Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid and Venice to share new tourism models to avoid tourist overcrowding at TIS2024

According to a recent market report, 68% of tourists value sustainability positively and want tools to make decisions about the environmental impact of their trips. This is just one sign that the travel industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation with a focus on sustainability. This is reflected in hotels, which are integrating “green” technology in their rooms; the commitment to promoting the circular economy in travel; and an increase in travellers’ awareness of the care and respect for the places they visit.

TIS – Tourism Innovation Summit 2024 will focus on sustainability as one of its cross-cutting themes. From October 23rd to 25th in Seville, Spain, the international event will analyze the strategies the tourism industry is implementing to move towards a more responsible and ethical tourism that seeks to minimize environmental impact. Among them, the industry is implementing technological solutions to carry out measurements in a transparent and conscious way and thus evaluate initiatives to achieve sustainable tourism. It is also implementing strategies to reduce its carbon footprint and move towards ecotourism.

Within this framework, the congress will present innovative models of sustainable tourism that destinations such as Iceland, Benidorm and Nouvelle Aiquitannie are adopting, with renowned experts such as Snorri Valsson, PR & Media at Icelandic Tourist Board; Leire Bilbao, Manager at VisitBenidorm, and Miguel Figueroa, Lead Manager at TUI Care Foundation. Likewise, cities such as Rome, Amsterdam, Madrid and Venice will analyze innovation in new tourism models that avoid overcrowding and generate a sustainable impact in the long term.

On the other hand, travellers are increasingly aware of the importance of caring for the planet and the destinations they visit. That is why destinations and tourism businesses are already integrating smart technologies to help them achieve sustainable practices to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the region and disruptive business models to respond to the changing needs of modern travellers. In this context, Alessandra Priante, President of ENIT; Andrew Agius Muscat, CEO at Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association; Carlos Costa, Full Professor at the University of Aveiro; and Antonio Lopez De Avila, Director of Innovation, Education and Investment at UNWTO, will address how Mediterranean destinations are leveraging innovation to ensure long-term sustainable growth and improve their competitiveness.

In this scenario, regenerative tourism is one of the most revolutionary and committed initiatives in the industry these days. Regenerative tourism seeks to offer an experience in which the visitor, with his or her good sustainable practices, is involved in improving the destination and the local community. This includes aspects such as regenerative agriculture, community conservation projects and travel practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation, cultural preservation and economic empowerment of destination communities=. Filippos Venetopoulos, Chief Executive Officer at Variety Cruises, will speak about this trend with great opportunities for the future.

Another practice that is growing in the sector due to its responsible approach is the circular economy, which demonstrates great capabilities to reduce pollution and carbon footprint, improve resource efficiency and promote environmental conservation. Elena Martin Cuesta, Director of Sustainability at Ilunion Hotels, Sascha Gill, Chief Executive Officer at United Waterways, and Miguel Figueroa, Lead Manager at TUI Care Foundation, will discuss innovative approaches and success stories of adopting the circular economy for tourism.

Promoting diversity and inclusion

 In addition to this respect for the protection of nature and cultural heritage, diversity and inclusion in tourism are gaining traction. The industry is pursuing initiatives that promote the accessibility of tourism destinations, but also reflect the diversity of global travelers. To this end, the industry is advocating for leadership in fostering an inclusive culture that carries throughout the industry’s value chain. Magali Bertolucci, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at MSC Cruises, will present success stories and best practices on the implementation of diversity and inclusion programs that are creating teams that are representative of society, moving away from unrealistic biases, and helping to generate inclusive and welcoming work environments for employees.

TIS2024 will once again host A World for Travel

TIS will host for the second consecutive year a new edition of A World for Travel (AWFT).  In its 5^th year, AWFT is a forum that brings together leading companies in the tourism sector to discuss critical issues in sustainable tourism both in the public and private sectors. With this year’s focus on climate change, ESG and sustainable financing, the forum will address how the travel industry is addressing these challenges through collaboration, via energy transitions, engagement with financial services, communities and communication.