How proud we are we. The United States Travel Industry generates a total of $2.6 trillion in economic output and vows to put Sustainability #1 for the future.
With 1 out of 10 American jobs are dependent on travel and tourism.It has never been more important to protect our industry, and our workers, particularly as we build forward better to create a stronger, more sustainable world.
Listen in to the latest episode of my In Conversation Series with USTA CEO Roger Dow – the brilliant, long-standing leader who sees “The Future” in $ billions of travel demand for Sustainable, Responsible Travel. We discuss the global impact of U.S. tourism and the responsibility we have to see “Sustainability and Survivability as One.”
Great companies and destinations are leading the way, and the non-profit Tourism Cares stands with USTA. Thank you Roger!
Travelling during the past couple of years has certainly been an experience. I have taken flights both domestically and internationally, through different periods of the global pandemic. It was important to me not to stop travelling, just to travel safer. How can we, as leaders in this industry, give advice to our customers if we haven’t experienced the highs and lows and protocol hoops for ourselves?
In the latest episode of my In Conversation Series, I spoke briefly about these recent adventures in flying and my awe at how the airlines have stepped up on customer experience during such a tumultuous time.
The aviation industry has been at the forefront investing and innovating in this space longer than most. In the last two years, particularly, we in travel and tourism have seen the impact on destinations that depend on those airplanes carrying international visitors – providing jobs to locals and needed dollars to local economies.
In my conversation with Norma Dean, Director of Specialty Sales at Delta Air Lines and Jim Magrath, General Manager of Specialty Sales at Delta Air Lines and a Board Member at Tourism Cares, we explore how Delta took used these uncertain times as an opportunity to strengthen the travel experience, improve standards toward the goal of Net Zero emissions by 2030, and improve lives in the communities and places where Delta staff work in.
Much like us all, the aviation industry still has work to do. Together we can learn from the lessons we’ve been given, building forward better in partnership for a brighter tomorrow.
Of all my great loves, travel and tourism have been a lifelong treasured experience. I have had the privilege of being a traveller, visiting thousands of incredible places all over the globe, creating dream experiences, as a family owner and leader of Tauck. One of the most rewarding career aspects, is working to protect the destinations and people where we all travel to, through my work in the past with the National Park Service, UNESCO World Heritage, and currently as Chairman of Tourism Cares.
Working within the Travel & Tourism industry throughout all these years has had many highs, many heartbreaks, but the relationships made and experiences had, have made it all my greatest honour.
I love this special episode! It is the best of my In Conversation Series bringing together the industry’s most passionate leaders as they discuss the future of their own love of Travel & Tourism. From sustainability to change and optimism, their words left me feeling inspired and motivated about our need to “Build Forward Better.” – in a new Generation of Travel.
What we love most about travel and its positive impact on the World; will now be enhanced by collective industry efforts to mitigate any and all negative impacts on the Planet and its Peoples. Discovering new destinations, meeting new people, protecting our resources and providing health and wellness for all is, after all Love — at its very essence.
As we close 2021, it is easy to get a sense of 2022 being a continuation of the year just past. While our world continues to move forward with hope and confidence that this pandemic chapter of our lives will soon close, the new year will bring challenges, just in different ways. My blog today includes “a crystal ball” by several top travel leaders, all “In Conversation” about our future.
This year-end holiday season, many across our Travel and Tourism industry, especially those on the front line including tour operators, travel agents, airline and cruise sales representatives – all of the millions of dedicated people working with travelers, continue to help them reconnect with loved ones and the world, during an Omicron surge. It has not been easy. Hope, however, remains. And I remain hopeful.
The coming year has created reasons for optimism: reasons for reconnection; reasons for conversation; and reasons for change – in how we live, how we work, how we travel. Across our industry leaders espouse their true active commitment to ensure we do not fast-forward into a new world of travel without ensuring the future of travel is truly sustainable – economically, socially, culturally, and environmentally. We must stay united, focused, and show that Travel & Tourism is a force for good for people and places across the world; and can be carbon neutral and enhance the wellbeing of humanity.
With global travel resuming mid-year 2021, I launched 9 Video Episodes: IN CONVERSATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL – a series of brief conversations with incredible industry leaders from across the world that I am blessed to know personally as peers and friends.
The conversations we’ve had have been remarkable. I am grateful for each one – each conversation providing rich insight into their unique perspectives on how we as an industry come together to build forward, keeping sustainability at the heart of our efforts. I found them to be a great source of inspiration, direction, and importantly, connection. What really stood out for me was how generous each and every leader was in sharing their point of view around the priorities of our industry going forward. Launched with a conversation with cruise sector expert Kelly Craighead, the CEO ofCLIA, the series continued. Conversations included talking about the importance of the role of media with respected journalists Arnie Weissmann, Travel Weekly (also a Tourism Cares Board Member) and James Shillinglaw, examining the critical role of Travel Agents with Zane Kirby, CEO of ASTA, talking with UNWTO Special Advisor to the Secretary General and Tourism Cares Board Member, Anita Mendiratta, about the importance of UN WorldTourism Day in uniting the global community around the power of our industry, each conversation was a refreshing take on what matters to us all.
Some conversations focused on measuring impact in SUSTAINABILITY – our industry-wide call to action. I so enjoyed my conversations with Randy Durband, the CEO of GSTC, and Jessica Upchurch, Virtuoso’s Vice-Chair & Sustainability Strategist, both leaders who have dedicated their life’s work to embedding sustainability into the DNA of a broad spectrum of travel sectors.
In honor of Giving Month, I really enjoyed my conversation with former Tourism Cares Chairmen: MaCher’s founder and CEO, Derek Hydon and Dan Sullivan, CEO of Collette about the importance of providing financial and technical support and helping others on Sustainability Journey. When it came to making a lifetime of difference, I very happily and very proudly had a conversation with my father – Arthur Tauck, now 90 yrs. old, the founder and former Chair of USTOA and Tourism Cares, in our Thanksgiving episode. We all still have so much to be grateful for and to share our life’s learnings thru adversity, perseverance, and vision.
The theme was consistent: We must do this together – as an Industry, focused on building forward better.
Finally, to close 2021’s leadership conversations, Terry Dale, President of USTOA spoke about the importance of USTOA, convening the tourism industry for 50 years, through good times and bad, as 700 leaders in December gathered in person for the USTOA Annual Conference, all working towards a common end goal: a huge restart 2022-23 and protecting, promoting, and preserving the people and places who are the heartbeat of travel.
For 2022, we now work together, closer than ever, towards common goals – a bittersweet gift of the Pandemic. It is vital we ensure that our shared world remains focused on the future of our industry. Thank you for being a part of this journey and helping to build forward better, together.
I look forward to all that we will share in 2022, as we build forward better as one travel community focused on one common goal: making travel and tourism a force for good, for all. Happy New Year.
Sustainability in travel, protecting the people and places we love, has been important to me personally and professionally since before the Millenium. For the fifth episode of my ROBIN TAUCK: IN CONVERSATION Leadership series, I am joined by another passionate voice and sustainability changemaker – Jessica Upchurch, the Vice-Chair & Sustainability Strategist at Virtuoso.
How can one person make a difference in their travels? The simple answer? One choice at a time. However, as the global climate crisis continues, we must find ways to institutionalise the protection of destinations, people, and the environment into the very core of our industry.
Enjoy my conversation with Jessica Upchurch, and join us in exploring new ways to build forward better towards a safer, fairer, and more cared for world.
