76% of travellers want sustainable travel options

Speaking at the keynote address, at ITB Asia 2024, Liz Ortiguera, Managing Director Asia-Pacific and Sr Advisor to CEO World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) talked about global trends in sustainable travel and tourism. She shared statistics from the Travel & Tourism Economic Impact 2024: Global Trends and data from 2024 EIR, WTTC with Oxford Economics.

Asia Pacific 2024 Forecast

Sharing Asia Pacific numbers, she said that: “Asia Pacific Economic contribution of travel and tourism will reach 3.2 trillion, which is 5.5% above 2019 levels. Total job supported has reached 191 million, which is 3.8% above 2019. So based on these measures, Asia Pacific has finally recovered to pre pandemic levels, and the future is very bright.”

Asia Pacific Visitor Spend 2024 Forecast
She added: “In terms of visitor spend, our international spend numbers are USD 503 BN still 10.2% below 2019, but domestic which is 77% of the spend, is at USD 1.7 TN ,12.3% above v/s 2019. The future is exciting. Over the next 10 years, Asia Pacific will truly be an engine for growth globally.

Asia Pacific T&T GDP 2034 Forecast
“The sector is poised to grow to GDP 5.8 trillion and GDP will grow from 8.7% to 11.2% in terms of jobs over the next 10 years by 2034, our travel sector globally will create 104 million new jobs. 64 million of them will be here in Asia Pacific, which is exciting to see.”

She added that with these fantastic numbers and growth projections, comes responsibility to manage and balance Economic Opportunities with Environmental Sustainability.

Consumer-driven Advocacy

Rise of Resident-driven Advocacy to counter Overtourism

“We’re seeing in the headlines for some destinations, five to 10 times more reports or complaints about the effect of overtourism. There are multiple factors that contribute to overcrowding, both domestic and international travellers are facing this issue.” 76% of travellers want sustainable travel options.
In the developing nations, people have seen upfront what climate change can do. She adds: “And so, will that translate into spending more? No, we haven’t seen that pattern yet. But people choose more responsible brands, more modern brands will adopt and feed the trendsetters. Therefore, it is important that companies don’t get left behind in sustainable destination management. Companies are either expanding or creating new roles within the organization to focus on better destination management, and this is really critical, and this is an important principle that we need to make sure that our destinations are built for resiliency, and they’re ready for both the domestic and international tourism that’s going to come in.”

Community-based Tourism

To create sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship between travellers and the host communities. “I think I’ve been in six countries in the last eight weeks, and in every country around this region. This is a big theme. Governments are looking at how they can support these models, how they can educate and ready communities to create experiences that are mutually beneficial to both the community and travel.”

Sustainability Certifications
Gone are the days or soon gone will be the days of any greenwashing. EU is leading the way in terms of Green Claims Legislation and these requirements are going to be unfolding all over. She says,: “We’re seeing that the labels that you see moving forward will need to be substantiated with certifications. Now at WTTC, we’re trying to help the industry move along, and we have a hotel sustainability basis program. So, it’s important that nobody gets left behind. And this is a critical approach to really making sure that you are putting the true actions in place”

Nature-Positive Tourism
“We just issued a report, 50% of global tourism is driven by nature-based experiences. Here in Asia Pacific, we’re seeing this emergence of soft adventure and interest in soft adventure in nature. 80% of revenues in travel and tourism are actually linked to nature and the environment, and so this is a critical asset for us to manage, both as global citizens and as travelling tourism leaders.” She advocates.

Wholistic Wellness Experiences
There is a rising need for wholistic wellness experiences wellness that takes care of self as well as the community. She says: “Ancient spiritual wellness practices, these are becoming more and more mainstream, things like sound healing, soft adventure experiences, hiking trips, more accessible adventure experiences that are also linked to nature must be explored.”

Celebrating Local Cuisine

The global appreciation and awareness of Asian players is high in the West. She adds that it’s an opportunity for the cultures across Asia Pacific to share, to educate and inform, because the curiosity is there. “So don’t assume that they just want Western food. You should actually celebrate, and this supports celebrating heritage, cooking, sustainable sourcing, and then lastly, reducing food waste. We’ve got some very progressive restaurants here in Singapore that are top level of gourmet, and their focus is zero  waste. I think we’re going to start to see this expanding further across the region and the globe.”

Immersive, Authentic Experiences
Immersive, authentic experiences, creative travel experiences are gaining popularity. “Creative travel experiences, when you are able to engage consumers in an activity. It could be a dance, cooking, any craft or more. Research shows that when travellers do such activities, they will post seven to eight times more on social media. So, it’s a great way to market your destination and deliver an authentic experience.”
In India there was a huge resurgence, of their domestic travellers, the Indian travellers, are discovering their heritage and their history in numbers and in ways that they haven’t in the past, ensuring a sense of place and hospitality. So, tourism products whether hotels or itineraries, need to have a sense of the place where they are situated.
“And then lastly, one of my favourite mantras, eat, local, tour, local, spend local. It’s important that travel contributes to the communities that host them, and it’s important that we educate, and we give people the experience that they’re looking for. These are few of the trends that I love and advocate and  are supportive of emergence and sustainability,” Ortiguera concluded.