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Achieving Sustainable Tourism: These Are the Key Challenges

The tourism industry has witnessed a sea of change in the past three years due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. While many of us hoped for a shift toward sustainable tourism on a massive scale, the industry continues to be plagued by problems. What are those challenges? How can destinations and businesses overcome them?

For those who are earnestly looking to start or transition into running a sustainable form of tourism, our panel of sustainable tourism specialists provides an excellent breakdown of the problems  and what can be done to overcome them to achieve sustainability. Below are the answers (highlighted respondents are available as consultants or speakers ).

Some key takeaways of main challenges :

• Failing to acknowledge that every destination is different, with its own specific circumstances and priorities.
• Working in silos. Not understanding that sustainability is a collective journey that requires collaboration.  
• Lack of political will – the switch to sustainability is not easy and even more difficult if local or regional public policy doesn’t support it.
• Using inadequate measures of success, such as merely the number of arrivals (which can lead to overconsumption).
• Not involving employees and supply chain adequately.
• Consequences of the Pandemic, especially the focus on quick earnings over a slow and sustainable tourism.
• A missing sense of urgency – e.g., while the climate has begun changing considerable, action is slow.
• No adequate measures in place to manage overcrowding now that tourism will bounce back.
• Greenwashing – not finding the right balance between touting one’s green credentials and exaggerating claims of sustainability.
• Lack of awareness – insufficient awareness among the tourism industry of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Brian Mullis

This topic is already well covered. In short, we need more purpose-driven businesses that are directly or indirectly involved in the visitor economy by applying commercial strategies to deliver tangible social and environmental impact. And we need more governments working across ministries and with all of the players in the tourism value chain (e.g., private sector, NGOs, communities, etc.) to unlock systems value.

Fiona Jeffery

It’s a vast subject, that’s often overwhelming with a lack of understood practical steps. Also, no environment is necessarily the same, so you are always trying, shaping and developing relevant and local solutions to ensure the right impacts.

Jonathon Day

Sustainability is a complex activity. It requires keeping many plates spinning at once. It is a commitment to a way of doing business – not just an easy add-on.

Kelly Bricker

• various demands by tourists (think supply chain)
• transportation-related issues
• organizational constraints (chains)
• human and financial resources
• growing population and number of travellers, overwhelming some systems

Vicky Smith

• Egos and associated values
• The pursuit of profit at the expense of others
• Want and greed over need
• A superiority to assume better
• An unwillingness to listen and learn from others
• An unwillingness to change because it’s harder work
• An inability to face harsh truths
• Self-interest

The human condition takes the path of least resistance (like other animals) and doesn’t want to be made to feel bad. 

Aivar Ruukel

I think the main problem is the same old mindset and way of doing things. It is not helping if you pick new and better tools, but still have old aims, which are most often so simplistic as “more tourists, more turnover, more profit”. The challenge is to give up on the idea of endless growth within a limited planet. All tourism professionals should understand that tourism is not an industry but a living system. When changing the way we see ourselves and our sector, we can change everything else too.

Alexandra Pastollnigg

Black-and-white thinking; focusing on narrow KPIs without an appreciation of sustainability as a holistic concept and 2nd/3rd order consequences; conflicts of interest in senior business and political decision making/system failures; ego.

Ally Dragozet

A lack of local policies supporting sustainability, and the unavailability of sustainable products or services.

Amine Ahlafi

First, the mentality of managers and human resources in charge of the management of tourism activities and who should have updated training in sustainable development and its impact on business and on ecosystems. Secondly, the segmented approach of some decision-makers who have an interest in adopting a global vision and a holistic and sustainable approach.

The main challenges, therefore, remain awareness-raising, training and policies in favour of sustainability.

Anna Spenceley

I think a great deal of the challenges relates to a lack of awareness of what needs to be done to become more sustainable. This is further compounded when there is a need for skills, resources and effort.

A presentation I gave on this topic at a “Sustainable Tourism Training for Tomorrow”’ event, along with other contributions from notable speakers on the same topic, can be found here .

I’ve been privileged to work over the past 20 years with tourism businesses and destinations at the forefront of sustainability (see for example the book co-written with Sue Snyman ‘ Private sector tourism in conservation areas in Africa ‘)

Recognising the information challenges that are faced, I recently published a book that aims to help transfer more knowledge to tourism businesses and destinations, and help improve their successes: the “Handbook for Sustainable Tourism Practitioners: The Essential Toolbox”.

The handbook is divided into four main parts that address different elements of sustainable tourism planning, operation and evaluation. It contains 27 chapters providing insightful detail into key sustainable tourism issues.  The authors share step-by-step approaches to practical problems – such as how to write bankable financial proposals – how to consult with stakeholders – and how to manage visitors.

The book transfers knowledge from the academic realm, and from extensive practitioner experience, into one essential 550-page volume.  It’s available in e-book and hardback here .

Anne de Jong

When they do it because they feel it will make more money or if they feel it’s something they need to do because it’s the right thing. And even though the latter is important, in the end, they do have a business to run. So, they need to find a way where sustainability fits into their business and actually makes them better. Creating a situation where sustainability is fully integrated into the business and not something on the side.

Antonio Abreu

Lack of vision and weak understanding of the role that sustainability should play in the business. Too often see the action without a solid background, which leads to a certain agitation without effective change. We often listen to people saying that they know, do, and they are champions, but, in reality, they have no clue about it.

The tourism sector is very resistant to accepting the need to include other professionals and other skills. This is the case when it comes to environmental issues. Hotel managers, for instance, tend to consider that anyone in the organisation is able to assume professional and technical roles instead of recruiting qualified people. For the restaurant, they want the best chef, but for handling environmental issues, anyone can do it. It is a basic mistake that we see every day everywhere.

Antonis Petropoulos

In terms of businesses, lack of real commitment to sustainable principles (such as the SDGs ) on the part of management and employees along with a lack of training. Destinations will fail to reach sustainability goals if they:

• lack a critical mass of sustainable tourism businesses
• if they do not have a competent DMO that can coordinate these businesses and
• if public tourism policy is only paying lip service to sustainability, permanently fixated on arrival numbers and expenditure per head

Audrey Scott

Sustainability should be thought of as a long journey that will likely last forever. New approaches, technologies and ecological realities are ever-changing. However, many tourism businesses/destinations won’t know where to actually start and they can get overwhelmed by the complexity of criteria/certifications and feel that sustainability is “all or nothing.” Many businesses think that it’s too expensive and still too niche to be profitable.

Beatriz Barreal

At least in Latin America, the main pitfalls are corruption, greenwashing, and short-term vision. The main challenge is in raising the awareness and the lack of action towards the sustainability of this world, which affects all of us, where we live and where we travel to.

Christian Baumgartner

Convincing the decision-makers involved to think regionally instead of operationally, long-term instead of in terms of investment periods, and complex instead of one-dimensional – and then to act accordingly. Not to shift the responsibility and wait for consumers to express the desire for more sustainability.

Christof Burgbacher

Too often it is decided from top to bottom what the sustainable orientation of a company or destination should look like. However, the participation of employees, the local population, guests and other partners is crucial, as they ultimately have to accept and implement the measures. If a participation process is designed correctly, it can also generate many ideas and creative approaches.

Darrell Wade

Self-interest is the primary one. People consider their own needs, but don’t recognise those of others or the impacts of their own actions. By not considering externalities you are inherently creating a short-term business that will not have sustainability in any sense.

Elisa Spampinato

The main pitfalls that can prevent tourism businesses from success are forgetting that sustainability is a collective journey and, therefore, separating the actions of the actors involved.

Another big pitfall is considering the different dimensions of sustainability as disconnected areas that need segmented interventions and focuses.

They should be highlighted and understood as different areas of intervention, however, on the practical level they should be unified, and a specific effort should be made, at the destination level, to create solutions that can include more than one dimension. And above all, the local communities should be active in the process.

Also, I am among those people that think that we cannot work on environmental, social, economic, and cultural dimensions if we do not include an additional one to the equation: the political.

This means that the political institutions should continue the journey towards sustainability beyond the limitation of the mandate and the people that initiate those specific actions. Sustainability should be understood as a collective journey through generations, driven in a consistent way, whose direction should be dictated exclusively by the destination’s circumstances and contextual priorities.

Regarding challenges, there are big economic interests involved in the tourism business and a huge disparity of power in its management. In fact, most of the people that directly feel the impact of tourism has no part or voice in shaping the industry. 

However, there are encouraging examples of innovative government, like the municipality of Barcelona, which show that new solutions to the democratization of the process can be found. 

Seems that local governments are finding new ways to really listen and include the local community voices.

While the technology factor can be an important ally for the urban communities, a way is yet to be found to include the voices of the traditional, indigenous, and ancestral rural communities left out of the loop and mostly left alone to face the consequence of deregulated tourism activities and the effects of the climate change.

Therefore, the main challenges we face are changing the balance of power and opening up spaces to new stakeholders who could greatly contribute to sustainability if only they were given more space in the decision-making process.

Elizabeth Becker

Convincing governments at all levels to enact and enforce rules for sustainable tourism.

Erik van Dijk

Sustainable tourism is not expensive as people think. Bring the right balance between hospitality and sustainability.

Frankie Hobro

In the past, there hasn’t been much encouragement for tourism to be sustainable but fortunately, I think that is changing now with consumer pressure and expectations in an evolving market. And also with the new generation showing genuine concern over their future on our planet and how our everyday actions contribute to it.

I think many businesses are concerned about viability as a sustainable operation can require a lot of short-term investment with little immediate return and some businesses cannot survive long enough to benefit from the long-term gains when faced with non-sustainable competition. A lack of support for ‘green development’ and funding contributes to this problem as the sustainable option often costs more than the quickest and easiest option.

More successful sustainability trailblazers are needed to encourage and support those who want to follow suit, lead by example and show that it is worth taking the risks and that it can succeed.

Gianna Moscardo

Tourism has two features that make sustainability a challenge.

It occurs across so many different sectors and spaces that a lot of tourism is conducted without any one organization in charge of it. Let’s take the example of Stag parties in a European city with young drunk men behaving badly in public spaces and damaging those spaces – who is responsible for them?

• The places they stay (no because they have no control over the public spaces)
• The airlines that bring them to the city (again no)
• The bars that served them (maybe a little bit)
• The DMO who didn’t encourage them to come and often don’t know there is a problem until it is a major problem
• The international tour operator who has no connection to the destination but organises the package (maybe morally but legally none at all)

That latter example is the second sustainability challenge – a large chunk of tourism is organized by businesses who have no connection to, or interest (other than financial gain) in the destinations that they send tourists to and make money from. They have no incentives to behave well and bear very little in the way of negative consequences if they behave badly. Not all businesses in this sector behave badly but enough do to create problems.

Glenn Jampol

There is one overriding essential component to “sustainable tourism” and that is financial sustainability. Without a profit, your business cannot survive and therefore the possibility to do good is erased. So, all tourism businesses- whether regenerative or conventional -must first and foremost create viable and researched business platforms and seek to understand who their clients are and who they will be.

New small-scale tourism businesses usually function on a thread of support both financially and experientially and are often family-owned and operated. They frequently have little or no real experience in how to manage and grow a tourism company and usually spend too much time in the tourism world learning curve while sacrificing the opportunity to enjoy the best part of owning one of these businesses: the innovative idea-driven projects that not only help to create a fresh approach but also a niche for new and hopefully loyal clients.

Greg Bakunzi

One of the main challenges is the mindset of the community, where the tourism products are offered, the other one is the tourist visiting the area, without responsible, I mean respecting the culture and the people they are visiting.

James Crockett

Getting caught up in how to look good, virtue signalling and a desire to be seen to do good. The most important stuff happens behind the scenes with no one watching, yes there are some great inclusive components which need a song and dance to promote and spread the word to generate buy-in but it is not the starting point.

Joanna Van Gruisen

Competition and profit lead to overtourism. However sustainable the operation of a tourist company is, its very success can invite others who may not entirely share the same sustainable philosophy. Nothing can kill a destination faster than overtourism. Competition can lead to price wars too which can compromise sustainability. At a village level, this can be avoided by tourism operating with community, not individual, benefits, in a wider context, it is harder to avoid without government intervention and support/regulations.

Jonathan Tourtellot

Regarding destinations: 

Using wrong or incomplete measures of success, such as the number of arrivals; ignoring local opinions and desires (or heeding only local desires); inability to counter the power of large corporations (e.g. cruise lines); short-term government thinking and quick-buck solutions; proclivity of donor agencies to fund infrastructure over human capacity development; siloed thinking at the destination level.

Jorge Moller Rivas

Wrong public policy without involving the community.

Lisa Choegyal

Especially in the extreme economic and social suffering post-COVID in many destinations, when tourism returns it will be tempting to cut corners in the desperation to survive and succumb to market forces. We are already seeing this in unsustainable under-cutting and price slashing, for example. Many operations have been forced to lay off staff without pay, causing enormous hardship and threatening the quality of the product once visitors return. The challenge will be to stick to your sustainable tourism principles.

Mariana Madureira

Pitfall – being shallow, superficial or irrelevant. Eg. a hotel communicating not to wash towels frequently. 

Challenge – go deeper, and think of business as a tool to create value for society. Rethink business model and relation with stakeholders.

Marcus Cotton

Nothing can prevent individual businesses from doing more to be sustainable. Only it takes leadership by owners of the business to motivate and inspire change commitment among employees. Fear of failure is the biggest constraint coupled with the human approach of being comfortable with the status quo. Sustainability is a journey, not a destination (a glib definition!) and that ongoing process can put people off.

Marta Mills

The biggest challenges are:

• lack of understanding of what sustainable travel means and why it is important
• lack of awareness
• the short-sightedness of people who want a quick financial gain
• lack of political will, but that comes mostly from the lack of awareness and understanding

Megan Epler Wood

This is a very complex question, but I would say this – we need to change governance and decision-making procedures. Our leadership institutions are still mainly driven by growth.

Mike McHugo

Having a united vision and making sure investors (which one may or may not need) have the same vision.

Natalia Naranjo Ramos

Implementing sustainability requires a coordinated approach to face the challenges and the potential negative impacts of tourism activities.

Paul Peeters

The main pitfall is believing in ineffective ‘solutions’ like offsetting emissions, battery aircraft, and bio-fuels, trying to weigh economics and social aspects against existential issues like climate change and biodiversity. The latter is not possible and means that for relatively vague reasons (losing jobs, while there are many ways to generate labour) to lose the earth systems that are essential for the survival of humans.

Challenges are: get away from the over-valuation of distance, international travel, air travel and back to the essence of being from home even if a short distance. Also focusing on policy-making is essential to make all elements of tourism, but particularly flying, zero emissions by 2050. If that is technically unsuccessful, it should be clear that aviation will be reduced to a small sector.

Peter Richards

There are so many.

Internally: Greed, weak understanding of ‘why?’, weak leadership, lack of prioritising and giving time, lack of resourcing (either intentionally or unintentionally) lack of motivating and encouraging staff, lack of good management systems to systematise and scale-up impacts.

Externally: weak government support, corruption undermining competitive environments, weak demand by customers, lack of access to modern technologies at a reasonable price.

Rachel Dodds

There are many:

• the focus on numbers, rather than yield
• the fact our political cycles are often 3-5 years but real change takes 10-20
• that all stakeholders are not equal in terms of power
• the political will to change is lacking
• humans have short memories and so make the same mistakes over and over and those that want change are often not in control of the things that need to change

Rebecca Hawkins

Depends on the business/destination. Sometimes belief, passion, and the quest for growth at any cost. Very occasionally it is downright irresponsibility. More often than not it is a combination of conflicting priorities (e.g. between service standards and sustainability criteria), bonkers business models (that separate property ownership from management), perverse incentives (that reward consumption rather than conservation) and a firmly held belief that if the customer wants it we as a service industry have to provide it.

Digital marketing under the social influence has enormous potential to cause overtourism which can not be sustainable anymore. For instance, when destinations are using their unique mountain lake for a destination campaign, “Instagram” travellers perhaps flood the spot. Nature and locals have to pay the price for the mass invasion.

Richard Butler

The fact that the majority of tourists and many operators and governments are not prepared to adapt their behaviour/operation to the extent it would be needed to become truly sustainable.

Richard Hammond

Separating the green from the greenwash.

Shannon Guihan

Understanding. While we carry on debating the best term or definition to use, our industry, which is largely SMEs, must engage in action. However, the concept of ‘sustainability’ is daunting, and so many businesses remain uncertain about where to begin. This, in my opinion, is a massive issue. Those of us engaged must offer our resources and approaches – we must help businesses to determine the scope and supporting tactics, rather than intimidate them from joining the effort.

Shannon Stowell

Right now the economic realities of a recovering world will be a real setback for many. Some headway was being made with single-use plastics for instance and this area seems to be regressing because of COVID.

Also, there is no sense of real urgency for the environment or climate with the general public. Until the public understands and believes the seriousness of the situation, it feels like we’ll spin our wheels in many situations.

Shivya Nath

• Business models prioritize volume over all else, ignoring planetary boundaries.
• Sustainability as a niche, rather than a norm.
• Placing the burden of choosing sustainable travel on the consumer.

Sonja Gottlebe

Economic sustainability is essential to be able to lead activities. The pandemic has shown the limits and fragility of tourism all over the world. The wide supply chain is suffering from this crisis.

In poor countries like Madagascar, it’s impacting the well-being of communities directly, lemurs are hunted for meat, and forests are burnt down for charcoal! Without a vision for the future, without a vaccination plan, the biggest challenge will be for travel. to bounce back!

Willem Niemeijer

Greenwashing, even if it’s done unwittingly, needs to be rooted out. Third-party certification can help avoid this trap that gives the industry a bad name. Developing destinations also need to ensure that foreign investments benefit the local community while protecting the interests of the investor.

Xavier Font

The urgent get in the way of the important. We aim to reap short-term benefits without being aware of the long-term consequences of our actions. And too much selfishness.

More about the sustainable tourism expert panel here – including previous sessions and answers to some of the most pressing issues linked to making tourism more sustainable.

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Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries. Maritime or ocean-related tourism, as well as coastal tourism, are for example vital sectors of the economy in small island developing States (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries (LDCs) (see also: The Potential of the Blue Economy report as well as the Community of Ocean Action on sustainable blue economy).

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities".

Based on General assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the  International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development SDG target 8.9, aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism is also highlighted in SDG target 12.b. which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.

Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries” as comprised in SDG target 14.7.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, sustainable tourism is defined by paragraph 130 as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole. ” In paragraph 130, Member States also “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.

In paragraph 131, Member States “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small- and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”. In this regard, Member States also “underline the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism”.

In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg called for the promotion of sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism, in Chapter IV, paragraph 43 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

At the Johannesburg Summit, the launch of the “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative was announced. The initiative was inaugurated by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with UNCTAD, in order to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) last reviewed the issue of sustainable tourism in 2001, when it was acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg Summit.

The importance of sustainable tourism was also mentioned in Agenda 21.

For more information and documents on this topic,  please visit this link

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  Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal, seeks to address gaps in current knowledge and stimulate relevant policy discussions, leading to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable...

Road Map on Building a Green Economy for Sustainable Development in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada

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The UN Ocean Conference 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, came at a critical time as the world was strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

58th Session of the Commission for Social Development – CSocD58

22nd general assembly of the united nations world tourism organization, world tourism day 2017 official celebration.

This year’s World Tourism Day, held on 27 September, will be focused on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Deve

World Tourism Day 2016 Official Celebration

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4th Global Summit on City Tourism

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Regional Council for Tourism of Marrakesh with support of the Government of Morroco are organizing the 4th Global Summit on City Tourism in Marrakesh, Morroco (9-10 December 2015). International experts in city tourism, representatives of city DMOs, of

2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Ulsan Metropolitan City with support of the Government of the Republic of Korea are organizing the 2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference, in Ulsan, Republic of Korea (14 - 16 October 2015). Under the title “Paving the Way for a Bright Future for Mounta

21st General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization

Unwto regional conference enhancing brand africa - fostering tourism development.

Tourism is one of the Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development, and represents a major opportunity to foster inclusive development, increase the region’s participation in the global economy and generate revenues for investment in other activities, including environmental preservation.

• January 2017 International Year of Tourism In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.
• January 2015 Targets 8.9, 12 b,14.7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits Member States, through Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.9 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism, as a driver for jobs creation and the promotion of local culture and products, is also highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal target 12.b. Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “increase [by 2030] the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries”, through Sustainable Development Goals Target 14.7.
• January 2012 Future We Want (Para 130-131) Sustainable tourism is defined as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities” as well as to “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small and medium sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”.
• January 2009 Roadmap for Recovery UNWTO announced in March 2009 the elaboration of a Roadmap for Recovery to be finalized by UNWTO’s General Assembly, based on seven action points. The Roadmap includes a set of 15 recommendations based on three interlocking action areas: resilience, stimulus, green economy aimed at supporting the tourism sector and the global economy.
• January 2008 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria represent the minimum requirements any tourism business should observe in order to ensure preservation and respect of the natural and cultural resources and make sure at the same time that tourism potential as tool for poverty alleviation is enforced. The Criteria are 41 and distributed into four different categories: 1) sustainability management, 2) social and economic 3) cultural 4) environmental.
• January 2003 1st Int. Conf. on Climate Change and Tourism The conference was organized in order to gather tourism authorities, organizations, businesses and scientists to discuss on the impact that climate change can have on the tourist sector. The event took place from 9 till 11 April 2003 in Djerba, Tunisia.
• January 2003 WTO becomes a UN specialized body By Resolution 453 (XV), the Assembly agreed on the transformation of the WTO into a United Nations specialized body. Such transformation was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of Resolution A/RES/58/232.
• January 2002 World Ecotourism Summit Held in May 2002, in Quebec City, Canada, the Summit represented the most important event in the framework of the International Year of Ecosystem. The Summit identified as main themes: ecotourism policy and planning, regulation of ecotourism, product development, marketing and promotion of ecotourism and monitoring costs and benefits of ecotourism.
• January 1985 Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code At the World Tourism Organization Sixth Assembly held in Sofia in 1985, the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code were adopted, setting out the rights and duties of tourists and host populations and formulating policies and action for implementation by states and the tourist industry.
• January 1982 Acapulco Document Adopted in 1982, the Acapulco Document acknowledges the new dimension and role of tourism as a positive instrument towards the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples, as well as a significant force for peace and international understanding. The Acapulco Document also urges Member States to elaborate their policies, plans and programmes on tourism, in accordance with their national priorities and within the framework of the programme of work of the World Tourism Organization.

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How to Travel More Sustainably

Don’t skimp on doing your own research, and be aware that ‘green’ certificates aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be.

Credit... Gabriel Alcala

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By Paige McClanahan

• April 22, 2021

So you’re vaccinated and eager to — finally — plan a real summer vacation after a rough year, but you don’t want to add to the problems you might have read about: overcrowding, climate change, unfair working conditions in the tourism industry. What’s a thoughtful traveler to do?

For those who want to travel responsibly, it comes down to this: You, the traveler, have to do your homework.

Looking for a hotel or tour operator that has earned a sustainability label might seem like a good place to start, but the reality isn’t so simple. There are around 180 certification labels floating around in the tourism industry, each purporting to certify the green credentials of a hotel, restaurant, tour operator or even a destination. And while some of those labels are well enforced, others might better be described as greenwashing — when a company portrays itself as an environmental steward, but its actions don’t match the hype.

“The range is enormous — from rigorous, impartial and excellent to, frankly, poor,” said Randy Durband, the chief executive of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council , a nonprofit organization that establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel. “We strongly believe in the value of third-party certification, when it’s done right,” Mr. Durband added. “But the way the word ‘certification’ is used in tourism is out of control.”

Still, while the labels might be all over the map, many businesses are waking up to the importance of improving their environmental and social performance, said Andrea Nicholas, the chief executive of Green Tourism , an Edinburgh-based certification body with more than 2,500 members. The pandemic has brought the concept of sustainable tourism forward by five to 10 years, she said. Before, she added, many businesses saw sustainability as an “add-on.”

“What we’re seeing now, from the interest we’re getting, is that it’s a must-have,” she said.

There are some promising signs that consumers, too, are waking up to the consequences of their vacations. More than two-thirds of respondents to a recent seven-country global survey for American Express Travel said that they “are trying to be more aware of sustainability-friendly travel brands to support.” Another poll, this one for the digital travel company Booking.com, found that 69 percent of the more than 20,000 respondents “expect the travel industry to offer more sustainable travel options.”

What does “sustainable travel” mean, anyway?

Given the diversity of destinations and contexts that a traveler might encounter, there’s no universal answer to what sustainable travel means. A hotel’s water efficiency is a lot more important along Spain’s dry Mediterranean coastline than in rain-soaked western Scotland, for instance.

But experts say that the concept is about a lot more than just reusing the towels in your hotel room or buying a carbon offset for your flight, although those are good places to start.

Sustainability is also about the wages and working conditions of the people who are waiting tables on your cruise ship or schlepping your bag up a trail; it’s about the additional pressure you might be putting on an already-crowded city , heritage site or natural area ; it’s about whether your hotel buys its produce from a farm down the road or from a supplier on the other side of the world, or whether the money you spend goes into the community you’re visiting — or into the distant account of a multinational.

“What you need to do is marry the corporate social responsibility with an informed tourist consumer who knows what they’re asking for, and then demands it,” said Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, an adjunct senior lecturer in tourism at the University of South Australia. She listed some questions that travelers should ask themselves before they take their next trip: How can I travel in an off-peak time? How can I go to places that aren’t overcrowded? How can I ensure that the money I spend ends up in the local economy?

Johannah Christensen, a nonprofit executive and longtime concerned traveler, says that she always looks for some sort of reliable certification when she books a block of hotel rooms for an annual professional event. The Green Key label — a certification program that is headquartered in Copenhagen, where Ms. Christensen lives — is one that she has used in the past, but she is always sure to do some digging on her own. (This 2016 guide to some of the major tourism certifications can be a good starting point.)

“You can look for those green check marks, but understand what’s implied in them,” she said. “What does the hotel actually have to do to earn it? Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

How to do your homework

Asking questions — both while you’re traveling and, more important, before you book — is one of the most powerful things that travelers can do, said Gregory Miller, the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsible Travel . He recommends people start by looking closely at the websites of the tour operators, hotels and destinations that they’re considering. If they don’t find any language about sustainability, “that should be a flag,” he said.

Beyond that, he suggests that travelers check his organization’s list of responsible travel tips , which include recommendations like hiring local guides, asking permission before taking photos of people, staying on designated trails in natural areas and thinking twice about handing out money to children. While they’re traveling, Dr. Miller said, people shouldn’t be afraid to ask difficult questions of their service providers, or to call out waste or abuse when they see it — whether directly to a manager or in an online review.

“Certification can be a tool in the toolbox, but don’t be limited by that,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s about choices, and travelers do have the choice.”

Susanne Etti, the environmental impact specialist at Intrepid Travel , a global tour operator based in Australia, had other tips for travelers. She said they could start by checking the list of the more than 230 travel organizations that have joined the Tourism Declares initiative, members of which have pledged to publish a climate action plan and cut their carbon emissions.

Another reliable indicator, she said, is whether a company has been classified as a “B Corporation” — a rigorous sustainability standard that’s not limited to the tourism industry. Her company, Intrepid, has achieved the distinction, as have the apparel company Patagonia and ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. The B Corporation website lists some three dozen companies in the “travel and leisure” sector — from a paddle sports company in Hawaii to an Ecuadorean tour bus operator. A number of other tourism businesses are listed under “hospitality,” including Taos Ski Valley and Orlando-based Legacy Vacation Resorts.

Dr. Etti also shared some of the advice that she follows in her own travels. “When you fly, make it count,” she said, adding that, before the pandemic, when she would travel from her current home in Australia to her native Germany, she would do the long-haul flight, but then choose trains or other less-polluting ways to get around Europe, even when cheap short-haul flights were readily available.

Dr. Etti also recommended that travelers learn to slow down. “Stay in one location longer,” she said, “to really understand how life works in that community.”

Rethinking what travel means

Many travelers also need a shift in mind-set, said Dominique Callimanopulos, the head of Elevate Destinations , an international tour operator based in Massachusetts that has won a number of awards for its commitment to sustainability. People should learn to see their travels as an opportunity for exchange with a host community rather than a simple consumer transaction. Ms. Callimanopulos said that even her sustainability-inclined clientele rarely do their homework: She has received more questions about the availability of hair dryers than about the company’s environmental or social practices.

“People can make a shift from thinking just about what their personal experience is going to be to looking at the impact of their experience on the ground, on the destination and on the community,” she said.

Lindblad Expeditions , which operates adventure cruises in destinations like Alaska, the Antarctic and the South Pacific, has also won awards for its approach to sustainability and for giving back to the communities it visits. Sven-Olof Lindblad, the company’s chief executive, said that he continues to see people spending up to $40,000 on an Antarctic cruise without doing any research on the practices of the company offering the trip.

“You wouldn’t just buy a car from an ad without understanding what it was and how it compared,” he said. “I’m absolutely amazed at how little diligence people sometimes do in relationship to travel.”

Mr. Lindblad recommended that, in addition to doing their own research, travelers could speak to a travel adviser or travel agent who can help them dig for answers that might not be readily available on a company’s website.

“When people choose to travel, they should really understand what they’re getting into,” he said, “because there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in this business.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

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Is it possible to be a ‘sustainable tourist’? 12 ways to make a positive impact on your travels

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After a period of plummeting tourism numbers during the pandemic, tourism is having a resurgence. This is good news for many workers and businesses, but it could be bad for the planet. Here is a selection of ways tourists can ensure that their holidays don’t harm the environment.

There are many positive aspects to tourism. Around two billion people travel each year for tourism purposes. Travel and tourism connect people and bring the world closer through shared experiences, cultural awareness and community building. It provides jobs, spurs regional development, and is a key driver for socio-economic progress.

However, there is often a downside; Many popular destinations are threatened by increasing pollution, environmental hazards, damage to heritage sites and overuse of resources. And that’s without factoring the pollution caused by travel to and from these destinations.

So, with that in mind here are some tips that will help you to enjoy your trip, and leave with the confidence that your favoured tourist destination will not be damaged by your presence, once you return home.

1. Ditch single-use plastics

Often used for less than 15 minutes, single-use plastic items can take more than 1,000 years to degrade. Many of us are switching to sustainable options in our daily lives, and we can take the same attitude when we’re on the road. By choosing reusable bottles and bags wherever you go, you can help ensure there is less plastic waste in the ocean and other habitats.

2. Be ‘water wise’

On the whole, tourists use far more water than local residents. With a growing number of places experiencing water scarcity, the choices you make can help ensure people have adequate access to water in the future. By foregoing a daily change of sheets and towels during hotel stays, we can save millions of litres of water each year.

3. Buy local

When you buy local, you help boost the local economy, benefit local communities, and help to reduce the destination’s carbon footprint from transporting the goods. This is also true at mealtimes, so enjoy fresh, locally grown produce every chance you get.

4. Use an ethical operator

Tour operations involve people, logistics, vendors, transportation and much more. Each link in the chain can impact the environment - positively or negatively. If you prefer to leave the planning to someone else, be sure to pick an operator that prioritizes the environment, uses resources efficiently and respects local culture.

5. ‘Please don’t feed the animals’

Sharing food with wildlife or getting close enough to do so increases the chances of spreading diseases like cold, flu and pneumonia from humans to animals. Also, when animals get used to receiving food from humans, their natural behaviours are altered, and they become dependent on people for survival. In some cases, it can also lead to human-animal conflict.

6. And don’t eat them either!

By creating the demand, consuming endangered or exotic animals leads to an increase in poaching, trafficking and exploitation of animals. Besides the harm done to the individual animal on your plate, irresponsible dining can contribute to the extinction of species already threatened by climate change and habitat loss. Keep this in mind when shopping for souvenirs as well, and steer clear of products made from endangered wildlife.

7. Share a ride

Transportation is a major contributor to the carbon footprint from tourism. Instead of private taxis, explore using public transportation like trains, buses and shared cabs. You can also ride a bicycle, which offers a convenient and cheaper way to explore and learn about a place.

8. Consider a homestay

Staying with a local resident or family is a nature-friendly option that allows you to get up close and personal with local culture and customs. Staying at local homestays can uplift communities by providing income while giving you a peek into different ways of life.

9. Do your homework

Before your travel, educate yourself about your destination. Doing so will allow you to better immerse yourself in local traditions and practices and appreciate things that might have gone unnoticed otherwise. With the right information, you can explore a destination in a more sensitive manner and surprise yourself with new adventures and discoveries.

10. Visit national parks and sanctuaries

Exploring nature and wildlife through national parks is an intimate way to learn about the animals and their ecosystems first hand. In some cases, your entrance fee supports conservation efforts that protect species and landscapes and preserve these natural spaces for future visitors to enjoy.

11. Don’t leave a trace

You can make a mark by not leaving a mark on your vacation destination. Put garbage in its place to avoid litter, and don’t remove or alter anything without permission. Let’s make sure we leave only soft footprints, and not the environmental kind.

12. Tell your friends

Now that you’re ready to travel in eco-friendly style, it’s time spread the word! Inform fellow travellers, friends and family about how sustainable tourism benefits local people by enhancing their livelihoods and well-being, and helps all of us by safeguarding our beautiful environment.

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

Transforming tourism for climate action, sustainable development.

• Biodiversity

Climate Action

• Global Tourism Plastics Initiative
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• Resource Efficiency in Tourism
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• UNGA Sustainable Tourism Resolutions

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Find out about the Glasgow Declaration

The tourism sector is highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), which cause global warming. Accelerating climate action in tourism is therefore of utmost importance for the resilience of the sector. Climate action is understood as the efforts to measure and reduce GHG emissions and strengthen adaptive capacity to climate induced impacts. 1

There is a growing consensus among tourism stakeholders as to how the future resilience of tourism will depend on the sector’s ability to embrace a low carbon pathway and cut emissions by 50% by 2030

According to UN Tourism/ITF latest research , released in December 2019 at UNFCCC COP25, CO 2 emissions from tourism are forecasted to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels, against the current ambition scenario. The report provides insights into the evolution of tourism demand across the different global regions from 2016 to 2030 and presents transport-related CO2 emissions for the period. In 2016, transport-related emissions from tourism contributed to 5% of all man-made emissions and were set to increase to 5,3% by 2030 against a current ambition scenario. 

Find Transport-related CO 2 Emissions of the Tourism Sector - Modelling

Therefore, the need to scale up climate action in tourism is of utmost importance, especially even more now that the sector has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 2023 reaching 88% levels of the international tourist arrivals in 2019. The cost of inaction with regards to climate will be in the long run larger than the cost of any other crisis.

UN Tourism is committed to accelerate progress towards low carbon tourism development and the contribution of the sector to international climate goals by: 

• Strengthening the measurement and disclosure of CO 2 emissions in tourism
• Accelerating the decarbonization of tourism operations
• Engaging the tourism sector in adaptation and carbon removal

In order to support the tourism stakeholders to advance on measuring their GHG emissions, in March 2023, UN Tourism published the report on CLIMATE ACTION IN TOURISM SECTOR: AN OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGIES AND TOOLS TO MEASURE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS . The report was developed with support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMU) and released in collaboration with UN Climate Change (UNFCCC).   Read the full report here .

In order to support National Tourism Administrations, in March 2024 UN Tourism launched the Policy Guidance with support from the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) and technical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The  Policy Guidance has been developed to assist governmental agencies dedicated to tourism in the development of tourism climate action policies and initiatives to support the low-carbon transition for tourism. This policy guidance provides examples of good practice from around the world to illustrate how NTAs can implement climate-enabling policy and other initiatives as well as benefit from climate initiatives in other sectors. The policy guidance is complemented by a Glasgow Declaration signatory Pack for NTAs which provides practical recommendations on how to get started with climate action.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

The glasgow declaration: a commitment to a decade of climate action in tourism.

The Glasgow Declaration aims to act as a catalyst for increased urgency about the need to accelerate climate action in tourism and to secure strong actions and commitment.

The signatories of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism are committing to act now and accelerate climate action to support the global goals of cutting emissions by at least a half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.  Signatories of the Glasgow Declaration are developing climate plans aligned with  5 pathways : measure, decarbonize, regenerate, collaborate, finance, and reporting progress on an annual basis.

UN Tourism outlined the collective progress with the first Glasgow Declaration Implementation Report (2023) .The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism Implementation Report 2023 presents the results of a systematic review of all progress updates received from signatories during the first reporting exercise conducted between January and June 2023 (over 400 updates), which in many cases include the submission of a Climate Action Plan. The report represents a first-of-its-kind picture of the rapidly developing engagement of the tourism sector with the challenges of climate action.

Please visit the One Planet network website to learn more about:

Participation at UN Climate Change Conferences of the Parties (COP)

Since 2019, COP25, UN Tourism has been participating on an annual basis to the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to position the important role that the tourism sector can play to support international climate goals.

Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism

Related links

• Access UN Tourism/ITF research on transport-related CO2 emissions from tourism
• Access additional information on the official side-event at COP25
• Watch the Climate Panel from the 23rd UN Tourism General Assembly
• Download the report “Climate Change and Tourism – Responding to Global Challenges"
• Global Survey of Climate Action in Tourism

Tourism Stakeholders Invited to Share Progress on Climate Action

• The Road to Climate Neutrality: Experiences, Challenges and Support for the Caribbean tourism sector

Glasgow Declaration - Global Roundtable for Tourism Climate Action

Glasgow declaration - regenerative tourism for resilience: policy, practice and finance.

Tourism at COP28 – Delivering on the Climate Action Commitments of the Glasgow Declaration

UN Tourism Welcomes Mexican States to Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism

New Report to Support Climate Action in the Tourism Sector

UN Tourism at COP27: Uniting Tourism Around Tangible Climate Action Plans

Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism Surpasses 500 Signatories

Tourism unites behind the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action at COP26

Launch of the Glasgow Declaration: A commitment to a decade of climate action in tourism

The Glasgow Declaration: An urgent global call for commitment to a decade of climate action in tourism

Tourism’s Carbon Emissions Measured in Landmark Report Launched At COP25

1. View Goal 13 Targets 2   Carbon Brief 3. Cut Global Emissions by 7.6 Percent Every Year for Next Decade to Meet 1.5°C Paris Target - UN Report

Sustainable tourism—heading in the right direction or a flight of fancy?

The tourism industry is waking up to the need to act on climate change and the wider sustainability agenda.

The tourism industry is being hit by a wave of climate shocks. The crises come just as the industry has started to recover from lengthy travel restrictions following the covid-19 pandemic. However, that experience has already led some in the sector, and travellers around the globe, to think differently about tourism, according to industry experts.

Ben Lynam, head of communications at independent charity the Travel Foundation, says many destinations are cautious about how they bring back tourism. For example, a “stewardship” approach takes the needs of local communities into account, rather than just those of the sector. Some governments have recently taken measures to limit the number of tourists flocking to hotspots to ward off the impacts of overtourism —a term used to describe the consequences of having too many visitors. 

Climate action is also high on the agenda, Mr Lynam says. “There’s a reckoning within the industry now to be sure that we are not just paying lip service to issues that are really pressing down on the industry.,”. 

Susanne Etti, environmental impact manager at tour operator Intrepid, notes that consumers want more nature-based, walking and cycling holidays, while interest in train travel has risen. 

A recent report by the Travel Foundation has set out the scale of the challenge. In a business-as-usual scenario, it predicts that by 2050 tourism-related carbon emissions will rise steeply, by 73% compared with 2019. Under this scenario, tourism will use 66% of the remaining climate budget between 2023 and 2100, says the report. 

IATA, the airline industry’s trade body, predicts that 4bn passengers will take to the skies next year, as many as did in 2019, before covid-19 brought air travel to a halt. Long-haul flights are particularly an issue, with emissions from the longest set to quadruple by 2050—accounting for only 4% of trips but 41% of tourism’s total emissions. Many airlines offer travellers the option to spend a little more money to purportedly reduce the climate impacts of their flights through carbon offsets. However, climate advocates have charged that this is little more than greenwashing. The industry is proving hard to decarbonise and appears to be largely dependent on the rapid development and uptake of novel technologies such as sustainable fuels and carbon-capture technology to meet targets.

Sector declaration

The Travel Foundation co-authored the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism , launched at COP26 in 2021. By signing the declaration more than 800 companies , mostly tour operators and trade associations, have committed to support the halving of emissions by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050; develop climate action plans within 12 months of signing; and report publicly on progress against interim and long-term targets each year. 

More than 300 companies that signed the declaration were due to submit their climate action plans to the UN World Travel Organisation (UNWTO), but not all have yet done so, despite an extended deadline. 

The UNWTO is analysing those that have been completed, with a report due for launch at COP28 in Dubai in December, it said in a statement. The organisation is also developing further guidance for tourism authorities to drive uptake of the declaration, and for signatories on how to establish effective action plans, it said.

“It's been challenging for people; certainly not all have supplied a climate action plan, and some of those plans will be at different levels to others. The initial push has been to get people to prepare a plan at whatever level they can, because that allows us to analyse them, and understand their needs. Hopefully we can help to continually raise the bar for these plans,” Mr Lynam says.

Action under way

Some governments, tour operators and destinations have already taken significant steps to reduce the environmental impact of travel. Last year the Dutch government announced a reduced cap on airport capacity for environmental reasons. The French and Austrian governments have banned short-haul flights where alternatives are available. Governments in Spain and Germany are considering similar action, while also making train travel for some journeys extremely cheap or free..

The tourism sector is likely to see significant disruption as such action becomes mainstream. The Travel Foundation’s report sets out the changes it believes could happen if the sector takes full account of its greenhouse-gas emissions. 

These include tourist boards and travel companies targeting short-haul customers over long-haul travellers; promotion of greener forms of transport, such as including overnight trains in tour packages rather than internal flights; limits on the number of long-haul flights; and long-haul trips becoming fewer in number but with an increased length of stay. 

Many of the more forward-thinking companies are already making these kinds of changes, Mr Lynam says. “They’re future-proofing themselves. Organisations that are looking at this now are much more likely to fit into that future and thrive rather than die,” he says.

The report does not envisage or advocate a reduction in tourism overall, but rather describes a scenario where the shape of tourism shifts, with growth coming from the areas of tourism most ready to decarbonise. “It must be recognised that the traditional high-volume growth paradigm is incompatible with the decarbonisation scenario,” it states.

Consumer choices

Travalyst, a global sustainable travel initiative, is working to make information such as emissions data more consistent across the industry to help consumers make more sustainable choices. For example, websites including Google Flights, Skyscanner and Booking.com are now using the same methodology. 

Sally Davey, Travalyst’s chief executive, says: “We know that one of the barriers to consumers making better choices is a lack of visibility and overly complicated information, leading to confusion. By delivering clear, consistent and credible information, we are helping travellers to make more informed—and lower-emitting—air-travel choices.”

Mr Lynam believes the industry should not wait for consumers to take the lead. “We are dictated by the system that we consume within—a consumer might want to avoid flying somewhere, but if it’s a quarter of the price, and one click away, it’s going to be really hard to expect them to instead try and navigate 20 different rail-company websites and rack up a huge bill.”

The tourism sector faces significant challenges in making the changes. As Mr Lynam observes, it is not one industry but multiple, including airlines, hotels and tour operators, all of which rely on external infrastructure such as transport and leisure.

“The product is a destination which no one owns, and [which] no one on the industry side has responsibility for. What really needs to happen is for destinations to collaborate more and to bring in more policies, regulation and structure to how tourism is governed and managed,” he says.

Collaboration is key, Ms Etti believes. “If we get a supplier to start measuring their emissions and move to renewable energy and that supplier is used by our competitors, that is actually a win. Climate change is not a competitive advantage.”

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The promise and challenges of sustainable travel products

An increasing number of consumers are indicating a preference for more sustainable travel options. Image:  Joshua Earle/Unsplash

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David walfisch, natalie nehme, maksim soshkin.

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• The Travel and Tourism sector accounts for an estimated 11% of global emissions.
• While surveys reveal that 71% of travellers intend to travel more sustainably, there are still significant gaps between consumers’ intentions and behaviour.
• Here are the roadblocks that get in the way of intention and reality and some ways to generate a more virtuous and sustainable cycle for the industry.

As COP27 kicks off, the urgency and scale of addressing the global climate and environmental challenges are once again taking centre stage. Accounting for an estimated 11% of global emissions, a share that is expected to grow, the Travel and Tourism (T&T) sector will play a critical role in meeting global climate goals.

In this context, governments and investors have mounting pressure on the sector to reduce emissions and increase sustainability through more stringent emissions standards, green tax incentives, and growing ESG-linked investments. Moreover, an increasing number of consumers are indicating a preference for more sustainable travel options.

In response, many travel companies, such as airlines , have made improving sustainability and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions key business goals. However, to achieve these goals and transition into a more sustainable future, T&T companies must successfully develop products that enable more sustainable travel choices.

A rising demand for sustainable travel

Recent studies and survey results indicate that travellers increasingly value sustainable travel, indicating an opportunity for sustainable travel products. In parallel, a survey by Booking.com found that four out of five global travellers agreed that sustainable travel is a priority for them, with 71% intending to travel more sustainably and 78% aiming to stay at a sustainable property at least once a year.

Concerning the environment, specifically, 69% of respondents to an Expedia survey confirmed that they want to lessen their environmental footprint, and 75% said they would like to use more environmentally-friendly modes of transport.

However, while travellers seem to indicate an increased willingness and demand for environmentally-friendly and sustainable products, the uptake of sustainable travel products anecdotally does not show the same accelerated trend just yet. As sustainable offerings are relatively in their infancy, there is limited research on actual purchasing behaviour. Furthermore, recent surveys revealed that travellers prefer companies’ sustainability practices and offerings to be more transparent, intuitive, and easy to access.

Roadblocks to sustainable consumer behaviour

Additionally, industry interviews and research we are conducting have helped identify a range of roadblocks that explain the gap between consumers’ stated intentions and what they are doing in practice.

These roadblocks can be classified or clustered into six main categories:

1) Limited availability - The roadblock of availability centres around the lack of a sustainable product substitute within a company’s offering. This includes limited overall sustainable product options as well as sustainable products that are competitive with more traditional offerings.

2) Lack of awareness - This roadblock refers to travellers’ lack of awareness of sustainability challenges in T&T, sustainability behaviours that can help overcome these challenges, and sustainable products on offer.

3) Low credibility - Low credibility refers to consumers wanting a greater degree of reassurance and information about the claims companies make concerning the sustainability of their products. Product aspects like transparency, coherent reporting, certification and verified labelling are all tied to improving credibility.

4) Price premium - Generally, sustainable travel options are deemed more expensive than their traditional counterparts. As the willingness to pay a premium for a more sustainable product varies by customer segment and is ever-evolving, customers often drop out from purchasing the alternative due to the higher price.

5) Cumbersome purchase experience - Customers are often discouraged from purchasing sustainable products if the process is burdensome and counterintuitive.

6) Lack of rewards/acknowledgment - This roadblock refers to the need to make customers feel rewarded for their efforts, both physical and emotional. Tools in this space help people facilitate the publishing of their sustainability efforts on social media or provide recognition in physical environments.

Addressing the say-do-gaps

Companies that can provide sustainable offerings that address these say-do-gaps will be better positioned to meet customer needs. As a result, a virtuous cycle can be generated in which increased purchase of sustainable products leads to greater company performance, reinforcing further investment into such options. In turn, the increasing supply of sustainable products would make it easier for travellers to behave sustainably, helping the T&T sector in its net zero transition.

To make a case for investment in sustainable travel products, Accenture and the Forum are working to explore the say-do-gap further, provide an overview of existing sustainable travel products and configurations, develop recommendations for creating sustainable products, and present the industry with a call to action. The full report on this topic will be published in December.

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What Is Sustainable Tourism and Why Is It Important?

Sustainable management and socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental impacts are the four pillars of sustainable tourism

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What Makes Tourism Sustainable?

The role of tourists, types of sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism considers its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts by addressing the needs of its ecological surroundings and the local communities. This is achieved by protecting natural environments and wildlife when developing and managing tourism activities, providing only authentic experiences for tourists that don’t appropriate or misrepresent local heritage and culture, or creating direct socioeconomic benefits for local communities through training and employment.

As people begin to pay more attention to sustainability and the direct and indirect effects of their actions, travel destinations and organizations are following suit. For example, the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment is aiming to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025, while the island country of Palau has required visitors to sign an eco pledge upon entry since 2017.

Tourism industries are considered successfully sustainable when they can meet the needs of travelers while having a low impact on natural resources and generating long-term employment for locals. By creating positive experiences for local people, travelers, and the industry itself, properly managed sustainable tourism can meet the needs of the present without compromising the future.

What Is Sustainability?

At its core, sustainability focuses on balance — maintaining our environmental, social, and economic benefits without using up the resources that future generations will need to thrive. In the past, sustainability ideals tended to lean towards business, though more modern definitions of sustainability highlight finding ways to avoid depleting natural resources in order to keep an ecological balance and maintain the quality of environmental and human societies.

Since tourism impacts and is impacted by a wide range of different activities and industries, all sectors and stakeholders (tourists, governments, host communities, tourism businesses) need to collaborate on sustainable tourism in order for it to be successful.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) , which is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) , the global standard for sustainable travel and tourism, have similar opinions on what makes tourism sustainable. By their account, sustainable tourism should make the best use of environmental resources while helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity, respect the socio-culture of local host communities, and contribute to intercultural understanding. Economically, it should also ensure viable long-term operations that will provide benefits to all stakeholders, whether that includes stable employment to locals, social services, or contributions to poverty alleviation.

The GSTC has developed a series of criteria to create a common language about sustainable travel and tourism. These criteria are used to distinguish sustainable destinations and organizations, but can also help create sustainable policies for businesses and government agencies. Arranged in four pillars, the global baseline standards include sustainable management, socioeconomic impact, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.

Travel Tip:

The GSTC is an excellent resource for travelers who want to find sustainably managed destinations and accommodations and learn how to become a more sustainable traveler in general.

Environment 

Protecting natural environments is the bedrock of sustainable tourism. Data released by the World Tourism Organization estimates that tourism-based CO2 emissions are forecast to increase 25% by 2030. In 2016, tourism transport-related emissions contributed to 5% of all man-made emissions, while transport-related emissions from long-haul international travel were expected to grow 45% by 2030.

The environmental ramifications of tourism don’t end with carbon emissions, either. Unsustainably managed tourism can create waste problems, lead to land loss or soil erosion, increase natural habitat loss, and put pressure on endangered species . More often than not, the resources in these places are already scarce, and sadly, the negative effects can contribute to the destruction of the very environment on which the industry depends.

Industries and destinations that want to be sustainable must do their part to conserve resources, reduce pollution, and conserve biodiversity and important ecosystems. In order to achieve this, proper resource management and management of waste and emissions is important. In Bali, for example, tourism consumes 65% of local water resources, while in Zanzibar, tourists use 15 times as much water per night as local residents.

Another factor to environmentally focused sustainable tourism comes in the form of purchasing: Does the tour operator, hotel, or restaurant favor locally sourced suppliers and products? How do they manage their food waste and dispose of goods? Something as simple as offering paper straws instead of plastic ones can make a huge dent in an organization’s harmful pollutant footprint.

Recently, there has been an uptick in companies that promote carbon offsetting . The idea behind carbon offsetting is to compensate for generated greenhouse gas emissions by canceling out emissions somewhere else. Much like the idea that reducing or reusing should be considered first before recycling , carbon offsetting shouldn’t be the primary goal. Sustainable tourism industries always work towards reducing emissions first and offset what they can’t.

Properly managed sustainable tourism also has the power to provide alternatives to need-based professions and behaviors like poaching . Often, and especially in underdeveloped countries, residents turn to environmentally harmful practices due to poverty and other social issues. At Periyar Tiger Reserve in India, for example, an unregulated increase in tourists made it more difficult to control poaching in the area. In response, an eco development program aimed at providing employment for locals turned 85 former poachers into reserve gamekeepers. Under supervision of the reserve’s management staff, the group of gamekeepers have developed a series of tourism packages and are now protecting land instead of exploiting it. They’ve found that jobs in responsible wildlife tourism are more rewarding and lucrative than illegal work.

Flying nonstop and spending more time in a single destination can help save CO2, since planes use more fuel the more times they take off.

Local Culture and Residents

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of sustainable tourism is contributing to protecting, preserving, and enhancing local sites and traditions. These include areas of historical, archaeological, or cultural significance, but also "intangible heritage," such as ceremonial dance or traditional art techniques.

In cases where a site is being used as a tourist attraction, it is important that the tourism doesn’t impede access to local residents. For example, some tourist organizations create local programs that offer residents the chance to visit tourism sites with cultural value in their own countries. A program called “Children in the Wilderness” run by Wilderness Safaris educates children in rural Africa about the importance of wildlife conservation and valuable leadership development tools. Vacations booked through travel site Responsible Travel contribute to the company’s “Trip for a Trip” program, which organizes day trips for disadvantaged youth who live near popular tourist destinations but have never had the opportunity to visit.

Sustainable tourism bodies work alongside communities to incorporate various local cultural expressions as part of a traveler’s experiences and ensure that they are appropriately represented. They collaborate with locals and seek their input on culturally appropriate interpretation of sites, and train guides to give visitors a valuable (and correct) impression of the site. The key is to inspire travelers to want to protect the area because they understand its significance.

Bhutan, a small landlocked country in South Asia, has enforced a system of all-inclusive tax for international visitors since 1997 ($200 per day in the off season and $250 per day in the high season). This way, the government is able to restrict the tourism market to local entrepreneurs exclusively and restrict tourism to specific regions, ensuring that the country’s most precious natural resources won’t be exploited.

Incorporating volunteer work into your vacation is an amazing way to learn more about the local culture and help contribute to your host community at the same time. You can also book a trip that is focused primarily on volunteer work through a locally run charity or non profit (just be sure that the job isn’t taking employment opportunities away from residents).

It's not difficult to make a business case for sustainable tourism, especially if one looks at a destination as a product. Think of protecting a destination, cultural landmark, or ecosystem as an investment. By keeping the environment healthy and the locals happy, sustainable tourism will maximize the efficiency of business resources. This is especially true in places where locals are more likely to voice their concerns if they feel like the industry is treating visitors better than residents.

Not only does reducing reliance on natural resources help save money in the long run, studies have shown that modern travelers are likely to participate in environmentally friendly tourism. In 2019, Booking.com found that 73% of travelers preferred an eco-sustainable hotel over a traditional one and 72% of travelers believed that people need to make sustainable travel choices for the sake of future generations.

Always be mindful of where your souvenirs are coming from and whether or not the money is going directly towards the local economy. For example, opt for handcrafted souvenirs made by local artisans.

Growth in the travel and tourism sectors alone has outpaced the overall global economy growth for nine years in a row. Prior to the pandemic, travel and tourism accounted for an $9.6 trillion contribution to the global GDP and 333 million jobs (or one in four new jobs around the world).

Sustainable travel dollars help support employees, who in turn pay taxes that contribute to their local economy. If those employees are not paid a fair wage or aren’t treated fairly, the traveler is unknowingly supporting damaging or unsustainable practices that do nothing to contribute to the future of the community. Similarly, if a hotel doesn’t take into account its ecological footprint, it may be building infrastructure on animal nesting grounds or contributing to excessive pollution. The same goes for attractions, since sustainably managed spots (like nature preserves) often put profits towards conservation and research.

Costa Rica was able to turn a severe deforestation crisis in the 1980s into a diversified tourism-based economy by designating 25.56% of land protected as either a national park, wildlife refuge, or reserve.

While traveling, think of how you would want your home country or home town to be treated by visitors.

Are You a Sustainable Traveler?

Sustainable travelers understand that their actions create an ecological and social footprint on the places they visit. Be mindful of the destinations , accommodations, and activities you choose, and choose destinations that are closer to home or extend your length of stay to save resources. Consider switching to more environmentally friendly modes of transportation such as bicycles, trains, or walking while on vacation. Look into supporting locally run tour operations or local family-owned businesses rather than large international chains. Don’t engage in activities that harm wildlife, such as elephant riding or tiger petting , and opt instead for a wildlife sanctuary (or better yet, attend a beach clean up or plan an hour or two of some volunteer work that interests you). Leave natural areas as you found them by taking out what you carry in, not littering, and respecting the local residents and their traditions.

Most of us travel to experience the world. New cultures, new traditions, new sights and smells and tastes are what makes traveling so rewarding. It is our responsibility as travelers to ensure that these destinations are protected not only for the sake of the communities who rely upon them, but for a future generation of travelers.

Sustainable tourism has many different layers, most of which oppose the more traditional forms of mass tourism that are more likely to lead to environmental damage, loss of culture, pollution, negative economic impacts, and overtourism.

Ecotourism highlights responsible travel to natural areas that focus on environmental conservation. A sustainable tourism body supports and contributes to biodiversity conservation by managing its own property responsibly and respecting or enhancing nearby natural protected areas (or areas of high biological value). Most of the time, this looks like a financial compensation to conservation management, but it can also include making sure that tours, attractions, and infrastructure don’t disturb natural ecosystems.

On the same page, wildlife interactions with free roaming wildlife should be non-invasive and managed responsibly to avoid negative impacts to the animals. As a traveler, prioritize visits to accredited rescue and rehabilitation centers that focus on treating, rehoming, or releasing animals back into the wild, such as the Jaguar Rescue Center in Costa Rica.

Soft Tourism

Soft tourism may highlight local experiences, local languages, or encourage longer time spent in individual areas. This is opposed to hard tourism featuring short duration of visits, travel without respecting culture, taking lots of selfies , and generally feeling a sense of superiority as a tourist.

Many World Heritage Sites, for example, pay special attention to protection, preservation, and sustainability by promoting soft tourism. Peru’s famed Machu Picchu was previously known as one of the world’s worst victims of overtourism , or a place of interest that has experienced negative effects (such as traffic or litter) from excessive numbers of tourists. The attraction has taken steps to control damages in recent years, requiring hikers to hire local guides on the Inca Trail, specifying dates and time on visitor tickets to negate overcrowding, and banning all single use plastics from the site.

Traveling during a destination’s shoulder season , the period between the peak and low seasons, typically combines good weather and low prices without the large crowds. This allows better opportunities to immerse yourself in a new place without contributing to overtourism, but also provides the local economy with income during a normally slow season.

Rural Tourism

Rural tourism applies to tourism that takes place in non-urbanized areas such as national parks, forests, nature reserves, and mountain areas. This can mean anything from camping and glamping to hiking and WOOFing. Rural tourism is a great way to practice sustainable tourism, since it usually requires less use of natural resources.

Community Tourism

Community-based tourism involves tourism where local residents invite travelers to visit their own communities. It sometimes includes overnight stays and often takes place in rural or underdeveloped countries. This type of tourism fosters connection and enables tourists to gain an in-depth knowledge of local habitats, wildlife, and traditional cultures — all while providing direct economic benefits to the host communities. Ecuador is a world leader in community tourism, offering unique accommodation options like the Sani Lodge run by the local Kichwa indigenous community, which offers responsible cultural experiences in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

" Transport-related CO 2  Emissions of the Tourism Sector – Modelling Results ." World Tourism Organization and International Transport Forum , 2019, doi:10.18111/9789284416660

" 45 Arrivals Every Second ." The World Counts.

Becken, Susanne. " Water Equity- Contrasting Tourism Water Use With That of the Local Community ." Water Resources and Industry , vol. 7-8, 2014, pp. 9-22, doi:10.1016/j.wri.2014.09.002

Kutty, Govindan M., and T.K. Raghavan Nair. " Periyar Tiger Reserve: Poachers Turned Gamekeepers ." Food and Agriculture Organization.

" GSTC Destination Criteria ." Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Rinzin, Chhewang, et al. " Ecotourism as a Mechanism for Sustainable Development: the Case of Bhutan ." Environmental Sciences , vol. 4, no. 2, 2007, pp. 109-125, doi:10.1080/15693430701365420

" Booking.com Reveals Key Findings From Its 2019 Sustainable Travel Report ." Booking.com.

" Economic Impact Reports ." World Travel and Tourism Council .

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Sustainable tourism: 10 key issues investors should consider

A socially responsible investment (SRI) investor is constantly balancing the potential profitability of an organisation against how sustainable and responsible its business model is. When it comes to the tourism sector, this makes for a complex investment strategy.

The tourism sector is heterogeneous and segmented, encompassing catering, hotels and resorts, and travel services. However, there are common issues that affect the whole sector. Trends such as climate change, resource depletion and health and wellness, have an impact on a companies' attractiveness.

Here are the key issues an SRI investor into the tourism sector should consider:

1. Carbon and other emissions

Although the tourism sector may not be one of the major greenhouse gas contributors, the development of international travel and an increase in air traffic has contributed to its carbon footprint.

An increasing regulatory burden may affect companies' future profitability, while the elimination – and eventually recycling of – restaurant grease and efforts to limit cruise ship exhausts illustrate other operational concerns that must be noted.

2. Energy consumption and water waste

The tourism sector tends to have high energy consumption levels, particularly at hotels. A strong positive correlation is usually observed between a hotel's star rating and the energy consumption per room. While heating and cooling remain the main source of consumption, luxury services such as a heated pool, spa, golf or laundry services all increase energy bills.

Extra amenities, combined with changes in consumer patterns, mean new hotels consume twice as much energy as the average hotel built in the 70s. Similar trends are observed in tap water consumption levels.

As a consequence, an SRI investor should better value hotels of a lower standard (such as those in the budget or economy category), having implemented measures to monitor their energy and water consumption.

3. Job creation and contribution to local economy

The leisure industry is a major source of income for many emerging and developed countries. A recent report by The World Travel Organisation found tourism represented more than 9% of global GDP.

The quality of a company's ties to local communities should also be under SRI investors' scope. The stability of partnerships with local authorities is often a key competition factor.

4. Working conditions

While the tourism industry might be a significant source of employment, it can also be synonymous with tough working conditions, low-level remuneration and part-time contracts, particularly in the hotel and restaurant segments.

As a result, companies often suffer from a shortage of skilled workers and face difficulties in retaining qualified staff. These challenges can result in a high turnover rate (in some cases 150% for employee position), which is responsible for high recruitment costs and declining productivity.

5. Responsible sourcing

Consumers' increased interest in sustainability has driven the sector towards more open communication on suppliers, starting when some hotels explained the water consumption of their laundry suppliers.

SRI Investors should definitively consider companies' purchasing criteria, with a particular focus on the restaurant and catering segment. Looking at food servicing, a major part of the environmental footprint is at the upstream level.

6. Franchising and hotel network values

The hotel industry has experienced a great deal of franchise development, cession of walls and management contracts. Such changes to ownership models are supposed to be invisible to final clients, but they influence the management of environmental and social matters at local level.

SRI investors should consider how hotels are monitoring these risks, considering clients' satisfaction is directly correlated to hotel staff motivation.

7. Health and wellness

Obesity prevention and food allergies are both driving new consumption patterns as well as growing attention from health authorities.

Some big fast food restaurants chain have even spent millions to offer alternative cooking methods delivering same taste with less salt, or guaranteeing non-use of hydrogenated oils. Operations and marketing practices are deeply affected by these considerations, as companies don't want to be targeted by regulators or miss a new consumer trend.

8. Food safety

Catering and restaurant companies must now ensure full product traceability and well implemented hygiene measures to prevent outbreaks. Chemical and bacterial contaminations are high-profile and consequently impact companies' reputations.

Compliance to regulations, crisis management plans and proactive measures should all be examined by SRI investors.

9. E-security

Security used to be exclusively linked to clients' physical protection; however, new technologies have introduced new forms of breaches.

SRI investors should also look at how prepared companies are to prevent attacks on clients' confidential data. A major data leak can have devastating effects on reputation and will negative impact a company's balance sheet.

10. Tax avoidance

Due to the complex franchise, joint-venture and subsidiary systems in the tourism sector, regulators view tax avoidance as a significant concern. SRI investors should keep a close eye on this topic.

Isabelle Cabie is head of socially responsible investment at Candriam

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Sustainability in Tourism: The socio-cultural lens

November 27, 2020 •

8 min reading

In October 2020, EHL hosted its annual Sustainability Week with a vast array of online seminars, activities and discussion panels. Considering the current impact on the hospitality industry of ongoing COVID-19, the theme of sustainable tourism is more than ever a relevant and urgent topic. Under the direction of Joshua Gan (EHL regional director Asia-Pacific), the issues concerning the socio-cultural aspect of sustainable tourism – its meaning and implementation - were thoughtfully turned over by the two guest speakers: Dr. Peter Varga (Assistant Prof in Sustainability) and Mark Edleson (CEO of Alila Hotels & Resorts).

The definition of Sustainability

According to the Environmental Protection Agency:

Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations.

The analysis of sustainability is often divided into three main perspectives: social, economic and environmental, (also known as “people, profit and planet”). When talking about the social/people aspect, one could argue that an additional perspective needs to be taken into account - that of culture.

1. What is meant by “the socio-cultural aspect of sustainability”?

PV: The term refers to, among others, how the local community of a tourism destination is affected by the tourism industry. Hitherto, local cultural frameworks have often been neglected by the mass tourism industry. The perspectives of the tourism hosts should be taken into consideration in a more sustainable way, particularly in the developing world.

Much is normally erased for the sake of modern beach culture, bars, shopping malls, fast entertainment and consumerism. Little attention has been paid to erecting quality, authentic and culturally-rich experiences that benefit both host and visitors. As a result, the majority of todays’ tourism destinations are unsustainable due to various factors such as too fast development and lack of consideration of sustainable parameters, such as the environment and local communities. If tourism is to change and become more sustainable, the aspect of culture must be taken into account.

When we speak of culture in tourism it refers to both host and guest cultures. The goal is to create a harmonious sociocultural environment where long-term sustainable relationships are maintained among all the tourism stakeholders. This may seem excessively idealistic, nevertheless it is worth to try, at least to try and reflect on it in tourism development projects.

ME: Paying attention to the environment is now more pressing than ever. Despite the many labor and environmental regulations, few are actually adhered to. Tourism operators need to understand that sustainable tourism means more than just preserving the beautiful landscape of a tourist destination. It means, for example, respecting village mentality, places of worship, agricultural sites, all that is essential to the upkeep of local cultural identity. Operators have to ask themselves if what they are developing will be beneficial or harmful to the locals. Are they looking to promote mass tourism or quality tourism?

Mass tourism leads to land grabbing, wider roads, more transportation, traffic, pollution – many by-products that initially appear to be generating employment and returns, but that are damaging and simply not sustainable in the long run. The question today is: How to preserve the cultural fabric of a tourist destination?

2. Can you give examples of destinations that have remained socio-culturally intact?

ME: The Alila brand has based itself on a sustainable model from its inception and has tried to preserve as much of the original fabric of local life, culture and nature as possible. We use eco- designed constructions made out of local materials. We incorporate many sustainable initiatives, e.g. local water bottled in reusable glass jars, bamboo straws, organic gardens in the hotels’ compound, compost used from hotel waste, a ‘giving bag’ in each room where guests can leave anything they don’t want to take home, beach cleaning initiatives for staff and guests.

Image credits: Alila Hotels

We try to involve the locals in tourist activities where they are the beneficiaries and that naturally enhance the cultural vocabulary. A very successful initiative has been for local families to open up their homes to host dining experiences for visitors, thereby helping the village integrate the tourists and teach them about the local food and customs. This is precious, authentic interaction for the guests, as well as a means of showing respect to the villagers and developing ties with them. Reaching out respectfully to the community is an crucial step on the road to sustainable tourism.

PV: Some communities have kept their cultural rituals and turned them into interesting tourism features, which is an example of the revitalization of culture. For example, in South Africa, the Zulu dance has become a key tourist attraction, and subsequently, a commodity. Similarly, in other indigenous societies such as in the Amazon rainforest, the shamanistic presentations have become a commodity expected by tourists.

The positive outcome of this cultural ‘commodification’ is its economic benefits for the hosts and also the fact that locals keep the tradition alive. Other less appealing cultural elements for the guest will eventually be lost. Hence, the host culture is expected to adapt to tourism – but this is a fragile set up, because what if the tourism flow suddenly stops, as during this current COVID-19 pandemic? Local societies should not become too dependent on tourism, because it makes them economically fragile in front of unexpected global calamities.

A good example are the Guna people on the Caribbean side of Panama, who have intentionally made their precious small archipelagos an exclusive destination where leakage stays low, so economic benefits stay within their reach.

« The Guna are also one of the rare indigenous groups who seem to be striking a balance between their traditional ways of life and modern conventions. Since 1996, the business of tourism has rested solely in their hands, following a history of showdowns with investors who had seized lands and built luxury hotels and cabins without the blessing of the Guna General Congress. Today, the “Ley Fundamental Guna,” bans the sale or rent of Guna lands to outsiders, including Panamanians, as well as non-Guna investments in their territory. »   - Mashable Media

Guana Yala Island (Image Credits: Go2Sanblas )

3. What’s the role of governments and stakeholders?

PV: Tourism has often been treated as a thriving industry by governments, especially in developing nations. However, as mentioned above, the local stakeholders are rarely taken into account, unlike the external ones (banks, developers, expatriate management, etc.) who tend to control everything. It can almost be seen as a form of neo-colonization, where the external stakeholders impose a specific type of development on the destination.

The economic return on mass tourism is considerable, but little attention is paid to the stress this causes to the local people and their culture. Some communities are very fragile in the face of mass tourism, it impacts their quality of life on a daily bases, both on tangible and intangible levels. Mass tourism may allow locals to buy mobile phones while they do not have indoor plumbing at home. Such odd ‘developments’ may generate a very unequal sociocultural environment in the destination. Even in developed countries, (take Venice for example), mass tourism had got so out of hand that the COVID lockdown was seen in many ways as a ‘blessing’ for the environment and many of the locals. There are some archeological sites, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia to name just one among many, that risks destroying its own ‘raison d’être’ due to the uncontrolled over-tourism phenomenon.

Overtourism problem at Angkor Wat (Image Credits: Good-Travel )

ME: Governments tend to go for numbers, especially in developing countries. They are influenced by a business model that runs on economic drive and targets to be reached. Tourism is seen as an ‘export’. Tourism Officers are elected and their job is to see visitor numbers increase, which in turn causes stress to the local culture. DMCc (Destination Management Companies) have a vested interest in big groups of tourists because they stand to make a profit from tourists visiting certain shops and restaurants. In mass tourism, there’s a big circle of players all looking for their cut.

In the Bali village where I live, local teens are now going to tourism school whereas before they were going to an agriculture college. This was originally an agrarian society based on a farming economy. Land is now being sold to tourism not to farming. Tourism on this island means that some ties have been strengthened, others weakened. In order to strike a more balanced outcome, tourism must be more controlled in the future, even if that means making it more expensive.

4. How can tourists and governments change their mindset?

PV: Tourists need to start thinking about why they are traveling. There is something deeply wrong with the “why not?” mentality fueled by cheap air fares resulting in a few, fast days spent here and there. Travel has to become more purposeful. The idea of slow travel where the objective is to explore and immerse oneself in a new culture over a few weeks should be promoted. Travelers must change their expectations and mindset: show more care about their destination, do better research on simple local cultural specificities such as tipping, dress code, being respectful of the local culture, how to chat with locals, etc. We should do our best to avoid slipping back to pre-COVID times, and reflect on how to make tourism more sustainable.

ME: Ironically, COVID-19 has caused some necessary slowing down, with a refreshing new focus on domestic tourism. On one hand, the pandemic has helped de-emphasize material things, but on the other it has accelerated the craving for experiences. Hence, I am fearful that there will be a return to mass tourism once these restrictive times are over. Much will depend on whether the low-cost carriers are still in business or not. But essentially, it’s up to us, the travelers, to carry out more research into our destination and travel with a greater sense of purpose.

PV: As a brief conclusion of this panel, the future of tourism depends on how much attention we pay to sustainable aspects. The current pandemic has not only revealed a fragile tourism industry, but it’s also shown how stakeholders and destinations are suffering from a situation that, as yet, has no definitive end point. A more sustainable planning mindset, in all aspects of the tourism and travel sector, would enable us to prepare for an uncertain, but hopefully more responsible future.

"Contributing beyond education encourages the EHL community to give back to society by driving sustainable change wherever they live and work, both during and after their education. This is a strong call to action that should empower each of us to do more and play our part in making the world a fair, ethical and sustainable place". - Michel Rochat (CEO, EHL Group)

EHL Insights content editor

Assistant Professor at EHL

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Small Towns, Big Impact: 10 Examples Of Sustainable Tourism in Picturesque Locations

• Small towns like Giethoorn, Hallstatt, and Cinque Terre showcase sustainable tourism practices with car-free streets, eco-friendly transportation, and a focus on waste management, preserving natural beauty while promoting responsible travel.
• Travelers can appreciate the commitment to sustainability in towns like Sintra, Gimmelwald, and Bled, where eco-friendly transportation, regional products, and conservation efforts ensure a minimal impact on the environment and support local communities.
• Tasiilaq and Portree exemplify sustainable living with self-sufficiency, renewable energy sources, traditional practices, and preservation of cultural heritage, setting a standard for eco-conscious practices and responsible exploration.

Sustainable tourism has never been so discussed, and people have been significantly seeking trips that support sustainable tourism . Luckily, many small towns are committed to sustainability , promoting responsible travel practices that respect local communities, protect fragile ecosystems, and preserve cultural heritage.

When it comes to eco-friendly tourism, small towns have a lot to teach the world. From car-free streets and efficient public transportation to encouraging local producers, these places prove that finding a balance between tourism and preservation is possible.

Embracing sustainable tourism is an ethical choice and a crucial step towards ensuring a harmonious coexistence between humans and the environment, forging a path to a more balanced and resilient world. Here are 10 examples of sustainable tourism in some of the world's most scenic towns.

RELATED: Here Are 10 Ways You Can Be Eco-Minded When Visiting National Parks Sustainably

Giethoorn, The Netherlands

Giethoorn, often called the "Venice of the North," is a picturesque village in the Netherlands. The only way to navigate this town where cars aren't allowed is by bike, boat, or foot.

Giethoorn stands out as a model of sustainable tourism, promoting eco-friendly practices such as electric boat transportation and maintaining a car-free town center. This commitment to preserving its idyllic waterways and natural surroundings has earned Giethoorn a reputation as a leading example of how tourism and environmental conservation coexist.

Visitors can explore this tranquil village while appreciating its dedication to sustainability.

• Population: 2,135

There are no train stations in Giethoorn , and the closest station is located in Steenwijk, where travelers can get a bus or rent a bike.

Hallstatt, Austria

Travelers spending the weekend in Hallstatt , Austria, will discover more than a breathtaking Alpine scenery, but a place committed to sustainability.

This village has implemented various eco-friendly initiatives, such as restricting car access in the center during the daytime. It's a way to encourage cycling and promote renewable energy sources.

Additionally, Hallstatt emphasizes waste management and conservation of its pristine environment. Visitors can explore the village's stunning lakeside setting and charming architecture while appreciating its dedication to preserving natural beauty for generations to come.

• Population: 734

Cinque Terre, Italy

Cinque Terre is arguably Italy's most stunning coastal area . Despite its popularity and increasing number of tourists, the country created rules to mitigate the environmental impact. Initiatives focus on waste management, protecting the marine environment, and educating both residents and visitors about sustainable practices.

The use of cars is limited, with an efficient train system connecting the villages. Businesses focus on sustainability, promoting local products like wine producers , farmers, and fishermen.

• Population: 3,500

Sintra, Portugal

Sintra is a lovely town in Portugal where travelers can spend at least two days . It attracts visitors due to its colorful constructions and history heritage, as it's a UNESCO World Heritage site.

When visiting, many travelers might not be aware of Portugal's efforts to make it a sustainable destination, as it ranks among the world's 100 Green Destinations . The town promotes eco-friendly transportation and encourages visitors to explore on foot or via electric trams, and strict zoning laws prevent overdevelopment, ensuring the historic charm remains intact.

Local businesses emphasize regional products, reducing the carbon footprint. Efforts are made to manage waste effectively, and conservation programs protect the lush surrounding forests.

• Sustainable accommodations: Penha Longa , Rosegarden House

RELATED: 10 Countries In Europe Perfect For Sustainable Tourism

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

Gimmelwals is located 300 meters above sea level, and its small-scale tourism bolsters the local economy and fosters a sense of community. Tourism became possible by creating an efficient local train and cable car. Nestled in the Swiss Alps, the villages in this region are entirely car-free , which helps to preserve the clean mountain air.

Hiking trails lead through pristine landscapes, and traditional wooden chalets seamlessly blend with the scenery. Locally-owned accommodations and eateries prioritize regional fare, reducing food miles.

• Population: 130
• Sustainable accommodations: Pension Gimmelwald , Mountain Hostel Gimmelwald

Bled, Slovenia

Bled, Slovenia, has been committed to sustainable tourism for many years. It also ranks among the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations thanks to initiatives such as efficient public transportation, allowing travelers to leave their cars behind.

Some areas in the city have walking-only areas so people won't damage the site. The pristine Lake Bled is central to the community's commitment to conservation, with electric boats available, leaving no environmental footprint.

Bled's compact size encourages exploration on foot or by bike, minimizing reliance on motorized transportation. Additionally, efforts to preserve cultural heritage and support the local economy further contribute to its sustainable ethos.

• Sustainable accommodations: Hotel & Glamping RIBNO Bled

Jalapão, Brazil

Located in the heart of Brazil, Jalapão has been recently discovered by the tourism hub. This paradise is home to South America's largest savanna, waterfalls, vast fields of golden grass, dunes, and natural water springs where it's impossible to sink.

The best thing about Jalapão is that locals run tourism, including tourism agencies, hotels, and restaurants in local communities. The locals are committed to preserving the fragile ecosystem, and it's forbidden to use sunscreen when entering the natural water springs as it can affect the fish.

• Recommended agency: Jalapão Brasil

Portree, Scotland

Portree is a coastal town that thrives on renewable energy sources, harnessing wind and water power. Locals are also committed to sustainability and are familiar with eco-conscious practices, from recycling initiatives to community gardens.

Portree's compact layout encourages walking or cycling, reducing car needs. The town's rich Gaelic heritage is preserved through cultural events and initiatives.

Accommodations often prioritize energy efficiency and local sourcing. By harmonizing with its breathtaking natural surroundings, Portree showcases a model of sustainability for small communities worldwide.

• Sustainable accommodations: Skeabost Country House Hotel

Tasiilaq, Greenland

Tasiilaq, Greenland, is home to several Viking settlements , and it's a beacon of sustainable living in the Arctic. With a mere 2,000 residents, this remote town champions self-sufficiency. Energy is primarily sourced from renewable hydroelectric power, minimizing reliance on fossil fuels.

Locals engage in traditional hunting and fishing practices, respecting ecological balance. The Visit Greenland's website highlights the country has been recognized as an "Eco-tourism and Responsible Travel Destination."

• Sustainable accommodations: The Red House

RELATED: Eco-Tourism For Dummies: 10 Ways To Get Involved With Sustainable Missions While Traveling Abroad

Tahoma, California ( Vikingsholm)

Nestled in the picturesque town of Tahoma, Vikingsholm, located on the shores of Lake Tahoe, California, embraces the historic Scandinavian-style mansion and showcases early 20th-century architectural brilliance while prioritizing eco-conscious practices. Surrounded by the Emerald Bay State Park, it encourages responsible exploration and education on local flora and fauna. Visitors can access the site through emission-reducing shuttle services, minimizing individual carbon footprints. Vikingsholm serves as a testament to preserving natural beauty while offering a glimpse into the past.

They encourage visitors to take the Traveler Responsibility Pledge .

Hot Springs residents have tourism concerns, want sustainable growth, report reveals

HOT SPRINGS - In April, Hot Springs Mayor Abby Norton and the Hot Springs Board of Aldermen invited Construction Professionals Network Institute, a nonprofit initiative focusing on construction industry-related projects and community service throughout North Carolina, to perform a two-day community workshop in the town.

Last month, CPNI and Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning conducted a post-workshop report with recommendations to support subsequent action for the town.

According to the report, 19 Hot Springs residents representing various stakeholder groups attended the community workshop.

"Business owners raising their families in the town noted their deep appreciation for the ubiquitous sense of community in their neighborhoods, and the challenges of growing the town in a way that will stimulate the local economy while preserving the reasons they choose to call Hot Springs home," the report said. "Several residents expressed an appreciation for the structure of their neighborhoods, which include shared backyard spaces."

According to the report, sustainable growth and shared community values were the two strongest sentiments that residents expressed at the workshop.

"The competing interests between growth and cost control is one of the most significant points of contention in the town, as residents warned against relying too heavily on tourism, but also advocated for building more affordable housing," the report said.

Home values rising?

The United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey  helps local officials, community leaders and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities.

According to CPNI's findings, the median home value in Hot Springs in 2021 was $165,700 and the median gross rent was $470. More than half of renters in Hot Springs are cost-burdened, meaning they pay 30% or more of their income towards the cost of housing.Zillow provides data on home value trends using the Zillow Home Values Index, which indicates property values may be on the rise. While its methodology may differ from that of CPNI, Zillow’s reported median home value for Hot Springs in February 2023 was $271,800.

Per the CPNI report, the residential growth in the town is more modest.

Using the latest information from Data USA, the report estimates a roughly 4% increase in Hot Springs' population, from 520 residents in 2020 to 540 residents currently.

According to CPNI's report, only four people identify as non-white. The median household income is slightly more than $34,000, although the median income is higher, at $56,750, for households with married couples.

CPNI's recommendations to the town

While only 18% (93 of 528) of residents responded to surveys for Hot Springs' 2022 Comprehensive Plan, the main issues residents wished to see addressed were the use of downtown businesses, as residents expressed concern about wasted space in abandoned or poorly maintained buildings.

As part of the workshop, the tour included a visit to the second floor of the town hall and the community center, two abandoned spaces that the town is interested in revitalizing.

Last year, the town sold its famed red caboose to to real estate company Mountain Home Properties owners Cindy and Steve DuBose for $8,600 .

More: Funds from caboose earmarked Funds from sale of caboose, a Hot Springs landmark, earmarked for repairs

The town planned to move the funds from the sale to its General Fund to be allocated for repairs to the town's community center.

At the time, board member Jeanne Caldwell Gentry said she'd like to have some sort of renovation committee to help in the planning of renovating the community center.

Caldwell Gentry said the town has roughly $23,600 allocated for the repairs, though some board members estimated the repairs will cost potentially four times that amount.

"It's going to cost a whole lot," Caldwell Gentry said. "A renovation committee could help raise funds, especially with the businesses in town."

Additionally, CPNI had a structural engineer present to observe the building and site. A quick inspection indicated the building may have asbestos that will need to be remediated.

According to Norton, a more extensive assessment revealed the community center did not have asbestos.

The CPNI report details 10 recommendations for the town. Topping the list is Caldwell Gentry's suggestion of a residential committee to help coordinate and carry out the town's goals.

"Hot Springs has virtually no full-time staff to take on initiatives that could move the town forward toward its vision. The CPNI team recommends that the town form a citizens’ committee to prioritize initiatives and drive projects forward," CPNI said in the workshop report.

Mayor Abby Norton said a residents' committee would be at the top of her list for the town too.

"I appreciate CPNI for holding the workshop and hope to implement some of their suggestions," Norton said. "The main thing that needs to happen in order to do that is the development of a citizens committee, and we need residents who are willing to volunteer their time to make this happen."

Also, the report recommends a downtown development corporation, similar to Downtown Marshall Association, as this nonprofit organization would be able to leverage funds, and actually buy and develop properties.

The third recommendation in the report is an engineering/environmental assessment to determine the town hall and community center's structural integrity.

Other recommendations from the post-workshop report include:

• A historic preservation commission/district.
• Improved parking and streetscape.
• Affordable housing.
• Zoning and code enforcement.
• Intergovernmental cooperation.
• NCDOT bridge replacement and town park.

In November 2022, the town board and Mayor Norton reported that TGS Engineers, engineering company based in Shelby that specializes in bridge repairs, was contracted by NCDOT to work with the town for the water and sewer relocation for the Bridge Street Bridge replacement project .

More: Info on Bridge Street replacement Prepare for traffic backups if you're visiting Hot Springs, particularly on a weekend

At that time, TGS Engineers' work on the bridge was set to begin with utility operations in June 2023.

But other residents have expressed a desire to salvage the existing bridge.

"With pending construction of a new bridge over the river, the town is interested in what options may remain for preserving the existing bridge and converting it for pedestrians — a recreation and tourism asset that also could address the lack of reliable public river access," the report said.

CPNI said the town could reach out to Hannah Cook, a Division 13 senior planning engineer with NDCOT.

ACTIVATE North Carolina, a program of the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects, also participated in compiling the report.

World Environment Day: Most eco-friendly countries for conscientious travellers

Jun 5, 2024

World Environment Day 2024

World Environment Day serves as a platform for promoting environmental issues, engaging communities, and driving positive change worldwide.

The country offers a range of eco-lodges and sustainable tourism initiatives, making it a haven for wildlife watching, rainforest hikes, and adventure sports like zip-lining and white-water rafting.

When in Iceland, visitors can explore glaciers, relax in geothermal hot springs, go whale watching, and take in the mesmerising Northern Lights.

New Zealand

The country stands out for its conservation efforts, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly accommodations. Hike famous trails such as the Milford Track, visit national parks, and engage with Maori culture.

Slovenia has earned a reputation as a green-certified destination with extensive forests and a commitment to sustainable tourism.

Bhutan is unique for its Gross National Happiness index, which prioritises environmental conservation and low-impact tourism.

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The country boasts extensive use of renewable energy, numerous national parks, eco-friendly urban planning, traditional saunas, and forest bathing.

Norway is recognised for its sustainable fisheries, eco-friendly accommodations, and electric transport initiatives.

The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador are strictly regulated to protect their unique wildlife and marine reserves. Snorkelling, wildlife watching, and guided eco-tours are popular activities in this region.

The country is notable for its community-based tourism, wildlife conservation projects, and eco-lodges.

With its vast protected areas and eco-friendly policies, Canada offers a range of activities such as exploring national parks, whale watching, and enjoying sustainable urban experiences in cities like Vancouver.

Palau is a leader in marine conservation with strong laws and responsible tourism practices. Diving and snorkelling in marine sanctuaries, exploring limestone islands, and visiting cultural sites are highlights.

The country is distinguished by its conservation efforts for mountain gorillas, community tourism, and reforestation projects.

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