By: Talia Salem
As an organization that is focused on certifying sustainable standards in the travel industry, the topic of sustainable tourism is very near and dear to our hearts. Global Sustainable Tourism Council hopes that one day sustainable tourism will no longer be an ideal, but rather be the normal mode of operating.
Each person is drawn to sustainable tourism for different reasons: to protect the earth and preserve it for future generations, to save money, and perhaps to help grow local economies. No matter what the reason, more and more people are traveling each day and the impact of tourism is growing.
Sustainable tourism is not often looked at through a visitor’s lens. We often talk about people, planet and profit, but what about the visitors and their experience? In all of the discussions about sustainability in tourism, visitors are not discussed very often. When they are discussed, it is primarily in regards to their destructive impact.
Can sustainable practices enhance the visitor experience? If a sustainable destination or product is not offering a better product, or travel experience, what is the point? People are ultimately going to stop coming and in the end, that product is not going to be financially viable. So, why would I as a traveler want to visit a sustainable tourism destination or select a sustainable tourism product?
My answer: sustainable practices allow for a richer visitor experience. Visitors are seeking experiences with a deep connection to the destination. As an avid traveler, I constantly think about this question and what makes me, Talia Salem, gravitate toward more sustainable product offerings. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and was transformed into an earth-conscious being at an early age after watching Fern Gully, but there is more to this preference than an eco-responsibility. Sustainable destinations and products have offered me, and continue to offer me, a better experience with a deeper connection to that place.
As a traveler, I want an experience that feels distinctly different than home. While I understand this feeling doesn’t apply to every traveler, I desire to feel invigorated by a travel experience and immerse myself in what makes that destination worthy of my visit. Sustainability helps provide that destination difference, that immersive experience in country.
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Good article and I completely agree with making sure the triple bottom line is designed to enhance the visitor experience but I’d like more details on what it is that makes you, Talia Salem, enjoy the sustainable experience more than a non-sustainable experience. I understand you want a distinct, immersion experience but what are the factors that give you this deeper connection – supporting local community shops, getting to know market vendors, staying in eco-friendly properties, opting for home stays etc, or other factors?
Thanks for your comments. The thing I enjoy most is the connection with the local people and finding that common ground, in addition to the local crafts, setting etc. As a foodie, I love trying the authentic local eats. We will be exploring this topic in more depth in the coming posts, we look forward to your input.
True, all too often, visitors are taken for granted.
During the International Year of Ecotourism the traveling public were largely ignored as valued players during official policy making events. For example, the Quebec Ecotourism Declaration did not include travelers as stakeholders. A serious omission, n’est-ce pas?
But so are locals. We don’t value their ‘experience’ when evaluating the impact of travel and tourism. Rarely have I been invited a tourism conference that included the viewpoints of regular travelers or the locals.
A few years ago the Conde Nast World Savers Awards was critiqued because one of the winners was a lodge that had been excluding local indigenous people from using the watering holes. The facility had a swimming pool for guests but water for locals … not until there was a public attack.
We need a more holistic approach when it comes to evaluating practices – sustainable or not – and hopefully our communication can improve to the point where visitor and local input is more valued in the value chain.
Ron, thanks for your comments. C’est vrai. Travelers are definitely important stakeholders without which tourism would probably not be happening. This topic is a personal passion of mine and I plan to explore it in greater depth with different perspectives (from the destination, operator, hotel level). It is also important on how sustainable travel products are communicated to the end user. We do need a more holistic approach to evaluation, which is in essence the point of the triple bottom line as far as the effect of tourism goes. The visitor is tangentially addressed via the financial sustainability piece and could be looped into the people side as well.