WTM London: How to Hide the Lentils in the Cake of Responsible Travel
The Debate Over Labels
Debbie Hindle, chair of the Global Centre for Responsible Tourism, argued that sustainability should be intrinsic to any product. „We need to communicate the experience and emotion to consumers, not just slap a label on it,” she said. However, within the industry, labels help start the right conversations. „Think of the experience and tell the cake’s story,” she advised.
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Bahia Principe Prepares December ReopeningsSofya Muhrer-Muromets, sustainability lead at Evaneos, stated: „We want responsible travel to be the default standard. Saying ‘it’s responsible’ makes it a niche. Every journey should be responsible and sustainable.” She showed how her company created low-carbon itineraries in Indonesia using trains instead of flights, branded as „Beyond the Cliches.” „For the client, we sell a tastier, juicier cake... but with lots of lentils,” she added.
Tinu Mathur, founder of Mathur & Co, advocated dropping labels like sustainable, ethical, or responsible – „it’s simply ‘travel’.” He mentioned a large hotel chain where staff touch their hearts when passing colleagues, as a service level indicator. „The core principle is love. We love what we do and want to protect [the environment] for future generations,” he said.
The panelists saw the new European legislation on „greenwashing” as an opportunity to rethink marketing and website content – and to tell more, rather than relying on „eco” labels. „It’s a hat, but it makes us pause and think about how to communicate better,” Muhrer-Muromets declared. Jamie Burr, founder of the responsible travel community Panoco, emphasized: „It comes down to selling the experience... show, don’t tell.”
Creative Tourism: Better Experiences, New Value Ecosystems
In another session, speakers demonstrated how destinations offer more meaningful experiences that create value for visitors, local communities, and tourism companies. Caroline Couret, chair of the Creative Tourism Network, explained that creative tourism experiences can adapt to many sectors, from backpacking to business meetings and luxury travel. She presented the example of Cannes, which offers many local artisan experiences to boost visitor numbers. „Be honest. Be aware you don’t need the Eiffel Tower, but maybe you have people who bake bread, or weave, or offer percussion masterclasses – be proud of what you have,” she advised. Other options can range from pottery workshops to photography routes, floral art sessions, dance lessons, and wine tastings.
Claire Singer, founder of Claire Singer Ltd, stated that destinations offering authentic, meaningful experiences that are not clichés will attract both local and international visitors. Aidy Smith, TV presenter and journalist, shared advice on long-form content that can present destinations with „emotional relevance” for readers, listeners, and viewers – including gay men, people with Tourette’s syndrome, and mothers with ADHD children. Additionally, his long-form content, such as a 45-minute podcast, can be cut into short clips for social media to attract more people. He urged delegates to be relevant, offer „authentic charm,” and avoid „cookie-cutter” solutions – but also to learn as much as possible about being „smart” with artificial intelligence.
Ash Bhardwaj, a journalist and presenter who has reported for publications like BBC, The Telegraph, The Times, and Condé Nast Traveller, spoke about leading through good storytelling, drawn from his career in tourism and his time as a reserve officer in the British Army. He is also the author of the book Why We Travel and explained the 12 main reasons why people travel – ranging from curiosity to hedonism, wonder, healing, and hope. Further, humans have evolved to be storytellers – and stories trigger responses that release hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins. He cited the example of President Zelenskyy, who stayed in Kyiv after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling through his actions and inspiring Ukrainians. The President also adapted his stories for each audience while traveling abroad, balancing Winston Churchill in World War II, for example, when speaking to the British parliament.
Bhardwaj also showed how the New Zealand tourism office supported its attractions to help create stories and develop a narrative to promote the destination.