DRV demand: Stronger lobbying and recruitment of young talent necessary!

DRV demand: Stronger lobbying and recruitment of young talent necessary!

The German Travel Association (DRV) sees itself called upon to intensify its lobbying work in Berlin and Brussels and to focus more on recruiting young talent and strengthening package tours. According to a current survey by Reise vor9, which only attracted 150 industry representatives, there is a cautious interest in DRV topics. Nevertheless, over 80% of survey participants believe that lobbying the federal government and the EU is a priority. A good 70% consider strengthening package tours to be important, while around the same number emphasize the importance of promoting and recruiting young talent.

There is a clear desire among those surveyed for a stronger articulation of the interests of travel agencies in the DRV, which is demanded by 88%. In addition, more than half of travel professionals advocate mandatory protection of customer funds to protect them from airline bankruptcies. Opinions about the DRV's five-pillar structure are divided: only 36% of sales and event representatives consider it important, in contrast to 54% of respondents from other sectors.

Congress as a platform for important topics

The 4th capital city congress of the DRV will take place in Berlin on October 9th. The focus here is on important topics such as the political framework, the amendment of the package travel directive and aspects of sustainability and climate protection. Participants include Carsten Linnemann (CDU), Anja Karliczek (Tourism Committee) and Johann Saathoff (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation). Particularly noteworthy are the trilogue negotiations on the revision of the package travel directive in Brussels, which are analyzed by Eva Stricher and Hans-Josef Vogel.

The congress also offers a platform for discussions about the future challenges of the travel industry and expectations from politics. Carsten Linnemann will talk about the government's plans to stabilize the German economy. Other topics include new source markets, international competition and travel barriers, which will also be covered in panel discussions.

Sustainability and responsibility in tourism

Another central point of the congress is the discussion of social and ecological aspects of sustainable tourism. This will take place as part of expert panels and a discussion about new travel barriers with Serap Güler and international tourism experts. The EcoTrophea, which stands for environmental protection and social responsibility in tourism, will also be awarded as part of the event, this year under the motto “Biodiversity”.

The event will be moderated by TV journalist Andrea Grießmann and will take place on October 10th in conjunction with DRV elections in the general meetings, with candidacies being submitted until September 11th. Participation in these meetings is free of charge for DRV members. These measures show that the DRV is committed to a comprehensive commitment to the industry and at the same time wants to address pressing current issues in order to make tourism fit for the future.

Overall, the DRV is required to stand up for the interests of its members as well as to advocate for the sustainable development of the industry. The upcoming discussion and cooperation in Brussels as well as the exchange at the capital city congress are crucial.