Travel as a Catalyst for Understanding: World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day is an annual event in the travel calendar that encourages industry stakeholders to reflect on the impact of tourism on the world: socially, culturally, environmentally and economically.  

Each year, this annual celebration is marked by a specific theme that reflects key tourism trends in the sector, from the impact of COVID-19 in recent years, to 2023's focus on innovative solutions for 'people, planet and prosperity', opportunities to reflect and rethink how we do tourism, to this year's focus on 'tourism and peace'.

This year's theme reflects on:

"Tourism can play a vital role as a catalyst in promoting peace and understanding between nations and cultures, and in supporting reconciliation processes."

World Tourism Day is important for travel providers to be aware of and consider, as it can help to:

• Learn about industry best practice
• Find new business opportunities  
• Raise awareness and knowledge  
• Promote sustainable tourism
• Identify travel habits and future trends  
• Improve travel offerings

So, can you take this year's theme of 'Tourism and Peace', which is a far-reaching theme, and apply it to your everyday?

Promoting Peace and Community Resilience through Tourism

Often highlighted for its role in economic development, tourism also plays an important role in promoting peace.  

At a global level, where nations are interconnected and interdependent, tourism, an industry created by and for people, is proving to be a compelling and dynamic force in overcoming stereotypes and challenging prejudices.

Did you know?  

• Countries with a more open and sustainable tourism sector tend to be more peaceful.
• Tourism spreads philanthropy and leads to regional cooperation.
• Tourism supports post-conflict recovery. 

Success lies in empowering local communities to actively engage with their rich culture, while minimising conflict with the natural environment and all external forces - such as tourism.  

Real-world example: The town of Lahaina in West Maui was devastated by one of the worst wildfires in American history. Tourism resumed several months later, which raised new considerations for more mindful travellers. For instance, would their stay in a luxurious hotel displace residents who were temporarily accommodated there following the destruction of their homes?

While West Maui accounts for 15% of Hawaii's tourism revenue, many local residents viewed the period of rebuilding Old Lahaina as an opportunity to address issues such as overtourism, environmental degradation, and economic imbalance. In fact, 17,000 residents signed a petition to delay the reopening of tourism in order to focus on the needs of Lahaina's working-class population.

Nonetheless, with the projected loss of $9 million in tourism revenue per day since the fire, the Hawaii Tourism Authority enacted the Maui Marketing Recovery Plan to aid in the restoration of travel demand. This incident presented a crucial opportunity for thoughtful, intentional travel. A focus on regenerative tourism that reinvests in people, places, and encourages the 'long-term renewal and flourishing of our social-ecological systems' was paramount.

It was essential that the tourism mindset shifted from an individualistic to a collective perspective, for visitors and residents alike, to foster empathy and initiate collaborative action.

Many travellers were inspired to add several volunteering experiences onto their itinerary upon seeing business owners' livelihoods burned down, and residents respected most the behaviours of travellers who engaged with patience and understanding while also giving back to the community.

How can you as providers encourage this type of travel?

• Encourage travelers to support local businesses and volunteer – these are key ways to continue that shift towards intentional travel that benefits host destinations.
• Promote alternative destinations – try sister locations to places that are suffering from severe consequences of overtourism.
• Promote a mindset for travellers grounded in intention - for example, one that asks 'where can we snorkel that's most respectful' instead of 'where do locals go?' 
• Be aware of the wider industry and world – keeping informed as to any local challenges, initiatives or movements within the destinations that you’re recommending.

These measures advocate a proactive approach to ensure that economic growth remains inclusive for the entire community, and that tourism is promoted for the benefit of residents as well as visitors.

Top tip: Did you know that in February 2024, the General Assembly officially declared 2027 as the ‘International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism’? The next few years are a prime opportunity to take the travel industry even further when it comes to pioneering sustainable, beneficial initiatives.

Engaging with Authentic Voices and Preserving Local Heritage

Cultural tourism is characterised by visitors' ardent desire to discover, experience, and learn about a particular destination. Whether that entails exploring novel cuisines, residing with remote rural communities, supporting local business owners and artisans, or travelling pilgrimage routes, the interest in cultural immersion is rapidly escalating.

Ensuring that travel experiences are firmly grounded in the essence of a place is also in the interest of travel providers from a success standpoint:

• Cultural and historical travel accounts for 40% of all tourism globally.
• 73% of millennials report being interested in cultural and historic places.
• Cultural tourists spend 38% more per day and stay 22% longer than other traveller types.

Many countries and organisations around the world are already showing how it’s possible to balance economic development with retaining vital cultural heritage, and sustainable transformations.  

• Urban regeneration – a ‘Special Area Plan’ in George Town, Malaysia, balances conservation with economic development, allowing local owners to restore their homes and set up businesses, while protecting historic buildings from tourism-induced redevelopment.
• Prioritising native industries – to avoid over-reliance on sole economic drivers, like tourism. For example, in AlUla investments are being made into native industries such as agriculture. Diversifying the local economy creates increased revenue for residents and lessens the strain on economies that rely on tourism as a main driver of revenue.  
• ‘Living heritage’ – the ‘Beirut Housing Rehabilitation and Cultural Creative Industries’ project offers small grants to local artisans, while the regeneration of the historical Mar Mikhael train station aims to reactivate cultural markets and businesses.

A pivotal strategy for providers to incorporate sustainable cultural tourism into their day-to-day operations is to elevate local communities to the forefront of your experience recommendations.

Adopting this approach satisfies the prevailing trend for authentic, experiential tourism in a manner that generates longer-lasting positive impact for the host community and economy, while also maintaining business engagement with customer preferences.

By actively engaging with local communities, the tourism industry can ensure that the generated revenue remains within the community, where it can yield the most substantial impact.

Promoting Travel that Champions Sustainability

In 2015, the Member States of the United Nations collectively adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which endeavor to 'enhance health and education, diminish inequality, and stimulate economic development – all while addressing the challenges of climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.'

The tourism industry presents a multitude of opportunities to impact and contribute to the realisation of these goals: through the provision of high-quality tourism training, which invests in education and skills development; by investing in sustainable infrastructure; by working to further the eco-conscious transformations in communities, economies and mindsets, including initiatives to decarbonise the sector; and by investing in innovative travel technology and upskilling tourism's workforces globally.

Sustainable tourism is a major focus for the travel industry, with the appetite for sustainability showing no sign of easing: 83% of global travellers believe that sustainable travel is important.

For the environment -  

One of the paramount concerns, not solely for the travel and tourism industry, but for the broader global context of sustainability, is the prevelance of single-use plastics. The hotel industry alone is responsible for the generation of 150 million tonnes of plastic per year – a significant proportion of which ultimately ends up polluting the world's oceans.

In light of this, marine and coastal conservation programmes serve as an ideal example of how to promote experiences that cater to customer requirements while adhering to sustainable practices.

Real-life example: Based in Cap Ternay research station on Mahé Island - which can be accessed via the Seychelles International Airport for overseas visitors, located near the capital of Victoria – GVI offers several volunteer and study projects where participants can spend their time scuba-diving to help underwater research, snorkelling to collect data on marine life, or even hiking through palm forests.  

Experiences like these are the perfect example of how agents can promote sustainable travel which not only aligns with the needs and desires of the customer, but that also benefits the host destination.

How Hotelbeds Helps

We’ve looked before at how important is to offer single-use plastic-free options for travellers (as just one example of sustainable tourism) and how this can and should become part of every travel agent’s strategy.

But one way we’re making it easier for travel providers to offer sustainable tourism is by offering sustainable experiences in our Booking Engine. Including PADI-approved diving centres for those eco-conscious marine adventures, as well as thousands of other in-destination activities and experiences that offer tangible benefit to both traveller and host.

Plus, our ‘Sustainable Hotels’ filter in our Booking Engine makes it simple to refine your searches to hotels that hold sustainability at the forefront of their operations.

In fact, hotels are only shown in this filter once they have achieved industry-certified sustainability levels such as the Hotel Sustainability Basics certificate by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the GSTC Industry Criteria offered by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Sign up today to discover our sustainable hotels and expand your portfolio for the travel options so important to today’s traveller.

For local communities -  

Overtourism represents a distinct tourism-induced challenge that numerous renowned destinations across the globe confront.

Initiatives such as the sustainable tourism tax, introduced in the Balearic Island of Mallorca, assist in supporting the conservation of this esteemed destination. Additionally, Kyoto, Japan, has implemented several measures to mitigate the strain of overtourism, including addressing traffic congestion and utilising social media to disseminate alternative routes and information for visitors.

To work alongside these internal initiatives implemented by local governing bodies, it's vital that you fulfill your role as an provider to endorse destinations in a sustainable manner. After all, as the expert, you are the one placing travel prospects directly into the hands of travellers.

Tip: discover thousands of eco-conscious in-destination experiences with our Booking Engine, encompassing conservation opportunities, regenerative experiences, tours and experiences facilitated by local guides, and a plethora of additional options.

Furthermore, our global portfolio equips providers with comprehensive sustainable options as result of our status as a full-service provider, including green transfers and car hire, as well as single-use plastic-free and sustainable hotels.

Tourism Helps Create Meaningful Connections 

This sector can be perceived as the epitome of intercultural dialogue; it allows meeting the "other" through learning about different cultures, hearing foreign languages, discovering new cuisines, creating bonds with other people, overcoming cultural differences through sharing experiences, and building tolerance. 

Travel, in its quintessential form, is an endeavor to expand one's perspectives. Extensive research has even suggested that 'tourist affiliation with nature and connection with local people' are 'critical determinants of positive psychological outcomes'; that travel fundamentally enhances well-being.

This, undoubtedly, aligns with the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) previously mentioned: to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all individuals, irrespective of age.

We see the connection between travel, identity and wellness in:

• Travellers seeking out experiences that align with their personal values, backgrounds or heritage.
• Travel that actively strengthens bonds with cultures or communities around the world.
• 88% of younger travellers saying that travel has impacted their personal growth.
• 72% of Gen Z travellers remarketing that travel is core to their identity, and how they express themselves.

Social belonging is defined as an essential human requirement, a 'fundamental human pursuit' - and tourism plays a vital role in generating prospects for interpersonal connection.

Moreover, this sense of social cohesion is also apparent in the industry-wide transition towards experience-based tourism, where authenticity and genuine connection has become paramount for tourists' overall experiences.

There is substantial merit in the positive impact for travellers and their companions, including reinforcing connections amongst friends, loved ones, creating more meaningful experiences and memories, as well as increasing the probability of revisiting a destination.

There is also, a great deal to be explored about the benefits of more connected social relationships between travellers and host communities:

‘Immersion in the local community and socialisation with local people generate learning opportunities for tourists to know different cultures and virtues, which leads to self-reflection and potentially causes personal transformation.’

Real-world example: The experiences of 26 international tourists to Fiji were examined in a recent study, to determine the connection between tourism and psychological wellbeing.

Fiji has high levels of tourism, thanks to pristine natural environments and cultural diversity, and derives a great deal of revenue from tourism as a result: 34% of Fiji’s GDP was contributed to tourism, and around 150,000 residents are directly employed in the tourism sector.  

Travellers’ responses were categorised into themes, including ‘gaze’ (how tourists view the people and destinations they interact with and visit), ‘practice’ (a subjective, expressive encounter) and ‘reflection’ (post-trip learnings, related to personal transformation).

And from increased sense of enjoyment when experiences where shared, a deeper sense of cultural understanding through authentic encounters with local communities and more chances for ‘shared memory’, results showed that travel can be a vehicle that increases social connectedness, personal development and transformation, and improved mental health.

Not only this, but interacting with landscapes and residents who have been relocated due to climate change, or impacted by natural disasters, invokes a sense of awe that is directed not internally, but externally. 

These connections ‘evokes an ‘environmentally responsible consciousness’ in visitors, redirecting ‘personal concerns’ towards ‘more collective dimensions of personal identity’. These are significant factors in wellbeing, and support the notion that travel creates meaningful connections for people across the world.

What are the key takeaways?

• Travel providers (and destination boards) ought to incorporate group travel into their tourism offerings – for more effective and numerous changes to offer chances for travellers to build connection with their companions during their trip.
• Accessible facilities are an essential requirement for children and elderly visitors – to promote collective participation in tourism activities and an enhanced sense of connection.
• Destination loyalty and revisit intentions experience an increase when visitors feel socially connected.
• Enhancing tourists' connection with nature, their companions and local communities will result in long-term advantages for providers, local economies and travellers themselves.

Our Impact  

As part of HBX Group, it’s our ongoing mission to demonstrate through action how much value we place on industry-recognised travel standards, and our own environmental, social and governmental (ESG) commitments.  

Following the development of a new reporting framework, we’re able to anticipate future regulations, and achieve higher certification, which means that we can work even harder to make travel a force for good.

• 7,889 volunteer hours completed - contributed by 1015 employees.
• €7612 raised – for global social causes.
• 444.58kg waste collected from forest and beach cleanings.
• 12,000 trees planted – that’s 9.04 hectares of developing forest.
• Carbon neutral in scope 1 and 2 – it's our 6th anniversary of this accreditation.
• Think Big Project – we launched this initiative to help create sustainable micro destinations, to empower local communities in rural areas.
• 40,000 sustainable hotels – including 5000 single-use plastic-free accommodation options as part of our Sustainable Hotels Programme.
• We’ve become a UN Global Compact member.
• Hybrid vehicles – offered in even more global cities.
• Thousands of cultural tours, nature tourism and wildlife-centred activities – available in our Booking Engine, to encourage deeper connection with the environments and habitats of the world.
• Safari, reforestation, sanctuary and eco-conscious experiences – available for our clients to book.
• Purposeful Pause – space for employees to discuss important topics, such as financial wellbeing.
• Health Month – promoting employee wellbeing via yoga sessions, meditation and more.

For a closer look at our parent company’s dedication to making ourselves and the world of travel a better place, you can download the HBX Group ESG report for 2023 here.