World Travel Market has expanded its World Responsible Tourism remit this year, with a one-day conference, The Business Case for Responsible Tourism, featuring a line-up of internationally respected experts.

The conference, chaired by Professor Harold Goodwin, director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, will focus on how hoteliers and tour operators can use responsible tourism to improve the bottom line.
 
It takes place on Thursday, November 13, the day after WTM’s second World Responsible Tourism Day, in South Gallery Room 21-22

Speakers will include Jane Ashton, head of sustainable development TUI Travel; Nicky Fitzgerald, Conservation Corporation Africa; Richard Hearn, former owner and MD of Inntravel; Liam Lambert, operations director, Europe, Mandarin Oriental Hotels and chairman of the Considerate Hoteliers Association; Geoff Manchester, MD of Intrepid Travel; Lyndall de Marco, International Business Leaders Forum; Amanda Marks, MD of Tribes Travel; Chris Thomson, Federation of Tour Operators; and Loreto Duffy-Meyers, Casuarina Beach Club Barbados, Green Hotel Certification – Caribbean.

WTM chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “Businesses suffer from the misconception that responsible tourism strategies can mean taking a hit on profits.

“If responsible tourism activity is integrated with a well orchestrated business plan, it can have a positive impact on overall performance and has resulted in some highly successful businesses reaping the benefits of responsible tourism.

“A clear signal has now gone out to the world that responsible tourism must be at the top of the agenda, but this definitely does not mean the industry has to forgo profits.”