Session Four: Succeeding with Sustainability

The long-term viability and success of the industry depends on balancing economics with societies, cultures and the environ- ment. Listen to the experts share the collaborative approach needed to ensure tourism for tomorrow.

Shannon Stowell, President, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA): Sustainability is a maligned concept–overused and misused. If we can’t figure out how to take care of nature, then we won’t have any business to run in the future.

José Koechlin, Chairman & CEO, Inkaterra; Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Winner 2012:
Define the site, impact whether negative or positive on people, research then conservation. Keep in mind what it is you are talking about. Share that value of what you are building with the community. Sustainability has to be undertaken as a business. If you are efficient, then there is sustainability.

Chris Brophy, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability, MGM Resorts International:
The challenge for Vegas is that we do not have the tropical weather. We clearly start from a less sustainable place. It starts with how we develop. Sustainability is not a goal, it is a necessity for us in Vegas. The Vegas [business] community is really coming together to support what we do. What we know in Las Vegas is that we know how to make money–showing the case for sustainability.

Andrés Pan de Soraluce Muguiro, President, OHL Developments:
Support from government, long-term vision, support from important brands have helped in making our story a success.

Robin Tauck, Founder, R Tauck & Partners:
These are the most exciting times in sustainable tourism. We will be seeing collaborations in the years to come.

Jose Napoleon Durán, Minister of Tourism, El Salvador:
Sustainability is often confusing. We have simplified the concept of sustainability–tried to understand the communities, the different tour companies. We took the nature elements- water, fire– in defining sustainability.