For some, it most resonates as the fight against global warming, the need to reduce carbon footprints and tackle the climate emergency – seen most prominently last year during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.
For others, the social component is key as we look to integrate authentic and local culture into travel, with the worst-case scenario in these endeavours leading to “overtourism”.
Others understand it as boosting holidays in open spaces and the need to reacquaint ourselves with nature, reinforced by the Covid lockdowns during the toughest months of the pandemic.
None of these definitions is wrong and we have an obligation as the travel industry to face all challenges.
We should always be conscious that tourism must be sustainable or it will disappear.
A wider focus is needed where sustainability encompasses all of these elements, but goes further still, giving more importance to people in our industry and can help drive important change.
Tourism is based on people, and so we must place people at the centre of the industry once again.
This is why the Spanish Tourist Office is proud to be headline partner of TTG Media’s first Fairer Travel Week in July. Fairer Travel Week is not only centred around climate action, but on other vital issues around sustainability, such as inclusivity, accessibility and diversity.
Travel agents are key stakeholders in our industry and among those who have suffered most during these difficult years. Now, as our sector travels along the road to recovery, the need to accelerate how we are all engaging with sustainability is growing faster and faster.
That pace of change is something none of us can ignore and we believe, as the most-visited destination for UK holidaymakers for many years, Spain has a moral responsibility to be part of Fairer Travel Week and encourage our agent partners to get involved too.
The only rational way of facing these sizeable challenges is through collaboration and cooperation, and we are convinced Fairer Travel Week will play an important part.
Manuel Butler is UK director of the Spanish Tourist Office.
