The one thing I'd change is... by Robert Moran, Global Head of Impact, Inside Travel

Robert Moran, Global Head of Impact at Inside Travel, says he'd like to see more people going to places that actually want tourism, and fewer people going to places that don't.

"There's a more academic term to this, which is 'Social License to Operate'", says Rob, which he says means: "Are local communities actually happy to host visitors?".

Rob says what needs to change is how we manage demand.

I asked Rob an to answer in less than 60 seconds, "What's the one thing you'd change in travel, given the climate and nature emergencies?" Here is his full reply:

Robert Moran, Global Head of Impact, Inside Travel

"The one thing I would like to see change is simple:

More people going to places that actually want tourism, and fewer people going to places that don't.

So there's a more academic term to this, which is 'Social License to Operate', but really it just means that: Are local communities actually happy to host visitors?

I’m sure you’ve seen examples of that happening all around the world.

Being a Japan specialist, we see it a lot in overcrowding in Kyoto.

So what needs to change is how we manage demand.

So tour operators, governments, destinations, we should all be working together. And be much clearer on where tourism is wanted, where it brings real value and how many people those places can realistically handle.

Then it's on us to make those places compelling with great experiences. Really clear message to actively shift people towards them.

So in my opinion, the problem isn’t travel, in and of itself, it's we've got too many people into too few places without really asking ourselves: Who Benefits?"

🙏 Rob

This post is part of a series of interviews with people across the travel and tourism industry, where I ask them to answer in less than 60 seconds, "What's the one thing you'd change in travel, given the climate and nature emergencies?"