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Framing the future of tourism for sustainable transformation through collaboration and education.

This mission was outlined by Professor Marina Novelli, Centre Director, and Dr Carol Zhang, Deputy Director, who provided an overview of the Centre’s strategic vision, mission and recent activities. Dr Zhang introduced STTAR’s five interconnected research themes that guide its work:

• Consumption, Marketing and Management;
• Accessibility and Inclusivity
• Travel Cultures
• Politics, Policy and Practice
• Authenticity and Experience Design

Professor Novelli and Dr Zhang explained how these themes form a holistic framework for tackling complex challenges in the tourism sector, setting a clear and ambitious context for the day’s dialogues and directly linking academic research to real-world industry applications and impact.

Panellists

Ian Corbett addressed the fundamental importance of sustainability for TUI Group, framing it not as an optional add-on but as a core, integral practice essential to their global business operations. He outlined the three building blocks of the TUI Sustainability Agenda ‘People, Planet and Progress’, which are underpinned by key focus areas to be implemented across the business – from investments in state-of-the-art aircraft to ambitious energy savings across the board, from promoting local sourcing in hotels and more sustainable fuels for cruise ships to expanding the certification of hotels and experiences according to internationally recognised sustainability criteria.

Elizabeth Bailie, drawing on her leading role on the transformative GIZ programme called ‘More Income and Employment in Rural Areas (MIERA)’ project in Malawi, highlighted the critical role of power dynamics in sustainable transformation. She emphasised that managing diverse power relations among stakeholders is a central aspect of achieving sustainable tourism.

Megan Powell Vreeswijk explained the coordinating role of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in aligning a wide range of stakeholders with the region’s sustainable goals. She identified the crucial challenge and success factor as getting people to collaborate effectively, stating that this coordination has been vital for advancing sustainability initiatives in the city of Nottingham and the wider County.

When asked to identify the key challenges and facilitators of sustainable transformation, the panellists offered insights from their unique vantage points. Megan referred to the complexity of implementing sustainable principles and practices in MSMEs across the country. She used the example of Visit Britain’s Regenerative Tourism Guide, a toolkit designed to help tourism and hospitality organisations audit their practices. She pointed to the significant resource challenge of local MSMEs to fully engage with it. Providing a global perspective, Ian Corbett acknowledged the substantial carbon footprint of major travel operations while championing practical solutions. He detailed how TUI is attempting to empower consumers to make sustainable choices in a more accessible and seamless way. He referred to the work of the TUI Care Foundation which builds on the potential of ‘tourism as a force for good’.

Elizabeth Bailie powerfully argued that the most significant challenges, such as waste management in protected areas, are often human-centric. She stressed the critical necessity of shifting from a mindset of competition to one of collaboration, emphasising the need to bring diverse stakeholders with differing interests to the same table.

A clear consensus emerged from the discussion: the scale of the sustainability challenge is too vast for any single entity to tackle alone. This underscored the critical need for multi-stakeholders’ collaboration that the STTAR-Centre is committed to facilitate.

Career paths

The event swiftly transitioned to an inspiring careers panel facilitated by Dr Abbie-Gayle Johnson, offering invaluable guidance to students. The panellists’ career paths into the industry, often described as non-linear, reinforced the value of diverse experiences. A resonant message, particularly for women in the audience, was to embrace individuality and build confidence.

Professor Novelli said:

By seamlessly integrating its core research themes into every aspect of this event, from high-level strategy to practical career advice, the STTAR Centre’s World Tourism Day 2025 celebration powerfully demonstrated its pivotal role as a nexus for thought leadership. The event not only disseminated knowledge, but also actively fostered the connections and inspiration necessary to build a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future for global tourism.

Posted October 3, 2025

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