Operators paying lip service to sustainable tourism?
Operators may simply be “buying time” by agreeing to set down sustainable travel policies, it has been claimed.
Environmental watchdog Responsibletravel.com said it remained unconvinced the big three operators – TUI, Thomas Cook and MyTravel – were serious about adopting a more considered approach to destinations.
The comments follow a concerted campaign by responsibletravel.com which accused mass market companies of virtually destroying destinations.
“We will keep up the pressure on these, and other operators, to ensure the policies they have agreed to draw up are not just words. We want to see action,” said Reponsibletravel.com director Paul Snudden. “It could be that they are simply buying time. Only time will tell.”
Speaking at the ITEX show for the independent travel sector in London, Mr Snudden predicted operators will also come under pressure from the City to move away from the traditional package holiday, which he claimed now made up just 30% of the overall market.
“Packages are exactly the same as they were years ago,” he said. “A flight, hotel and rep. It’s a mugs game. Operators are going round in circles and we shall see some casualties. We are already seeing profits drop.”
While some firms have admitted there is “destination fatigue”, their answer is to simply repeat the over-development process at great expense in new resorts. Customers have changed, but operators continue to churn out the same product, said Mr Snudden, describing resorts as “compounds”.
“I would have thought operators would be more enlightened than this,” he said. “Customers are now thinking what they want to get to get out of the holiday. They are looking for authenticity and a deeper experience.”
Report by Steve Jones
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
U.S.A. and Israel attacks on Iran impact air movements in the Gulf (Update 1.00pm CET)
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025