Tui Group aims to launch a sustainability academy to teach its staff, partners and the wider market about responsible tourism.
Charlotte Wiebe, group sustainability director at Tui Group, said: “We really have a high ambition…it will be like a university for people to learn more about sustainability.”
She was speaking to Harold Goodwin, WTM’s responsible tourism advisor, during a session for London Travel Week, ahead of WTM Virtual.
The German-owned travel giant will start with its 70,000 employees around the world then open up access to the academy to partners and others who want to learn about sustainability.
“I would like to see cooperation with universities,” she added.
Goodwin welcomed the news, adding: “It will improve the curriculum in universities if there is more connection with industry; it has rather atrophied over the years.”
Wiebe said that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected Tui’s sustainability strategy which had set ambitious goals for the group from 2015-2020.
The company is now looking to report on its targets in the new year but it is planning further work on its sustainability goals.
“Number one is consumers – we need to be more active in guiding and supporting them to make sustainable choices,” said Weibe.
The second area to tackle is the upskilling and reskilling of employees, as part of the drive towards “sustainable business models and sustainable holiday choices for customers”.
“We need to be more proactive and empower the consumer,” she said.
“Covid-19 has shown that if we stop as an industry, there are lots of people affected; we are an industry supporting societies to develop.
“It dramatically affects people living in the destinations.”
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