Skift Take
Whether or not they are doing enough, at least companies are starting to address some of the wider issues around the travel and tourism industry.
Despite the many issues facing humanity, tourism continues to expand at impressive speed. International arrivals are increasing 6 percent in 2018, hitting the 1.4 billion mark, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
It's both an impressive and alarming figure, given how fast the middle class is growing in countries like China and India.
That's one of the reasons why we entitled this year's Skift Forum Europe: Defining the Future of Responsible Travel. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at some of the themes that emerged on Tuesday at London's Tobacco Dock.
Companies Need to Do the Right Thing
It's no longer feasible for companies to dodge societal or environmental issues. Customers are demanding action, and it was interesting to hear a couple of CEOs talk explicitly about getting out in front of the challenges the travel and tourism sector faces.
"You're seeing in society today — and this is a personal view — a bit of a loss of belief in government, and so you're seeing rising nationalism ... and an expectation today that corporations are going to become more of a force for good," said Keith Barr, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group.
"In the past it was a do-no-harm approach, which was you had your CSR [corporate social responsibility] platform, you're going out and doing the right things. Today I think customer expectations are changing faster than government regulations.
