Luxury travel and sustainability have become interwoven and luxury brands as well as travel operators in the domain must see it as a long-term strategy, with a special focus on how they can positively impact their surrounding communities, said speakers at ongoing Arabian Travel Market 2023 in Dubai.

Sustainability is increasingly a permanent fixture of the luxury travel industry and something that both, the luxury brands as well as tour operators, need to take into account and not treat it as an afterthought, said speakers at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market 2023 in Dubai.

The 30^th edition of ATM, the largest travel and tourism industry fair in the Middle East and North African region, is focussed on sustainability and has over 63 sessions lined up over four days on various aspects of sustainability in the travel and tourism industries.

Rather than cost, the Middle East’s luxury travel sector should focus on the long-term gains offered by decarbonisation, waste reduction and community initiatives, said speakers at a session, Sustainable Luxury: At What Cost?

According to a press conference issued by the organisers, the session included a range of insights into how luxury travel is leading the tourism industry’s sustainable charge in the Middle East. Moderated by Joe Mortimer, Editor-at-Large at Destinations of the World News, panellists included Nadia Ibrahim, Member of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact, Amir Golbarg, Senior Vice President Operations, Middle East & Africa at Minor Hotels, Candice D’Cruz, VP Luxury Brands at Marriott International and William Harley-Fleming, Vice President of Operations for JA The Resort and Indian Ocean.

“Luxury and sustainability have not always gone hand in hand, but this is changing. We are encountering a new generation of travellers that wants high-end experiences that do not compromise sustainability. This is why airlines, hotels, travel agencies and tourist destinations are thinking about how sustainability can be integrated into their existing services, and how it can be used to attract more customers,” said the UN Global Compact’s Ibrahim.

“Globalisation opened the doors to the world, but I think localisation is now equally important. We took the decision to go indigenous as a lot of the costs associated with sustainability relate to the importation of goods. It’s all about how you are benefitting the communities in which you operate. We need to shift our focus away from short-term costs towards long-term gains,” said Golbarg, while talking of the approach Minor Hotels’ Anantara brand has taken to sustainable luxury.

Marriott International’s D’Cruz told attendees these considerations are increasingly reflected by consumers. “We are seeing that luxury travellers want to spend more time really connecting with the places they visit. They also want to be involved with brands. It’s no longer a one-way conversation, and if you’re having two-way, how transparent are you being? Luxury consumers tend to be less forgiving; they want to connect with brands that reflect their values, and sustainability is definitely one of those values,” she said.

JA The Resort and Indian Ocean’s Harley-Fleming emphasised the necessity of positive action, noting there is a genuine business case for sustainability. “This is not ‘Plan B’. It is not a choice anymore, it is something we need to do. The cost of not investing in sustainability can adversely affect your business and its reputation. And at the end of the day, our industry does generate jobs, so we have got to act right now,” Harley-Fleming said.