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As we approach the end of another year in travel and tourism, I start to reflect on what kind of year it has been and look into my crystal ball to attempt to see what might lie ahead. Right now, however, I would like to talk about something a bit different, but something very positive, nevertheless. Sadly, I could not make it to a great conference recently held in Saudi Arabia titled Tourise 2025, but thanks to an excellent summary of the key takeaways, I was at least able to learn about what I thought were some interesting insights into travel, past, present and future.
For the uninitiated, according to the publication PhocusWire, Tourise 2025 is the new global travel platform powered by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia. In organising this three-day event, which gathered more than 140 speakers from 10 industries and 8,000 delegates from around the world, including 50 tourism ministers and mayors, Saudi’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, said the Kingdom is building something that is “not just a conference” but a year-round platform where private sector representatives from across industries meet governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to solve “travel ecosystem” problems on a global level.
Tourism changes perceptions – and hearts
One particular key takeaway titled ‘Tourism opens hearts and minds’ grabbed my attention. Saudi Tourism Authority’s CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said “Saudi Arabia was long a victim of prejudice and the more people came, the more they realised how different the reality is.” There have been many stories of people who have visited the Kingdom and had a total change of heart through changed perceptions.
There have been many other examples as well, such as Rwanda, a classic example of a previously war-torn country where genocide took place and it was considered a total ‘no-go’ zone. At the conference, Irene Murerwa, Chief Tourism Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, spoke about her country, once defined by tragedy: “We lost a million lives. We had no hope for the future. So we had to open up and redefine ourselves,” she said. What a success story that was too, according to the article, ‘’beginning with its mountain gorillas, turning what was once a symbol of fragility into one of resilience. From there, it grew into a business and MICE tourism hub, and later a cultural and sporting brand, partnering with Arsenal, PSG and the NBA Clippers to tell the world: Rwanda is back!’’
Transformation takes time – and tourism
The point being made is that tourism plays a vital role in changing the world’s perceptions of any destination. Rwanda and Saudi Arabia are just two examples of many countries that have greatly benefited by travellers wanting to explore different paths and see new places. From my own experiences, I have been to Berlin, which had to overcome the history of the atrocities committed in the Second World War, and it has done so admirably. Berlin has become a highly sought-after destination, but only because people came to see it, seek closure and decide to put the past behind them while enjoying the amazing city that it is today.
I also felt tingles down my spine when visiting Jordan, as I stood on a mountainside and surveying what was promised to the Jewish people in the Bible as ‘the Promised Land,’ a beautiful green belt in the midst of all the surrounding desert. It was this kind of exposure to historical sites and local cultures that deepened my appreciation and understanding of these places – and yes, changed my perceptions and the way I felt about them.
Let your wanderlust be your guide!
As South Africans, we know that we owe it to many foreigners who took a leap of faith to visit our shores. They continue to return again and again, despite us being one of the countries that has had a sordid past and the negative press. We have overcome these challenges, and I would like to go into that in more depth in my next article – so watch this space.
Don’t risk losing out on visiting some of the best places in the world through fear and perceptions. One of the reasons we have such excellent travel agents and tour guides is that they have their ears to the ground and can advise you where it is safe or not safe to go. Don’t be put off by a country’s past or what you read. If you have a feeling in your heart to go and see what it is all about, then let your wanderlust be your guide!
The light at the end of the tunnel in 2026, though, is that the restrictions airlines were facing from having insufficient aircraft will be alleviated, with many airlines like Emirates, Qatar, and Qantas, finally introducing new aircraft into their fleets. This increase in aircraft should, theoretically, create some softening of airline prices.
What are the negatives?
What may prevent this from happening, though, is the fact that airlines are under pressure to meet sustainability targets (65% sustainable aviation fuel by 2050), which seems to be a major reason that prices have remained high. So, two questions arise from this: ‘’Are these sustainability initiatives realistic?’’ and, as long as they have to be met ‘’Is more affordable air travel in 2026 a realistic expectation?’’
An article published by Aviation Week a couple of years ago, when the initiatives were first introduced, said:
“The unfortunate reality is that current pathways to fulfil the aviation industry’s aspirational goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 are narrow and unclear. Yet global warming continues, with dire warnings and increasing impatience.”
Although so much has already been achieved, according to reports along these lines, it appears these initiatives are still a major factor in keeping airline prices “sky high” (if you’ll excuse the pun). The same article went on to say: “The aviation industry does not need unrealistic mandates. Cutting flights, imposing carbon taxes on an already overtaxed industry, or applying emissions trading schemes extra-territorially do not make sense. Aviation is simply too important to world trade, connecting cultures and lifting people out of poverty to use such blunt instruments.”
I can’t help but agree, and 2 years later, a lot of that comment is still relevant. I think we also can’t ignore the fact that, while more road travel is being encouraged, research shows that road transport contributes more to CO2 emissions than aviation. Additionally, I have read that a major contributor to the new-age fuel being developed is used cooking oil and one wonders at the counter-intuitive nature of importing mass quantities of that.
Affordable air travel keeps the travel world turning
Airlines clearly struggle to find the happy medium between meeting sustainability targets and keeping air travel as affordable as possible. Airline travel keeps global travel and tourism, a massive contributor to the global economy turning. This means that all role players, from governments to leisure and corporate travellers (some of whom hypocritically snub airlines deemed to be lacking in sustainability initiatives, yet still opt for the cheapest flights), need to support airlines in their efforts.
Possibly more sponsorship is needed at the government level, and certainly all travellers need to remember that the airline industry is a tough one, operating on small margins while delivering large expectations. As long as airfares remain reasonable, let’s continue to support air travel. More sustainable air travel will take time, and so might lower-cost airfares, because the sustainability and affordability of air travel like many things in life is a balancing act!
Lidia de Olim
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER