Comment: It’s vital that sustainability remains front of mind for the travel industry

Amid a fair amount of doom and gloom, it was lovely to be at the Jet2 conference in Portgual last week as Seaside Travel owner Nicola Park accepted an on-stage marriage proposal from her long-term partner Barry Coatman.

It was a real feelgood moment – so much so we decided to recreate it the following day for this week’s front cover photo.

It was by no means the only upbeat moment of the conference as Jet2 presented a largely positive outlook with the trade at the centre of its strategy, but there was also a healthy dose of realism and caution from chief executive Steve Heapy as he warned of a rough road ahead.

One of the opportunities Heapy identified for agents was the chance to capitalise on growing consumer demand to travel sustainably, a theme that fits perfectly with this week’s Sustainability Special Edition of Travel Weekly, supported by Red Sea Global.

This massive issue for the industry will also be in the spotlight at our second annual Sustainability Summit today, and I am looking forward to some robust debate and fascinating insight on the topic from expert speakers including explorer and documentary film-maker Simon Reeve.

If the industry is to navigate the challenges it faces in the immediate future and further ahead, it must do so with sustainability as a permanent watchword.

If you can’t join us at our summit, make sure you follow all the coverage online and in the coming editions of the magazine.