The phrase was first coined by the United Nations in 2015, but has been used the world over as countries emerged from the pandemic. And now, after 18 months of hell, it’s travel’s turn to assess how it can rebuild in a fairer and more sustainable way.
The first issue is recruitment. It’s no secret that operators are finding it tough to replace skills lost as a result of having to make staff redundancies. “There is now a skills shortage across the board,” a leading recruiter tells TTG. “As an industry, we have to look at how we attract people back.”
In TTG: Recruitment challenges, US reopening and travel’s climate reckoning
For dnata’s new UK boss Ailsa Pollard, the challenge is not just to attract people back, but to begin “to tap into different communities”, with Gold Medal now working with local councils “to get a really diverse mix” of people into the business.
TTG+ members can watch TTG editor Sophie Griffiths’ full interview with Pollard on-demand here.
Meanwhile, with Cop26 taking place at the start of this month, the hot topic dominating industry conferences has been how travel can play its role in tackling the climate crisis.
Travel Foundation chief executive Jeremy Sampson admits “the travel and tourism sector has had a troubled relationship with climate change”. But this month’s TTG also highlights the many businesses and individuals in travel who are working to change that – we hear from Responsible Travel, Abta and Aito on their work and advocacy in this area, as well as from former WTTC president Geoffrey Lipman.
The problem for many is knowing where to start. Luckily, industry leaders have a range of tips for businesses beginning their sustainability journey. This couldn’t be more timely: TTG and PwC’s latest consumer survey highlights how more than half now expect travel firms to do better when it comes to sustainability.
The pandemic ravaged this industry. But if the sector can rebuild in a smarter, fairer way, it won’t only be better for the people working in it and for the planet – it will be better for business, too.
Sophie Griffiths is editor of TTG.
