ITB ‘23 Trends

Is something changing in tourism? Here are some hints from ITB, the Berlin tourism fair.

Voices and Trends at ITB

While the United Nations has voted to create a Global Tourism Resilience Day, on February 17, the tourism industry is attempting to do more in order to protect the climate and biodiversity. One example comes from Austria, were the national railway network has created, with destinations all over Europe, a win win alternative to private transport and flying, making more night trains available. In the Azores, the so-called “Green teams” of nature lovers were set up on the nine islands to collect ideas for improvements and make them work.

Another example is that community-based tourism in Borneo contributes to the conservation of the island with preservation projects that otherwise would not have been possible. Tourism industry takes in consideration digitalisation and sustainability, in particular by decreasing tourism’s carbon footprint.

Seven CEO of the main organisations discussed the challenges currently facing the industry: there are a lot of different tools that are fundamental in measuring emission and sustainability. Accommodations, destinations and TO can truly understand and fight against pollution and also promote inclusion through new approaches and initiatives.According to Julia Simpson the tourism industry had now succeeded in reducing its carbon footprint “In many places tourism is a kind of guardian of nature”, Simpson said.
From HCMI, a methodology and a free instrument that enables hotels to calculate the CO2 footprint, to the open-source methods for tour operators, showing exactly what goes to the local economy, to the initiative for measuring sustainable tourism in destinations