Business View Magazine | May/June 2022

11 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 EARTH DAY: BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF TRAVEL By Erik Hansen, Vice President of Government Relations, U.S. Travel Association R ecently in Iowa, President Biden renewed his call for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) tax credit, a critical step to creating a more sustainable Future of Travel. Scaling up the development, production and distribution of SAFs will be essential to minimize aviation’s impact on the environment and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 – a goal airlines are committed to reach. In fact, it’s not just a goal for the airlines. It’s a goal for the entire travel industry and it’s one that we all have a stake in achieving. Here’s why: Travel can’t truly be sustainable unless every sector – including hotels, airlines, rental cars, restaurants, attractions and more – does its part. In other words, it requires a whole- of-industry approach. That’s why hotels, car rental companies and convention centers care just as much about helping airlines achieve their sustainability goals as the airlines. If one sector doesn’t succeed, every sector stands to lose. OPENING L INES