Sustainability at core @ GTS 5.0

The two-day Gulf Travel Show 5.0 (GTS 5.0) will kick off on 28 September 2022, under the theme of sustainable tourism. It assures participants of upholding their social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions.

TT Bureau

Gulf Travel Show (GTS), an event conceived with a purpose, started just after the pandemic, whilst most borders were still closed. It gave the travel, tourism, and hospitality fraternity an opportunity to ensure that confidence is restored in the minds of the people passionate about the industry. It was also a tool that connected online GCC buyers with exhibitors from across the globe. The fifth edition, or GTS 5.0, demonstrates its commitment to uphold its social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions while bringing all players to the table to learn and study the stakes, the many opportunities to make things right after a bout of more than two years of the pandemic era. Sustainability has many layers to be addressed. It is no longer a word to be utilised and passed on as a mere CSR activity. Hence, it is a commitment to ensure that everyone has a part to play on mother earth. Starting off with airlines and their biofuel capabilities, hotels and their sustainable strategies, and tourism boards, which provide and maintain sustainable goals to ensure that the country or destination promoted will not be perturbed or undisturbed, but instead left in its natural state. When UNWTO announced its commitment to the declaration of sustainability in the industry, players were getting there but just needed that extra push to achieve their final goal. Today, in the United Arab Emirates, single-use plastics are not just frowned upon but made to pay for to ensure the environment is protected.

In the GCC, the number of young travellers has risen more than in other parts of the world, and these travellers are willing to spend extra to ensure that the environment is unharmed. As mentioned before, travel agencies, hotels, tourism boards, and transportation companies are making it their business to ensure they play their part in making it a sustainable environment. The UAE is committed in a way that they have their own sustainable cities already built and active. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman are also enroute to building their very own sustainable cities. It was stated that during the recent visit by the US President to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, their efforts for the 2030 Vision on sustainability were commended.

Partnering with GTS 5.0 will provide an opportunity for every individual to become a key player in achieving the goals of the future: sustainable travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. SanJeet Director, DDP, reiterated, “Our commitment to ensure that the industry uses best practices for the betterment of the industry is a top priority at this point of time with climate change making a huge impact in cities all across the globe. The recent bouts of heat waves that spread across Europe are an example and an eye opener as to what our responsibilities should be. It is time to reconnect with the industry face-to-face and virtually to ensure that we become the first responders committed not just to showing and telling a destination but to ensuring that the destinations are sustainable and will remain intact for a long period of time. This time we have our special segment dedicated to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with its vision 2030 and the many projects undertaken by it. The individual attention given to the buyers and exhibitors makes us unique and one of a kind. So, I would like to invite you this time to participate and lobby your support and commitment for the need of the hour, sustainability.”

The event will continue to focus on business meetings. It will host buyers from across the region. After the success of the first four editions in November 2020, March 2021, October 2021, and March 2022, GTS is back by popular demand in the last quarter of 2022. All exhibitors and buyers will log-in to the GTS platform from either their office or the comfort of their home. Each exhibitor will be given their own private virtual booth with branding, videos, and document broadcast facilities. These can be customised as per the individual requirements. Buyers can visit the virtual exhibition and individual stalls of all exhibitors and have personalised, undisturbed meetings.