Who am I?
I am a 28 year old academic who loves being in nature and discovering new things.
Why am I interested in tourism?
I have been working in the tourism industry for the last 5 years. It is a very exciting field as it is often associated with a lot of joy. At the same time, the industry still offers many opportunities for optimisation (including digitalisation, individualisation, sustainability optimisation, …). In addition, the way we travel is always a reflection of the current social situation.
Dear Louise,
your dad and I have arrived at another destination of our world tour: the Seychelles. It is really beautiful here. Here, too, you can see how nature has been slowly recovering for the last 15 years. …The global climate crisis was so bad that we had the most severe droughts, tsunamis, storms and floods, and all thought the end of the world had arrived. You can probably remember some of it; you were already a teenager then.
I’m glad that space tourism didn’t catch on back then. Those rockets of the astro-tourism pioneers were really hurtful for the environment. We humans behaved like we always do – first something really bad has to happen until everyone gets their act together and works towards real change. Once that occurred, everything else happened very quickly: A multitude of emission-free means of transport were pushed politically and thus became marketable and could spread all over the country. The Ultra-Speed-Train, for example, with which we started our journey in Berlin, is powered by magnetic waves and could only be successfully developed with the support of an international project. This meant that we did not harm the environment and could still be in St. Petersburg in less than 3 hours.
On the solar-powered plane to the Seychelles, I realised once again how much all means of transport have changed. In the past, ships and aeroplanes were the biggest polluters; today they are ultra-modern, quiet means of transport that even do good while moving. While going about their regular routes, ships collect all that plastic waste of the last century and recycle it directly. And the planes use the air’s CO2 for cooling and convert it into oxygen for the inside cabin. Okay my dear, I’ll write to you again from our next stop. Then we’ll be in Australia, visiting the most modern campsite in the world. We are already so excited to see what kind of programmes they offer for getting to know the Australian culture and nature in an authentic and sustainable way. I am mostly looking forward to the autonomous bread roll service. The bread rolls are delivered directly into your glamping tent via a pipe system.
Love and kisses to your little one. We miss you!
– Original version: German –
Wishes and hopes behind the image of the future:
1. “For the future of tourism I hope that…”
it can be more sustainable through technological innovations (keyword: emission-free flying/travelling) and that social change (more respect for nature and local culture) is possible – especially for children from socially/financially weak backgrounds or structures.
2. “If I could wish for anything at all, I would…”
wish for completely emission-free holidays – worldwide.
3. “If I were a powerful politician, I would…”
promote research and companies in the field of emission-free fuels, as well as promote domestic tourism.
Further images of the future of tourism:
