I recently attended the ABTA Sustainability Conference and the TTG Fairer Travel Sustainability Forum, which brought together various travel industry stakeholders, including travel agents, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, and tourist boards. Both events included lively panel discussions, industry leaders' presentations, and critical subject workshops. While each event had its unique focus, there was a clear overlap in the industry's challenges and opportunities. In this blog, I’ll share my key takeaways and delve deeper into the trends and issues shaping sustainable travel's future.
1. Greenwashing is still a significant and confusing topic
Avoiding greenwashing is incredibly important, as the Green Claims Code means you can be fined for messaging that is not true or confusing to the consumer.
We must move away from vague claims of "sustainability" and back up claims with credible data, measurements, and, if appropriate, certifications.
The product life cycle has to be considered, so saying an itinerary is sustainable is not enough; be honest and accept the limitations. A flight is most likely required to get to the destination, and improvements on the ground will be made continuously. Make it clear sustainability is a journey.
2. Destinations need to grow responsibly
There is a dissonance between increasing tourism numbers and the impact this has on the destination. Destination Canada is focused on a growth strategy but is diversifying tourism to create value for communities and work with them to ensure tourism does benefit them.
Destinations need to cater to new trends in travellers who increasingly seek unique experiences beyond traditional tourist destinations.
The DMO has engaged with small- and medium-sized tourism businesses to create more meaningful travel experiences. They also engage with communities to understand tourism's impact.
Tour operators can engage with stakeholders to ensure tourism is welcomed. The Travel Corporation brings communities together when developing new products. Their carbon funds go to projects in destinations, so there is a direct benefit.
3. Overtourism has to be addressed - KPIs need to go beyond numbers
Destinations must be carefully managed to reduce overtourism or avoid excessive numbers whilst developing sustainably. Visit Canada measures tourism with a Global Destination Index, which measures social impact alongside economic growth to ensure responsible tourism practices.
Spain has a sustainable tourism strategy involves moving away from volume to value. New indicators will measure the social value of tourism and the numbers. However, social value is hard to measure as the situation on the ground is often hard to quantify.
Destinations like Mallorca are developing strategies for managing tourist flow. This involves balancing economic benefits for locals and preserving the cultural and natural environment. Resident concerns must be addressed, as local discontent often arises from a lack of control over tourism revenue and decision-making.
The Netherlands has created a destination management plan that involves reducing cruise arrivals into Amsterdam, prohibiting new hotel construction, and encouraging visits to lesser-known regions.
4. Transparency and Communication - going Beyond Marketing
Mallorca has introduced ‘Our Pledge for Responsible Tourism.’ This pledge asks visitors to travel responsibly and is communicated to visitors upon arrival through tour operators. Whilst not a marketing campaign, this helps visitors consider they are visitors to someone's home.
Tour operators and destinations must have clear sustainability credentials and measurable strategies in place. Acknowledging and owning the impacts tour operators have can ensure transparency. For this to happen, the industry needs to improve at measuring the positive impacts. At the moment, we are good at quantifying the negative impact (carbon emissions, too many visitors) but not so good at shouting about the positive impacts or even how we negate the negative impacts.
Travellers need the information to make better choices; these messages need to make sense and have information to back them up (if it's a scientific backup, it's even better).
Both these conferences created awareness that travel is pivotal in its journey towards sustainability. There are many roadblocks to overcome—greenwashing, overtourism, and measuring social impact. There is also a much-needed consensus on responsible growth. Sustainable travel is no longer just a buzzword but operationally important, requiring a holistic approach that considers the entire travel lifecycle and the needs of local populations.
Are you ready to start your sustainability journey? I offer bespoke sustainable tourism plans for tour operators and destinations. Want to know more? Contact me at emily@justtourism.co.uk
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