Sustainable tourism. What is it and how can it be used in business?

Basic principles of sustainable tourism — for those who are just starting this path

What is sustainable tourism?

Dear reader, you can often hear that sustainable tourism does not have a clear definition and everyone understands it in their way. But speaking in understandable words, this is a way of managing tourism projects, in which everything good and valuable after us also remains for the next generations.

Speaking about sustainable development, one should keep in mind three main segments: socio-cultural sphere, environment, and economy. Sustainable tourism is achieved when all these three parts work together effectively.

In even simpler terms, sustainable tourism is when everyone is happy.

Tourists are happy because they get a cool experience. The locals are happy, as tourists develop their culture and help them earn money, but at the same time do not interfere with the flow of local life. The environment is satisfied since no one harms it, and the riches of nature remain for many generations to come. And the business is also satisfied — it earns money on all of this.

What type of tourism can be sustainable?

Any type of travel — business travel, family vacations, ecotourism — can be sustainable if it meets certain criteria that support sustainable development.

There is an official organization that is responsible for sustainable development standards. This is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, created with the support of the UN. Their website has published a list of criteria by which you can determine whether a particular travel project is sustainable.

Managing sustainable tourism from a business perspective

To create a truly sustainable travel business, you need to start with yourself. First, we look at our own office to see if everything there meets the standards of sustainable development. This includes inclusion, employee salaries, and the elimination of single-use plastic.

The next level is our travel products and supply chain. We must be conscious of how we choose suppliers and what products we offer to users. The third level is social initiatives. This includes support for the local population, and environmental projects, for example, cleaning the beach by the company’s employees.

All this should work together, one point is not enough.

Goals of sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism helps to solve many problems at once.

Overtourism and undertourism

The first definition corresponds to the situation when there are too many tourists in a certain city. The tourists themselves do not like this, because no one wants to constantly be in the crowd. And the locals don’t like it, because everything gets out of control, garbage and noise appear everywhere.

On the other hand, undertourism is when tourists are expected, but they do not come. Many cities have invested in infrastructure, and come up with tourism projects, but there are still not enough visitors, although their money would help the city.

Therefore, one of the goals of sustainable tourism is to balance these trends. So that there are enough tourists everywhere, but not too many. Each city must determine its own maximum capacity limits.

Climate change

Tourism is responsible for almost 10% of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Why is tourism concerned? If the climate changes, the natural conditions change, and our tourism products change with them. At ski resorts, for example, there may be no snow, and we will no longer be able to sell tours there.

When we talk about climate change, we think first of all about transport. And it really does have an enormous impact on carbon emissions, although another particularly important driver of climate change is food production and meat production in particular. For example, if one goes to Egypt, there is a high chance that meat comes from Latin America. This meat has left a large carbon footprint by transporting it to another continent, not to mention the enormous cost of resources for its production.

Last year, tour operators united in the Tourism Declares Climate Emergency association, where they began to talk about what they are doing specifically to cope with climate change.

Animal rights

We usually talk about animal rights from the position of a tourist, an observer. If we take pictures with a tiger or ride an elephant, it seems to us that we do not harm the animal in this way. But what is important here is what we do not see. In order for the animals to behave obediently with tourists, they are often drugged and beaten. We must not allow this.

Accessible environment

An accessible environment for people with disabilities is not only a matter of humanity. Its creation is relevant in terms of sales, as it helps several generations travel together. It is necessary to create comfortable conditions for both children and grandparents in a wheelchair.

Human rights, working conditions

People tend to think that this is a problem for developing countries, although we often exacerbate it ourselves. There is such a thing as white saviors. In a nutshell, it’s when a white person helps the poor population — mostly not to make their lives better, but to make themselves feel good. I sat among the poor African children, took pictures with them, and felt as if I saved the entire world. Although children from this get more harm than good. Sometimes such photos are used for marketing to sell some kind of tourism products.

Preservation of cultural and natural heritage

Tourism affects the preservation of local culture. It is important that he can support her so that even after several generations she will live.

It is equally important to use local materials. Where wood is available, build hotels out of wood. Where marble is available, use marble. In a village with small houses, it is not necessary to build a hotel with 30 floors — it is important to fit everything into the landscape.

Nature and the local community are products worth investing in.

Is sustainable tourism selling well?

The topic of sustainable tourism has become exceedingly popular in recent years. According to recent polls, 91% of tourists consider it important to travel ethically. They may not be ready to organize such trips themselves, but they expect companies and hotels to do the right thing. 72% of travelers surveyed say they would prioritize a hotel that respects environmental standards.

Marketing challenges in sustainable tourism

The first rule of sustainable marketing is not to use the word sustainable. Without context, it is often incomprehensible. What is a “sustainable shrimp”? These are ethically farmed shrimp. This should be explained in other words, in no case do not write “sustainable shrimp” on the menu.

Thus, avoid greenwashing. This is when you once made a project aimed at sustainable development, but you have been talking about it hundreds of times. But also, don’t try to keep all sustainability achievements, which is when you try to be very responsible, but don’t tell anyone about it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we would like to note that the topic of sustainable development is global changes in what society and consumers expect from business and not just another trend.

Therefore, for branding, this topic is more than a response to the actual needs of the audience — it is the starting point for the transformation of the brand and the opportunity to differentiate not only by communications but by real actions that bring the brand promise to life.

One of the potential solutions for the travel and logistics sector could be carbon offsetting and CO2 emission reduction. SQUAKE, as you might already know, offers tech solutions for companies in this sector. Thus, if you believe that it is time for your company to become sustainable and competitive in the market, then feel free to approach us and we will find the best solution for your company.

I would like to thank Dan Kreibich and the rest of the SQUAKE team for the help.