New Report Says Travel Industry Must Come Together Now to Protect the Planet

Responsible, ethical and sustainable travel can no longer be a niche or luxury activity.

According to a detailed new report from the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), the travel industry must come together and act now, as it never has before, to ensure that the industry is part of the solution for the planet and its people.

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“Travel is a privilege that comes with great responsibility from the sides of the destination, the company and the traveler,” states the report called The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2019.

The good news is that the industry has the knowledge and tools to be part of the solution, the report says.

In fact, tremendous headway has been made as destinations, companies and organizations take it a step beyond admirable responsible tourism experiences to support important community and environmental projects where they operate.

In addition, increasing numbers of travelers are making it a point to support local businesses and sustainable activities.

This year’s CREST trends and statistic report highlights some of the latest responsible tourism programs and trends that are contributing to improved destination conservation and resiliency.

Here are just a few of the notable highlights:

—While tourism demand is higher than ever, there’s increasing awareness among travelers that their choices have an impact. A rise in responsible travel choices, a desire to get off the beaten path and prolific social media and press around sustainability issues are starting to move the needle in the mainstream.

“Consumer demand will continue to push companies and destinations to rise to the occasion,” states the report. “However, a significant portion of travelers do not yet consider sustainability when making travel choices, and it is also the responsibility of companies and destinations to raise awareness and educate travelers.”

Social and environmental considerations have become critical drivers of consumer decision-making. A consumer survey from McKinsey & Company across 60 countries found 66 percent of consumers say they will pay more for environmentally-friendly products.

This is especially true for younger generations—73 percent of Millennials say they would pay more, and 65 percent of Gen Z say they research origins of products before buying them.

—Many travelers are seeking opportunities to give their time, talent and treasure to the destinations they visit.

In a 2015 Tourism Cares and Phocuswright survey of 2,551 U.S. travelers, 55 percent indicated that within the previous two years, they had given back to a leisure destination, either through volunteering their time or through cash and/or in-kind donations.

Nearly half (48 percent) of all U.S. leisure travelers felt that it was very important for their spending and donations to positively benefit local communities within their vacation destinations.

Causes that address issues related to basic necessities, such as food, water and shelter, were the top philanthropic priority for 42 percent of U.S. travelers.

—There’s a growing movement of destinations promoting unique, local, off-the-beaten-track experiences to spread out tourist numbers, distribute the reach of tourism dollars, and differentiate themselves from other destinations. It’s increasingly accepted that long-term competitiveness in the tourism sector is dependent on sustainability and responsible tourism.

—For the sake of protecting the tourism product itself, tourism companies are obligated to develop and build infrastructure and manage tourism operations in a socially and environmentally sustainable way. Travel remains one of the best forms of informal education, and businesses can and must leverage this to inform and engage travelers in destination conservation and resilience.

Notably, the CREST report points out that having a positive impact on the communities visited is becoming a key consideration for tour operators, with some even taking a step further and making the economic impact more transparent for their guests.

G Adventures, for example, recently introduced a “Ripple Score” tool showing what percentage of a tour’s local spend remains in the local economy.

These are just some of the highlights of the report, which can be read in its entirety here.

The bottom line, however, is that the travel and tourism sector remains a critical player in positive triple bottom line impacts—people, planet and profit.

But at the same time, the industry can do a great deal of harm, states the CREST report, adding: "When it comes to tourism’s impact on the environment from climate change, overtourism, overdevelopment, and poor development, there is no more time to waste."