I returned a few days ago from the annual World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Summit in Brazil. The WTTC plays a leadership role in raising awareness of the travel and tourism industry and its importance to the global economy. Members include the CEOs of about 100 of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies. You can learn more about the WTTC by clicking here.
As you can imagine, we had a lot of issues to discuss: the state of the travel economy, the impact of the swine flu virus, the ability of travel and tourism to stimulate economic growth, building public/private partnerships, and much more. It was also an opportunity to share ideas for developing the travel and tourism business in Brazil, which has huge potential as an international destination.
The Summit is also a big networking event. It’s not often that we have so many industry leaders in one place, so it’s a great place to meet with customers, suppliers, partners and government officials to discuss the key issues facing our industry – and, of course, talk about potential business opportunities.
One of the highlights of the Summit was the announcement of the winners of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Travelport is a co-sponsor of the awards, which provide outstanding examples of how businesses and destinations are creating sustainable travel services and opportunities. I had the honor of presenting two of the four awards.
Travel and tourism represents 8% of global GDP, according to the WTTC, so it has the size and scale to energize economies around the world. But the long-term growth of our industry also depends on our success in delivering travel and tourism experiences that are environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. We have to be a leader, not a follower. And one way we can lead is by shining a bright light on the companies and organizations that are pointing the way to a more sustainable future.
The award winners – and the other eight finalists as well – stand out because of their vision, their creativity and ingenuity and their unwavering determination to turn their vision into reality.
Take the Destination Stewardship Award recipient – Grupo PUNTACANA from the Dominican Republic. For nearly three decades, it has worked to create a community that respects the natural habitat of Punta Cana and betters the lives of local people. The Punta Cana International Airport, for example, was designed to reflect the local culture and built using local materials. Of Grupo PUNTACANA’s 1,700 employees, 99% are from the Dominican region. It also founded the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, which created a 1500-acre private nature reserve, contributes to coral reef conservation and supports sustainable development initiatives.
The Conservation Award winner was NatureAir, which flies to 17 destinations within Costa Rica. Five years ago, the company made a pledge to set new standards for sustainable practices in the airline industry. It compensates for 100% of its greenhouse gas emissions through preservation and reforestation of tropical forests in the Osa Peninsula, in the southwest corner of the country. NatureAir has also developed Costa Rica’s only alternative fueling station, and fuels company vehicles and equipment using 100% bio-diesel.
The winner of the Community Benefit Award was the Zakoura Foundation for Micro Credit, a Morocco-based not-for-profit organization. In 2003, Zakoura launched a Rural Tourism Program to develop tourism-related projects focused on financial, cultural and environmental sustainability. The idea is to give rural people opportunities to diversify and increase their incomes by creating or developing tourist activities, from restaurants and local produce to accommodations and leisure activities.
The Global Tourism Business Award went to Marriott International Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel groups. For the past 18 months, Marriott has worked with Conservation International on a sweeping initiative to put 1.4 million acres of Amazon rainforest under conservation protection – a model for collaboration between the private sector and conservation organizations. In addition to carbon offsets through rainforest protection, Marriott is reducing fuel and water consumption, working with vendors to provide greener products, creating green construction standards, and providing environmental education for employees.
You can find out more about the winners and finalists by clicking here.
It’s hard sometimes during an economic crisis to look too far into the future. But the Tourism for Tomorrow Award winners underscore that the travel and tourism industry is not only talking about sustainable travel but doing something about it. Each of the 12 finalists is an outstanding example of what the future of travel can be and the positive impact sustainable travel can have on the environment, community development and local economies – as well as the long-term growth of our industry.
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