Monaco’s annual conference on the future of luxury and business tourism revealed that sustainable tourism in no longer the domain of eco-warriors, it is important to business and luxe travellers as well. 

The Future of Luxury and Business Tourism sort of says it all. This was the theme of the 2022 Conference of the Tourist and Convention Authority (DTC), which took place at the Novotel Hotel Monte-Carlo on Monday 17th October and brought together tourism professionals from across the Principality to discuss the latest in the travel and tourism sectors.  

What came out of it was that, to remain competitive and in tune with current attitudes and tastes of travellers, the tourism sector must not just just be innovative but also responsible. Sustainable tourism was a prominent feature, showing a real shift in the way professionals are looking at the industry. No longer the domain of eco-warriors, it is now important to the business and luxe travellers as well, notably those 26 to 41 years old.   

“We must not stop travelling, but travel intelligently,” said Panos Tzivanidis, Director of the Department of Events and Institutional Services of the International Olympic Committee.  

Franck Goldnadel, President of Nice Airport, added, “There is an absolute need to transform the air transport industry to be more sustainable.”  

On the innovation side, Gabriel Donida, Founder of travel agency Atelier Voyage, said, “Guests don’t just want beautiful rooms, they want experiences. In our travel agencies, millennials are pushing us to rethink our offer in order to go beyond what already exists.” 

Director of Tourism and Conventions Guy Antognelli also spoke about how Monaco is bouncing back from the Covid-19 pandemic. He explained that the local tourism sector has undergone many changes and now is exploring new avenues for development and improvement in order to best meet customer demand in the Principality. 

Photo credit: Michael Alesi, Monaco Government Communications Department