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Overtourism 'a bigger sustainability challenge than decarbonising aviation'

Sustainability
Ilaria Grasso Macola
9 November 2023

Decarbonising aviation has given way to overtourism as the biggest barrier to travel and tourism becoming a truly sustainable industry, former Abta chair Martin Brackenbury has said.

Florence Italy Overtourism iStock-1439137849 (Credit: iStock)

Personal Holiday Advisor Joe Biggs says customers' long-term behaviours will change if discounting doesn't stop (Credit:iStock)

Speaking at WTM London on Wednesday (8 November), Brackenbury said he was nonetheless confident the aviation sector would achieve its net-zero goals sooner than currently expected owing to the huge technological advances the industry has made in recent years.

“I think we will get there and, in many ways, more quickly than we had anticipated,” he said, speaking as part of WTM London’s Sustainability Summit. “However, the same cannot be said for overtourism as, at the global level, there’s no blueprint for tackling the issue.”