“Closing beaches that have been overused wouldn’t need to happen today if yesterday there had been proper planning and execution of sustainable policies, plus enforcement of existing laws relating to waste management,” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO. “The good news is that there is positive movement. The bad news is that much needs to be done, and we have not yet seen widespread evidence of turning words into action.”

“Sometimes it’s just knowing more about your energy use and inefficiency,” says GSTC Member Eric Ricaurte, Greenview CEO. “A lot of time, hotels look at the entire picture, with a hundred criteria, and can be put off by the scope,” Ricaurte says. “But there are a lot of things they all can do.”

Read the full article: Balancing Tourism and Sustainability across Asia by Ron Gluckman on Urban Land Institute (June 3, 2019)