Global Future Council on Sustainable Tourism

Although the tourism industry has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, its hallmark resilience is expected to foster its recovery. However, the prior decades’ boom of tourism led the industry to volumes and practices that challenge its sustainability; overcrowding and the carbon footprint of flying being among the top public criticisms. And while consumers are increasingly aware and concerned, they are not yet willing to pay more for sustainability, challenging the decoupling of shareholder-value maximization from competitive advantage, and favouring inertia. The Global Future Council on Sustainable Tourism will evaluate the conditions or policies that would be needed for the success of progressive business models that place sustainability in their DNA and may explore the development of industry-wide metrics that enable comparability and accountability. It will also consider how developing technologies can be harnessed to support the transition to ultimately achieve a clean, safe and inclusive tourism industry.

Co-chairs

Megan Morikawa, Director, Sustainability Office, Iberostar Group, Spain

Bonny Simi, President, JetBlue Technology Ventures, USA

Council Manager

Isobel Fenton, Platform Curator, Aviation & Aerospace - Shaping the Future of Mobility, World Economic Forum