Sustainability in tourism has come to the forefront of industry discussions in recent years and will become increasingly important as the global tourist market continues to grow. Our intern Yasmin Ayture looks at how sustainable practices can benefit your business and some of the steps organisations can take to become more sustainable.
If you have attended a tourism conference or flicked through a travel magazine in the past couple of years, you will have noticed the theme of ‘sustainability’ cropping up again and again. In fact, 2017 was designated the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the UNWTO. It’s a prevalent topic for universities too, and something which I am very passionate about having studied sustainable tourism as part of my International Tourism Management degree at the University of Surrey.
With sustainability being applicable to so many different sectors – from fishing to fashion to household waste – the concept can feel very broad, complex and almost intimidating. However, the key principle behind sustainable tourism is simply to ensure that visitors and locals can continue to enjoy destinations for generations to come. This can be approached from three angles – maintaining economic growth, minimising impact on the environment, and creating benefits for the local community.
Broken down into these three facets, it becomes easier to see how businesses can take small but significant steps towards sustainability while still meeting the needs of customers and maintaining profitability. For example, the majority of hotels have for many years encouraged visitors to reuse towels and turn off the electricity when a room is unoccupied to reduce water and energy usage (and thereby their own bills); attractions and destinations encourage the use of public transport by offering combination tickets and discount vouchers; and restaurants can become well-known for their locally-sourced menus which not only reduce their carbon footprint but also support the local community.
Transport providers are increasingly turning to greener options, including The Original Tour who last year launched London’s first electric sightseeing bus, and We Know Group who introduced the UK’s largest fleet of electric vehicles to transport passengers to and from Heathrow airport. Westfield meanwhile have partnered with Virgin Pure to install water refill stations in a bid to cut down on single-use plastics within their shopping centres, Chiltern Railways are piloting a scheme in Marylebone Station to recycle single-use coffee cups, and Mercat Tours actively support charities and social initiatives that focus on looking after the local community and protecting Edinburgh’s heritage to ensure the future enjoyment of the city.
Aside from the ‘feel good factor’, such initiatives can reduce costs for businesses, help maintain market share and attract the next generation of tourists. With sustainability increasingly on the forefront of consumers’ minds (not only in tourism but across all facets of life), tourists are more likely to support businesses that put thought and energy into such initiatives. In fact during a seminar on green tourism at UKinbound’s Convention in Glasgow last month, I learnt that a staggering 76% of British holidaymakers now consider the environment when making travel decisions so it makes sense to consider adapting your business to meet the evolving expectations and needs of customers.
So if you want to become more sustainable but are not sure where to start, UKinbound member Green Tourism can carry out a free 30 minute Green Check and provide realistic goals tailored to your business vision and plans. And while it won’t be possible to tackle every aspect of sustainability all at once, there’s never a better place to start than on our own little patch – after all every little helps!
