On June 19th and 20th, the Institute at the Golden Gate hosted the ThinkTank Leadership Forum on Sustainable Travel. Organized by Tauck World Discovery and American Express Travel, the event brought together leaders in the travel & tourism industry to discuss the need to act responsibly and ethically in protecting our environment and cultural heritage. The forum also discussed how the industry can combine its environmental obligations with the need to sustain its economic stability in the future.

Internationally, tourism is a $565 billion industry, and by 2015, it estimated there will be 1.5 billion international travelers. This industry can play a crucial role in the protection of world’s most valuable resources and traditions by expanding and incorporating sustainable practices. Sustainable tourism is both ecologically and culturally sensitive, while helping to generate income, employment, and the conservation of local ecosystems. Through this effort, the tourist industry can ensure that the special places and cultures of the world are protected for generations to come.

The ThinkTank Leadership Forum explored how companies from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas can participate in strengthening sustainable tourism. This event hosted leaders from the tour and travel industry, tour companies, including representatives from hotels and lodging, car rental companies, sustainable travel innovators, and the industries leading media outlets.

This event also provided input for a new program the Initiative on Urbanization and Protected Areas at the Institute at the Golden Gate. A generous planning grant from Robin Tauck and the Tauck/Romano Innovative Philanthropy Foundation will support two international forums to assist in a strategy for program development, on the impacts of population growth, tourism, and urbanization of natural areas and cultural identity, nearby or within popular cities of the world. The opportunity for collaboration, dialogue, and problem-solving around these global issues is timely and critical.

This discussion was an important step toward advancing sustainable tourism around the world. It also served to further the Institute’s mission of advancing environmental preservation and global sustainability by facilitating cross-sector dialogue, encouraging new partnerships, and promoting action. While the world’s most incredible urban areas and cultures are an opportunity for bonding and personal enlightenment, these very special places must be preserved from the ever-increasing impact of tourism, population growth, and industry.