Travel firms have been urged to “take a stand” on an issue and “own it” to remain appeal to younger generations.
Co-founder and chief executive of Trajectory Partnership, Paul Flatters, said brands that did not do this risked becoming irrelevant to Generation Z.
He said businesses had three options: Pick a side and risk alienating others; stay out of it entirely and risk losing meaning; and own an agenda and risk not walking the line.
More: Full coverage from Abta’s Travel Convention in Tokyo
“We think that not taking a view is not an option,” he told delegates at Abta’s travel Convention in Tokyo. “We understand and sympathise with you as a sector and appreciate you do some amazing things, adding that tourism was a route to ensuring sustainability in some destinations.
But he said: “We need to be brave in the future when confronting these messages.”
Associate Sarah Morris said Generation Z were more likely than other generations to discover brands through friends, online advertising, influencers and celebrity endorsements.
She said this generation was less likely than other age groups to discover brands through seeing the brand out shopping or through shops assistants.