2022 State of the Travel Industry

2022 State of the Travel Industry

The U.S. Travel Association provided their State of Industry yesterday. It included a show of its appreciation for Roger Dow and a path forward from this difficult time within the travel industry. The conversation was uplifting and a cause for excitement. 

Roger pointed out that the #travelindustry has previously emerged from difficult crises (E.g. 9/11, 2007-2008 Great Recession) with tremendous growth and that the industry would again do so when we are post-COVID. Christine Duffy said that travel not only matters economically but also to wellness and lives. Tori Barnes Emerson quoted Ed Bastian that "We don't have to chose between seeing the world and saving the world" and then went on to mention some of their areas of focus this next year.

Travel is necessary, not just because it is fun, but it breaks down cultural differences, connects us to life and cultivates our connections with loved ones. And Tori and Ed are absolutely right that travelers should not have to chose between seeing the world and saving it. Unfortunately, few, if any, travel options exist today which allow for this to be true. Our industry can and must turn Ed's words into a reality if it wants to achieve real resilience and avoid abusing the public's trust. That first starts with a verified measurement of all of our impacts, transparently sharing the results, and making a commitment to actually be that "savior" through regenerative and equitable practices. 

Today, there are some travel business that truly minimize their negative impacts and then direct their travelers expenditures to improve their communities and the world. #BCorps, in B Tourism, are committed to using their #businessasaforceforgood. They do this because our industry and planet depend on it but also because travelers are now demanding it...and isn't business supposed to be about satisfying the desires of our customers? 

So how are these travel B Corps different than traditional travel companies? You can learn more at B Tourism's webpage https://theforgoodmovement.com/btourism/ but let's first look at in the context of where the US Travel Association is focusing its 2022 efforts. 

Sustainable Travel Options:

1) Growth of the #evcharging #infrastructure due to the passage of the #infrastructurebill which enables driving to destinations without the use of #fossilfuels (creating #airpollution) - B Tourism members are more likely to offer free EV charging at their resorts & to power those chargers via solar energy.

2) Sustainable Aviation Fuels- Necessary to reduce the harm caused by flights to humanity and our natural world. - There is one B Corp airline and it has been carbon neutral since its inception through the use of gold standard offsets. That company will also achieve Net Zero by 2030 across all operations Scopes 1-3.

DEI:

The Association is partnering with Tourism Diversity Matters to advance #Diversity, #Equity and #inclusion. - B Corps are more likely to monitor and report their diversity, not just as a whole, but at each management level. E.g. ownership, senior management, mid-management, and entry level employees. Having diversity solely at the the entry level or back of house, but not at the senior levels of a company is not what #DEI is about.

Preservation of Nature:

Preserving our National Parks is important to preserve our country's treasures. It helps us appreciate this country while also preserving our natural world and sequestering carbon to stabilize our climate.- B Corps are more likely to report on their preservation efforts, to work in collaboration with #indigenous leaders and to voluntarily be held accountable to achieve their goals.

Economic Resilience/Rebound:

The industry is expecting revenues to increase and travelers to enjoy themselves and points to this as resilience - Differently than traditional travel companies, B Corps see resilience through shared prosperity, so they don't solely celebrate revenue growth, but instead seek for that revenue to benefit all stakeholders - their community, their employees, their environment, their suppliers, their customers and their owners. Fairness is at the core of their business.

The Travel Industry is magical. It brings the world together and helps us appreciate life in a way that few other activities can. However, along the way, we can't afford to destroy the very places and people that make it special. That is why B Tourism exists. We are here to support travel and tourism companies, with free resources, with measuring their impact, with being the change, and with ensuring that we and future generations can "see the world and save the world" at the same time. An inclusive, regenerative and equitable present and future is possible, if we act in unity, as the travel industry.