Her comments came as she addressed ITT delegates at the 2021 ITT Conference onboard MSC Virtuosa on Sunday (12 September). 

Lo Bue-Said said the industry "has a responsibility to be heard" but warned that being heard was "not the same as being listened to".

"We are still in a very precarious place as the industry fights for its survival," she continued. "Looking forward, we need to look at building resilience in our businesses, but also for our industry.

"We need to revolutionise how we engage with our consumers - in regards to products and availability - and to offer flexibility as standard."

According to Lo Bue-Said, the travel trade has a "unique opportunity" to influence the behaviour of consumers with "corporate social policies and holiday choices in a world where travel will remain different and complex for some time".

"You can never over-communicate and you can never underestimate the impact of our communication, which is the most powerful asset that will enable us to rebuild the travel trade back to its exceptional standing," she added.