I couldn’t agree more that sustainable tourism practitioners should take some time out for a holiday and stop worrying about ‘branding their little corner’.

The perception and understanding of travel seems to be changing a fair bit here in the UK, changing for the better I might add. I think TV programs can often provide a good guide for what we can look at to connect with people in this space. I don’t think there’s ever been a particularly successful green, eco travel program.

The most successful TV shows and the ones that make me want to travel the most are this recent breed of celebrity chef travel programs. The link between food, place and people is clear and the experience is central to the programming – Jamie’s America, Jamie’s Italian are classic examples and there are a lot more. Food ties together everything that we want to communicate about preserving cultures and environments and what is unique to a destination.