Sustainable travel is not just a trendy phrase, it has now become an integral part of how all travel companies and tourism providers should operate. There are two reasons for this: the world needs it, and many travelers are now considering it.
The recent cessation of worldwide travel during the pandemic highlighted how we can actually make a difference. Now the world has returned to normal once again, worldwide travel is estimated to reach almost 1.8 billion by 2030. The answer is not to stop traveling but to increase our awareness and take steps to mitigate the effects.
Over the years, more and more travel and tourism providers have been implementing ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals and sustainability reporting. Many providers are working hard to upgrade their services and facilities to ensure they not only meet these goals but exceed them.
Sustainable incentive travel and events are no exception. Truly sustainable events should follow all three ESG goals: environmental, social, and governance. However, it is not always easy. Therefore, in order to ensure these goals are met or exceeded, sustainability skills and experience are required.
Our CEO, Bostjan Horjak, has lived and breathed sustainability for the last two decades. He has always held sustainability at the heart of everything we do here at Liberty Adriatic. Bostjan introduced sustainable incentive travel programs to the market well ahead of time. However, he needed to pause because the market was sadly not yet ready. Things have changed, however, and sustainability has not just become more noticeable but is becoming ever more required.
It is Bostjan’s wish and goal to make his wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of sustainable incentive travel and events available to the global meetings industry. As the CEO of Liberty Adriatic, he has also just been appointed Chief Sustainability Officer for Liberty International Tourism Group, which represents more than 100 destinations all over the world. This is a dream come true for him; to be able to help others around the world build a better and more sustainable travel industry that will protect the world and ensure that it remains unspoiled for generations to come.
Through educational training programs and private consulting, Bostjan aims to help providers of incentive travel and event services, such as: hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, outdoor activity providers, DMOs, and many others, to improve and adapt their services to ensure sustainable travel is at the very heart of what they offer, and that they meet their own ESG goals.
Additionally, Bostjan can hold training courses providing all educational content to ensure that participants learn each of the necessary steps on how to successfully organize their own sustainable incentive travel programs.
By ensuring all providers receive the necessary support and training, this will create a larger pool of sustainable resources to choose from when planning and arranging our event and incentive programs. Service providers will also become more attractive to DMC’s around the world that are including sustainable travel at the heart of what they do.
The world is a beautiful place; let’s work harder to keep it that way.
