Sustaining Our Global Commitment To A Stronger Tourism Future

Sustaining Our Global Commitment To A Stronger Tourism Future

As 2022 comes to a close, and after my 50 years in this great industry, never have I been more confident. Following three challenging years we are united in strength and focus – we are building forward better, sustainably.

Speaking with over 20 global tourism leaders as part of my In Conversation Series in the last two years, I have been awed by not only their commitment to the industry, but of their unwavering leadership when doing so. These conversations provided incredible insight and a 360 viewpoint on a topic that is rarely addressed in metrics and implementation, despite it being the most critical element in our shared future. Our industry now understands that sustainability is not simply a piece of the greater puzzle – it must be the golden thread flowing through our strategies, product offerings, and financial welfare.

From the beginning of 2020 to the close of 2022, I as the Chair of Tourism Cares, the largest non-profit focused on sustainability in the travel industry, have seen first-hand the impact of sustainable, community driven initiatives. By protecting the people and places of our travel world we future-proof our industry. Sustainability is at the heart of doing good through business and is good for business. Enjoy this special montage of our conversations.

The future of travel is inspiring. As shifts in traveller activity create opportunities for sustainable growth unlike anything we’ve seen before, the need for us all to stay united has never been more important.

As I hand over the Chair of Tourism Cares, I am determined to continue advocating for ‘sustainability first’. We must all keep sustainability top of mind and close to heart. I’m proud to have so many colleagues and friends across the globe working with me as together we build forward better in ways we never could have imagined two decades ago.

Together we will continue to build forward better. 

 

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ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – Episode 15

ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – Episode 15

The US travel industry has long valued Tourism Cares as the #1 non profit for the Travel and Tourism industry focused on Sustainability. I am personally very proud of the people at hundreds of great companies who joined this non-profit over twenty years ago, since 2003 and who value its benefit now more than ever. Let’s have a conversation about that. Why is it so?

 

Travellers today are now looking to make an impact when they travel. Statistics show clearly that traveling responsibly, both before and after the Covid-19 Pandemic, is on an abrupt rise. They want to travel with companies that provide positive, not negative impact to the environment, our oceans and natural resources, wildlife and fauna, and to local communities. They seek positive, social integration and equality, favor authentic handmade traditions and crafts and wish to directly benefit local economies and enterprises. 

In this episode of my ‘In Conversation’ Series, I am joined by Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares, a 20-year champion of the organisation and Malia Asfour the current Vice Chair, who will be taking over the helm as Chair of Tourism Cares in 2023. I have been honored to serve as Chairman and former Vice Chair of Tourism Cares since 2017 – nearly six years is a time of vast change and forward momentum in “doing the right thing” and aligning one of the greatest industries in the world.

In our conversation, we discuss – what’s next for Tourism Cares as Malia becomes Chair – new growth concepts. Listen in! And, we discuss the many ways in which Tourism Cares has advanced the industry to sustainable, and more meaningful travel, and education with new tools for the Sustainable Journey.

The first is our newly created Meaningful Travel Map, currently featuring North America, Colombia and Jordan, where “tour operators and travel advisors find vetted, authentic product that fuels impact into destinations around the world.” The maps are available free online.

The second is our Meaningful Travel Platform, which provides a plethora of professional online courses on Sustainability, all free training and resources to our Tourism Cares members. Members can be accredited by completing a series of courses. New courses, such as “What is Sustainability” and the “Guide to Indigenous Tourism” are popular. 

Third, is the Sustainability Help Desk (SHeD), where members can ask questions and get advice on their professional sustainability journey, best practices, and strategy. 

These new resources are fantastic, and are a natural fit for Tourism Cares, an organisation that has always brought travel and tourism together to be a force for change in communities, to enhance Social, Cultural, Economic and Environmental Sustainability.. 

At Tourism Cares we fundamentally believe we can change the world through travel. Meaningful travel has the power to shift the needle for a better tomorrow. Let’s Build Forward Better together. 

Please enjoy our Leadership Conversation at Tourism Cares. And dream what can be!

 

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World Tourism Day 2022 – Rethinking Tourism

World Tourism Day 2022 – Rethinking Tourism

As the UNWTO’s World Tourism Day 2022 is upon us, it is easy to get distracted with the ‘are we there yet?’. Two years have passed in what feels like an instant, yet everything has changed. As tourism numbers steadily climb to pre-pandemic levels and more and more destinations fully open up to tourism once again, I reflect on this year’s theme for World Tourism Day: Rethinking Tourism

For the last year and a half, I have spoken about the importance of Building Forward Better. Not the same, not back to how it was before, but better. We have been given a Masterclass by Mother Nature herself, allowing us time to reflect on the issues we were facing in travel and tourism such as over tourism and sustainability, with time and new focus to rethink and change the way we operate. 

As Chair of Tourism Cares, the industry’s largest non-profit focused on sustainability, we work every day to unite the industry to make a positive, measurable change in social and environmental actions – all aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

As an industry, we must rethink how we work together to help local economies, protect natural environments, and keep cultures and communities strong. We must rethink our offerings to travellers, providing our customers with ways of travel that contribute rather than dilute the destinations on their bucket lists.  Finally, we must rethink our own travels, as we take off our industry hats and put on that of tourist. It is not enough for us to talk the talk as leaders in this industry, we must lead by example. 

For this year’s World Tourism Day I have put together a call-to-action video message that I hope inspires you and your networks to rethink tourism as we build forward better together. On September 27th, and every day after, I invite you to join me, and Tourism Cares, in our efforts to create change, build forward better, and rethink tourism for a brighter, more sustainable, tomorrow. 

 

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ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – Episode 14

ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – Episode 14

Back in 2019, which now seems long ago, I had the honour of visiting Puerto Rico with over 150 Tourism Cares members. Although our time on the island was brief, the lessons learned from the island’s social enterprises, community organisations and our time on the Centro de Microempresas y Tecnologías Agrícolas Sustentables Yauco (CMTAS, a Puerto Rican community farm), have stuck with me.

 

From food sovereignty and the importance of agritourism, to the challenges and prioritisation of localising the tourism value chain, Puerto Rico was a brilliant case study on the future of sustainability, particularly in protecting the economy, jobs, community infrastructure, and the environment amidst crisis and uncertainty.  It was commendable to see how key the community was, and remains, especially as a central partner in destination strength and advancement, whatever challenges this beautiful island destination faces.

In the latest episode of my In Conversation Series, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico. Brad has repeatedly proven himself as a courageous, impactful and inspiring leader through natural disasters and global pandemics alike.

Discover Puerto Rico is a brilliant example for us all in learning how to innovate, communicate, and cooperate with private, government, and non-profits on the island for not only a positive tourism future, but a positive and sustainable island future.

Please enjoy.

 

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ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – Episode 13 

Canada has always been an important destination for travellers across the globe – a country offering unique, breathtaking natural and cultural beauty, with a warm welcome from Canadians from coast to coast to coast that always makes travellers feel ‘at home’.

In advance of Tourism Cares’s next Meaningful Travel Summit in Victoria, Canada next month – September 28th to 30th – I am very excited to share my next episode of my ‘In Conversation’ series with one of Canada’s great tourism industry leaders, Beth Potter, President & CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC).

She is a colleague and friend I admire for, most recently, her tireless efforts in inspiring the industry to ‘build forward better’. Enjoy.

 

Please enjoy.

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