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Oman Airports to host World Travel Awards Grand Final 2019 at Royal Opera House Muscat

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World Travel Awards (WTA) has partnered with Oman Airports to host its highly-anticipated Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2019 on 28th November at the Royal Opera House Muscat. Leading figureheads and decision-makers of the global travel industry will attend the red-carpet gala reception in the beautiful Sultanate of Oman.

Dramatically wedged between soaring mountains and the Arabian Sea, the ancient city of Muscat is home to old forts, flower-filled parks and rich traditions.

Oman Airports, a government entity established as one of the key pillars in Oman’s tourism sector, will proudly host the prestigious ceremony at one of the country’s landmarks, The Royal Opera House Muscat. As an important arm of the Oman Aviation Group Companies, hosting the anticipated WTA event will further strengthen the tourism and transport sectors in the Sultanate.

Graham Cooke, Founder, WTA, said: “We are honoured to host our Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2019 in the Sultanate of Oman. From magnificent mountains and paradise beaches to beautiful deserts, Oman offers a wealth of incredible landscapes and travel experiences. I look forward to welcoming the world’s most senior decision-makers for our first ceremony in this incredible country.”

He added: “WTA has maintained its position as the industry leader for the past 26 years, consistently proving its value as the global benchmark for recognising excellence in travel and tourism. I greatly look forward to welcoming the world’s most senior travel industry figures to this incredible country for the culmination of our year-long search to find the world’s finest travel brands.”

Joining forces with renowned international bodies such as the WTA will further enhance the Sultanate’s position as a key regional player in the travel and tourism industry for both the business and leisure segments.

Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Airports said: “Hosting the WTA Grand Final Gala Ceremony also enables us to bolster our support for the Oman Aviation Group to strengthen the tourism and transport sectors and achieve the strategic goals of Oman 2040. Having approached international markets and strengthened our relationships with key players in the travel and tourism sectors over the years, we felt it our responsibility to support and host international events of such magnitude here in Muscat. Our sponsorship of this grand event will further enable us to attract global travel and tourism brands to visit Oman and see first-hand its true beauty and potential.”

Over the past year since the opening of its new terminal, Muscat International Airport, the Jewel of Oman, has witnessed considerable shifts in its prevailing approach to high-level service and travel experiences, which have enhanced the airport’s reputation at international levels. Significant achievements have led to the airport being awarded multiple times for its outstanding performance, winning ‘Middle East’s Leading New Tourism Development Project Award 2018’, ‘World Leading New Airport 2018’, and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airport 2019’.

Regional ceremonies on the WTA Grand Tour 2019 include Montego Bay (Jamaica), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Mauritius, Madeira (Portugal), La Paz (Bolivia), Phu Quoc (Vietnam). The winners of these regional ceremonies progress to the Grand Final in Oman when the winners of the prestigious World categories will be unveiled.

Minister Bartlett bats for regional tourism investment

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has reiterated his call on tourism investors to look beyond developing hotels while batting for regional tourism investment.

In a jovial welcome to some 300 investors from across globe gathered for the Caribbean Hotel Investment Conference & Operations Summit (CHICOS) at Secrets Wild Orchid Resort Wednesday night [November 13, 2019], Minister Bartlett made a pitch for them to invest in the heavily tourism dependent Caribbean region, but more so in Jamaica.

He expressed happiness at having them “here in Jamaica for us to talk a little bit about investment but more so to leave some contracts behind. We want to make sure that some new properties are established in the region.”

He said given that the Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world, “This meeting of investors is of tremendous importance to us because what you’re doing is helping to enhance the wellbeing of the Caribbean by forcing investment in the key area that is driving the economy of the region.”

Through such investment, said Minister Bartlett, they would be helping to create jobs, to enable stability but more so, build the capacity of the people of the region to offer more.

He anticipated the two-day summit being spent “looking carefully not just as investment in the traditional sense … but I want us to look beyond rooms because for tourism to become truly inclusive and to enable the development and the enrichment of the people of the region, we have to invest on the supply side.” He reinforced that unless there was a building of the capacity to absorb the demand that tourism brings, “then tourism will be a negative industry in the region.”

Minister Bartlett noted that the region was both a heavy driver of foreign exchange as well as a heavy user and “and unless we create the linkages to stop the leakages of foreign exchange then the region will be poorer for tourism instead of being richer and so investment discussions must be to enrich the Caribbean and to create for us the opportunities to realize our best selves and to earn and achieve prosperity.”

Meanwhile, President of JAMPRO, Diane Edwards said apart from CHICOS there was no other major event in the Caribbean that focusses on investment in tourism. She said the Caribbean has long been an outstanding tourism destination “but we have not focused so much on the business side of things and that would be done over the next two days.”

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Audley Shaw also welcomed the CHICOS delegates, noting that there were linkages between his portfolio responsibilities and tourism.

Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and Minister of Tourism for St Lucia, Dominique Fedee and Bahamas Tourism Minister, Dionisio D’Aguilar also joined Minister Bartlett in wooing the tourism investors.

For more news about Jamaica, please click here.

Good news for The Bahamas

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The Islands Of The Bahamas continue to be a leading destination for travelers around the world. While the Caribbean, as a whole, is showing a positive forward booking situation for the next three months, The Bahamas is showing even more demand than expected, with new airlift to Nassau being added from major hubs across the globe. In other exciting news, The Bahamas was recently named Top Island in The Caribbean by Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards.

NEWS

The Bahamas Have Rebounded – The latest ForwardKeys survey showed The Bahamas are rebounding faster than expected following Hurricane Dorian. Just one month after the hurricane, The Bahamas’ tourism numbers reached 80% when compared to pre-hurricane tourism volumes. The Caribbean, as a whole, is expecting a 1.4% increase in arrivals from November – January compared to last year.

Grand Bahama Island Is Open for Business – One of the islands hit by Hurricane Dorian is ready to welcome tourists. The Grand Bahama International Airport will re-open to international flights on November 15, 2019. Many hotels on the island have re-opened and cruise ships resumed calling to the island as early as September 27.

United Airlines Adds Non-Stop Service between Denver and Nassau – United Airlines have added Saturday-only non-stop service from Denver to Nassau. The service begins March 7, 2020 and continues through August 15, 2020.

British Airways Increases Non-Stop Service between London and Nassau – Beginning March 29, 2020, British Airways will operate non-stop service between London Heathrow and Nassau every Tuesday. British Airways will now offer non-stop service between London and Nassau Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s New Nassau Offering – Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line introduced its popular cruise and stay program to Nassau. Departing from the port of West Palm Beach, passengers can choose from a two or six night stay at participating resorts in Nassau, including SLS Baha Mar, The Melia Nassau Beach All-Inclusive or Comfort Suites Paradise Island. Over 250,000 stayover guests are expected to arrive to in The Islands Of The Bahamas in the next year.

MOT POST DORIAN OPEN FOR BUSINESS COVERAGE

• PR Results By The Numbers:

60+ media interviews and requests fulfilled
200+ placements pitched and secured featuring “Islands Open for Business” messaging
917MM+ positive media impressions generated, and counting.

AWARDS

The Bahamas Awarded in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards – The Islands Of The Bahamas placed tenth in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Islands in The Caribbean & Atlantic. Despite the trying hurricane season, The Islands continue to be a leader in Caribbean travel.

UNWTO: Tourism’s carbon emissions measured in report launched at COP25

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Transport-related emissions from tourism are expected to account for 5.3% of all man-made CO2 emissions by 2030, up from 5% in 2016, a landmark new report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Transport Forum (ITF) shows. At the same time, as tourist numbers rise and the sector makes progress in achieving low-carbon travel, emissions per passenger kilometer are expected to decline over the coming decade. Against this backdrop, UNWTO calls for enhanced cooperation between the transport and tourism sectors to effectively transform tourism for climate action.

Launched at an official side-event of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program during the UN Climate Summit, COP25 in Madrid, the “Transport Related CO2 Emissions of the Tourism Sector” presents the emissions produced by the different modes of tourism transport. As the number of both international and domestic tourists continues to rise, this data is presented alongside the predicted growth in emissions to 2030 and is set against the so called ‘current ambition´ for the decarbonization of transport.

Presenting the report, UNWTO Executive Director Manuel Butler said: “This comprehensive study analyses the environmental impact of the different modes of transport within the tourism sector. It is now for the tourism sector, especially tourism policy makers to use data effectively and ensure the sector plays a leading role in addressing the climate emergency.”

Ovais Sarmad, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) addressed the need to scale efforts towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement: “While tourism is mentioned in many Nationally Determined Contributions as a big concern, not enough has yet been done. Industry must do more, but governments must align their policies, so that at the international level we can collectively work to increase ambition. The One Planet Sustainable Tourism Program is a vital ongoing mechanism to promote sustainable tourism around the world.”

Some of the main conclusions of the research include:

• Against the current ambition scenario, transport-related CO2 emissions from tourism are predicted to increase from 1,597 million tonnes to 1,998 million tonnes between 2016 and 2030, representing a 25% rise.

• During the same period, international and domestic arrivals are expected to increase from 20 billion to 37 billion, mainly driven by domestic tourism (from 18.8 billion to 35.6 billion), followed by international arrivals (1.2 billion to 1.8 billion).

• Transport-related emissions from tourism represented 5% of all man-made emissions in 2016 and will increase to 5.3% by 2030.

• Tourism related transport emissions represented 22% of all transport emissions in 2016 and will continue doing so in 2030 (21%).

Moving to a “high ambition scenario”

Tourism’s transport-related CO2 emissions remain a major challenge and require tourism to work closely with transport in order to support its commitment to accelerate the decarbonazition process and the implementation of a high ambition scenario.

In addition, the tourism sector must determine its own high ambition scenario, complementing the efforts of the transport sector. Here, tourism would advance towards significantly decoupling growth from emissions in order to grow within the international climate targets.

IMEX CEO: For 2020, we’re looking on the bright side of life

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“It’s been a turbulent year for the world in general and for so many of our exhibitors. In the past few years we’ve observed trends that, even though they eventually led to innovation, were essentially disruptive and extremely challenging, so coming into 2020 we’re focusing ‘on the bright side of life’.” says Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group.

“This shift towards the positive has been inspired by the creativity and resilience of individuals and companies in our industry and, in the wider world – projects such as David Byrne’s ‘Reasons To Be Cheerful’, for example. So, we’ve chosen to highlight trends which we believe are going to change the world, our industry and the way we work for the better in 2020.

“These are all positive developments that we expect to see grow faster. Some are steps in the right direction, a turnaround from years in the opposite direction, others are new ideas that can enhance our environment and our well-being.

“Sustainability, health and wellness, diversity, inclusivity, collaboration, AI, VR, legacy, bleisure and mindfulness are all prominent at virtually every industry conference and in every trade publication. Campaigns to reduce food waste and single use plastics are widespread and well-established. That’s great to see.”

But what’s next? Looking to the future, here are four positive trends that the IMEX team expect – and want – to see more of in 2020 and beyond.

1. The Circular Economy

‘As an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose), in a circular economy we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life’.

WRAP, an organisation dedicated to improving resource efficiency, has clearly captured the essence of the circular economy.

‘Sustainability consciousness’ has contributed enormously to changing attitudes and behaviors for the better – stopping practices like single use plastics that harm the planet and its inhabitants; to reducing waste and encouraging recycling.

The next positive step is to create business models based on the circular economy in which the principles of zero waste, maximizing product life and the reuse and recycling of materials are intrinsic to their design.

An eye-catching story of the circular economy in practice came from the World Economic Forum with ‘Your next pair of sneakers could be made from coffee’. It’s a great, mind-expanding example of what can be done.

How far can it go? The World Economic Forum again gave a decisive answer and captured attention worldwide with the headline ‘How the circular economy could change the world by 2030’.

2. Taking up the challenge of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

“Producing sustainable events is the only way to ensure that your business will continue to exist. It’s not an addition – it’s the only option.”

Miguel Naranjo, program officer for the UN Framework Convention Goals, expressed this challenging opinion during a press conference at IMEX America 2019 to announce the Event Industry Council’s (EIC) Center for Sustainable Events. The IMEX Group is one of the Center’s sponsors.

The Center has been created to align the industry with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which are increasingly becoming the ‘point of reference’ for businesses in all industries. This major initiative by the EIC, with the support of many leading industry organisations, follows the launch of the EIC’s Sustainable Event Standards, and together they have provided a new focus and raised the profile and urgency of this topic even further.

The annual IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award has been generating great interest and is highly effective in encouraging the industry to create and celebrate new initiatives. The deadline for submissions is 20 January 2020.

3. Health & wellbeing; more focus on mental health

The sudden unprecedented avalanche of media coverage and activity around World Mental Health Day 10 October, in the events industry and the world at large, was testimony to a paradigm shift about mental health.

According to the Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation’s Global Burden of Disease, about 13 per cent of the global population – some 971 million people – suffer from some kind of mental disorder. According to Arianna Huffington of Thrive Global, 300 million people suffer from depression, making it ‘the world’s leading cause of disability.’ Millions more now suffer from anxiety, stress or dementia.

The big change is first that the historic stigma attached to admitting to mental illness is being removed with so many campaigns that say ‘It’s OK not to be OK’. And second, there is more action, not only to provide greater help but also to reduce root causes. There are now many apps to help with everything from wellness to sleep quality and many employers have trained mental health first aiders who can identify and help staff. More employers are also taking steps to minimize the causes of stress and anxiety at work by, for instance, providing flexible working hours and places where staff can find peace and quiet away from their desks.

4. How AI can make travelling a more pleasant and less stressful experience

It’s no surprise that according to research from the University of Montreal commutes of 20 minutes or more can lead to chronic stress and burnout. So it’s great to find that real-time emotion detection and artificial intelligence (AI) are being used to combat stress and bring a sense of well-being and calm to travel environments.

First, across the Stockholm metro system, for two weeks this year, advertising space provider Clear Channel Sweden created the Emotional Art Gallery to help calm travelers. It synthesized real-time, publicly available data from Google searches, social media, news articles and traffic information to determine the mood of the city.

The data was used to select and display artwork meant to combat commuter stress and anxiety across 250 of Clear Channel’s connected screens. Six artists contributed to the exhibition, with bespoke pieces created to induce feelings of energy, love, peacefulness, calm, happiness, comfort and safety.

Emotion detection robots can be deployed for the benefit of travelers in airports as well. Istanbul New Airport is to use them to improve travelers’ experiences. Nely, a social robot from Turkey-based Human Age Technology, can provide information to travelers about traffic, gates and weather forecasts all while reading users’ emotions and reacting accordingly. The hope is that having the robot respond to emotions, interactions will be more useful and enjoyable for people and will decrease travel stress.

The idea is also being applied to car drivers. At the CES exhibition in January 2019 South Korean automotive company Kia showed its Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving (R.E.A.D.) system designed to reduce stress levels. The system monitors the driver’s emotions using bio-signal recognition technology. The AI-based technology analyses facial expressions, heart rate and electrodermal activity to determine emotional state and then adjusts the interior of the car – such as lighting or music – to improve the driver’s state of mind.

“We’re looking forward to these trends making 2020 a year of positive changes,” Carina Bauer concludes.

Jamaica to host TD Jakes Caribbean Leadership Conference

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Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says internationally acclaimed Bishop TD Jakes is looking at staging his flagship leadership conference in Jamaica next year.

The announcement was made at a special brunch, organized by Jamaica Vacations at Royalton Resort, for Bishop Jakes who docked in Trelawny with over 1800 guests as part of his Faith and Family Caribbean Cruise.

Thomas Dexter Jakes, more popularly known as TD Jakes, is a pastor, author and film maker. As pastor of the Potter’s House, Bishop TD Jakes’ conferences draw over 30,000 people.

“As Jamaica continues to diversify its product offerings to suit the passion points of our visitors, developing faith based tourism is high on our priority list. Many people travel for religious reasons.

I am therefore honoured that Bishop TD Jakes has indicated his interest to host his mega conference in Jamaica which will attract thousands locally and overseas,” said Minister Bartlett.

It is estimated by the World Tourism Organization, that 300 to 330 million people travel for religious purposes every year.

Bishop TD Jakes’ church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potters Touch, which airs on lightsource.com, the Trinity Broadcast Network, Black Entertainment Television, the Daystar Television Network and the Word Network.

“We are excited about the possibilities of having some events in Jamaica that i think would be of interest not only to Jamaicans.

We are interested in leadership development, where business and faith can collaborate to create a more wholesome atmosphere,” said Bishop TD Jakes.

Minister Bartlett added that, “Jamaica will be the ideal location for this mega conference given the island’s Christian and religious culture.”

For more news about Jamaica, please click here.

Jamaica’s Manual on Tourism Ethics hailed by international community

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Jamaica’s Manual on Tourism Ethics scheduled to be released at the end of the year, has been hailed as innovative and timely by the intentional tourism community. The manual forms part of the outcomes of the island wide security audit of hotels and attractions undertaken earlier this year.

“The issue of safety and security remains a critical component of any destination’s assurance to visitors. Jamaica, in its commitment to ensuring safety and security for all visitors and locals alike, reviewed security arrangements of all hotels and attractions with a view to creating a new architecture and the manual of tourism ethics will guide that,” said Minister Bartlett.

Minister Bartlett commissioned the security audit to ensure that the destination remains safe, secure and seamless for visitors and locals alike. The audit was carried out by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) with support from well-known international security expert Dr. Peter Tarlow.

Minister Bartlett highlighted the manual during his presentation yesterday as a key panellist on the World Travel Market (WTM) discussion on ‘Taking responsibility for Safety and Security’. Other panellists included German Porras, former Secretary of Tourism for Spain; John Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs of Sri Lanka, Sethembiso Dlamini, COO and Acting CEO at South African Tourism; and Nikki White, Director of Destinations and Sustainability at ABTA.

The WTM is a major promotional platform for the JTB and features many Jamaican companies, creating the ideal opportunity to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals.

Minister Bartlett added that, “This will be a first of its kind manual that will help to guide security arrangements for the region. It will be a game changer in the area of safety and security in the industry.”

Whilst at WTM, Minister Bartlett will use the opportunity to increase in outbound travels from the UK, Northern Europe, Russia, Scandinavia and Nordic region to grow arrivals from these markets.

Minister Bartlett is expected to return to the island on November 8, 2019.

For more news about Jamaica, please click here.

WTM: Ministers Summit hears how modern tech can help rural traditions

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Major global brands such as Google and Mastercard can help farmers, shopkeepers and restaurateurs to boost rural tourism, delegates heard today at World Travel Market (WTM) London – the event where ideas arrive.

Entrepreneurs and corporate leaders at the UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit also urged tourism ministers from around the world to collaborate with businesses to help countryside communities.

 

The topic of the annual summit was ‘Technology for Rural Development’, and it aimed to lay the groundwork for further work in 2020, when ‘Rural Development and Tourism’ will be the theme for World Tourism Day 2020 on 27th September.

 

Diana Muñoz-Mendez, Senior VP, Global Tourism Partnerships at Mastercard, said the payments company is helping small rural businesses – farms, shops and restaurants – to take money digitally rather than use cash, as most travellers now pay by card.

 

Ann Don Bosco, Head of Grow at Google, said the tech giant has trained 120,000 people in rural Greek hotels to make the most of technology, and is looking to expand the initiative in Japan and Kenya.

 

Another scheme for farmers – this time in Turkey – was highlighted by Debbie Hindle, Managing Director at Four Travel, who said: “Rural tourism is not just about the tourists – the Taste of Fethiye initiative from the Travel Foundation encouraged farmers to produce food for local hotels, and tell tourists about it.

 

Another case study was presented by Santiago Camps, Chief Executive at Mabrian Technologies – which specialises in travel data analysis.

 

He said a network of heritage towns in rural Colombia helped improve the experience for travellers and spread the income from tourism beyond the usual attractions and cities. Gary Stewart, Director of business accelerator Wayra UK, highlighted destinations such as Sweden and Israel as good examples of places that are attractive to investors.

 

Ahmad al-Khatib, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, told the summit that Saudi Arabia has ambitious aims to develop tourism – but it also wants to preserve its unique rural heritage and traditions.

 

“For example, Airbnb hosts can offer a welcome in rural areas where there are not yet hotels,” he told ministers.

 

“You can stay with a family and see how they eat and dress.”

Established as the largest annual gathering of tourism ministers, the high-level think-tank was moderated by Nina Dos Santos, Europe Editor at CNN International.

 

She invited tourism ministers from Yemen, Guatemala, Panama, Albania, Bolivia, Colombia, Sierra Leone and Portugal to talk about the importance of rural development to help support tourism and national economies.

 

Examples of good practice ranged from mobile technology in Sierra Leone, to tax incentives for Colombian hotels, Wi-Fi initiatives in Portugal, sugar cane and cocoa products in Guatemala, and painted hats in Panama.

eTN is a media partner for WTM London.

 

WTM: Tackling climate change on Day 3 in London

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The 40th edition of WTM London began with a session exploring Decarbonising Travel and Tourism: Is the Industry Doing Enough? Speaking by video before the main panel, climate scientist professor Kevin Anderson laid out the scale of the challenge. He said that since the first IPCC report into climate change, there has been almost three decades of “abject failure” to reduce our emissions.

“If we include our international emissions, such as from aviation, shipping, imports and exports, we see that supposedly climate progressive nations such as the UK and Scandivian countries have actually made almost no progress,” said Anderson. He added that since tourism is an industry that is more of a luxury than many others, and one that is enjoyed more by the wealthier members of society, therefore it should look to lead much more than it currently does. He called on the industry to eliminate all carbon within a decade.

“We are overdependent on an old fashioned, highly polluting form of transport,” said Justin Francis, Co-founder & CEO, Responsible Travel. “We need to fly less, but everything at World Travel Market here is about growth. We cannot be growing aviation the way we are. We need to fly less. And massively fund decarbonisation.”

Asked what is actually happening in the industry, Madhu Rajesh, Director of the International Tourism Partnership, said that the global hotel chains that her organisation worked with are “beginning to come to the table”, with some setting science-based targets, and others saying they had ambition to set these targets. “We are seeing some examples of practical action,” she said, “but there’s a lot more that can be done.”

“If we wait for consumers to take action then we will be waiting a long time, said Jane Ashton, Director of Sustainability, TUI Group PLC. “There’s a lot of chatter but people aren’t going to forgo their annual holiday. The onus is on us in the industry to make that holiday as sustainable as possible. And the onus is on governments to create the frameworks within which companies can take responsible action.”

“We shouldn’t gamble the future of the planet on the idea that a few more well meaning travellers will fly less,” commented Justin Francis, CEO of Responsibletravel.com “Other industries will look at us, and say how dare you – we are doing our part, why aren’t you?” He said the industry needs to end Frequent Flyer schemes that reward travellers for flying more, and instead introduce a Frequent Flyer Levy, where those that fly more (with 1% of the UK population taking 20% of the flights) pay an escalating fee the more flights they take each year.

Saskia Griep, Founder & CEO, Better Places agreed that the industry can’t wait for tourists to demand change. “We as a company are lobbying our government, We are against the expansion of airports, and for a carbon tax.” she said, explaining that her company isn’t waiting for the government either, but has imposed a carbon tax on themselves, which they are investing directly with a Dutch company called skyNRG that is developing more sustainable aviation fuels.

“People still ask are we in a climate emergency?” said Albert Dalmau, Manager of Economy, Resources and Economic Promotion, City Council of Barcelona. “Of course we are. It’s incredible that we still need to remark that we are in a climate emergency.”

The final event of this year’s World Travel Market responsible tourism programme looked at The Future of Aviation. “If aviation was a country, it would be the seventh largest carbon emitting country on earth, just behind Germany,” said Justin Francis, Co-founder & CEO, Responsible Travel. Furthermore, he added that aviation emissions are forecast to grow 300% by 2050, according to ICAO. In the UK, said Francis, aviation is forecast to be the number one cause of climate emissions by 2050.

Commenting on ICAO, Chris Lyle, CEO, Air Transport Economics said that the organisation has outlined four measures that it believes are needed to address the problem of growing emissions, which are Technology, Operations, Fuels and Offsetting. “All this is only leading towards carbon neutral growth, he said, “whereas we need absolute cuts.”

He said several of the airlines were aiming to be net zero by 2050. “There will be some form of demand management,” he said, “the sooner we get to individuals knowing their carbon impact and responding to it.”

Peter Castellas, CEO, Tasman Environmental Markets, argued in favour of rigorously audited offsetting. “There is a lot of disingenuous ideological rejection of offsetting,” he said. “I get to take money from large corporates and invest it in projects having real impacts. This is a tangible way we can move towards carbon neutrality.”

“We have 10 years to make the actions necessary to stay beneath 1.5 degrees,” said Justin Francis. “All of the science says that the growth in demand will swamp these initiatives. Only reducing demand and flying less will get us there in the timescale we have. We need a fair taxation of aviation, with the funds ploughed back into the solutions.”

“Taxation is coming,” said Chris Lyle, “but it needs to be hypothecated towards developments like sustainable fuels.”

WTM: The future of air travel and digital travel

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Advances in digital and artificial intelligence for air travel are coming in thick and fast, World Travel Market (WTM) London delegates heard.

Liam McKay, Director of Corporate Affairs at London City Airport told WTM delegates it won’t be long before biometrics replace paper documents and check in will be carried out somewhere else.

During a session entitled Gathering Storms, Airlines and Airports, he said: “In the future, there will be less space than you expect for check in. It won’t be done in the future at an airport. It will be done at your office or at home.

“Currently, we have travellers flying from London City who work at Canary Wharf can drop off bags at their offices.

“Soon you’ll be able to turn up without your passport. It will be more or less a paperless experience based on biometrics. That future is much closer than you think.”

Hank Jan Gerzee, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, told the moderator John Strickland the airport already has the facility for people to drop off luggage at the car park, before they get into the terminal.

In another development, the world’s first automatic bridge to allow passengers to walk off the aircraft and into the terminal, has been installed at Schiphol, speeding up the disembarkation process for flyers and helping aircraft to be more punctual.

Virtual assistants, multi-language websites and wearable technology will shape the future of digital travel, a WTM London session also heard today.

The themes emerged in a discussion entitled ‘Genesys Session: The Future of Digital Travel’ led by Paul Richer, founder of technology consultancy Genesys.

Daniel Wishnia, chief digital transformation officer at German property company Aroundtown said the $2.1 billion purchase of Fitbit by Google two weeks ago illustrated how important wearable health and tracking devices would be in future.

“The message is prediction – to try and understand a person’s behaviour, to see what that person will choose and buy.”

Virtual assistance and voice technology were part of this future, he said. “It’s not only about the weather forecast, it’s about where can I go? My assistant knows I like sushi, and recommends restaurants that are nearby. This kind of data will lead us to understand how we approach our future customers.”

Devices like Alexa and Google Assistant will eventually shape travel decisions through learning more about our tastes, lifestyle and health, he said.

“The assistant will be interactive; it will know your calendar and tell you it’s time to take a break.”

Joel Brandon-Bravo, vice president of travel solutions at translation service TransPerfect warned of the need for multi-lingual approaches. He said that of the $30 trillion growth in middle class consumption predicted between 2015 and 2030, only $1 trillion would not come from Asia. Similarly, there were no English speaking countries among the top 10 emerging markets.

Proxy technology, where an enquiry is redirected to a hosted site in the client’s own language, would permit new market penetration, he said. He also urged companies not to think that no new social media channels would emerge, citing the enormous recent growth of short form mobile video site TikTok.

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