Ethical Travel and Community Tourism at the Nepal Stand

Some of the most thought-provoking conversations for me at ITB Berlin 2025 took place at the Nepal stand, where ethical travel and community tourism were central topics. Conversations with Nepalese business owners highlighted the growing importance of responsible tourism and the challenges of avoiding misrepresentation.

One I very much enjoyed, was the discussion with Krishna Prasad from Ethical Trekking Nepal, whom I asked what makes their trekking activities truly ethical. His response went straight to the point, being fair treatment of all involved and providing equal opportunities. Similarly, Priyanka Rana, founder of Kala Kora Artful Trails, shared insights on how her organization integrates local artisans and crafters into trekking routes. This approach allows travelers to experience Nepal’s culture not just by seeing it but by actively participating in traditional crafts, many of which are sustained by women artisans supporting their families. Empowerment at its best? That’s not all.

Women Empowerment in Tourism

Catherine Gallagher co-founder of Women Travel Leaders at ITB Berlin 2025

Women’s empowerment emerged as a crucial theme, particularly at IPD Stand where  Aayusha Prasain, CEO of Community Homestay Network alongside other leaders such as Catherine Gallagher, co-founder of Women Travel Leaders, discussed the significance of fostering women-led tourism initiatives. They underscored how ethical and sustainable tourism must prioritize creating opportunities for women, ensuring their economic participation, and enabling younger generations to build careers within their communities instead of seeking opportunities elsewhere.

LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Hospitality

A growing focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion was also evident at ITB Berlin 2025. One standout discussion revolved around hotel certifications that recognize safe spaces for LGBTQ+ travelers and the importance of sensitivity training for hospitality staff. Edgar Weggelaar CEO of Queer Destinations, highlighted how extensive sensitivity training across the industry has positively impacted over 200,000 professionals worldwide. However, he also acknowledged challenges, such as resource constraints and the risk of “pinkwashing”—a superficial commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion without meaningful actions.

The Role of AI and Technology in Travel

Technology’s role in reshaping the travel industry was another key discussion. AI-based travel solutions are gaining traction that’s true BUT concerns about job displacement remain. In a conversation with Ken Chen, Regional Director of Business Development at TourMind a AI solutions company, the topic of automation’s impact on employment became my main question: with AI integration, workforce requirements  drop from 10–12 employees to 1–2, allowing businesses to reallocate human resources more efficiently. Or not.

Sustainability in the Event Industry? For real?

Sustainability remains a critical challenge in the event and conference sector, but innovative solutions are emerging. The team at Montego Bay Convention Centre in Jamaica, which has implemented green initiatives such as eliminating single-use plastics and adopting a farm-to-table approach, are literally cultivating their own produce on-site! The center ensures fresh, organic food offerings while reducing carbon footprints. Their commitment to sustainability was recognized with the “Best Venue” award at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association International Travel Awards during ITB Berlin 2025, and – for me – was one of the most enjoyable meetings I’ve had at ITB this year.

ITB Berlin 2025 reaffirmed that the travel industry is at a crossroad. Everybody wants to be everything, everywhere for everyone.

Not an effective strategy in the long run, as travelers are getting pickier by the day and less inclined to destination loyalty. From true commitment to community-led tourism and women empowerment to the global hospitality industry’s efforts toward inclusivity and AI-driven innovation, trade shows like ITB Berlin are a show of humanity above all. And perhaps, if seen through these lenses, a hopeful reminder of the needed balance between technology and humans.

Dolores Semeraro

ITB Berlin 2025

L'articolo ITB Berlin 2025: Ethical, Inclusive, Sustainable Travel all at once? proviene da Dolores Semeraro Tourism Keynote Speaker.

As a tourism keynote speaker, attending ITB is not only an opportunity to get on stage but – most importantly – is a chance to meet tourism board representatives, travel and trade associations and reconnect with old industry colleagues.

The Human Connections

I had the pleasure to finally meet in person an esteemed industry colleague Kojo Bentum Williams UNWTO Senior Expert on Communications in Africa and exchange impressions and insights on the roaring presence of African Tourism Operators at ITB.

Kojo has graced Truth Behind Travel Podcast with a one-of-a-kind interview at a time when we were both ‘locked-downed’ in each other’s countries.

A very special gathering happened pop-up style, but aren’t these the best? I met with some of the fellow members of Women Travel Leaders attending ITB Berlin 2023 right after Ruth Franklin – Co-founder of Secret Paradise Maldives – got off stage after nailing a panel discussion on sustainable travel habits hosted by ATTA. What a delight to meet these talented and wonderful women and feel somehow part of a bigger family.

If you are a woman in the tourism and travel business and are looking for a supporting network, check out the work of Women Travel Leaders, you might just find that sisterhood you didn’t know you needed.

ITB Berlin 2023 can be a bit intimidating in terms of size and attendance, however I must say that I have always felt very welcomed by the various representatives and in some cases even (on a funny note) even challenged to a ‘where-are-we’ game. This being the case of the smart team of Vilnius, Lithuania promoting the destination and the capital city by starting with a simple yet disarming question: ‘do you know where Lithuania is?’. Clever.

The Industry Recognition

The highlight of my 2-day intense attendance at ITB Berlin 2023, was receiving a token of appreciation for my contribution to the tourism industry of the Maldives from the Minister of Tourism Dr. Abdulla Mausoom.

I have worked in the Maldives as Marketing and PR Professional for six years (2010 – 2016) and I treasure each working and human experience I had while living and working on the islands of the Maldives.

At ITB, the stand of The Republic of Maldives is always one of the most visited ones, and this year, many new projects where unveiled. Will the destination demand keep up with the offer? The latest arrivals data seem to confirm that 356,538 visitors have already reached the shores of these beautiful island for 2023.

Industry Trends

Tourism resilience and sustainability were key topics explored across the many panel discussions during the ITB Convention. One of the keynotes I particularly enjoyed and learned from was about the role of Tik Tok in the Travel Industry and how this social media platform has – over time – managed to bring back the ‘real’ factor into travel social media posts. Blame the quest for absolute perfection and beauty which the tourism and travel communication needs to oblige to in order to please the eyes of the audience. But creators on Tik Tok played their own game and won the hearts of millions of followers by showing the human side of travel, no editing, just real.

A great case study discussed was the one of AIDA Cruises whereby Tik Tok was used as a key channel of communication to tease the audience ahead of the launch.

Personally, I am enjoying exploring trends on Tik Tok on my Tik Tok channel, and I curious about how would this evolve moving forward.

Conclusions

Do I give a full thumbs up to ITB Berlin 2023? Yes, I do. Would I recommend it to any industry professional looking for ways to connect, learn and grow. Yes, I would.

However, I feel it is important to highlight that having a clear business proposition and professional identity is crucial to make sure connections become leads, and leads turn into business. Having gone through ITB Berlin in the past years myself  – with very little proposition at that time, I must say – I would always encourage tourism and travel entrepreneurs to work on their own pitch before entering the ‘arena’. This is what my tourism business coaching clients have said after working with me on 1-1 basis to get ready for their big pitch.

A la prochain, ITB Berlin!

L'articolo ITB Berlin 2023 – Attendance, Trends and Awards       proviene da Dolores Semeraro Tourism Keynote Speaker.

Celebrating a ‘life moment’

These patterns, based on the past 20 months of consumer behaviours, will set the tone of how travel choices are made; travel products are perceived and purchased. Celebrating a ‘life moment’ is already proving to be the key factor for which travellers are choosing their next travel experience.

Why so? Extended time spent apart and reconsideration of life priorities have played a major role over the past 20 months, leading many to the realization that life is precious after all and that it must be celebrated, not just lived.

As I shared in a recent article: fears over health, finances, and relationships have impacted the lightheartedness of travel choices. As a result, the perception of time passing has radically changed, prompting people to take that long-postponed trip abroad to celebrate special occasions, or simply to celebrate life.

This is, in a nutshell, what a ‘life moment’ represents for today’s travelers. Whatever the occasion, it’s the choice of taking the time to celebrate that flags one of the Top 10 travel behaviour trends 2022 report.

Culturally engaged holidays

A good destination-marketing manager knows that the balance between international standards and local uniqueness is a fragile one. Too much of the first would result in a hybrid holiday destination that leaves a soulless impression to the visitor. Too much of the second could impact the perception of safety and comfort relatively known to international travellers.

Perhaps a silver lining of the pandemic, in terms of social sustainability is that many community-based tourism strategies have been re-evaluated and dusted off as people were more prone to re-connect and engage with each other.

In the Report, the trends listed in the Self-discovery travel section are directly connected to the clear desire to travel in a more culturally-engaged manner, deeply connected with the local community spirit, and open to learning more about foreign cultures.

The Hospitality industry has long embraced the ‘locale X factor’, however here ‘culturally engaged goes a step further. It’s not just about having a local meal in the village near the resort. It’s about knowing that the tourism dollars are actually supporting that village and, for example, are ensuring those kids’ education.

Purposeful travel trends

The pandemic has somehow accelerated the way travellers wish to contribute to preventing climate change through their travel choices. Event the most recent Expedia report shares that 59% of the travellers surveyed are willing to pay higher fees to make their trip more sustainable.

Where does that leave us? Hospitality and travel industry operators are to take a step up when it comes to their sustainability practices. Good travellers are quick at spotting greenwashing and will not hesitate to voice their concerns and findings online.

Ensure a timely and relevant strategy around the causes that matter around you. Study the global issues that your establishment is more likely to be affected by, and work towards time-bound solutions. Then talk about it! The biggest fail in sustainable tourism is in the lack of communication. Education goes both ways.

Summary

Travel restrictions, mandatory physical distance, and ongoing use of facemasks contributed – over time – to an inevitable change in travel behavior. There are, however, more aspects of the pandemic that have influenced travel choices and priorities around the world. This report focuses on the Top 10 travel behaviour trends 2022 detected over the past few months, as travel restrictions eased and people started traveling again.

L'articolo Why getting ahead of travel trends in 2022 will future-proof your business proviene da Dolores Semeraro Tourism Keynote Speaker.