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After four decades of World Travel Market memories, Professor Geoffrey Lipman is bringing something a little different to London: two young scientists, an extinct bird, and a gift for the tourism community.
The industry veteran, who heads SUNx Malta and runs CanadaStrong.travel, has created “Dodo Visits WTM,” a free booklet that combines the pleasure of exploring London with a hopeful message about protecting its future.
Lipman’s standing as a recognizable tourism personality comes from decades at the heart of the industry. He served as the first President of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Executive Director at the International Air Transport Association (IATA). His career connects aviation, global tourism business, and international policy—giving this playful gift the perspective of someone who has spent a lifetime helping shape how the world travels.
World Travel Market opens at ExCeL London on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, running through November 5. For Lipman, the occasion offers a chance to give something back.
“I’ve had so many good times around ‘WTM’ over the past 40 years,” he said, “so I thought it was time to give something back.”
He recalls working with Fiona Jeffery and WTM on WTTC’s launch of Green Globe in 1994, helping bring the sustainable development principles of the Rio Earth Summit into tourism.
Jeffery, the former WTM chair and founder of the water charity Just a Drop, has also helped turn tourism’s international connections into practical support for communities—a fitting connection in a story about giving back.
London through Dodo’s eyes
Created with help from artificial intelligence, the second booklet in the “Dodo Strikes Back”series follows Ari and Leila, two 24-year-old climate scientists, and their unusual traveling companion.
Dodo is a witty, interactive AI hologram modeled on the extinct bird. Part environmental conscience and part carbon-footprint tracker, the character brings humor and personality to a serious subject.
The scientists’ starting point is that alarming numbers need human connection to inspire action. Their fictional London adventure gives those numbers familiar places, living creatures, and people to care about.
At WTM, the trio looks beyond the colorful destination displays to consider flights, food waste, and energy use. Young East London volunteers help imagine a “Green Events Checklist,” turning environmental concern into practical ideas.
At the Thames and Tower Bridge, the story explores water quality, pollution, and floating reed beds that might support healthier waterways.
At the Tower of London, Dodo admires the Crown Jewels and Beefeaters before attention shifts toward another kind of treasure: wildflowers, bees, butterflies, and the habitats surrounding historic landmarks.
Around Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Park, the characters consider thirsty trees, summer heat, and the cooling value of green spaces. Their imagined responses include small woodland areas and native wildflower meadows.
The British Museuminspires ideas about sharing heritage digitally with schools and supporting cleaner energy in historic buildings. At the Natural History Museum, the adventure turns toward extinction, habitat gardens, and wildlife corridors for birds, hedgehogs, and pollinators.
These scenes are part of an imagined educational journey, inviting readers to consider what young people and tourism communities could achieve together.
SUNx Malta: taking education into action
The booklet sits within a broader program. SUNx Malta— the Strong Universal Network—positions Malta as a global hub for Climate Friendly Travel, helping tourism work toward climate resilience, sustainability, and the restoration and protection of nature.
SUNx describes its approach as supporting alignment with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C ambition, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and global biodiversity objectives.
Its work connects education with practical support through four main components:
- CFT Diploma and Chapters:An “Education2Action” approach training young Climate Champions, particularly in developing countries and small island states, to support local tourism transitions.
- CFT Registry:A platform where tourism businesses and organizations can record their climate action plans.
- CFT Services:Support for developing climate action plans and translating ambitions into practical steps.
- Dodo4Kids and Dodo Strikes Back:Climate education through storytelling for younger learners and adults.
“Dodo Visits WTM” brings that final component to life. Its young characters observe problems, explore possible responses, and involve others—giving readers a hopeful way into a subject that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
Partners bringing the message together
According to the publication, CanadaStrong.traveland its Sustainable Development Goal 17 partners support the booklet. SDG 17 emphasizes partnership: organizations working together toward shared goals.
The participating organizations named in the booklet are:
- International Institute for Peace through Tourism ( IIPT)
- Strong Universal Network ( SUNx Malta)
- World Sustainable Hospitality Association ( WSHA)
- Pacific Asia Travel Association ( PATA)
- Earth Charter International Institute
- Protect Our Planet ( POP) Movement
- Ingle International
- Tripian
- World Tourism Network (WTN)
Their shared framework connects environmental care, community resilience, and friendship through Peace Parks worldwide. The booklet does not specify individual production or funding responsibilities for each partner.
Juergen Steinmetz, publisher of eTN and Chairman of WTN, said: “The World Tourism Network is a proud partner in this initiative, supporting its message that tourism can connect people, inspire younger generations, and help protect the places we love.”
Lipman introduced CanadaStrong.travel through SUNx as an initiative linking travel, peace, climate action, and the next generation. The booklet gives those ambitions an accessible storytelling form.
SUNx Malta is making “Dodo Visits WTM” available free of charge, hoping delegates will enjoy London while considering the future of its landmarks, communities, and living world.
For Lipman, it is an affectionate gift to an industry filled with familiar faces and shared memories. For readers, it is an invitation to see a much-loved city with fresh curiosity—and to carry some of that care home.
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