ITB Berlin News 2018 - Review Edition

6 NEWS
“Growing Better”
ITB Berlin 2018
Tourism has a responsibility to lead
global sustainable development agenda
says new UNWTO chief.
Rika
Jean Francois
CSR Commissioner, ITB Berlin
ITB Berlin 2018 - Opening Ceremony
Zurab
Pololikashvili
Secretary-General,
World Tourism Organisation
(UNWTO)
ITB Berlin
Addresses Key
CSR Challenges
Zurab Pololikashvili, recently-appointed Secretary-
General of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO),
made a strong impression during his visit to ITB Berlin
2018.
Appointed to the role in late 2017,
the event was an opportunity for
Pololikashvili to meet industry
stakeholders and set out his
organisation’s vision - some of
which was laid out during his
address at the opening of ITB
Berlin on March 6.
Speaking in the presence of
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel, tourism ministers
from around the world and
the leaders of the tourism
sector, Pololikashvili stressed
how tourism not only needs to
consolidate current growth rates,
but “to grow better”. He said the
tourism sector has a role and
responsibility in contributing to
sustainable development on a
global scale.
In 2017, international tourist
numbers grew a record 7% to
reach 1.3 billion. UNWTO’s
message underlines the need to
turn these figures into benefits for
all people and communities.
“Leaving no one behind”, said
Pololikashvili, is the benchmark
for true sustainability, which
must also decouple growth from
resource use and place climate
change mitigation at the heart of
the tourism sector’s agenda.
“Tourism’s sustained growth
brings immense opportunities
for economic welfare and
development,” said the UNWTO
Secretary-General, while
warning at the same time that
it also brings many challenges.
“Adapting to the challenges of
safety and security, constant
market changes, digitalisation
and the limits of our natural
resources should be priorities in
our common action.”
Along with sustainability and
climate change, Pololikashvili
also stressed education and
job creation, innovation and
technology, safety and security
as the priorities for the sector if
the UN’s 2030 Agenda 2030 for
Sustainable Development is to
be achieved.
Pololikashvili concluded that
public/private cooperation as
well as coordination “must
be strengthened in order to
translate tourism growth into
more investment, more jobs and
better livelihoods”
As CSR Commissioner
for ITB Berlin, Rika Jean
Francois has observed
that Overtourism is a key
industry talking point this
year. There were at least
six panels dealing with the
subject at ITB Berlin this
year – all attempting to find
lasting solutions.
We urgently need to find
solutions. Digitalisation can
help, but smart visitor control
systems are only one part of the
solution – we also have to think
about alternative concepts,
like breaking seasonality or
decentralisation.
What other challenges have you
observed?
Another global concern is
the on-going pollution of the
oceans with persistent microand
macroplastic waste as it has
drastic effects on the ecology
and our health and of course
tourism!
In a positive way, I think there
is a trend to include sustainable
and responsible thinking into
destination management plans.
For instance, our ITB Partner,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has
developed numerous sustainable
tourism projects. In cooperation
with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
for the first time ever we left a
zero carbon footprint for our
opening ceremony.
What was new at the show
in terms of CSR initiatives, or
exhibitors?
The seminar on Gender Equality
in Tourism at the Palais on
Thursday, 8 March, International
Women’s Day, was of special
significance.The Zambia Tourism
Forum was also of interest: ITB’s
Convention and Culture Partner
2018 gave an insight into how
heritage interpretation can be
a development tool for rural
tourism.
How important is CSR and
sustainability in the decision
making process of buyers today
and what is the trend there?
Consumer behaviour is in the
process of changing: Fair Trade
is becoming more popular and
so is Fair Travel. People have
want to live a healthier, more
balanced life style. Consumers
will see (CSR and sustainability)
as a matter of course and tourism
providers shall be prepared, it
will be considered de rigueur
ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 21 st March 2018
www.itb-berlin-news.com