"Sustainable tourism is important because the alternative is unsustainable: polluted beaches full of plastic, dead coral reefs with no fish, increasing crime… It gives us the unique opportunity to connect with destinations on a deeper level through immersive experiences, and travel in a way that enriches our lives as well as the communities we are fortunate enough to visit,” said Kelley Louise. Currently, every single flight departing from Los Angeles flies on biofuel. Tourism Concern (1991) has developed ten sustainable principles for sustainable ecotourism in association with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature: 1. Sustainable tourism has become an area of academic interest and has been adopted into tourism policy-making by both the public and private sectors at all levels of governance and in organisations such as United Nations Environment programme (UNEP), United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) (Hall, 2011). Proving it’s haute to be sustainable, Azurmendi, a three-Michelin-star restaurant near Bilbao, has twice won the sustainable restaurant award from World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The carbon impact of flying to economics conferences: is flying more associated with more citations? The term “sustainable travel” has a green glow to it, connoting eco-friendly practices and environmental responsibility. By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Considering alternative and more sustainable ways of traveling is not just our responsibility with the environment but also with the destinations and communities we visit,” said Ana Duék. The New York Times | August 27, 2020. A bibliometric analysis, Visitor satisfaction in wilderness in times of overtourism: a longitudinal study, Rated A* star in the ABDC 2019 Journal Quality List, Special Issue: Digitalization and Sustainability in the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors, Special Issue: Local, Regional, Domestic: Re/scaling Tourism Mobilities. Canoeists paddle through the Soca Gorge on the Soca River in Kobarid, Slovenia. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. “Since 99% of of our footprint is because of our fuel usage, that’s where we focus.” said Suzi Cabo. Airbnb Experiences was built on this premise — empowering people to share their expertise and passion for their community with visitors and locals alike,” said Aoife McArdle. The first hotel chain in Spain to eradicate single-use plastics in their hotels, the company has a goal of being completely plastic free by 2020. The airline says the flight was "the most eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of aviation. We want to provide the support the tourism sector needs to take real, meaningful action to achieve climate neutrality in travel and tourism sector by 2050, at the latest,” said Patricia Espinosa. “It’s a question of making your clients participate in the journey and I think it’s very important for them to feel the purpose and be a part of it as well,” said Gloria Fluxà. According to WTTC, the travel and tourism industry contributes 10.4% to the global GDP. The benefits of home sharing allow travelers to connect with locals and creates economic opportunity in rural areas, leveraging tourism as a tool for development. International Airport (LAX) on World Environment Day on June 5, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately, most people do not travel this way. Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth serves as a beacon for other companies, policymakers, think tanks and other people who want to learn more about financial inclusion and use that as a stepping stone to the ultimate goal of inclusive growth. Paula Vlamings, Chief Impact Officer, Tourism Cares. "Sustainable tourism is important because the alternative is unsustainable: polluted beaches full of plastic, dead coral reefs with no fish, increasing crime, unwelcoming locals or disappearing cultures and wildlife,” said Paula Vlamings. “In order for travel to be transformative, authentic, or even memorable, it must respect the natural resources and work in partnership with communities.”, Kelley Louise, Founder and Executive Director, Impact Travel Alliance. Being sustainable doesn’t have to take away from the quality experience.”, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Regenerative Travel Has Arrived. My writing covers travel, social impact, sustainable tourism and business, and has been published in outlets such as Entrepreneur, Newsweek and Vogue. A key aspect is respect for the people who call the location home, the culture and customs of the area, and the socio-economic system. Sustainable tourism is a way of traveling and exploring a destination while respecting its culture, environment, and people. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. “The normal course of business at Hilton is to look outside the walls of our hotels to see how we’re impacting our communities,” said Katie Fallon.