10 January 2017
The time has come…being sustainable when it comes to working in the tourism industry is no longer about soothing the odd hippy and brands need to do more than not washing your sheets and towels every day. Sustainable tourism is big business. Still not convinced?
The United Nations has made 2017 the year for sustainable tourism for development. When it was announced, Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said: "The declaration by the UN of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a unique opportunity to advance the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental, while raising awareness of the true dimensions of a sector which is often undervalued.”
But it’s not just the UN who think it’s time that hotel operators, tour companies and tourism experiences to put the planet before profit but regular run of the mill consumers, who are increasingly demanding that their travels contribute positively, not negatively, to local economies and environments.
Eco Companion, a sustainable travel booking engine, has seen a customer increase of 30 percent in the last year alone.
“I think we are going to see a much better integration between travelers and local people and an increased desire for genuine experiences which provide some kind of benefit for both parties” said Joe Stevens, the company’s marketing manager.
Companies who don’t adopt measures to assist local populations and wildlife projects or invest in more sustainable food and recycling practices risk losing out on a growing percentage of travelers, especially among the younger millennial market.
The “Good Travels” study undertaken in 2015 by Tourism Cares recorded that those who are willing to pay more for a sustainable brand or experience rose from 55 percent to 66 percent in one year alone. The bottom line is that in 2017 not going green will hurt your bank balance.
Just one example is TripAdvisor, the largest travel portal in the world, who announced in October that it will stop selling tickets for wildlife experiences that are not sustainable and will link consumers to wildlife welfare organisations and websites so they can make more informed choices.
This move is in line with industry research that shows that travelers are moving away from the ‘fly and flop’ holiday towards ones centred around wildlife experiences and being in nature – whether through voluntourism or hiking, bird watching or kayaking with more and more of their spending money going towards experiences that give back. For examples of some of the most popular eco-tourism ideas that are attracting consumers read The best eco-travel ideas of 2017.
With a more environmentally aware consumer, the future of tourism looks to be every shade of green.
Any opinions expressed here are the author’s own.
The time has come…being sustainable when it comes to working in the tourism industry is no longer about soothing the odd hippy and brands need to do more than not washing your sheets and towels every day. Sustainable tourism is big business. Still not convinced?
The United Nations has made 2017 the year for sustainable tourism for development. When it was announced, Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said: "The declaration by the UN of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a unique opportunity to advance the contribution of the tourism sector to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social and environmental, while raising awareness of the true dimensions of a sector which is often undervalued.”
But it’s not just the UN who think it’s time that hotel operators, tour companies and tourism experiences to put the planet before profit but regular run of the mill consumers, who are increasingly demanding that their travels contribute positively, not negatively, to local economies and environments.
Eco Companion, a sustainable travel booking engine, has seen a customer increase of 30 percent in the last year alone.
“I think we are going to see a much better integration between travelers and local people and an increased desire for genuine experiences which provide some kind of benefit for both parties” said Joe Stevens, the company’s marketing manager.
Companies who don’t adopt measures to assist local populations and wildlife projects or invest in more sustainable food and recycling practices risk losing out on a growing percentage of travelers, especially among the younger millennial market.
The “Good Travels” study undertaken in 2015 by Tourism Cares recorded that those who are willing to pay more for a sustainable brand or experience rose from 55 percent to 66 percent in one year alone. The bottom line is that in 2017 not going green will hurt your bank balance.
Just one example is TripAdvisor, the largest travel portal in the world, who announced in October that it will stop selling tickets for wildlife experiences that are not sustainable and will link consumers to wildlife welfare organisations and websites so they can make more informed choices.
This move is in line with industry research that shows that travelers are moving away from the ‘fly and flop’ holiday towards ones centred around wildlife experiences and being in nature – whether through voluntourism or hiking, bird watching or kayaking with more and more of their spending money going towards experiences that give back. For examples of some of the most popular eco-tourism ideas that are attracting consumers read The best eco-travel ideas of 2017.
With a more environmentally aware consumer, the future of tourism looks to be every shade of green.
Any opinions expressed here are the author’s own.
