BUSINESS TRAVEL
prnewswire | March 24, 2023
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the total water usage of the global Travel & Tourism sector.
In one of the largest research projects of its kind, WTTC can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact the sector has on the environment.
The findings were launched today at the United Nations in New York at the UN 2023 Water Conference.
Direct Water Use
Speaking at the UN Headquarters, Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability at WTTC, revealed that Travel & Tourism's entire water footprint is just 0.6% of the global water use according to the latest figures (2021).
In 2019, when the sector was at its peak, the sector's total water footprint was only 50% higher, but still less than 1% of the global total at 0.9%.
Travel & Tourism's direct water use is significantly lower – in 2019 it was 0.2% of the global total and has fallen by half to just 0.1% of the global total.
Much of the sector's water use is indirect, through its supply chain, with agriculture and food production accounting for two-thirds of Travel & Tourism's entire water footprint.
Between 2010 and 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector in Europe and Africa reduced direct water use. In Europe, direct water use fell by 8% and in Africa, direct water use by the sector fell by 6%.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: "This ground-breaking new data reveals our sector's water consumption for the first time ever, revealing that Travel & Tourism uses less than 1% of the water used around the world, with the overwhelming majority of that usage coming from the sector's supply chain.
"The data also shows that whilst the sector has grown economically around the world, its direct-use water intensity has decreased.
"The data is the most in depth study of the sector's water use, and like the world-first climate footprint data we released at our Global Summit in Riyadh last year, we can also reveal individual countries' Travel & Tourism sector's water footprints. This will enable governments to work with the sector to further reduce water usage."
Water Intensity
The water intensity of Travel & Tourism per unit of GDP has also fallen since 2010, across both direct and indirect use.
In 2010, the sector used 0.57m³ of water for every $1 contributed to the global economy. In 2019 this fell by 19% to reach 0.46m³ of water for every $1 contributed to the global economy.
In a world-first, this comprehensive research covers 185 countries across all regions and will be updated each year with revised figures.
This research was made possible thanks to the partnership between WTTC and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center. Under the Saudi green Initiative, more than 60 initiatives have been launched in the past year, representing more than $186 billion of investment in the green economy.
About the World Travel & Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.
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AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
IBS Software | February 15, 2023
On February 15, 2023, IBS Software, a travel tech company, released new survey data that shows a staggering 93% of UK and US customers would book more services with airlines if given the opportunity, presenting an enormous opportunity for airlines.
Following a difficult phase of travel uncertainty, passenger confidence in US and UK is on the rise, with 83% of respondents planning to purchase airline tickets within the next six months, according to the study. However, the research also indicates that airlines have failed to maximize this opportunity, with more than a third of respondents (36%) indicating that booking a flight online is more time-consuming and complex than other online retail experiences.
56% of recent flyers would purchase additional offerings from an airline if the online reservation and checkout experience were more like that of online fashion retailers and grocery stores. In addition, a tenth of the people stated that they would book the entirety of their vacation with their airline if they could.
Nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) believe that having all confirmation details in one place is the primary advantage of booking multiple trip components in a single transaction, closely followed by saving money (22%) and having only one provider to deal with in case of issues (19%). Converting a one-time buyer into a repeat customer is difficult for any company. Free seat allocation (51%), included baggage (60%), and priority boarding (25%) are the top services airlines could provide to convert passengers into lifelong customers.
Paul Byrne, VP iFly Retail at IBS Software, explains, "As more and more industries invest in Amazon-esque tactics to compete for consumer spend, it's important airlines don't pass up the opportunity on the table. It's always challenging transforming back-end technology but now is the time to build more personalised relationships with your customers - in a difficult economic climate, can you afford not to?"
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About IBS Software
IBS Software is a leader in providing SaaS solutions for the travel industry based in Singapore. It manages mission-critical operations for clients in the aviation, tour & cruise, and hospitality industries. The aviation industry solutions provided by the company include fleet & crew operations, passenger services, staff travel, loyalty programs, aircraft maintenance, and air cargo management. It also operates a B2B and B2C distribution platform that provides hotel room inventory, rates, and availability to a network of hospitality companies and channels. Additionally, it offers a comprehensive, customer-centric digital platform for the tour and cruise industry that includes onshore, online, and on-board solutions. IBS Software is a Blackstone portfolio company with 15 offices worldwide.
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TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY,INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Internova Travel Group | January 06, 2023
Internova Travel Group, one of the largest travel service companies in the world, has committed to assisting in the fight against the effects of global climate change and is currently working toward becoming carbon-neutral with its employee travel by the end of 2023.
The company has recently initiated a partnership with Sustainable Travel International. This global organization has more than 15 years of experience developing successful sustainable travel practices and supporting some of the previous year's best carbon offset programs for the travel industry.
To broaden the scope of these efforts, the firm has launched two new programs for clients that will aid them in lowering the emissions caused by their travel.
The first one is the Climate Positive Program, geared toward corporate clients. It intends to assist in evaluating the sustainability initiatives of their businesses, measuring their emissions, formulating strategies to reduce or eliminate those emissions, and effectively communicating with their stakeholders, customers, and employees.
The next one is the Climate Action Program, designed for clients who are interested in leisure travel. It allows them to contribute 1% of the total cost of their trip toward offsetting their emissions. Travelers will also get helpful tips and up-to-date information on the latest efforts to make tourism more sustainable.
The company is committed to giving its travel advisers training on sustainability and holding workshops with travel suppliers to teach them how to make itineraries that are good for the environment. These two initiatives are part of Internova's commitment to the environment.
Internova Travel Group said that as a travel company, it has a special duty to become a strong advocate for the environment. The company intends to protect the world's natural and cultural resources so people can enjoy them for generations.
About Internova Travel Group
Internova Travel Group is one of the biggest travel services companies in the world. It has a number of well-known brands that serve both leisure and business travelers. Its divisions manage leisure, business, and franchising enterprises. The company has over 100,000 travel advisors in over 6,000 company-owned and affiliated sites in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
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