• Increase business awareness of the bottom-line benefit of sustainable travel and tourism practices.
• Increase the number of businesses that are experimenting with new programs in sustainable travel and tourism.
• Develop new research that addresses significant business challenges or opportunities.
• Demonstrate customer demand for sustainable business products and services.
• Involve philanthropic institutions in the development of new approaches to creating mutual benefits for businesses, communities, and travelers.

BLUE-RIBBON COMMITTEE

BEST�s Steering Committee is composed of leaders in the tourism industry, the nonprofit sector and in corporate social responsibility. Cornelia W. Higginson of the American Express Company serves as its chair, and Ben W.  Sherman of the Western American Indian Chamber as co-chair.  Other members include: Edwin Fuller, Marriott International; Gustavo F. Araoz, United States Committee of the International Committee on Monuments and Sites; Zehra Aydin-Sipos, Division for Sustainable Development, Department for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations; Melissa Berman, The Conference Board; Ginger Smith, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, George Washington University; Gretchen Dykstra, formerly of The Times Square Business Improvement District; Scott Wayne, World Travel and Tourism Council; Jane Nelson, Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum; Sven-Olof Lindblad, Lindblad Special Expeditions; and Robert Dunn, Business for Social Responsibility.

Tourism is one of the world�s largest and fastest growing industries. In the U.S., tourism is a $467 billion industry, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that in 2000, travel and tourism will generate�directly and indirectly -- 200 million jobs worldwide and will account for 11.7% of gross domestic product. By 2010, these figures will jump to $6.7 trillion in GDP and 253 million jobs. According to the World Tourism Organization, there were 635 million international tourist arrivals in 1998, with over 1 billion international arrivals expected by 2010.

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the world�s leading business membership and research organization. More than 3,000 companies in 67 nations are members of The Conference Board�s global network.  The Conference Board produces the Leading Economic Indicators, the Consumer Confidence Index and other major indicators that have an impact on both business and financial markets.  It also produces the most definitive source of information about worldwide institutional investment trends and is a leading source of knowledge about corporate governance, corporate performance, human resources management and global corporate citizenship.

About the World Travel and Tourism Council

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global business leaders forum for travel and tourism.  Its 112 members are chief executives from all sectors of the industry, including accommodation, catering, entertainment, recreation, transportation and other travel-related services. Its central goal is to work with governments to realize the full economic impact of the world�s largest generator of wealth and jobs�travel and tourism. Founded in April 1990, WTTC policies are set and implemented by a 15-member Executive Committee, a President and a small staff in London, with representative offices in Central  South America, Asia/Pacific and Central  Eastern Europe.

WTTC�s Millennium Vision is the organization�s guiding policy platform.  It identifies the potential for travel and tourism to generate more than 60 million jobs across the world economy over the next decade, with new public/private sector cooperation to: make travel and tourism a strategic economic and employment priority; move towards open and competitive markets; promote sustainable development; eliminate barriers to growth.

Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST) Fact Sheet

BEST is a travel and tourism initiative of The Conference Board, a leading global business membership and research organization, and the World Travel and Tourism Council, the industry�s global business leaders� forum. Support is provided by several foundations, including the Ford Foundation.

BEST creates and disseminates knowledge within the travel industry and to the public, simultaneously enhancing business performance, the traveler�s experience, and destination communities.

Sustainable travel ensures the future of the travel industry by contributing to the well-being of its most valuable assets: the people, cultures, and natural environments of destination communities, while enriching the experiences of travelers. When companies incorporate sustainability into their core business functions, they achieve their business objectives while promoting social and economic prosperity.

Businesses attain competitive advantages, including:

• Increased customer loyalty
• Increased ability to attract and retain employees
• Reduced operating costs (e.g. through environmentally responsible techniques like energy conservation)
• Increased employee productivity and quality
• Regulatory compliance and approval
• Enhanced corporate reputation

• Reporting on exemplary business practices
• Networking senior executives to exchange experiences and share knowledge
• Educating next generation of travel professionals
• Conducting targeted research, including consumer surveys
• Informing the traveling public about exemplary practices

By integrating business and community interests, the travel and tourism industry can be a source of exemplary corporate citizenship practices for other industries. That is one of the reasons that The Conference Board has made BEST its first industry-specific initiative in its 84-year history.