Tourism drives economic growth for destinations, but it can
also cause issues such as overcrowding and regulatory challenges.
How, if at all, should governments address repercussions of
travel itself as well as those caused by booming businesses such as home-sharing,
ride-sharing and e-scooters?
During the Executive Roundtable: Travel and the Future of
Cities at The Phocuswright Conference 2018, moderator Seema Mody of CNBC discussed
issues of overtourism, sustainability and the role of regulators with the following:
- Dan
Christian, chief digital officer at the Travel Corporation
- Matt Curtis,
founder of Smart City Policy Group
- Troy Flanagan, vice president of government
affairs and industry relations at the American Hotel & Lodging Association
- Martha Honey, co-founder and executive director of the Center for Responsible
Travel.
The discussion included panelists’ thoughts on how cities can
maintain a high quality of life for residents while still enabling tourism, the
need for data to drive decision-making and the role online travel agencies can
play in encouraging travel during off-seasons and to new destinations that
are eager to attract visitors.
See the full video from the session below.
Executive Roundtable: Travel and the future of cities
Flanagan later joined PhocusWire in the studio to go into more detail about the accommodation angles.
PhocusWire @ Phocuswright 2018 - AH&LA on wanting a level playing field in accommodation