Julia Simpson, CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), recently returned from the WTTC's annual Global Summit (the first such summit in Africa) held in Rwanda. Next up will be her first summit Down Under, in Perth, Australia. News editor Johanna Jainchill spoke with Simpson about WTTC's recent report on the travel industry's water use, Africa's tourism potential and King Charles III's thoughts on aviation fuel..
julia simpson
cue: What are the key findings of the WTTC report “Water Roadmap for Travel and Tourism”?
all: The world is expected to face a 40% shortfall between projected demand and available freshwater supplies by 2030. It is incumbent on all of us to look at ways to protect our water. If we look at travel and tourism, it accounts for 10% of global GDP and 10% of all jobs on Earth, but it accounts for 5.8% of total freshwater use. So we have a lot less than other areas. Agriculture is 70%. And 80% of the water used in travel and tourism comes from agriculture, not from the swimming pools we fill. It's the food everyone eats and how it's grown. So this is not our direct use, but indirect. All suppliers. The key message is that companies need to really look at where they source their food, what food they serve, and whether they look at food waste. More and more hotels and cruise lines are now very careful and focused on food waste. It's very efficient because it saves money, but it also saves the planet and has a particular impact on water.
cue: You said the report has examples of what companies are doing to save water.
all: Air France has a new airplane washing technology that saves 99% of water usage, from 12,000 liters to 150 liters. There are hotels in very dry areas around the world that have eliminated their lawns. Marriott has been a leader in reducing water use and converting grass to grass.
When tourists are somewhere, we don't want them to be seen as consuming more water than locals. The good news is that we have been decoupling the growth of the travel and tourism sector from its water usage. So in terms of water intensity, we are using less water now than we were in 2010. In absolute terms, we are using more water because the sector has grown. And there are two regions of the world where water use in the travel and tourism sector has decreased in absolute terms since 2010: Africa and Europe.
cue: You presented your report when you met Britain's King Charles at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai last month. What was that about?
all: I was there to represent travel and tourism. We talked about sustainability and the challenges of developing more sustainable aviation fuels. WTTC is advocating for sustainable aviation fuel, and the United States is far ahead in providing incentives for the development of sustainable aviation fuel. And the EU has also passed legislation for this. So we're getting there. But currently we are not producing enough and the pace is not fast enough. This is why, when I spoke to the King of England, he specifically mentioned it.
cue: WTTC has released a report on Rwanda showing the potential for a surge in tourism in Africa.
all: Travel and tourism currently accounts for around 7% of GDP across the entire continent. It's very different. If you're in Egypt or South Africa, there's a lot more. It typically grows by about 5% per year. We estimate that Africa's tourism industry is currently worth $186 billion. If you look at the past 20 years, the average growth rate has tripled. Its value is expected to reach $300 billion by 2033. If Africa can solve some of the problems hindering growth, such as regional connectivity (traversing the continent is not so easy) and the visa regime, it may even exceed this. Rwanda is truly leading by example in the visa and technology sectors.
