World Travel Market (WTM) is holding a conference to highlight the financial benefits of responsible tourism. The one-day conference, The Business Case for Responsible Tourism, will be held on November 12 at ExCeL London.
The session will be chaired by Professor Harold Goodwin, the world’s only responsible tourism professor, director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism at Leeds Metropolitan University, and adviser to WTM.
Guest speakers will include some of the world’s most respected responsible tourism specialists.
“Many businesses are working towards incorporating sustainability into the core of their products,” Goodwin said.
“These products are often the result of a well-thought-out sustainability concept, and yet the entrepreneurs behind it fail to reach the marketplace because they lack marketing expertise and knowledge of the tourism industry’s distribution channels.
“Tourism companies, particularly small firms from developing countries, suffer from poor targeting, market segmentation and positioning, low consumer product knowledge, and consumer risk perception.
“However, many successful com-panies – large and small – are demonstrating that responsible tourism can be, and is, an important part of a successful sales and marketing strategy.”
WTM chairwoman Fiona Jeffery said: “This conference will tackle responsible tourism in a different manner. Its remit is relevant in these challenging economic times.
“Responsible tourism can transform the fortunes of a travel company, and we will prove it at the conference,” Jeffery said.
The conference follows WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, which encourages universal responsible tourism action. Register for the conference before September 16 for £195, after September 16 it will cost £230. The price will increase to £275 after November 6.
● Responsibletravel.com co-founder and managing director Justin Francis will demonstrate how his business has proved that it is possible to be profitable and ethical.
● Leeds Metropolitan University International Centre for Responsible Tourism director of studies Doctor Xavier Font will talk about web marketing.
● Tourism New Zealand regional manager for UK and Europe Gregg Anderson will outline how the role of sustainable tourism boosted the 100% Pure New Zealand marketing strategy.
● Responsible tourism journalist Catherine Mack will show how a reputation for being sustainable adds value to your brand as well as media interest.
speakers at the conference