Tackling environmental and economic challenges: the tourism industry is in adapt mode

The global travel and tourism industry faces new challenges as it gathers at the annual World Travel Market trade event in London.

Transcript

00:00 Extreme weather events, economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

00:06 The global travel and tourism industry faces new headwinds as it gathers at the annual

00:11 World Travel Market trade event here in London.

00:15 One of the challenges obviously is financial pressure which we experienced in the last

00:20 few years, particularly last year, the high interest rates.

00:24 But what we've seen actually is that people are not ready to trade off.

00:27 They're still spending money on travel.

00:29 Hit by high temperatures and wildfires, it's been a challenging summer for Greece.

00:35 The climate crisis, it says, is one of today's biggest challenges facing travel and tourism.

00:41 I am optimistic as we have a plan for adapting our economy, our society, our environment

00:50 and of course our tourism.

00:51 With climate change issues I think that we are going to manage not to affect tourism

00:56 too much.

00:58 Travel is bouncing back after Covid.

01:01 International tourist arrivals reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels between January and

01:07 July this year, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation.

01:13 People are looking for some more package holidays, they're looking for some cheaper destinations,

01:17 but at the same time we are seeing luxury travel absolutely booming.

01:21 So there's something for everyone out there in the travel market.

01:24 People are really wanting to get out and travel when they can.

01:27 And as travellers return, the focus now for destinations is keeping numbers in check.

01:34 Responsible travellers are really important to us, so it means that we do emphasise on

01:40 quality over quantity and it means that we're also thinking and developing at the stage

01:46 resorts, for instance, where you're not allowed even to drive.

01:51 Travel and tourism is an industry in adapt mode as it charts its future for 2024 and

01:58 beyond.

01:59 Damon Embling, Euronews, London.

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