Every year in the Responsible Tourism Awards, we hear from those who have taken responsibility in businesses and destinations and have proven examples of how tourism can be made more sustainable. These are just a few of those that have crossed my desk In the last couple of weeks.
Mark Jones posted in early January, “Things can only get better”, and warned, “Pessimistic readers may want to look away now.” Mark points to the work of Hans Rosling, who, in Factfulness, reminded us that “health, but income inequality, child mortality, population growth, education, violence, crime and conflict and dozens of other topics” are better than they were.
You can test whether you are overly pessimistic on a wide range of sustainability and other issues here.
Early in January, the website Sustainable Brands 10 Reasons to Feel Good About the World as We Head into 2024.
The point is that we know what the sustainability challenges are. We have the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and WTTC, amongst others, calling for positive impact tourism.
We know what needs to be done to make the sector more sustainable, to stop damaging the environment and to improve the livelihoods of the communities in destinations on whom tourism depends.
We know what needs to be done. Many more businesses and destinations need to take responsibility and make a difference.
We need to follow the leaders.
On greenwashing
The European Parliament passed legislation in January banning misleading environmental claims and improving product labelling; once approved by the Council, nations will have 24 months to transpose the directive into national law. The legislation bans the use of general environmental claims like “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” or “eco” without proof, and only sustainability labels based on official certification schemes or established by public authorities will be allowed in the EU. The European Parliament’s rapporteur Biljana Borzan (S&D, HR) said: “People will be able to choose products that are more durable, repairable and sustainable thanks to reliable labels and advertisements. Most importantly, companies can no longer trick people by saying that plastic bottles are good because the company planted trees somewhere – or say that something is sustainable without explaining how.”
The Green Claims Directive, currently at the committee stage in the European Parliament, will further strengthen efforts to outlaw greenwashing in the European market. These regulatory changes will impact all those businesses and destinations around the world that sell to European consumers.
On Carbon Trading
In Kenya, The Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023, was signed onto the statute book against the backdrop of Kenya hosting the Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week. The Act has established a Designated National Authority, custodian of the national carbon registry, which ensures that an environmental impact assessment is made of all carbon trading projects. All Kenyan carbon trading projects specify the anticipated environmental, economic or social benefits of the project, including the contribution to carbon emissions reduction. A Community Development Agreement is required to improve the environmental, economic, social and cultural well-being of communities around the project. There are penalties of fines up to USD$300,000 and 10 years for unauthorized carbon trading, giving false or misleading information knowingly for environmental or financial gains, engaging in money laundering, or failing to maintain carbon records. Enforcement in the carbon offsetting market in Kenya is ensuring that people take responsibility or face the consequences.
On Overtourism
Cities are getting grips with overtourism, managing visitors and demarketing. There is much to learn from each other about the causes and consequences of overtourism and about what can be done about it.
Venice is planning to impose a €5 day tripper fee on 29 peak days from April to July, and from June, the city is considering limiting tourist groups to a maximum of 25 people.
Amsterdam is deterring “stag parties”, restricting river cruises, converting hotels into hotels and offices, closing bars and clubs earlier and banning the smoking of cannabis in some parts of the city, and distributing tourism more evenly across the city. Amsterdam & Partners have sponsored Lonely Planet to publish a very different guide to the city.Amsterdam has introduced new rules from January 1st 2024, revealing ‘the underlying mission of the Dutch capital to rebrand itself as a city that is more inclusive and open to its residents and is not just a theme park for tourists to go rowdy. The city is going to stop issuing permits for tourist shops, limit the number of private tourism rentals, and reduce the number of B&Bs by 30%. The tourist tax will increase 12.5 %, “which will make it the most expensive charge of that kind in the European Union. …with an average room price of 175 euros per person, the surge will result in an increase from 15.25 to 21.80 euros per night in 2024. The tax for cruise passengers will increase from 8 to 11 euros per visitor.”
In Hallstatt in Austria, the villages built a screen to remove a view which attracted way too many tourists following its appearance in a South Korean television series, following an online backlash the screen was taken down.
In Barcelona cruise ships are being displaced to the Moll d’Adossat pier south of the city, a 30-minute shuttle bus ride from the Ramblas and they are limited to seven berthings per day, down from ten. The abandoned quay will be redeveloped as public space.
Milan is experimenting with banning of late-night sales of food and drink. Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala said “This idea of the 24-hour city in which there are no opening hours, always open, no longer convinces me so much,” according to Italian news agency Ansa. “I believe that cities should also rest like us humans and have timetables that are a little more suitable for everyone,” he continued
Progress on making our sector more sustainable requires that more of us follow the lead of those businesses and destinations which have demonstrated that we can make tourism better. We need more leaders and followers to take responsibility.
