The Importance of Ethical Tourism
Fortunately, ethical tourism and sustainable travel are two areas of the industry that continue to grow and make progress as we strive to live eco-friendly lifestyles. The tourism industry spans globally, meaning the impact of increasing ethical and sustainable practices will be felt worldwide. In October 2019, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) shared its 2019 report, The Case for Responsible Travel, featuring trends and statistics that not only showcase the importance of traveling more responsibly, but also the opportunities it creates for both travelers and the hospitality institutions who serve them.
CREST was founded by ethical tourism pioneer, Martha Honey (I’m currently reading her book, Who Owns Paradise…more on that later!) and is one of the OG organizations advocating for a better form of travel. Through research projects, strategic partnerships and industry events CREST seeks to minimize the negative impacts of travel on the environment and local communities, and maximize the positive outcomes tourism can create for the places we visit and the people who live there. The focus on local communities is an important one, as local communities are almost always going to be the best stewards of their native land and resources - They are, after all, the ones who most benefit from it.
Here are some interesting trends and statistics highlighted in the report:
Tourism Supports Worldwide Employment — According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) travel & tourism represented 10% of employment globally in 2018.
What does this mean? The travel industry supports more than 300 million jobs, and the livelihoods of families around the world. That’s a lot of people dependent on us visiting their beautiful countries, and even more reason for us to work to keep their countries beautiful.
Impact Tourism is Increasing — According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association, 91% of American, international travelers state that it’s important to take ethical trips.
What does this mean? Impact tourism uses dollars generated by the travel and tourism sector to fund conservation efforts, support local economies and create a more sustainable future. More people choosing to travel this way (and it seems like there are a lot of us) means more dollars for these efforts, which is especially important at a time when traditional funding sources (international agencies, governments, NGOs, etc.) are increasingly harder to come by or wrapped up in miles of red tape.
Consumers are Driving Plastic Reduction — Hotel executives are cited in the report saying that customers and industry colleagues, not governments, are the ones motivating hospitality brands to take leadership in things like waste reduction.
What does this mean? Our voices are being heard! As more and more people make efforts in their day-to-day to reduce plastic consumption, those choices are having a ripple effect and hotels are taking notice. They want to help travelers continue to live their values while staying on-property, and will continue catering to a plastic-free or reduced waste lifestyle as long as we keep choosing it.
Wellness Tourism is Still a BIG Thing — According to a Skift report, wellness tourism is growing twice as fast as global tourism, and wellness tourists are spending more.
What does this mean? First, it means I still have a job writing for wellness-focused pubs like Well + Good and MindBodyGreen about the intersection of eco-tourism and personal well-being. Phew! Second, it creates an opportunity for eco-conscious hospitality businesses which, by their very nature, are going to be more wellness minded than their non-eco-friendly counterparts.
We Must Correctly Give Time, Talent and Treasure — More of us — more than half by some measures — seek to give back through travel, but it’s important to do so responsibly.
What does this mean? While it’s wonderful that people are more and more willing to give their time and money to support local communities in the destinations they love, if done improperly these volunteers can do more harm than good. Claire Bennet of PEPY tours, who is an expert on responsible voluntourism and the author of Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad , spoke at the World Tourism Day Forum this year about the how well-intentioned voluntourism can fuel orphanage trafficking and corruption, reinforce cultural stereotypes and create inefficiencies or dependencies in local communities. If you’re planning to volunteer abroad, first consider this - if you aren’t certified to build buildings or work with children in vulnerable situations in your own country, maybe don’t sign up to do so elsewhere.