Transcript - Tourism Management Institute

Sustainable Tourism:
From niche to no choice!
TMI Annual Convention
8 October 2008
Jonathon Porritt
Forum For The Future
• We are THE sustainable development charity
• Our vision is of business and communities thriving in a
future that’s environmentally viable
• Our mission is to find practical ways private and public
organisations can deliver a sustainable future working
with over 180 different partners from national, regional
and local government, higher education, and business
• Green Futures magazine
We believe…..
• A sustainable future can be achieved
• It’s the only way business and communities will prosper
• We need bold action now to make it happen
Who do we work with in the tourism
sector?
a lot of
Big and scary stuff
out there!
Oil at
$147 a barrel!
“In my view, climate change is the
most severe problem that we are
facing today – more serious
even than the threat of terrorism.”
(Sir David King, Former Chief Scientific Adviser
to UK Government)
The Lexicon of Climate Change
“Dangerous”
“Non-linear”
“Runaway”
“Irreversible”
Canaries in the Mine
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Permafrost in Siberia
Arctic sea ice
Greenland ice cap
Antarctic ice sheets
CO2 absorption rates
Amazon Rainforest drying out
Acidification of the oceans
80% reduction
in CO2
by 2050
Tourism contributes to climate change
100%
80%
60%
4
21
3
32
Activities
Accommodation
Other Transport
40%
20%
40
Car Transport
Air Transport
0%
C02 emissions
[Source UNWTO, UNEP and WMO report: Climate change and
Tourism: responding to Global Challenges, 2007]
Global consumption of water is
doubling every 20 years, more
than twice the rate of human
population growth.
“The Sixth Extinction”
16,306 species
vulnerable, endangered
or critically endangered.
-51% of invertebrates
- 39% of fish
- 31% of reptiles and amphibians
- 20% of mammals
- 12% of birds
(IUCN’s Red List),
“Losing the battle on almost
every front”
Global Population
1950  3 billion
2000  6 billion
2050  9 billion
From a world half empty
To a world more than half full
The Hedonic Treadmill
• People who’ve got it, want more of it.
• People who’ve got lots of it, still want more of it.
• People who haven’t yet got it, really, really want
it.
• People who know they’ll never get it, still dream
of getting it.
BUT
AT LEAST
250 MILLION
“NEW CONSUMERS”
IN CHINA
LEAPING ONTO THE
“HEDONIC TREADMILL”
Value at Risk
“Europe ski-ing
industry in
terminal
meltdown.”
biodiversity loss
30 per cent of coral reefs are
severely damaged and 60 per
cent could be lost by 2030
(UNEP)
Water stress: tourism affected
AND is part of the problem
A tourist in Spain can use up to
880 litres of water, compared to
250 litres of water a day for a
Spanish city dweller.
Source: World Meteorological Organization, June 2005
“The principal climate change
threats to tourism in the Greek
Islands, including Crete, looks likely
to be a combination of soaring
temperatures, and ever-more scarce
water supplies.”
Source: Holiday 2030 report, Halifax Travel Insurance
Climate change is already
happening
Kilimanjaro 1993 and 2000
Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire July 2007
Customers are starting to care
62% questioned
say that they
have become
more
environmentally
aware of the last
12 months*
67% young people
surveyed say they
will NOT give up
flying for
environmental
reasons in the next
10 years **
75% young
people surveyed
predicted green
taxes on air travel
by 2031**
Over 75% of
travellers are
prepared to
* Henley Centre Headlight Vision Planning for Consumer Change 2007
offset their
** Future Leaders survey 2006
emissions***
*** Lonely Planet online poll of more than 24,500 consumers from 144 countries
**** Tripadvisor
34% of travellers
would pay more
to stay at an
environmentally
friendly hotel ****
93% of travellers said
they would or might
purposefully partake
in environmentally
friendly travel in the
future***
Our ‘future leaders’ still want
to travel…
• 67% see travelling overseas as a priority for happiness;
• 59% prioritise spending time in nature;
• Just under half (47%) see voluntary work as important to
their future happiness
…but they are also more concerned about the
environment and global inequality …that’s an
opportunity for travel companies who
help them address those concerns
The immediate challenge of travel
• Go local
• Go overland
• Go longer
• Go direct
• Offset
OZBUS
We are an adventure travel
company like no other! We
operate a regular overland
service for backpackers
travelling between London
and Sydney.
Whether you're heading off
backpacking, or returning
home from overseas, OzBus
offers you the radical
alternative to flying.
This is a truly awesome
experience and the ultimate
overland adventure; become
one of the few people ever to
undertake this epic journey.
The Man in Seat 61
• Advice on travel by train and ship
• Growing (“cult”!) success
• Overland Heaven
Carbon Management Hierarchy
More
sustainable
Avoid
Reduce
Substitute
Less
sustainable
Offset
Avoid non-essential activities
e.g. design out energy use
Reduce energy consumption
e.g. more fuel efficient transport,
stay longer
Switch to renewables
e.g. solar showers, wind turbines
Offset what remains
e.g. First Choice World Care
Competitors on the move…
"The industry is pathetic… We have
lost the debate and there is no point
in arguing that aviation is only a
small part of it. We have to tackle it
head on.”
(Dermot Blastland, MD, First Choice
June 2007)
BE
ENTREPRENERIAL
LEAD THE FIELD
MANAGE YOUR
RISKS
First Choice
Leadership
Wheel
PROVE IT
SELL IT/ BRAND IT
MOTIVATE
STAFF AND
SUPPLIERS
MAKE IT
STRATEGIC
Pressure groups on the march
BA/Greenpeace ad
new
Fairtrade
tourism?
Fairtrade
products
expected to
deliver 138%
growth over
the next 5
years
Environment
Economic
Developing and
operating within
environmental
limits
Creating long
term value
People
Sustainable
tourism
developments
Helping staff
and guests to
fulfill their
potential
Infrastructur
e
Community
Creating a built
environment that
supports
sustainable living
Building
strength,
cohesion and
pride with the
local community
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMIC VALUE
o Zero carbon
o Protect and enhance biodiversity
o Responsible sourcing of materials
o Efficient water management
o Zero Waste
PEOPLE
o Pollution reduction
o Returns to shareholders
o Benefits to local
economy
o Local long term
SUSTAINABLE
employment
TOURISM
o Responsible marketing
o Long term vision and
commitment
INFRASTRUCTURE
o Integrated transport and
logistics
o Positive contribution to
local infrastructure
o Innovative design
o Green building
o Adaptation to climate
change
o Employee wellbeing
o Cultural sensitivity
o Health and safety
o Accessibility
o Visitor education
o Relaxation and Fun
COMMUNITY
o Fairtrade and equity
o Protect cultural heritage
o Local access to services
and infrastructure
o Community involvement
o Local sourcing
o Enhancing local
community
Get fit for the future
• future proof your strategy: really understand how
these trends will impact your business. Does your
business strategy account for a carbon-constrained
world?
• innovate your product so that it maximises your positive
impacts and reduces your negative ones. Make it low
carbon and pro-poor
• save money and drive out waste: ensure that you are
using resources, especially water, in the most efficient
way. Seek renewable and recycled alternatives.
Get fit for the future
• engage your customers: ensure benefits to local
community and environment are clear and
transparent
• put sustainability at your heart: tourism still provides a
fantastic opportunity to deliver social, environmental and
economic benefits
• avoid greenwash!
New Opportunities
• Exceeding customer expectations
• Product innovation
• Protection of natural and societal assets that
tourism relies on
• Beating the competition for the SD space
• Being on the front foot on Climate Change and
Aviation
• Efficiency and reputational gains for industry