SINGAPORE, 17 May 2024: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), together with IC Bellagio and the private Travel & Tourism sector members, launched a new consumer-focused initiative to help travellers understand how they can discover the world sustainably.
WTTC has joined forces with IC Bellagio an award-winning destination management company in Italy, to create a new campaign, ‘Community Conscious Travel’, and aims to raise awareness and drive action amongst consumers and communities to maintain the delicate equilibrium between residents’ quality of life, the traveller experience, and the environmental health of popular destinations.
This call to action highlights the positive impact travellers can have by making informed choices, such as exploring destinations during off-peak times, promoting year-round travel, and considering less-crowded, new, and emerging destinations.
Making these choices will help reduce the strain on local infrastructure and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the communities, businesses, and ecosystems, which will enjoy a steady flow of visitors throughout the year.
WTTC plans to fully roll out the campaign just before the 2024 Summer season. It will emphasise video-based storytelling and spread across the global tourism body’s social media platforms, highlighting the enormous benefits the sector can provide to these destinations and their people.
Italy is the first case study for this content-driven initiative, designed to raise awareness and spark conversations about Community Conscious Travel and the positive social impact of responsible tourism.
Travel and tourism are powerful forces for good. In Italy, they contributed nearly EUR215 billion to the economy and created almost three million jobs.
The sector employs more women and young people at entry level than any other. It also offers highly skilled roles in AI, finance, engineering, and commercial.
The campaign demonstrates how both local communities and visitors can benefit from the positive social impact of Travel & Tourism, facilitating sustainable growth for all. This year, the sector is also expected to support nearly 350 million jobs globally, highlighting its significance as an economic powerhouse.
WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said: “Our Community Conscious Travel campaign shows how consumers can travel the world while positively impacting and supporting local communities.
“There have always been very popular tourist sights and destinations, and local governments must work hand in glove with local communities to manage visitors in a way that benefits everyone. In Italy and many other countries worldwide, visitors often help keep authentic arts, culture, and crafts alive.”
IC Bellagio CEO & Founder, Andrea Grisdale said: “Across the spectrum of Travel & Tourism, the significance of people cannot be overstated. They are the lifeblood of this vibrant industry, intrinsic to the experience that travel provides and, ultimately, the economic growth it creates.
“At IC Bellagio, we believe that Travel & Tourism is all about the people, not the traveller alone but the communities and the individuals that welcome them. This campaign will draw an even bolder line between these parties and highlight the mutually beneficial relationship that can exist when we choose to travel more responsibly.”
This new campaign with IC Bellagio is part of the wider global tourism body’s efforts to ensure a balanced approach to tourism management. It follows previous reports on Destination Stewardship and handling destinations’ success.
Find more information about Community Conscious Travel here.
