Volume 68
Sustainability Failures: Lessons from Irresponsible Actions in Tourism
What if real sustainability progress demands owning failures—not just wins? Most
businesses hide sustainability missteps, fearing backlash. Yet some in tourism are
coming forward, confronting shortcomings to fuel improvement. This session pulls back
the curtains as we will expose some of the failures tourism businesses sweep under the
rug— revealing how admitting failures sparks smarter solutions. Together with an
environmental auditor, a consultant for SMEs and a tourism business owner, we will
tackle the hard questions: Why do we still pretend perfection is possible? How can
transparency build trust? And what’s the real cost of not admitting mistakes? Forget
polished sustainability reports. This is about the messy, uncomfortable truths that drive
real change.