Addressing Spain’s inaugural Sustainability Day in London on Wednesday (26 April), Thomas Power said "fear and guilt" too often clouded or preceded conversations about sustainability.

"They don’t hear anything related to the positives – the experiences, the destinations, the food, the hidden escapes," he said. "It’s this dissonance of language – the difference between the language of sustainability and what we say to customers and how we sell it – that is the issue. If we want to change, we need to speak differently."

Power said the language currently used by travel companies when it comes to sustainability doesn’t touch on the "indulgence, relaxation, nature and the experience" travel has to offer.

"We keep bashing our heads against the idea consumers will demand sustainability," said Power. "They will not, because of deeply embedded psychological reasons.

"There must be a shift between demand and supply. Customers will not demand alternatives to an over-visited destination, but they will be supplied with a secret experience in Spain."

Citing new data collected by Pura Aventura, Power said clients were looking for sustainable trips online, but were clicking off once they get "bogged down" in the terminology.

"The intention to action gap in travel is greater than anywhere else – why? Because holidays don’t look like homework, holidays look good," he continued. 

"Our psychology means when we go away, we give ourselves time off and that doesn’t tally with the language we use around sustainability."

The forum opened with a keynote from general director of the Spanish Tourist Office, Miguel Sanz, who warned delegates travel "must work harder" to educate travellers on how to holiday sustainably.