The pandemic put forward the critical need for ‘Rethinking Tourism’ on the World Tourism Day, 2022. As the globe and fraternity engulfs itself with multiple challenges, new travel norms, where the dynamics have changed significantly and transformed as an evolution, the world is still pitching to adapt to the ‘New Normal’. T3 collates opinion of stakeholder on the World Tourism Day 2022:
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General Of The UNWTO
“Tourism’s relevance has never been clearer. The time is now to seize this opportunity to rethink how we do tourism. World Tourism Day is a power to celebrate Tourism, however, this year especially we also recognize that we cannot go back to the old days of working. We must Rethink Tourism. As the world opens up again, we must learn the lessons of the past. Through crisis, we have seen where we can build more resilience and also where can deliver more fairness. We need new voices, as well as new ideas if we are to transform our sector, and build better tourism for all. On World Tourism Day, UNWTO calls on everyone to reflect and rethink what we do and how we do it.
Nakul Anand, Chairman, FAITH
“This World Tourism Day, brings forth immense promise of rethinking integrated tourism planning and action as we discussed at the State tourism Ministers’ meet keeping sustainability and responsibility at the core. This is important to bring out both the Indian tourism travel and hospitality entrepreneurs and the employees from the shadow of the pandemic.”
Shoba Mohan, Founder, RARE India
“I would rather call it redefining Tourism – the rethink will come with that. Every tourism activity should be assessed through the lens of preservation and development, essentially putting the planet and the people first. The development would include well-being and growth of the local communities, preservation of the environment, natural bio-diversity, culture, and local traditions.”
Shruti Shibulal, CEO & Director of Tamara Leisure Experiences (TLE)
“As benefactors of a sustainable world, as travelers who become part of its story, and as active agents who can drive lasting change, people remain central to both the ideas and practices that will bring a sustainable shift in tourism. As we “Rethink Tourism” on World Tourism Day today, we recognize that this highly interconnected industry with the ability to influence many other markets is a crucial pillar of global development. It can therefore be a powerful catalyst for the kind of transformation that protects resources, uplifts economies, and benefits future generations.
Pankaj Parwanda, Co-Founder, goSTOPS
“Tourism is a major engine of economic growth across the globe holding immense potential. The sector has been expanding steadily and diversifying rapidly over the past several years, making it one of the fastest growing in the entire world. Besides, giving a boost to the economic development of the country, the tourism industry has great capacity to create large-scale employment of diverse kinds- from the most specialised to the unskilled. From local skilled workers/artisans/business owners to big hotel/hostel industries/airlines, etc. tourism impacts almost every segment of the economy. There has been a huge impact, due to the pandemic, on big industries, especially the tourism and hospitality sector. I am happy that UNWTO (UN agency of World Tourism Organization) has taken this initiative in order to revitalise the global tourism sector, and to support economies, create jobs, and drive development outcomes that put people and their communities first.”
Tushar Agarwal, Co-Founder, Adventures Overland
“We resonate with the theme of ‘Rethinking Tourism’ not only at the responsible travel philosophy level but also in terms of how we imagine our trips. As our world becomes smaller and resources become rarer, it is prudent to take corrective action. Being a travel company, our tourism brand has far more purpose than simply going to a destination. We are excited to play a significant role in reducing the carbon footprint of all travelers with our initiative and pledge to offset all the CO2 emissions of the crew cars on the trips. We will also encourage our clients to offset their emissions. At Adventures Overland, we are also exploring options of organising tours with Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Norway and are hopeful that these tours will become a regular feature with us. We wish all passionate travelers a Happy World Tourism Day and look forward to having them join us in some of our forthcoming trips.”
