Brand USA is thinking big in its marketing approach – big screen that is. Peter Ellegard speaks to chief marketing officer Tom Garzilli America has taken to the screens in ... Read more
Tourism and the hospitality industry are often criticised for creating local quality service employment. There are three major reasons for this. People tend to waiters and room attendants as the ... Read more
by Marília Borges, Research Analyst for Euromonitor International Over the last five years, Latin America has been the scene of sporting mega-events, such as the Summer Olympics in Rio de ... Read more
Egypt is working hard to recoup visitor numbers lost due to the continued ban on flights to Sharm el Sheikh airport, reports Katherine Lawrey The Egyptian State Tourist Authority is ... Read more
Have you been on holiday recently and been amazed at what your hotel was doing for the local community, or perhaps taken a tour that really impressed you for the ... Read more
The judges can only select from amongst those that apply – if you know good candidates nominate them, phone or email them, and encourage them to apply. Don’t forget the ... Read more
Denmark’s Primera Air is spreading its wings with budget transatlantic flights, as chief commercial officer Anastasija Visnakova tells Gary Noakes Look – no pizza colours, no ads,” says Primera Air’s ... Read more
The EU’s new data protection rules, known as GDPR, are now in place and could have a global impact on the travel industry, Rob Gill reports. During the early months ... Read more
Once an afterthought to a holiday, food is now central to the experience and tourist boards are realising this, Charlotte Cullinan finds. Food tourism is booming, and savvy operators and ... Read more
Today is World Environment Day, and the theme is Beat Plastic Pollution. We’ve looked at this issue before, but so rapidly are the responses emerging, that it is worth revisiting ... Read more
The World Responsible Tourism Awards to be presented at WTM London in November are now open for nominations and applications. They close on 6th August and are free to enter. ... Read more
Like most of the best ideas, the Refill my Bottle initiative is incredibly simple. So simple that you’ve probably guessed most of what it is about from the title. Started ... Read more
Responsible Tourism is about taking responsibility to address the issues that matter whether in a particular place or one that occurs in many areas. This year in WTM’s World Responsible ... Read more
I come here at this time every year. I have been coming here now, every year, at the same time, for 10 years. And I intend to come here at ... Read more
Recent research published by TUI clearly shows that consumers expect the industry to take responsibility for ensuring that their product is sustainable. Research by booking.com found that 87% of global ... Read more
Turkey’s had a rough ride in the past couple of years, but the omens are good for 2018. Gavin Haines tracks the return of key markets After a tumultuous few ... Read more
For a somewhat obsessive follower of tourism industry news like me, the spike in press releases that mark the annual Earth Day celebrations provide a quick reference point to the ... Read more
G Adventures has helped push sustainable tourism to the top of the world travel agenda. Katherine Lawrey speaks to founder Bruce Poon Tip about how the company did it ... Read more
After financial difficulties impeded the opening of Baha Mar in the Bahamas, the development is finally welcoming guests. Andrew Doherty reports Following more than two years of delays, the ... Read more
TUI recently published survey results on UK consumer demand. 62% of UK holidaymakers agree it makes them feel better when they know their holiday was organised with respect for nature ... Read more
Celebrations around the island, new aircraft for Air Mauritius and hotel refurbishments mark an anniversary year, finds Katherine Lawrey This year will be a special one for Mauritius as ... Read more
Artificial intelligence has the potential to be as transformative as the introduction of computers – and the travel industry stands to benefit. Jenny Southan explains Over the past few years, ... Read more
This month, Cape Town may or may not reach Day Zero, signifying the point at which the city runs out of water. According to an April 9th article on South ... Read more
Wellness and sustainable travel are top of the agenda for Central America tourism boards, writes Katherine Lawrey Costa Rica is promoting a new tourism strategy for 2018 titled Wellness Pura ... Read more
Dubai continues to break the mould with its attractions and hotels. Tom Jordan rounds up new headline acts in the emirate and elsewhere As Dubai Expo 2020 creeps ever nearer, ... Read more
According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), world tourism in 2017 registered a 7% increase compared to 2016. It was the highest ... Read more
In partnership with Brasilturis, the director of Master Mind promotes reflection and self-knowledge for participants of the 6th edition this of event WTM Latin America 2018 – the world’s number ... Read more
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is prospering, fuelled by a diversification of its visitor markets. Dave Richardson explains Nearly a decade on from the end of its civil war, Sri Lanka ... Read more
A new report by the Global Wellness Institute sheds light on the spa trends of the future. Charlotte Cullinan asks the experts how these will change the industry The wellness ... Read more
Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary for the Oman Ministry of Tourism, shares the country’s tourism strategy Oman’s goal by 2040 is to attract 11.7 million annual visitors. How do you aim ... Read more
By Paulo Salvador There can be no doubt that the Trade Shows & Events segment is undergoing unprecedented transformation. The concrete signs of these changes are a direct consequence of ... Read more
Thomas Cook has just launched a new three-year sustainability strategy, promising to “Make a Difference with Every Holiday”. Their ambition is to make a positive contribution to the destinations they ... Read more
Virtuoso, a luxury consortium with a keen eye on global trends, gives the lowdown on the luxury market to Charlotte Cullinan Luxury travellers will be heading to colder climes in ... Read more
The meeting that was held this morning (13), brings together representatives of the tourism trade, including the leaders of entities and strategic partners. On the eve of its sixth edition, ... Read more
By Paulo Miguel Júnior Did you know that the car rental industry is also an opportunity for travel agents that are interested in increasing their monthly income? Well, last year ... Read more
Last week, I spent a night in a hotel in Brussels that has taken a circular economy approach to redesigning the way its loyalty scheme works. Following on from my ... Read more
Fifty years ago my father took me for a day trip to Boulogne, just across the channel from Ramsgate. He headed us straight for the back streets to see how ... Read more
It is a fact that information technology (IT) is fundamental to the tourism chain. If we limit ourselves to thinking about the corporate sphere and the day-to-day routine of the ... Read more
What connects most of the recent high profile campaigns to make tourism more responsible? Stop riding elephants. Don’t swim with dolphins. Avoid handicrafts made from endangered species. No selfies with ... Read more
There can be no doubt whatsoever that 2017 was an atypical year for the travel industry. Between setbacks such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, crises and overtourism, the travel industry ... Read more
There is mounting concern about orphanages and tourism around the world, but the response has been patchy. Our world is a diverse place and our understanding of orphanages varies between ... Read more
Last week Harold Goodwin’s blog laid out his reasons why the aviation industry’s approach to addressing its ongoing growth in emissions is inadequate. This week, I want to look at ... Read more
Established destination. New destination. Untouched destination. Wherever there is something to be seen in the world and there is a tourist, there is a requirement for a means of accommodation ... Read more
I am very privileged to have received an invitation to start creating this blog that focuses on World LGBT Tourism; it could not have come at a better time. After ... Read more
As technology advances and the behaviour of travellers changes, the whole tourism production chain is reinventing itself. With consumer confidence increasing in relation to technology, their travel expectations are also ... Read more
This week the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has launched an impressively extensive resource targeting food waste in hotels. Titled with one of the better acronyms around – BUFFET (Building ... Read more
In my last blog of 2017, I looked back at some of my personal responsible tourism highlights of that year. I’ve been on holiday for most of the time since ... Read more
*This letter is not real! It is only a didatic and funny way to illustrate to the general travelers and travel arrangers the overall difficulties of this professional in our ... Read more
2017 was the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Taleb Rifai’s tenure of office as Secretary General of UNWTO closed at the turn of the year and I asked ... Read more
With the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development drawing to a close, I’ve looked back through the year’s headlines to chart an extremely personal selection of highlights from 2017… ... Read more
Without a doubt, the internet has nowadays become the largest, most populous, most accessible, most visible, and most practical convention environment. Online, we can do everything from a simple conference ... Read more
The concept of the “curate’s egg” was first used in the British satirical magazine Punch by George du Maurier in November 1895. The curate was too timid to complain of ... Read more
A few days ago, a new hashtag started appearing on Twitter. Created by the Good Awards, #pointlessplastics is encouraging people to tweet images of the unnecessary use of plastics (one ... Read more
By Toni Sando There is an intrinsic link between events and destinations. When seeking the integration of a congress or fair with the city that will receive it, the participants’ ... Read more
At WTM London this month the least well-attended session of the Responsible Tourism programme was the one addressing climate change. We chose a panel of speakers from industry with experience ... Read more
Just two months ago, on September 18th, Hurricane Maria hit the Caribbean island of Dominica. Minutes before, this was the Nature Island, a tropical paradise of 365 river and pristine ... Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The first Responsible Tourism panel on market access for SMEs and emerging entrepreneurs drew an audience of 90 to hear Enver Mally – originally an SME and now part of ... Read more
Written above a doorway at London’s Horniman Museum is an Einstein quote that reads: ‘The environment is everything except myself.’ When I saw it last week it reminded me of ... Read more
WTM, supported by the UNWTO, has sought to present examples of good practice to educate, inspire and challenge business and destinations to deliver on sustainability through WTM Responsible Tourism and ... Read more
by Luiz Del Vigna, ABETA For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Part of it is confined to mega cities ... Read more
by Silvana Torres, AMPRO By definition, incentive travel occurs when a group of people travels to a pre-established destination, in the off-season and with the right to each bring a ... Read more
by Emanuele Mele, IFITT General Secretary Tourism is widely recognized as an important sector for the economic growth of a country. According to UNWTO (http://www2.unwto.org/content/why-tourism; “Current developments and forecasts”; UNWTO), ... Read more
Last weekend I paid for my shopping at a self-service till. I swiped my credit card across the automatic turnstile on the Underground. I streamed a movie from my Netflix ... Read more
How does a small archipelago cope with becoming Britain’s most successful cruise destination? In 2011 there were 36,000 cruise passengers, last year there were close to 100,000, projected to hit ... Read more
by FEDETUR Due to its multiplier effect, tourism generates economic and social benefits that help boost a destination’s economy, with the result that it is an important source of income ... Read more