Intrepid Travel CEO Calls for More Advocacy in Tourism and Less Fixation on Numbers
Photo Caption: James Thornton, Intrepid CEO. Source: Intrepid Group.
Skift Take
As travel revives, industry leaders must address their sector's impact on the climate and on local communities. Otherwise, the sector risks attacks from the media and becoming a "poster child of something pretty negative," says the top boss of tour operator Intrepid.
The travel industry has been riveted by the pandemic. But it risks reputational damage if it reverts to practices that contribute to overtourism, social inequities, and carbon emissions.
"If we follow this line that growth and visitor numbers are the only metrics of success, we're going to find the tourism industry attacked pretty strongly by the global media," said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. "We definitely need more advocacy. If we don't do something, tourism is going to become the poster child of something pretty negative."
Thorton was speaking on Thursday at Design the Future, a Skift online summit. Intrepid, a Melbourne-based tour operator, recorded four years of record top and bottom-l
