Speaker: Ben Peterson, Founder and CEO, Purple Elephant Ventures
In his presentation, Ben presented an argument that the tourism industry is, by and large, failing to achieve genuine sustainability and regeneration. He estimated that only a small fraction around 5% of the industry truly prioritizes sustainability, while the majority engage in minimal, often superficial efforts primarily aimed at meeting customer expectations rather than driving real change.
At the heart of his presentation was the message that sustainability must be made economically viable in the short term. He emphasized that real progress depends on building scalable businesses capable of attracting significant capital, not by compromising sustainability, but by ensuring that the very solutions being offered are profitable and inherently improve sustainability outcomes.
Shining a spotlight on the five distinct businesses under his organization, Ben outlined the core principles that drive these ventures which fundamentally embed impact into the business model, setting clear and ambitious sustainability goals, simplifying operations for partners, reducing operational costs, increasing revenue, and ultimately using these levers to drive sustainability forward in a meaningful and measurable way.
Ben also acknowledged the very real challenges confronting the sector. He pointed to the industry’s generally slow adoption of sustainability practices, a widespread lack of genuine commitment, and the increasingly constrained funding environment within the sustainability ecosystem. These obstacles, he noted, reinforce the urgency of rethinking traditional models and embracing new approaches that align economic viability with long-term environmental and social impact.