Date: 5th-7th Nov 2024 

Location: London Excel

I left World Travel Market (WTM) London with mixed emotions yesterday.

I love the spectacle, the sensory overload of drums, dancing, incense, and stunning landscapes projected on moving screens all around me. There’s always a great buzz with plenty of networking opportunities, and when else can you hop off the Elizabeth Line and visit 184 countries under one roof? It never fails to excite and inspire, reigniting my passion for travel and my curiosity about other cultures.

But after working at TerraVerde for over three years, I’ve learned a great deal from the team (Patrick Richards, Chris Fraser, Marina Bradford, Liza Degtyareva & Olivia Down) about the urgent need for the travel industry to adapt to more sustainable practices. If we want to preserve these postcard-perfect destinations for future generations, change is essential. There are practical steps every business can take to reduce its impact, but meaningful change will only happen if we work together—and we need to act fast.

There were some compelling insights presented on the sustainability stage – thanks to Anna Pollock, Founder of Conscious Travel and Elke Dens, Founder of Place Generation, your insights really resonated with me. It’s heartening to see sustainability and regenerative tourism featuring more in the conference program. However, the stark contrast between the beautiful images showcased and the harsh realities we see more frequently in the news of wildfires, floods, and protests from communities affected by tourism, can no longer be ignored.

The TerraVerde team is here to help any travel business ready to make the transition to a more sustainable business model.