In a groundbreaking initiative, the inaugural Tourism Seasonality Summit will convene on October 8, bringing together thought leaders from destinations, airports, and airlines to tackle the pressing challenge of tourism seasonality. This summit, co-hosted by Routes World and Low Season Traveller, aims to explore innovative solutions for sustainable growth beyond peak tourist seasons, ensuring economic, environmental, and social benefits are realized year-round.
Addressing a Growing Concern
As the global population continues to swell, with the middle class expected to grow by an additional 1 billion by 2030, international visitor arrivals are predicted to double from 2019 to 1.4 billion over the next decade. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2024 Economic Impact Report underscores the significance of this growth, projecting that the travel and tourism sector will account for over 12.2% of global employment.
Given these dynamics, the need to manage tourism flows sustainably has never been more urgent. The Tourism Seasonality Summit will provide a dedicated platform to address this issue, focusing on three core areas:
- Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts: Evaluating the multifaceted impacts of seasonality on destinations, airports, and airlines.
- Extending Tourist Seasons: Identifying new opportunities to diversify visitor segments and prolong tourist seasons.
- Leveraging Technology: Utilizing cutting-edge technologies to manage tourism flows and enhance the visitor experience throughout the year.
Voices of the Industry
Steven Small, Director of Routes, expressed his enthusiasm for the summit, stating, “We are delighted to announce this world-first summit in partnership with Low Season Traveller. For almost 30 years, Routes has focused on providing a platform where airlines, airports, and destinations can collaborate to develop sustainable air services. The challenge of balancing tourism growth to ensure that the positive economic impacts of travel are seen year-round for destinations is apparent.”
Small further emphasized the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing in overcoming these challenges. “Having previously worked for destinations, I have firsthand experience of this. Collaboration and knowledge sharing will be at the heart of the solution, which is why we are proud to deliver a platform where destinations can create and share strategies alongside route development decision-makers.”
Ged Brown, Founder and CEO of the Tourism Seasonality Summit and Low Season Traveller, echoed these sentiments, stating, “It’s an absolute pleasure to partner with Routes World for this inaugural Tourism Seasonality Summit. Low Season Traveller has pioneered the expansion of seasonality for the past five years, and it is abundantly clear that this pressing challenge requires aviation and tourism to come together to formulate the solutions. There is no better place for these conversations to happen than at Routes World.”
A Global Meeting Point
The Tourism Seasonality Summit will occur on October 8 at Routes World in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This premier event is expected to attract industry leaders and stakeholders from around the globe, all eager to contribute to and benefit from the innovative solutions and strategies discussed.
Looking Ahead
As the travel and tourism industry prepares for significant growth, addressing the challenge of seasonality is critical. The Tourism Seasonality Summit represents a pivotal moment for the industry, offering a unique opportunity for collaboration and innovation. By extending tourist seasons and diversifying visitor segments, destinations can achieve sustainable growth, benefiting economically, environmentally, and socially.
This summit marks the beginning of a new era in tourism, where sustainable practices are at the forefront, ensuring that travel’s positive impacts are felt year-round. Join the conversation and be part of the solution at the inaugural Tourism Seasonality Summit at Routes World.
Written by: Charmaine Lu
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