In this groundbreaking episode of the Tourism Hub podcast, we’re honoured to have not one but two international experts on the show unpacking the World Travel and Tourism Council Forum WTTC Global Summit in Perth, Australia. Host Despina Karatzia welcomes Jane Thompson and Nikolaos Gkolfinopoulos of ICF. A long-time friend and colleague, Nikolaos is Tourism Hub’s first returning guest, making history as our first repeat appearance on the show!
In this episode, Jane Thompson and Nikolaos Golfinopoulos from ICF highlight the organisation’s mission to build a more prosperous and resilient world through sustainable projects across various sectors, including aviation and tourism. Jane discusses the aviation industry’s move toward sustainability, focusing on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a key solution to reducing carbon emissions by 2050. Nikolaos emphasises the importance of heat resilience in tourism, urging destinations to adapt to climate change through strategic planning. Both experts highlight the need for empathy, collaboration, and innovative solutions to address global challenges. They also share best practices in sustainable tourism, such as Rwanda’s well-managed gorilla tracking and Australia’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Ultimately, the episode calls for using technology like AI to enhance efficiencies while maintaining human-centred approaches in solving tourism’s biggest challenges.
02:29 – Nikolaos discusses his journey at ICF
06:07 – SAF: The most realistic near-term solution for aviation
17:21 – The complexity of tourism and its challenges
18:01 – Nikolaos emphasises the urgency of climate action
27:25 – Australia’s strong approach to sustainability measurement
29:46 – Best practices: Gorilla families become gamekeepers
31:11 – World Travel and Tourism Council Forum in Perth, Australia
32:02 – NWA’s sustainable tourism action plan for pilot destinations
38:05 – ICF’s AI investment to improve tourism content
46:01 – Nikolaos and Jane discuss the future of tourism
50:27 – Jane and Nikolaos talk about heat resilience in tourism
About Nikolaos Gkolfinopoulos
experience in international tourism development. In his role with ICF, Nikolaos is
working for and towards a sustainable future. He supports countries, destinations,
and the private sector in solving their most complex tourism challenges related to climate
change, heat resilience, social sustainability, crisis management and recovery,
stakeholder engagement, and ever-evolving tourism trends.
He places at the forefront of any development recommendations and action plans
for the inclusion of the local communities and the protection of natural assets. He has
recorded successful tourism development initiatives with governments and
international donors throughout his career.
Nikolaos holds a M.A. of International Sustainable Tourism Management from
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and a BSc in Economic Sciences from
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He has lived and worked in Greece,
Australia, and Spain.
Before joining ICF, he worked as a tourism consultant and research supervisor in
Australia, followed by seven years of service at the UN Tourism (World Tourism
Organization). He held multiple roles within UN Tourism and in 2021 was appointed
to the post of Senior Project Specialist within the Technical Cooperation and Silk
Road Department.
Nikolaos is currently actively involved in international projects on tourism
sustainability, master planning, decarbonisation, and maritime tourism. He leads
ICF´s tourism practice and engagement with key international industry bodies such
us UN Tourism, the World Travel and Tourism Council, and the Global Travel and
Tourism Resilience Council. He is a strong advocate of the role of tourism in
contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About Jane Thompson
Jane is Deputy Chair of the British Aviation Group, the leading UK trade association for companies working across the aviation infrastructure supply chain; and a Director in ICF’s Aviation, Travel and Tourism Division. ICF is a NASDAQ registered 10k-strong global strategic consulting firm, with a mission to create a more resilient and prosperous world. Herself a veteran of the aviation industry, Jane is passionate about the need to balance growth with a sustainable and resilient future for the aviation, travel and tourism sectors. She is responsible for preparing innovative service offerings to help clients – whether they be operators, governments, investors or destinations – transition to a more sustainable and net zero future.
About WTTC Global Summit:
WTTC’s annual Global Summit is the most influential Travel & Tourism event on the calendar, and in 2024 industry leaders gathered with key government representatives to continue aligning efforts to support the travel sector and move beyond to a safer, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia from 8th – 10th October 2024.
References:
ICF: https://www.icf.com/
World Travel and Tourism Council: https://wttc.org/
World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit: https://wttc.org/events-webinars/global-summit/2024-perth
Connect with Despina Karatzias:
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Show hosted by Despina Karatzias and brought to you by Tourism Hub in association with Institute Of Excellence.
Thank you for listening. Stay passionate, stay excellent, and stay ignited to do better today than you did yesterday!
