage

Destinations

Andalusia has a rich ancient cultural heritage, which has increased in value in recent decades; both in recovering signs of identity reflected in its historic heritage as well the force ... Read more

October 31, 2017

From Human Rights to Plastic Pollution – there are 28 Responsible Tourism events at WTM London

Responsible Tourism

With a new Responsible Tourism Theatre in the Africa Section (AS580) the Responsible Tourism programme is now firmly established down on the show floor. An experiment last year it was ... Read more

October 30, 2017October 13, 2022

How to arrange a good ‘marriage’ with a good customer

Blog, Trends

By Ricardo Pomeranz Concerned that her daughter was still single at the age of 30, the mother decided to help her with a tip. “Put on some nice clothes and ... Read more

October 30, 2017

Italy – a journey of inspiration through flavours, landscapes, emotions and art

Destinations

Italy has always been and firmly remains an inspirational destination that every year attracts millions of tourists from every corner of the world; that never fails to receive recognitions and ... Read more

October 27, 2017

The rising demand for experiential consumption and the examples of Mozambique and Tanzania

Trends

There is a fundamental shift in consumer values towards experiences over things that bring happiness and well-being, with spending on experiences like travel, leisure and foodservice to rise to US$8 ... Read more

October 26, 2017

A brief history of travel influencers and what comes next

Blogging

In the old days, about 2014, a travel influencer was a blogger with a decent set of numbers on their website and social media. Such a blogger was very happy ... Read more

October 26, 2017

Look to the leaders for travel career inspiration – but look to your left and right too

Professional Development

Some of the most impressive leaders in travel today will take the stage of the first TTG Tomorrow’s Travel Leaders conference, taking place at WTM London this year. David Speakman, ... Read more

October 25, 2017October 25, 2017

Puglia, a region to be discovered all year round

Destinations

A full-fledged, Mediterranean style travel experience. Year after year, millions of tourists flock to Puglia for an all-season, unique and well treasured journey. Nature, culture, art, food & wine, and ... Read more

October 24, 2017

Tourism’s Dirty Secret report reveals working conditions of hotel housekeepers

Human Rights

A report released last week into the working conditions of hundreds of thousands of women cleaning bedrooms and other hotel areas across the world. Published by Oxfam Canada, Tourism’s Dirty ... Read more

October 24, 2017

Three reasons to attend Women in Travel Meetup 2017 at World Travel Market

Women in Travel

If you are looking for inspiration to run your travel business this November, look no further than the Women in Travel Meetup at WTM! This year we are bringing you ... Read more

October 20, 2017October 20, 2017

The struggle for hotels to hold onto loyalty

Trends

Before diving specifically into hotel loyalty, let’s examine if business travelers are interested in loyalty at all. Business travelers are the main users of loyalty programmes, 78% belong to hotel ... Read more

October 19, 2017October 20, 2017

The future of luxury aviation is closer and simpler than it seems

Luxury

Today’s society has never been more educated and aware about being politically, racially, culturally, and sexually correct. Yet whenever I feel that we are truly living in the age of ... Read more

October 18, 2017October 18, 2017

Food trends in the UK

Food Tourism, Hospitality

To discover the truth behind the UK’s latest food trends we teamed up with our operations team, self-proclaimed group meal booking experts! In their defence, they did book over 1 ... Read more

October 17, 2017October 20, 2017

On the Responsible Tourism Agenda at WTM London

Carbon & Water, Certification, Disability, Human Rights

World Responsible Tourism Day is on Wednesday this year and our main focus is on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Tanya Beckett will be interviewing tourism leaders from UNWTO, TUI ... Read more

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017

5 minutes with Msc. Maja Pak, Director General of the Slovenian Tourist Board

Destinations

What are you looking to promote at WTM London this year? Positioned at the intersection of different worlds – Mediterranean, Alpine, Karst and Pannonian – Slovenia has a unique geographical ... Read more

October 13, 2017

A tale of two airlines

Aviation

It wasn’t the best of times, it was the worst of times, it wasn’t the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it wasn’t the epoch of belief, ... Read more

October 13, 2017

The long-term survival of the Travel Agent

Blog, Technology, Trends

They say you cannot serve two masters, but in the old days, travel agents did. Our transactional role as the “agent” between the supplier and customer saw many of ... Read more

October 12, 2017October 12, 2017

Technology and the Future of Travel Loyalty

Trends

The State of Loyalty in 2017 In 2017, there are expected to be 70 billion digital purchases by consumers online, the majority of which are in retailing followed by other ... Read more

October 12, 2017

Crafting a sense of place with food

Food Tourism

After a long day of stunning sights, unusual sounds, interesting smells, and at least 100 certainly never-before snapped pictures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we ended up for a late ... Read more

October 11, 2017February 6, 2018

The human element in the travel industry

Blog, Events, Trends, WTM Team

We can book a flight via an app and we can check in using our cell phone, but without the pilot, the flight attendants or even the people who are ... Read more

October 10, 2017October 10, 2017

Electrical Flight is not the panacea for sustainable tourism

Carbon & Water

Alongside the stories of Ryanair and Monarch’s woes in the last few weeks have been excited posts on the potential of electric flight, following Easyjet’s announcement that it hopes to ... Read more

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017

Travel 2018: What the Data Tells Us

Trends

Euromonitor International is excited to share new insights about the travel industry. Travel and tourism continues to remain on track, outperforming the global economy, with arrivals set to grow by ... Read more

October 3, 2017October 10, 2017

The WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017

Responsible Tourism

2017 is a transition year. responsibletravel.com has decided to pursue other priorities and to pioneer creative projects to deliver change through our business; our activism and Trip for a Trip ... Read more

September 27, 2017February 6, 2018

A cheer for Tourism!

Blog, Responsible Tourism

September 27th is the date on which we celebrate World Tourism Day and we can stop to analyse: how much has changed in the sector over the last few years? ... Read more

September 27, 2017October 4, 2017

What should luxury hotels do in order to thrive?

Luxury

Put yourself in a luxury hotelier’s shoes for a moment. It’s 2017. With endless types of accommodation options and lodging models, it’s a great time to be a traveller and ... Read more

September 26, 2017October 4, 2017

World Tourism Day 2017: opportunities and challenges for achieving sustainable tourism

Development

World Tourism Day occurs this week, with the theme for 2017 being “Sustainable Tourism – a tool for development”. According to the UNWTO’s official site for the event, “World Tourism ... Read more

September 20, 2017October 4, 2017

What contributions do businesses make to local sustainable development? Which do best?

Development, Responsible Tourism

With the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development focus on travelling with respect (#TravelEnjoyRespect) we have focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Respect is one of the core ... Read more

September 18, 2017October 4, 2017

Looking for funding for your female travel start up?

Women in Travel

According to the World Bank, in 70% of the world, women owned small business have inadequate or no access to finance. Female entrepreneurship is on the rise, in travel as ... Read more

September 18, 2017August 18, 2020

Ultimate writing tools to regain your blogging mojo

Blog, Blogging, marketing

We can’t all be super productive all of the time. When you hit the wall and lose your mojo, how do you get back on the blogging horse? There’s a ... Read more

September 13, 2017October 4, 2017

After Irma: lessons from nature for tourism and a resilient future

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism

The images from the impact of Hurricane Irma on Caribbean islands such as Barbuda are shocking. These are places whose beaches and coastlines epitomise what many of us imagine when ... Read more

September 8, 2017October 4, 2017

Service beyond the sell-by date

Blog, Technology

A recent study by Carlson Wagonlit Travel has discovered that business travellers tend to take four technology devices with them on trips. The survey of more than 1,900 business travellers ... Read more

September 7, 2017August 18, 2020

The rise of influencer marketing and why bloggers need to rebrand

Blog, marketing, Social Media

Brands are increasingly looking to use influencers, such as Instagram stars and bloggers, in their marketing but the chasm between what brands and their PR companies expect to pay for ... Read more

September 5, 2017October 4, 2017

WTM Responsible Tourism Awards

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Word Responsible Tourism Awards have been presented at World Travel Market in London since 2004. Each year we have seen the bar rise, competition has been tough and the successive ... Read more

August 30, 2017October 10, 2017

Using social media to do more than sell holidays

Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, Social Media

Among this summer’s slew of stories about overtourism, one took a slightly different angle. In an article titled 10 tourist destinations ruined by Instagram, the Independent reported how “the rise ... Read more

August 30, 2017January 11, 2019

Ecotourism and Cultural Experiences are in Demand (and other revealing facts from Adventure Travel research)

Adventure, Blog, WTM Latin America

by JoAnna Haugen Today’s adventure traveler is changing. Not so very long ago, people who defined themselves as adventure travelers sought out extreme, hard-core experiences that involved risk and danger. But ... Read more

August 29, 2017September 19, 2017

How to adapt to doing business with Americans

Destinations

There is no doubt that the USA remains a hugely tempting place to do business. After all, with a population of over 326 million and with many of world’s biggest ... Read more

August 25, 2017January 11, 2019

Infrastructure in tourism

Blog, Disability, Trends, WTM Latin America

by Fedetur There is lot of talk nowadays about the transformation of the tourist, who is a product of the incorporation of technology and the growing awareness of sustainability, both ... Read more

August 23, 2017October 4, 2017

Travel Tech: The Last Frontier for #FemaleFounders?

Blog, Women in Travel

Technology is changing the way we work, travel, socialise and enjoy our leisure time. But when it comes to employment and entrepreneurship, technology is still very much the domain of ... Read more

August 22, 2017October 4, 2017

Modern Slavery in the UK and in orphanages

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism

Modern slavery is an underground issue in the UK, it is hidden from view. Trafficking is at the heart of much of it. I know of no evidence that children ... Read more

August 21, 2017January 11, 2019

Brazil – A border-less vocation

Blog, Destinations, WTM Latin America

by Alexandre Sampaio, FBHA. The numbers involved in tourism give an overview of their importance and, above all, reveal its potential to become Brazil’s main productive activity – one of those that ... Read more

August 16, 2017October 4, 2017

Do bikinis mean bookings?

Blogging

There’s a bit of a joke these days that you’ll never be a successful digital influencer in the travel sphere if you don’t post photos on the beach in a ... Read more

August 15, 2017October 4, 2017

Why tourism needs to support rewilding initiatives

Development, Responsible Tourism

Last week I spent an afternoon training my binoculars on a field of cows. I got very excited by the sight of some pigs walking down a lane. Then had ... Read more

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017

What’s love got to do with it?

Blog, Technology

In the last month, I was invited by an airline to contribute to a strategy day. A few external experts such as myself had been invited along to the strategy ... Read more

August 8, 2017October 4, 2017

“Anarchist threat to tourists”

Overtourism, Responsible Tourism

Last Saturday the London Times led its front page with a photo of Mo Farah winning the 10,000m at the IAAF world championships. But the headline on the front page ... Read more

August 1, 2017October 4, 2017

How can we truly measure tourism’s impact?

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

When people are looking to assert how important tourism is as an industry, they are likely to cite the proportion of global Gross Domestic Product that it is responsible for. ... Read more

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017

Transform your business, transform the industry at #SATSA2017

Blog, Trends

Transformation is at the forefront of the debate of the current political economy. The focus is often on how to carve up the pie and then distribute the pieces equally. ... Read more

July 26, 2017October 4, 2017

How can brands sell luxury travel effectively?

Blog, Luxury

As each year brings different travel trends in the luxury market, we see the face of luxury travellers changing. Their lifestyle, the way they travel, and even who they are, ... Read more

July 25, 2017October 4, 2017

Tourism is not a zero sum game

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

When you are working in the field trying to improve the livelihoods of local people this is the kind of email you want to receive: ““Hi – Peter , sorry ... Read more

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017

Team bonding #UpattheO2

WTM Team

When travelling to WTM London in November, the Emirates Cable Car will get you across the Thames and offer stunning views of London. Whilst taking in the views you might ... Read more

July 20, 2017October 4, 2017

Purpose as well as profit motivates travel and tourism female entrepreneurs

Blog, Women in Travel

In the 1970’s, economist and Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman, from the Chicago School of Economics, asserted that the purpose of organisation is to create value for its shareholders Numerous ... Read more

July 19, 2017October 4, 2017

Could the world’s hotels run on renewable energy?

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism

Last week a significant climate change milestone was passed. On July 10th, the Climate Group’s RE100 (the RE standing for renewable energy) announced that the 100th multinational had signed up ... Read more

July 18, 2017July 18, 2017

What to expect at the 20th Edition of IGTM

Blog, Events

The first edition of IGTM launched in 1998 to give the golf travel industry a forum to meet and do business. The need for such an event was evident from ... Read more

July 17, 2017October 4, 2017

The general data protection regulation

Blog, Technology

The Data Protection Act 1998 is old news. Taking over is the General Data Protection Regulation. The Regulation will harmonise data privacy laws across Europe. It will protect EU citizens’ ... Read more

July 14, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism’s Natural Advantage: Creating Shared Value

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

The concept of shared value emerges from the writing of Harvard Professor Michael Porter– well-known for his previous work on competition strategy, value chains and cluster theory. In 2011, in ... Read more

July 4, 2017September 18, 2017

Why tourism finds it hard to talk about climate change

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism

Despite the rain pouring down outside my window right now and the fact I am wearing a jumper in late June, I can’t actually see climate change. I can go ... Read more

July 3, 2017June 28, 2017

How Hoteliers react to vacation rentals

Hospitality

While the vacation rental (VR) industry has a long history, it has mostly been limited to resort destinations. Recent disruption of new platforms, technology and the sharing economy bring drastic ... Read more

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017

An inside look at the golf tourism industry in France

Blog, Trends

France is preparing to showcase the quality and diversity of its golf heritage and golf courses over the next eighteen months, when it will stage the 20th edition of golf travel’s premier ... Read more

June 27, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism, decent work and the SDGs

Development, Disability, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Tourism and hospitality are labour intensive, with 8% of the global workforce employed in the sector. As the ILO has pointed out there are many highly skilled well trained professionals ... Read more

June 26, 2017October 4, 2017

Young, Rich and Adventurous: What do the Affluent Chinese Millennial Travellers Want?

Luxury

It’s not news that Chinese travellers have been dominating the tourism sector over the last decade as outbound travel from China continues to grow. It’s also no secret that Asian ... Read more

June 21, 2017October 4, 2017

So You Are A Female Travel Entrepreneur…Now What?

Women in Travel

Female entrepreneurship is growing at a fast pace. Although globally the gap between women- and men-owned businesses is still high, female entrepreneurship is one of the fastest growing areas of ... Read more

June 20, 2017September 18, 2017

How tourism is providing hospitality and support to refugees and asylum seekers

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog for this site reporting on inspirational tourism industry initiatives responding to the refugee crisis. My aim was to show “how tourism ... Read more

June 14, 2017August 18, 2020

Forget social media – why quality blog content is the most valuable

Blog, Blogging, marketing, Social Media

It’s easy as a blogger to find yourself chasing your own tail scrambling to keep up with the latest social media platform and focusing on your follower numbers. Amongst all ... Read more

June 13, 2017September 18, 2017

Hotels, the SDGs and transparent reporting

Carbon & Water, Certification, Responsible Tourism, Video

At the heart of Responsible Tourism are commitments to transparency and accountability. Responsible Tourism is about what people do, individually and collectively in businesses, to move towards sustainability. It is ... Read more

June 9, 2017October 4, 2017

The British Airways lesson

Blog, Technology

Many opinions have been written about the technology issue that affected BA and the way in which the airline handled the situation. It must be one of the worst PR ... Read more

June 7, 2017October 4, 2017

Defining the luxury traveller of today

Blog, Luxury

As luxury travellers’ needs keep evolving, it gets more and more complex to define who they are and what they really want. It’s no longer just about targeting who likes ... Read more

June 6, 2017September 18, 2017

Pandora’s Paradox: social media, tourism and FOMO

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Media

Last week, a village in Switzerland got loads of press coverage for banning tourists from taking photos of its scenery and sharing them on social media. According to the local ... Read more

May 31, 2017September 18, 2017

Certification: what comes next?

Carbon & Water, Certification, Responsible Tourism

The purpose of consumer facing certification is presumably to assure the guest or client that the hotel they are planning to stay in, or the operator they plan to travel ... Read more

May 25, 2017May 30, 2017

Top trends affecting the golf travel industry

Blog

In preparation for the 20th edition of IGTM this year, the team wanted to find out more about the industry and in particular the challenges and opportunities that are affecting ... Read more

May 24, 2017October 4, 2017

Interview with Coxless Crew rower about female resilience, leadership and strength

Women in Travel

This month I am delighted to share an exclusive heart-to-heart interview with Natalia Cohen, who is one of 6 of the only all female crew to have rowed across the ... Read more

May 22, 2017September 18, 2017

Bringing Biodiversity back home – lessons from the graveyard

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism

Today is the UN’s International Day for Biodiversity. This year being the UN’s International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the theme is ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism’. Last Sunday, I ... Read more

May 19, 2017October 4, 2017

SEO Tactics for the Tourism Industry

Technology

Search Engine Optimisation – or SEO as it’s more commonly known – is one of the most important digital marketing fundamentals to get right. Why? Because the majority of online ... Read more

May 15, 2017October 4, 2017

Man vs. machine – no contest

Technology

A week or so ago I was chairing this year’s Eyefortravel Europe conference. All of the important subjects of the day were discussed, including mobile, data, personalisation, disruptive technology, artificial ... Read more

May 10, 2017May 15, 2017

WTM Connect Asia – Meet The Buyers

Blog, Destinations

In preparation for WTM Connect Asia we asked some of the buyers to share with us what their company does in 10 words, the challenges they are seeing in the ... Read more

May 9, 2017September 18, 2017

Embracing timeshare to tackle tourism issues

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Timeshare is almost a dirty word in tourism today. But its structure offers much for those trying to make the industry more sustainable. It can deepen connections between guests and ... Read more

May 4, 2017May 24, 2017

The faith that’s driving tourism

Destinations

The biggest statue in the Catholic world is in Rio Grande do Norte. The vocation that Santa Cruz has for religious tourism comes from when it was first founded and ... Read more

May 2, 2017September 12, 2017

WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy, Video

For many years the industry has asserted its economic and social importance. The WTTC suggests that travel & tourism is 10.2% of world GDP and that the sector employs 292 million ... Read more

April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

Where are all the female airline pilots?

Women in Travel

Today’s guest blogger is Sarah Hanan Partner at executive recruitment firm Dunleavy White. Sarah discusses the challenging career context for women in aviation and in particular women pilots. Make sure ... Read more

April 27, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai – The Final Day!

Blog

The fourth and final day of #ATMDubai did not disappoint. The halls were once again packed with industry professionals looking to unlock business potential within the Middle East. Meanwhile, there ... Read more

April 27, 2017June 7, 2017

Is isolation the next big thing in luxury travel?

Blog, Luxury

Through the years, there have been many attempts to define what luxury is. What we can all agree on is that luxury is subjective, personal, and ever changing. Last month, ... Read more

April 26, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai Day 3 – The Highlights

Blog

Day three at #ATMDubai continued the theme; quality and quantity of exhibitors, visitors and buyers, plus another packed day of education across the ATM Event Programme. If you haven’t joined ... Read more

April 25, 2017September 18, 2017

New European student travel scheme offers a vision of tourism’s future

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

If I was asked to sum up the challenge facing tourism in one sentence, I would say something like the following: Can the travel industry of the future be environmentally ... Read more