00:00Global tourism is bouncing back, breaking pre-pandemic levels. But what does it all
00:10mean for an industry in the sustainability spotlight? We're here at the World Travel
00:15Market trade event in London to find out.
00:25From India to Iceland, Thailand to Turkey, this year's WTM is the biggest ever with 4,000
00:33exhibitors. The global gathering coming as new data reveals a huge rebound in travel
00:39since the pandemic.
00:41One and a half billion global arrivals are expected for this year. By the end of the
00:45decade, we expect that to get up to two billion arrivals worldwide. People are absolutely
00:51prioritizing travel over other forms of spending. Experiences are being prioritized over things.
00:57But where does this leave efforts to tackle overcrowding? In some European destinations,
01:03there have been anti-tourism protests amid community concerns over things like environmental
01:09damage and rising rental prices. In Croatia, a law is now being brought in to reduce short-term
01:16holiday rentals in residential areas.
01:22Travelers are increasingly wanting to help regenerate places when they visit, giving
01:27something back. And the sustainability conversation in the industry is evolving from net zero
01:34to net positive.
01:36Any one of us, when we travel, we want to experience something new, which is regenerative
01:41for the soul. But also, when you perceive the situation from the side of managing the
01:46tourist industry, we also need to make sure that the environment and the tourist product
01:53regenerates itself. The sustainability of tourism is extremely important for us especially.
02:00Japan is among many countries now actively promoting regenerative activities and experiences.
02:07For example, City Asso in Kyushu Island, they are offering visitors to take part in
02:14their conservation activities, like creating fire bricks. And after these activities, visitors
02:24will be invited to connect with the local farmers.
02:28Uzbekistan is an emerging destination, offering stunning architecture and rich history. And
02:41as the country looks to attract more travelers, it too is putting a focus on communities.
02:49There are very much underdeveloped areas. By us opening those destinations, we are very
02:53much helping the local communities. We are opening their eyes on opportunities. We are
02:57helping them start small businesses. We are doing a lot of local experiences using people's
03:02houses to host people for lunches, for dinner. And this is for me all falls within what we
03:08call the sustainable business.
03:14Tokyo has long drawn visitors, magnetized by all the buzzing city has to offer. But
03:20as the industry looks to manage tourism flows and satisfy a growing demand for unique experiences,
03:27it's also promoting hidden gems beyond the traditional attractions.
03:32We recommend beautiful mountainous areas in the western part of Tokyo, where you can enjoy
03:39hiking, grunting, and so on. And also we have 11 inhabited islands in Tokyo, where you can
03:47see beautiful sandy beaches, volcanic landscapes, and it's totally different from your typical
03:55image of Tokyo.
04:01Movie and TV tourism, or set jetting as it's become known, is taking travelers off the
04:06beaten track too, in countries like Thailand, where the trend is growing.
04:12Nowadays we've got many movies, big movies come to Thailand, such as White Lotus season
04:203. We create the follow the movie trail route, so they can go to the location shooting and
04:31acting like the movie star. Of course we promote facility around there, also the new destination
04:38around there.
04:43Global tourism is back, but now the industry is under pressure to prove that it can be
04:49a force for good.
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