This May, the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), in partnership with Visit Norway, will host its first SIR - Sustainability is Responsibility Summit in Bodø, Norway. The two-day executive-level interactive member conference will bring together leaders from across the travel industry to set a path for a more sustainable future, the USTOA said.
The May 20-21 program includes inspirational and educational content, case study learnings and interactive dialogue presented through a series of panel and roundtable discussions, keynote presentations and fireside chats. The summit is aimed at fostering future collaborations, innovative approaches and cross-sector education that will benefit all participants.
“Achieving sustainable tourism is a complex initiative that is best addressed globally by working together as an industry in order to maintain long-term impact,” said Terry Dale, president and CEO of the USTOA, in a written statement.
To moderate and facilitate the summit, USTOA and Visit Norway tapped sustainability thought leader Malcolm Preston, who specializes in the measurement and valuation of environmental, social and economic impacts. Preston served as Global Head of Sustainability Services at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) until his retirement in 2018. In that role, he developed and led a global team of 700 sustainability and climate change experts. Prior to that, he led the PwC Travel and Tourism Group from 1996 to 2010. Today, Preston is an Adjunct Professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University teaching Sustainable Decision Making. He is also visiting Faculty at Harvard Business School, teaching on their Exec Ed Sustainability Leadership program. In addition, Preston is a moderator/facilitator for the Responsible Business Forum, a series of four large annual sustainability conferences around the globe.
The summit is open to executive-level attendees, directors and CEOs of Active and Associate Member companies of USTOA. Attendance will be capped at 50 leaders. Companies must be a current member of USTOA with annual dues paid for 2020 in order to attend.
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