On Monday, the tourism summit, The Motto “tourism in times of (climate)change” meets in Berlin representatives from politics and the economy busy. In the middle of it, although not at all: the in-climate-activist Greta Thunberg.
As a Swedish student and initiator of the “Fridays for Future”campaign, Greta Thunberg not boarded for a trip to America the plane, but on a sailing boat across the Atlantic ocean drove, took the theme of “emission-free travel” in the public discussion of a very wide space.
It also reached the tourism industry, whose business consists to a substantial part of it, to transport many people over long distances. So while this year’s 22. Berlin tourism summit about climate change in focus.
Flight of shame is temporary, a question of faith
After having opened Greta Thunberg, such as their Viking ancestors about 1000 years ago, on a sailing boat in the direction of America, came from Sweden reports that more and more people wanted to also do not fly. And of course there was immediately a media-ready keyword: flight of shame.
“Sailor” Greta Thunberg. Although in Berlin, not in, determines the Agenda of the tourism summit.
However, whether there are the really, is controversial. Torsten Schäfer is not sure. Schäfer is head of communications at the German travel Association (DRV). The industry Association represents the interests of companies in the travel industry, among other things, to the policy. In any case, you, could, he told DW, the in the Numbers, because “in order to assess the it’s still considerably too early.”
The industry, as a shepherd, expect to be in the larger scales: “The majority of Germans book their annual leave well in advance. The bookings for this year has not yet played the big role.” Only in the next year or two we could show the flight of shame with Numbers – or not.
The General Director of the airline, Air France, Anne Rigail, had in an Interview with the newspaper “Le Parisien” on 1. October said, she could not confirm reports about the effects of the flight of shame. The current decline in bookings was not “high enough” to be able to unique identify causes.
It will continue to be flown
A media report suggests that there are currently at least in Germany, no flight of shame. On 9. October had reported the “Rheinische Post” that the number of airline passengers in Germany had increased further. This would have given the air traffic data of the Federal Statistical office.
Accordingly, it was in the German air-traffic in every month since August 2018-rising passenger compared to the corresponding month of the previous year. In the twelve months from August 2018 to July 2019 will be launched by Germany from around 125,1 million passengers. In the twelve months from August 2017 to July 2018, however, had 119,4 million.
The claims on the policy
The President of the Federal Association of the German tourism industry, Michael Frenzel, had already claimed in last year’s tourism summit last November, “fair competition conditions”. Traditional companies would often set even more stringent requirements than the digital competition. The classic travel office-business-equipment meeting with the service providers on the Internet, more and more into the background.
The industry calls for of the policy in addition, long-relief, such as in the bureaucracy and in the labour law. It requires a flexibilisation of working time laws. The rigid maximum daily working time in the working hours act is not timely, had Frenzel already at 21. Tourism summit complained.
The bread business of the tour operator: summer, sun, beach and lots and lots of tourists.
Tourism as an economic factor and global
The DRV called for in the words of Torsten Schäfer, on the topic of “climate change” a sense of proportion. Because “the waiver of travel as a fundamental freedom” was from the perspective of the tour operator “is not a solution. We all benefit from tourism, we want to make all of the holidays, we want to explore the world.”
Radical solutions would not only endanger Jobs in Germany – according to the industry Association about three million jobs hung on tourism as a whole. Global jobs and livelihoods are in danger: “Some countries are dependent on tourism. And if this economy would collapse branches, it would remove the livelihood of many people.”
DRV-spokesman Torsten Schäfer leads a number into the field, to demonstrate the importance of the industry: “15 German traveller support, for example, a workplace in developing and emerging countries.”
The customer is required
The German travel Association, however, sees only the law, and he also takes the customers in the duty. The have “, make sure that you fly climate-friendly. You can select the airlines that you are using new planes, you can make sure that the Hotel is liable according to certain standards, it is managed that it is awarded as sustainable.”
The travel industry is insured anyway, Torsten Schäfer, to be sensitized for the topic “tourism in times of (climate)change”. Finally, a more radical climate change could destroy the business basis of the industry. Because, says Torsten Schäfer: “An intact environment is vital for all of us, and it is also the basis of economic activity for the tourism industry.”
That there is to do for the tour operators still have a lot to suggests Torsten Schäfer, as he talks about the importance of climate change for his industry: “the consciousness of the people is there, but the concrete demand is not yet as clear as this is also true for offers of the tour operators.”