Albeit softly spoken, the Spanish Tourist Office’s UK director Manuel Butler had a strong, steely message for the UK travel trade at Spain’s second annual sustainability day on Wednesday (17 April).

“Tourism was invented by the Spaniards and the Brits together – now it’s time we invented sustainable tourism,” Butler told TTG.

As one of Europe – and the world’s – most popular destinations, Spain has rightly been at the forefront of travel’s transition to a more sustainable future, and opted to place a number of lesser-discussed, thought-provoking issues centre stage at the event, such as the circular economy, biodiversity and accessibility.

Butler told the 80 delegates gathered in London the event sought to encourage “important dialogue” on sustainability challenges and “transfer knowledge” between Spain and the UK.

Here are some of the lessons we learned.

Circular thinking

Delegates heard that while travel and tourism is lagging behind on its transition to a circular economy – implementing sustainable practices to encourage reuse, repair and recycling – the sector is becoming more receptive to it.

Abta head of sustainability Carol Rose explained circularity can only be introduced by employing disruptive thinking and changing the way people operate at all levels.

“It’s time to address the mindset around circularity,” she told delegates. “It’s about employing disruptive thinking in your own organisation and in your own way of doing things.”

Travel Corporation global sustainability manager Nadine Pinto, meanwhile, said the group was currently looking at policies to better embed circularity in its processes and operations, and had made a start by removing often disposable merchandising and plastics.

Gabriel Llobera Ramis, marketing and communications manager at Balearic hotel chain Garden Hotels, highlighted how his family’s business had trialled AI technology to reduce food waste. 

“We don’t talk about global circularity, we talk about getting things done locally,” he said. “We truly believe our local approach helps us to have a more specific impact.”

The panel admitted there were still communication challenges to be overcome, with customers – at point of sale – typically more interested in price and what a destination has to offer.

Rose told attendees they could start to remedy this in their businesses by presenting their clients an engaging story around circular economy "and what it actually means".

Travel’s duty to educate

The conference’s biodiversity panel, meanwhile, agreed travel businesses have a duty to foster a new generation of more conscientious travellers who share a more respectful bond with the natural world.

“It’s not on the customer,” said Intrepid Travel managing director EMEA Zina Bencheikh. “Customers don’t know until we actually offer [a more conscious way of travelling], saying ‘this is how it should be’.”

Bencheikh’s comments were supported by Turespana global marketing manager Blanca Perez Sauquillo, who said it was the role of agencies and the wider travel industry to come up with digestible and effective messaging on sustainability.

“We have this mission to become advocates of sustainability,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is simplify the message and make it even more sustainable for the conscious traveller who wants to travel to Spain in a different way.”

Valencia, which will this year become Europe’s green capital, was raised as a beacon for progress owing to its investment in sustainability and biodiversity. 

The city has two national parks with biosphere reserves, as well as 12,000 hectares of vegetable and fruit farms and more than 124 miles of bike lanes. 

It has also created new green space by converting the old bed of the river Turia into a 5.5-mile route of gardens, sports and leisure spaces.

“For a city to be attractive as a tourist destination, it needs to be attractive to its people,” commented Bencheikh, who visited Valencia last week for the opening of Intrepid Travel’s new Spain office.

Knowledge is power

A final panel shifted the focus onto accessibility, which featured a warning to travel business catering for travellers with disabilities and accessibility needs that there was nothing more disrespectful than making assumptions about clients and their needs.

Angus Drummond, chief executive of disabled-friendly holiday specialist Limitless Travel, who has muscular dystrophy, said travellers with disabilities wanted nothing more than to be treated as guests instead of a liability or compliance issue.

Abta’s director of industry relations Susan Deer agreed: “When you have a conversation with somebody, start with wanting to offer them a great holiday, then ask questions about how to make it happen,” she said. 

Abta is hosting a series of online and in-person accessibility events for members, and also offers free online training resources.

Drummond added guests with disabilities were keen to know more about the wide range of products for them, and not to have to pick between an accessible holiday or a great one.

Delegates were also introduced to Tur4All, a platform developed by Madrid-based charity Impulsa Igualdad allowing travellers with disabilities to check accessibility standards in their destination. “All people have a right to travel,” stressed Impulsa Igualdad tourism director Miguel Carrasco.