• Travel industry experts gathered at the Javits Center in New York City for the 17th annual New York Times Travel Show this past weekend.
  • The New York Times Travel Show is the largest trade and consumer travel show in North America.
  • On Friday, Keynote panelists discussed challenges to the travel industry, included overtourism and sustainability.
  • Executive leaders at Virtuoso, Intrepid Travel, and Hurtigruten agreed that the solution to these challenges will require that communities determine how they want tourism to work for them, and travel companies educating travelers on how to be respectful guests.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Sustainability was the buzzword at the annual New York Times Travel Show this past weekend.

Now in its 17th year, the show – the largest professional and consumer trade show in North America – took place from January 24 to January 26 at the Javits Center in New York City. It featured close to 750 exhibitors and 280 speakers and drew over 35,000 people.

Many of the seminars and panels throughout the weekend addressed challenges faced by the travel industry, including how to travel sustainably and minimize the damaging effects of overtourism.

On Friday, when the show opened to members of the travel industry and press, the Keynote panelists were optimistic about the industry’s ability to solve these challenges. These panelists included Matthew Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, the global network of luxury travel advisors and service providers; Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Norway-based expedition cruise line Hurtigruten; and Leigh Barnes, chief customer officer of Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest small group adventure travel company. James Shillinglaw, the editor-in-chief and founder of Insider Travel Report, moderated the discussion.

Barnes, who traveled to the show from Australia, acknowledged a considerable shift in how sustainability is being discussed in the US now compared to previous years. "It's just amazing to sit on a panel and have sustainability mentioned by every single person," he reflected. "I have been coming to America and talking about sustainable experiences now for the best part of eight years, and I think this is probably the first time I've sat on a panel and every single person has said 'This is real. We need to do something.'"

"We're seeing all companies now start to say, 'Hey, the best places for somebody to live are the best places to travel,'" he added.

Sustainability does not just mean the health of the planet, Upchurch clarified. "It's the planet, it's the benefit of local economies, and it's the preservation of natural and cultural heritage," he said.

The panelists shared a clear sense of how the travel industry will be able to solve issues of overtourism

The way forward, according to Upchurch, is a healthy dialogue between communities and travel companies that starts with communities determining and communicating how much tourism they want. "Who are we to say to somebody what is right or wrong for them?" he said.

"I also think that one of our responsibilities is to teach our travelers that there's this balance between self-determination and respectful tourism - like what is expected of our visitors. You are a guest, you are a visitor to that destination," Upchurch said.

Skjeldam echoed Upchurch's sentiments. "Communities will take control of what kind of tourism they want and that will be tourists who generate jobs; that will be tourists that don't harm the place. And you'll see a lot more regulations from communities," he said.

Cities around the world are already taking steps to combat overtourism and reduce their ecological footprint. This fall, Croatia proposed a ban on new restaurants to limit the amount of visitors to its city center. Meanwhile, Venice will ban large cruise ships from its Grand Canal beginning in 2022.

"The key thing is the community needs to take control of all their assets, which is their place, their location, and the beautiful nature around them," Skjeldam said.

What's next for sustainable travel?

"Brands will move from sustainability to activism. You'll see more brands, more travel companies really taking stances on what they believe in," Barnes said.

Hurtigruten, for one, launched the world's first hybrid cruise ship in 2019. The expedition cruise company's next challenge, according to Skjeldam, will be the world's first emission-free cruise ship. On its website, Hurtigruten outlines its stance on social responsibility and sustainable tourism in depth: "Our goal is to develop, encourage and maintain sustainable all-year activity, instead of flooding the valuable sites during peak season and leaving them quiet for the rest of the year. This is key to developing sustainable destinations, thriving communities and unique experiences." Wilderness Holdings, which customizes luxury safari tours in seven African countries, is another company actively working to minimize its ecological footprint. Business development director Chris Roche previously told Business Insider that luxury travelers are looking have a positive impact on the places they visit. "They want authenticity and genuine engagement, they want to feel like they're a meaningful contributor to all of this, and they want to be inspired," he said.