14 Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber Director Emeritus, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) Tom Jenkins ETOA CEO Calls for a more sustainable industry Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Director Emeritus at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is giving a keynote on climate change at this year’s ITBBerlin Convention. We asked what we will learn from his presentation. On the one hand, I will summarise how man-made global warming is changing the natural world on which tourism heavily depends – there are no beach vacations without beaches, just to give an example. On the other hand, I will show how tourism itself contributes to climate change and thereby acts in a self-destroying manner. What does the industry need to do? Both in terms of substance and image, the industry needs to switch to a sustainable mode of operation quickly. In particular, the reduction of CO2 emissions from air travel has to be tackled. And it is foolish to bet on even more luxury resorts in flat island states, which will disappear due to a rise in sea level. How can those in the travel and tourism industries contribute to reducing the problem - presuming it cannot be solved? Global warming cannot be stopped or even reversed, but it can still be confined to an extent according to the famous Paris Agreement. Sooner rather than later, the tourism industry needs to come up with a “less-than-2°C” strategy. Such a strategy is actually required from all major economic sectors. A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM LONG- DISTANCE TO REGIONAL TOURISM NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED Who should come to your keynote? Since this is about the very sustainability of tourism in a rapidly changing world, everybody associated with the industry should come: top representatives as well as ordinary customers. Not least, because a paradigm shift from long-distance to regional tourism needs to be considered CLIMATE CHANGE, GLOBAL WARMING, WEATHER EXTREMES: STATUS QUO AND CONSTRAINTS TO ACTION Category: ITB CSR Day Date: March 8, 2019 Time: 11am-11.45am Location: City Cube, Auditorium A3 “We still don’t know what the hell is happening” CEO of the European Tour Operators Association, Tom Jenkins, was at ITBBerlin Convention on the “Brexit: Great Britain Tourism at a Crossroads” panel on Wednesday. He spoke to ITBBerlinNews ahead of the session Tom Jenkins is the CEO of the European Tourism Association (ETOA), representing some 1,200 tour operators and suppliers from over 50 countries and whose purpose is “to promote a fair business environment for European tourism”. Not easy in the face of Brexit – which could have “massive repercussions” if it goes ahead with no deal between the UK and Europe. “We still don’t know what the hell is happening,” Jenkins said. “Even the UK Prime Minister doesn’t know.” There are three likely outcomes. One: Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal is accepted by Parliament and the status quo remains while long-term negotiations take place. Two: there’s a “hard Brexit” with no deal; and three: there’s a delay. “A delay is most likely, because it’s less politically damaging than no-deal, and more plausible than Parliament agreeing on a deal.” No-deal would have the most traumatic impact, “for example on supplies of food and industrial components into the UK”. And for tourism, “the implications are striking. If the UK leaves the EU, UK citizens will no longer be EU citizens,” Jenkins said. “This means UK nationals won’t be able to use the EU immigration lanes; their passports will have to be checked against a security database, and they will have to explain their purpose of travel, length of stay and how they intend to fund it.” This would take an average of 90 seconds per person. “That’s fine if you’re first or second in the queue, but if there are 200 British trying to pass through passport control, that becomes five hours of delay.” This “may not be catastrophic, but UK tourism could only survive by relying on the leniency of EU member states”, Jenkins said. “And that’s not taking back control” UK TOURISM COULD ONLY SURVIVE BY RELYING ON THE LENIENCY OF EU MEMBER STATES ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2019 www.itb-berlin-news.com
15 BROUGHT TO YOU BY Thomas Stöckel EMEA, Senior Vice President, Supplier Relations, BCD Travel Susanne Donner Product Manager Purchasing Department, Tour Vital Touristik GmbH BCD Travel: Maximising business opportunities Networking at ITBBerlin is top priority Thomas Stöckel is Senior Vice President, Supplier Relations EMEA at Berlin-based BCD Travel. ITBBerlinNews asked him about the travel hub’s primary focus and its broader market positioning. Susanne Donner is Product Manager Purchasing Department at Tour Vital Touristik GmbH. We asked her to tell us a little about the business and her focus at ITBBerlin. BCD Travel is the market leader for business travel in Germany and one of the leading travel management companies worldwide. We help companies make the most of what they spend on travel. For travellers, this means keeping them safe and productive, and equipping them to make good choices on the road. For travel and procurement managers, it means advising them on how to grow the value of their travel program. What are you hoping to gain from this year’s ITBBerlin? I’m attending ITB mainly for networking reasons. It’s a great event to meet partners from all over the world in person. Are you interested in particular industry themes? Primarily I’m interested in business travel-related topics and the news our industry partners present at the tradeshow. How important for you is the speed dating organized at ITB? We meet our partners on-site by appointments scheduled ahead of the event. Although we are not the main target group for the speed dating session, we think it’s still a worthwhile opportunity because it lets buyers meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. Why did you decide to join the ITBBerlin Buyers Circle, and what, for you, are the key advantages of being a member? An ITB Buyers Circle membership provides you early access to the trade show and last but not least, it also gets you comfortable onsite limousine shuttle service, which is of great value as it helps to maximise meeting time with your business partners. TO ME, ITB BERLIN MEANS ACCESSING THE BIG WIDE TRAVEL WORLD ON MY DOORSTEP How important is ITBBerlin for you as an event and why? To me, ITBBerlin means accessing the big wide travel world on my doorstep. I can meet people and partners face-to-face from all over the world that I’d otherwise only get to talk with over the phone or if I travelled For more than 10 years, Tour Vital Touristik GmbH has been a tour operator specialising in round trips, with the focus on comfort as well as experience and active elements. Being the market leader for medically accompanied tours, especially in India and Vietnam, we strive to provide unique travel experiences for our guests. What are the main trends you are seeing in terms of buyer demand? An ongoing trend in buyer demand is last minute bookings – customers prefer even to book long haul travel very last minute (14 days prior to arrival). As a result, we and our partners have to adapt to this demand regarding available hotel and flight allotment. What are you hoping to gain from this year’s ITBBerlin? Networking with established key suppliers and possible business partners is the most important reason to join ITBBerlin. It is great to meet partners face-to-face. Are you interested in particular travel themes? All themes related to group travel in Europe are of interest for me. How important is the speed dating organised at ITB for you? The speed dating is a great opportunity to meet new business partners and extend my network in an efficient and convenient way. Why did you decide to join the ITBBerlin Buyers Circle? The calm atmosphere and separate meeting rooms enable me to discuss important issues with my partners in detail and privacy. I really enjoy checking my emails or preparing the last details for upcoming meetings while having a cup of coffee at the Marshall House. AN ONGOING TREND IN BUYER DEMAND IS LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS How important is ITBBerlin for you as an event and why? ITBBerlin is the main tourism event for us. It offers the opportunity to get inspired by new trends and to get in contact with future business partners ITB BERLIN NEWS • Friday 8 th March 2019
