The travel and tourism industry is vulnerable to everything from financial downturns and conflict to climate change and political uncertainty.
And while the industry tends to bounce back and even thrive, there is growing recognition that it must act more responsibly in the face of global issues.
A session at ITB Berlin earlier this month focused on overlapping global challenges, or polycrisis, and how consumers are seeking escape but also safety and a more seamless experience.
“Polycrisis has always existed. What has changed is that people have become more aware—and the tourism industry is learning that we cannot ignore these things,” said Aziz Abu Sarah, co-founder of Mejdi Tours. His company organizes tours offering dual perspectives in regions that are living through conflict.
He added that it’s no longer good enough to visit a place but irresponsible not to “engage and be part of the solution” for the issues a destination faces.
Stephen Dutton, global insight manager for travel at Euromonitor, also joined the discussion. He said travel spending continues to grow but so-called “soft drivers” such as ease of access to a destination, while difficult to measure, can make consumers hesitate.
The conversation moved on to public policy and the role of political leaders to ensure travel industry resilience during such turbulent times.
Edmund Bartlett, minister of tourism for Jamaica, said that it comes down to “connections.”
“Tourism connects us, it connects ideas, it connects processes, it connect outcomes. It connects people, idealogies, lifestyles, it connects all the variables that are inherent in creating elements of misunderstanding.”
He added that the connections are also an opportunity for peace.
The panel also touched on common misunderstandings in the quest to bring people together and shifting patterns around travel flows and demographics.
See below for the full session.
The Understanding: Polycrisis in Travel