The very size of the travel industry demands that sustainable travel be practiced by travelers. Considering that more than a billion people travel from city to city, country to country, jetting from one side of the globe to the other every year, the impact they have on the natural and cultural environment of their destination is obviously one of importance. The sheer volume of people traveling creates huge potential for damage to numerous natural resources and to the environment at large. For this reason alone “green” travel is crucial in ensuring that the negative impact on environmental resources is limited while simultaneously paving the way for more positive-impact travel in the future.
Travel covers almost every economic sector so it is the story of how we move from place to place. There are thousands of people who spend more nights in hotels then their own homes so it is natural for amenities to cater to the business class. This presents a business opportunity on converting both the traveler and the business to a triple bottom line model. Bob Willard pointed out for companies that commit to sustainable practices, experience a substantial return on investment, 30+% being a conservative estimate on his part.
The necessity and scale of travel help explain why so many aspects of the industry get the sustainability message. Now travelers need to become aware of the impact of their choices and the power of their money to help reinforce the best social and environmental practices, both locally and globally. As outlined previously the practices extend to the individual as well as the large corporations in a collaborative effort to maintain or improve the conditions of the places they work and travel to. It may be as simple as a mandatory pledge to offset and make their trip carbon negative. Education and affordability will be key areas to work on and market well to persuade people to take that next step.
No comments:
Post a Comment