Bruno, where does your passion for travel, nature and the environment come from?
My enthusiasm stems from a curiosity to discover new things, get to know other cultures and understand different ways of thinking. Even as a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time outdoors – with my family and later with my youth group. Nature grounds me and gives me a sense of down-to-earthness. It is our habitat, which we must look after, above all for the sake of our own future.
Was there a ‘lightbulb moment’ that made the urgency of climate protection clear to you?
A defining moment for me was when friends received a free flight as part of a sustainability initiative. This contradiction made it clear to me how quickly good intentions and actual action can diverge. Since then, I’ve been particularly concerned with how we can implement climate protection in a credible, consistent and practical way in our everyday lives.
You’re a self-confessed fan of Scandinavia. What particularly appeals to you about the North?
I’m fascinated by the vastness and tranquillity of the North – qualities that are now rarely found in Central Europe. In the early 1990s, I covered around 220 kilometres on cross-country skis along the Kungsleden (a long-distance hiking trail in Swedish Lapland) during the winter. Hearing my own breath and being surrounded by silence was like meditation for me. This experience had a lasting impact on me.
How can you support myclimate and our work for climate protection and a net-zero society as a member of the Foundation board?
As a member of the Foundation board, I would particularly like to represent the views of the tourism sector and the market. Travel generates emissions. That is why we must make these emissions transparent, consistently reduce them, promote innovations such as new fuels, and take responsibility for unavoidable emissions. myclimate can combine scientifically sound climate targets with practical solutions. I would like to help ensure that these are adopted by the market and reach many companies as well as travellers.
Where do you see the greatest contributions that tourism can make towards achieving net-zero?
Tourism can make a significant contribution by reporting emissions transparently and consistently making travel less carbon-intensive. This includes more efficient travel options, climate friendly transport and innovations such as sustainable aviation fuels. It is crucial that climate protection is no longer a voluntary extra, but becomes an integral part of every travel product.
Are there any hidden talents we should know about?
Perhaps my most important talent is connecting people, perspectives and interests. At the same time, I can structure complex issues, make them understandable and translate them into concrete next steps. My experience in tourism, leadership and sustainability helps me with this.
To finish off, a few ‘either/or’ questions:
Travel to the future or the past?
To the future: discovering new things is what drives me. That’s why I’ve even turned my curiosity about unknown places, people and perspectives into my profession.
A day in the jungle or on the moon?
In the jungle: the incredible variety of sounds, smells, plants and animals creates a fascinating tapestry that you can experience with all your senses.
The sea or the mountains?
To the mountains: From up high, the view opens out across vast landscapes. This perspective creates some distance from everyday life and helps me see the bigger picture more clearly.
Summer or winter?
Winter: A night in a self-built igloo, a snowshoe hike or trees deep in snow – for me, this is the natural experience in its purest and most unspoilt form.
Camping or a hotel?
Camping: Being outdoors with my family and experiencing nature first-hand is brilliant for me. Our multi-day canoe trip with a tent, in particular, remains unforgettable and brings us closer together.
Morning or evening?
Mornings: The early bird catches the worm. As the saying goes: anything on the building site that isn’t tackled before morning tea is unlikely to get done. That’s why I prefer to start early and with determination.
Filter coffee or espresso?
Espresso: Without any other ingredients, it’s the concentrated essence of a highly complex product shaped by nature: clear, intense and reduced to the essentials.
Liquorice or Ricola?
Ricola: There’s no deeper reasoning behind this, nor any grand philosophy. Ultimately, it’s simply a matter of personal taste.
Newspaper or LinkedIn?
Newspaper: I like to immerse myself in a text without distractions. Well-researched articles with background information give me more than the constant switching between short posts.
