Travel & Tourism industry calls for a coordinated approach to advance sustainability goals

• European Parliament’s event highlights what’s needed to build a Sustainable Future for Travel and Tourism in Europe

The European Parliament served as the backdrop for a pivotal discussion on the future of travel and tourism in Europe. Hosted by MEP Nikolina Brnjac (EPP, Croatia), a member of the Transport Committee and of the Tourism Task Force, the event brought together key industry representatives, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss how the sector can continue to thrive while advancing the EU’s ambitious sustainability goals.

Organised by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), Travalyst, and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the event underscored the importance of ensuring the sector remains competitive while aligning with the EU’s decarbonisation agenda. Policymakers and industry leaders addressed the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable travel, from innovative green technologies to policy frameworks that support both environmental and economic sustainability.

Host MEP Nikolina Brnjac stated: “It is our duty to find a balanced solution, not to de-regulate, but to regulate better – in order to support our European tourism businesses and destinations to lead in sustainability and be competitive in the global arena.”

Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, emphasised how business is on the leading edge for the entire industry: “Our research shows that corporate travel managers can – and want to – use their purchasing power as a lever for change. That’s a powerful demand signal: with close to €400 billion in yearly spend, Europe can help move the needle when it comes to mainstreaming sustainable travel options. EU policymakers can support this effort by working hand-in-hand with GBTA and the industry to develop common standards. Policies that provide certainty on capital deployment for rail, multimodality and Sustainable Aviation Fuel are also critical.”

Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst, praised Europe for its leadership in setting global alignment of sustainability regulation and data, enabling the industry to make confident investments in coordinated action: “Europe has led the way in developing initiatives to drive harmonisation and a level playing field, objectives that sit at the heart of Travalyst’s mission. We continue to support the EU´s ambition to unlock sustainable growth, initiatives that we hope can be aligned upon in other markets. Travel is a truly global sector and our work to decarbonise and grow sustainably must be aligned, otherwise we will go backwards instead of forwards.”

Virginia Messina, SVP of Advocacy & Communications at WTTC, added: “Sustainability is at the heart of WTTC’s work, underpinned by robust data that help drive real progress. The EU plays a critical role in setting the direction for global Travel & Tourism, and we recognise the significant strides made in advancing sustainability across the sector. However, to ensure policies are effective, proportionate, and aligned with global efforts, close collaboration with the private sector is critical. We are pleased to be working alongside policymakers to support a future where sustainability and competitiveness go hand in hand, ensuring Europe remains a world leader in responsible Travel & Tourism.”

As the EU embarks on its new legislative mandate, industry representatives reiterated their support for policies that enable innovation, maintain competitiveness, and contribute to a greener future. To this end, the three organisations called for:

1. Striking the right balance between Europe’s decarbonisation and competitiveness agendas

In the last five years, the EU has been at the forefront of the global push to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change. Since the announcement of the European Green Deal, the EU has put in place the necessary policy framework to move the bloc towards climate neutrality by 2050. It must now build on these successes.

To this end, during this mandate, the EU will need to strike the right balance between decarbonisation and competitiveness. The recently published Clean Industrial Deal is a step in the right direction, with initiatives such as the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan opening the door to stronger EU support to the industry in its transition to sustainable travel.

While the travel and tourism industry welcomes the efforts made under the recently presented Omnibus Package to simplify corporate sustainability reporting, they nonetheless stress that any changes in this space should avoid creating uncertainty for businesses that have been preparing for the implementation of the original legislation.

2. Aligning EU sustainability frameworks and standards with global industry efforts

The European Commission has been working towards new standards that will allow businesses to inform travellers about the sustainability characteristics of their products and services in an accurate and harmonised fashion. CountEmissionsEU, the Flight Emissions Label, Green Claims, and the draft PEF Category Rules for hotel accommodation are some of the major standards that have an important impact on the travel and tourism sector.

It is essential that standards and data can be used internationally. Travel and Tourism are global by their very nature. It is therefore essential that travellers are accurately informed of sustainable options on a global scale. Consistent and credible data, with proven distribution at scale, is the fundamental precondition to all impact and change. It supports the process of policy making but also identifies the most impactful measures and monitors progress and effectiveness.

In this context, the industry has taken initiatives of its own: The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), the GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards, and the Travel Impact Model, are widely accepted approaches that the industry has relied on for years. The EU should continue its productive dialogue with the private sector so that new EU standards always build on existing industry insight and progress, preventing a multiplication of approaches that could be harmful for EU competitiveness.

3. Supporting the deployment of sustainable travel options

In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the travel and tourism sector needs further incentives to deploy and make use of sustainable travel options. In this regard, the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan will be an excellent opportunity to scale up investments to decarbonise the sector, including by supporting the development of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels vital for airlines to reach the mandates within RefuelEU. Upcoming plan for an ambitious European high-speed rail network will also make it easier for travellers to choose a more sustainable option.

The planned Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation for rail will also allow passengers to buy a single ticket on a single platform and have their rights as passengers protected, removing red tape and uncertainty that travellers can sometimes face when they want to book cross-border rail trips. In addition, the anticipated Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS) initiative would give travellers the possibility of combining different transport options within a single ticket, including on greener transportation options.

GBTA, Travalyst, and WTTC ask the European Commission to maintain regular dialogue with industry as it moves forward with the policy initiatives affecting the travel sector in this new legislative term. The extensive experience from the sector can be very helpful to build solutions that can benefit all.

About Travalyst

Founded in 2019 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a not-for-profit global coalition of some of the biggest brands in travel and technology: Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Mastercard, Sabre, Skyscanner, The Travel Corporation, Travelport, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa. The group represents a combined market cap of over $3 trillion. Travalyst aims to bring sustainability information to the mainstream to help people make more informed travel choices.

About GBTA

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s leading business travel and meetings trade organisation, serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 8,500+ members represent and advocate for the €1,350 trillion ($1,48 trillion USD) global business travel and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy, and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts.

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. WTTC promotes sustainable growth for the Travel & Tourism sector, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, drive exports and generate prosperity. Council Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading private sector Travel & Tourism businesses. Alongside its Council Members and board of Vice-Chairs, Op-Co and Executive Committee, from its member organisations, WTTC directors are responsible for guiding the work of the Council in the fulfilment of its mission.