VIDEO: Why the travel industry needs tech-forward sustainability solutions

Travel and tourism as we know it today is largely a post-World War II phenomenon, says Chris Adams, director of research and online marketing at Miles Partnership , and as it has grown explosively, the industry and travelers are now facing physical constraints to growth and environmental issues that aren’t going away.

Adams, alongside GeoSure CEO Michael Becker, discussed how technology can help enable awareness and understanding of sustainability during a panel focused on the topic, filmed in the PhocusWire Studio during November’s Phocuswright Conference.

For destination marketing organizations, a recent study from Miles Partnership reveals that sustainability is a front-and-center issue for them, particularly from a marketing perspective.

The study also surveyed leisure travelers in the United States, which shows they, too, are concerned with environmental and sustainability efforts, though Adams says there is a clear partisan divide among respondents.

In addition to the study's finding, the discussion also touched on the importance of positive perception and word-of-mouth for destinations, how data can promote traveler safety and the “hashtag effect” social media has created.

Watch the full panel below.