Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report: A Message From...
Expedia Group 2021 Global Impact Report
OUR VICE CHAIRMAN & CEO – PETER KERN
Q: Employees and travelers have continued to adjust to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. How has Expedia Group navigated this new global landscape and what are you most proud of?
I’m proud of our nearly 14,000 Expedians who supported our travelers, partners, and destinations, all while dealing with personal and professional responsibilities and the stress of the pandemic. Our mission for travel to serve as a force for good was truly put to the test, but our employees fully embraced it as a rallying cry throughout.
The pandemic impacted how we work, how we socialize, and of course, how we travel. In 2021, as the world started to reopen, the travel industry, much like all of us, began to navigate a new version of normal, and Expedia Group was ready to rebound. After all, we bring people together; that’s what gets us up in the morning and keeps us going.
Q: How is Expedia Group helping advance a more sustainable travel industry?
Our collective industry must recognize that we impact the environment with every travel experience we sell. At the same time, travel is one of the biggest economic drivers for many communities throughout the world; we must ensure the future of travel for generations to come.
As travelers are increasingly shopping their values, they are turning to our platform for inspiration and guidance, and we will be ready to meet this desire for greener, more responsible choices. We’re committed to working together with our partners and peers to ensure the industry can fulfill the scientific imperative of Net Zero by 2050. This commitment encompasses our initiatives with the UNWTO and the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge, among others, to accelerate sustainability in the travel industry. And we’ve already started at home with our LEED Gold Certified Seattle headquarters and the purchase of renewable electricity to power our offices worldwide.
Q: How is Expedia Group ensuring a more inclusive travel experience for all travelers?
Our travelers are diverse, with an array of interests and needs. As we work to unlock the full potential of travel, we’re focused on creating personalized experiences that exceed each traveler’s unique expectations. Our teams across Expedia Group are doing everything we can to make travel more equitable and accessible for everyone regardless of their identity. With our scale and reach, no one is more equipped to tackle this than we are.
Whether it’s our Expedia Brands spotlighting LGBTQIA+- welcoming hotels or Expedia Group lobbying for inclusive passport designations, we’re weaving inclusion in from the beginning. Starting with more inclusive search filters and booking experiences – no matter how travelers identify, where they want to go, or what they want to do when they get there – we’re leveraging our platform to empower travelers to build experiences that are as diverse as they are.
Q: What’s next for Expedia Group?
One thing became apparent over the past two years – the people who power the travel industry are incredibly courageous, strong, and resilient. The distancing that COVID-19 required of us only emphasized how important it is for us to get it right, and ensure travel is responsible, inclusive, and accessible to all. We’re also seeing travel trends shift, and travelers seeking experiences that offer more than just relaxation or exploration. We’re continuing to find ways to build traveler experiences that align to these needs, enhancing the visibility travelers have into their environmental and community impact. As travel comes back, Expedia Group is ready to lead the way to a stronger and more responsible future. This is how we will succeed as a company and an industry.
OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL SOCIAL IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY – ADITI MOHAPATRA
Friends,
This past year has been one of global rebuilding. At Expedia Group, we’ve spent this time thinking about who we are and what kind of company we want to be, the state of the world and what role we play. As Expedia Group’s first Vice President of Global Social Impact & Sustainability, I’m impressed with our work to date and eager to build on it, to ensure Expedia Group tackles what lies ahead. In creating this role, Expedia Group is making a commitment to shaping a more inclusive, equitable, safe, and sustainable travel industry for generations to come.
Expedia Group has long been committed to making travel more responsible and accessible for all travelers. We’re extending this tradition by leveraging the tools at our disposal – our platform, data, expertise, business, and community partnerships – to create outcomes that showcase our mission of travel as a force for good. More than that, we’re using our unique position to bring others along with us, working closely with our partners and communities around the globe to advance traveler equity and integrate sustainable operations into our business models and offerings.
Travelers want trips with purpose from brands with integrity, which is why we’re building strategic partnerships that allow people to make choices that fit with their values and needs. As an example, eco- conscious travelers using our platform will soon be able to book trips with comparatively lower emissions and enhanced sustainability. And we’re just as focused on addressing traveler equity – delivering better information and working with hotels and partners that embed inclusivity into their offerings so, together, we can break down barriers.
We’ve built a strong foundation and now we’re ready to take it to the next level with the launch of our new global impact strategy. Our new direction will focus on three main priorities: economic advancement, barriers to access, and sustainable travel solutions. We believe Expedia Group is well-positioned to address the multi- faceted challenges facing the travel industry and deliver long-lasting impact for our stakeholders.
One of our company’s core values – Go Get What’s Next – is particularly inspiring to me. It’s all about seeing the potential of where our industry could go and taking every opportunity to drive travel toward a better, more sustainable and responsible future. I’m excited to have joined Expedia Group at a pivotal moment and am ready to bring our new direction to life as we move into this next ambitious chapter.
