How we are transferring knowledge and skills through our people and technology

When it comes to social responsibility our long-term goal is to contribute towards inclusive development in the countries where we operate. One of the key ways we do this is through knowledge and skills transfer. Amadeus has a wealth of expertise in the travel and technology sectors that we can tap into, to support two of the UN-led Sustainable Development Goals: quality education, and decent work and economic growth. In 2017, a year that was declared International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, we took special pride in supporting and driving travel industry-related initiatives in 61 countries, to shape an inclusive and sustainable future for all.

So, what did that look like?

Addressing the skills gap in the global travel and tourism industry

Amadeus country offices, in collaboration with educational institutions in their countries worked to train more than 2,600 young people in global reservations skills through our long standing commitment to global travel-related education.

In a pilot to support young people earn an income through travel and tourism, we also worked in Kenyawith the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Ministry of Tourism in Kenya and stakeholders in the local tourism industry, who were critical to steering the project. Through this type of public-private sector collaboration, we want to see beneficiaries earning an income from what they have learnt, or continuing with further training related to global travel & tourism. A deeper assessment of the impact and value of this pilot will be reported in the first quarter of the year and the learnings will be reflected in Amadeus’ evolving CSR Knowledge & Skills Transfer programme.

Economic empowerment of people living with disabilities

Amadeus, the Argentinian travel agency association (FAEVYT), and Incluyeme, a non-profit focusing on people with disabilities, collaborated in a pilot to train young people with disabilities to work in travel reservations. Nine people with disabilities received training in travel reservations and soft skills to ease their inclusion in the workforce. We also contributed to the launch of a landmark report, Voyage of discovery: Working towards inclusive and accessible travel for all, that looks at the barriers to accessible travel.

Lastly, we advocated widely on the potential of travel and tourism to contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Amadeus representatives spoke at forums in Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. They voiced our belief that true long-term business sustainability requires a strategic combination of commercial, social and environmental considerations – at local and global levels.

These preliminary achievements, demonstrate that there is real potential to bring positive change to many people experiencing social and economic exclusion, when technology and the reach of global travel and tourism, are combined.  You can find out more about our projects worldwide by visiting our social responsibility mapand our Social Responsibilitywebsite.