Sustainable Travel

Passengers are increasingly aware that air travel causes environmental damage, but they still want to fly without too many restrictions and are willing to pay for mitigating the climate change effects. These are the results of a survey into British attitudes to air travel.

British passengers want to be able to travel the world but are acutely aware of
the environmental effects of commercial flying, according to UK government sponsored research.

The results suggest that whilst people are keen to enjoy the benefits of having more services and destinations to choose from, they are aware of the environmental impacts of aviation and will support efforts to limit the effects.

The survey of public attitudes towards air travel was conducted for the UK Office
of National Statistics (ONS) and the results show that 70 per cent of adult travellers agree that air travel harms the environment, an increase from 62 per cent in a similar survey undertaken four years ago.

78 per cent of those who responded said they supported continued access to unrestricted air travel, provided they were sure that damage to the environment was limited. Around half of air travellers expressed a willingness to pay more for air travel to reflect the environmental impacts, including 35 per cent who said they would be willing to pay an additional 20 per cent on the price of a ticket.

"The survey underlines the value that the public attaches to flying, whilst recognizing the importance of providing this service in a sustainable way,” said UK Transport Secretary, Douglas Alexander. "This is why the Government maintains a balanced approach to future growth in the industry, setting people's wishes to travel against the need to face up to our responsibilities towards the environment.

"The international nature of aviation means it requires an international response. That is why the UK is pressing strongly for aviation's inclusion within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as soon as possible. At the same time, we are working with the UK industry to explore how improvements in aircraft design, fuel technology and air traffic control can improve efficiency and reduce aviation's environmental impact."

The results suggest that whilst people are keen to enjoy the benefits of having more services and destinations to choose from, they are aware of the environmental impacts of aviation and will support efforts to limit the effects.

The survey asked respondents who agreed air travel harms the environment what types of environmental impact they thought resulted. This question was unprompted and so elicited respondents' immediate responses based on their existing knowledge. The most common response fell into the category of pollution/poor air quality (mentioned by 84 per cent). 40 per cent mentioned noise pollution and 35 per cent mentioned climate change or global warming.

Almost half of all adults in the UK have flown at least once in the previous year and 15 per cent had flown at least three times during that period. 85 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the facilities provided at UK airports and 81 per cent said they were satisfied with the level of security.

The ONS surveyed 1,298 adults face-to-face during May and June 2006. The response rate was 71 per cent. The survey provides valuable information on the frequency of flights taken each year, opinions of the service experienced by passengers at UK airports as well as their views on issues such as airport expansion, security and the impact of aviation on the environment.

The Air Transport White Paper, which outlines Government policy options, commits the Department for Transport to monitor public attitudes to air travel, particularly issues around the environment and future capacity. Published in 2003, it forecast future demand for air travel could more than double by 2030 from the 200m passengers who used UK airports in 2003.

Source: David Browne eTurboNews.com London

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Seven European nations sharing the Carpathian mountains agreed on Wednesday to do more to protect the environment to help attract tourists and safeguard wildlife such as brown bears, lynx and eagles.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine also agreed at talks in Kiev to set up a network of protected areas and hiking trails in the Carpathians, which cover an area 10 percent bigger than the Alps.

"The Carpathians of central and eastern Europe are among the world's richest regions in terms of biodiversity and pristine landscapes," said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Programme, after a three-day meeting of environment ministers. "I have no doubt that the Carpathians, like the Alps, the Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains, will become world famous for walking, hiking, climbing, wildlife watching, photography and similar leisure pursuits," he said in a statement.

Tourism could bring investments to remote areas which are suffering from increased unemployment and poverty since the collapse of communism. More investment could also help slow deforestation, excessive hunting and pollution.

Governments would organise a conference in 2007 to discuss the planned network of protected areas, similar to one already in the Alps. They also agreed to help towns in the region to curb pollution and safeguard the environment.

The nations would also set up a "Via Carpati", a network of hiking trails and mountain huts. Gerlachov Peak in Slovakia is the highest in the region, at 2,655 metres (8,711 ft).

The countries would also seek to protect wildlife ranging from rare plants to brown bears, wolves, European bison, lynx and Imperial eagles.

Source: Reuters

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The �Towards Responsible Tourism: Revealing the Power of Consumers� seminar, held during Destinations2006, has addressed the power of consumers' decision-making regarding the barriers to information dissemination for tour packages that foster sustainable development.

The importance of social marketing to influence the tourists� choice and the financial willingness regarding this initiative were tow of the topics addressed.

The �Towards Responsible Tourism: Revealing the Power of Consumers� seminar, held during the 3� Annual Summit of the World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development (Destinations2006) has addressed the consumer�s decision-making power in the face of the barriers to information dissemination for tour packages that foster sustainable development.

The panel was formed by the chairwoman of the session, Cristina Montenegro, from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP); Sophie Taliere, French Minister for Ecology and Sustainable Development; Stefanos Fotiou, Paris-based Director for UNEP Tourism Division; Oliver Hillel, representative of the Convention for Biodiversity; and Stroma Cole, representative from Turism Concern, a Britain-based Non-Governmental Organisation.

The session was opened by Mr Stefanos Fotiou, who pointed out the importance of social marketing to influence the tourists� choice of destinations that foster sustainable tourism and the financial willingness for this initiative. According to him, people have been conditioned to consume symbols that provide social visibility, without regard to the environmental impact of these products. According to a survey conducted in London, approximately 90 percent of the British travellers are environmentally-aware; however, they�re willing to spend only �5 more for a sustainable tour package. �I believe social marketing can change the world, sell anything and, most importantly, foster the mankind awareness,� Fotiou said.

Then, Mrs Sophie Taliere highlighted the efforts of the French Government towards raising the citizens� awareness of sustainable tourism, since France is at the top of the list of the most visited countries, according to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

�We develop real-world projects with a number of countries, including the Marrakech Project, in conjunction with the United Nations, as well as communication campaigns to raise children�s and adults� awareness,� said Mrs Taliere. According to her, the �Little Ecologist� brochure was released, with the elephant Babar as the leading character. The brochure was given away at toll roads, with a view to leading children to raise their parents� environmental awareness.

Mr Oliver Hillel, representative of the Convention on Biodiversity, stressed the importance of certification for the tourism industry and how governments worldwide should sell their destinations. �I, as a Brazilian citizen, am ashamed of seeing Brazil being sold in many countries as a sexual destination, due to the Carnival. Fortunately, this is changing now,� said Hillel.

Finally, Dr. Stroma Cole, from the Tourism Concern NGO, closed the session by advocating ethics and human rights. Dr. Cole said that, although small in England, the NGO conducted a photograph exhibition depicting the exploitation of poverty and human rights abuse. However, the audience�s attention was drawn by the campaign against sexual abuse in Myanmar (ex-Burma).

�We designed a shocking campaign to make people stay away from this destination. The campaign�s topic was �Do you want your summer vacations to cost other people�s lives?�,� said dr. Cole. According to her, the number of tourists visiting Myanmar dropped from 4,600 to 1,400 within less than two years.

Source: eTurboNews.com

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The pressure group Tourism Concern welcomes BBC 2's two-part TV drama 'Tsunami, The Aftermath' which raises that most hidden of issues � why local people have not been able to move back home, nearly two years after the 2004 Boxing Day disaster in South East Asia. This is an outstanding opportunity for all of us to finally understand what happened to local people following the tsunami.

Tourism Concern's report, "Post-tsunami reconstruction: a second disaster?" was the first to reveal back in October 2005 that it was very likely that people would be doubly displaced, first by the tsunami and then by opportunistic tourism development.

Tourism Concern is campaigning for displaced peoples' rights to the coastal land and their involvement in the reconstruction process. Tricia Barnett, Director, said, "The tourism industry is treating the tsunami aftermath as an financial opportunity. This has resulted in strategic displacement of traditional fishermen communities from the coast and their livelihood. " She continued, "The ongoing impacts on tsunami survivors, the loss of their livelihoods and natural resources are devastating and need to be addressed".

In Sri Lanka, India and Thailand there is conflict between the needs of local communities affected by the tsunami and the plans of government and businesses to rapidly promote tourism in the area. Why is coastal land being used for tourism resorts while thousands of people are stuck in temporary housing? The governments of all affected countries prioritised high-end tourism development rather than the needs of local people. Many survivors were ordered by the government to live away from the sea and provided with housing that was too small, hot and inappropriate. Fishermen have been housed two miles inland.

Thai communities have said they are suffering from six `tsunamis': the actual tidal wave; disorganised and divisive aid agencies; intrusive and insensitive press; landlords threatening eviction with violence; religious organisations trying to convert beneficiaries; and researchers and NGOs collecting information without giving any information.

Hotels are being rebuilt in Khao Lak. The latest issue of Tourism Concern's In Focus magazine exposes what few people know - the fact that Khao Lak is being rebuilt on slave labour as Burmese migrants are often forced to work for no pay. Construction workers include 10-year-old children who carry cement for around 160 baht a day (�2.25) - if they actually get paid. Many people think that slavery no longer exists. Next year is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slavery, yet some Burmese have been bought as labourers on the black market. The estimated total number of Burmese workers in Phuket before the tsunami was 36,000 and 30,000 in Phang Nga. No one knows exactly how many died because the migrants are either illegal or don't have full citizenship rights.

In Sri Lanka, the tsunami displaced over 500,000 people in 13 out of 14 coastal districts, according to official figures. 90% of them were from small-scale fishing communities. Even today the total number of families needing their house repaired or rebuilt stands at 120,000.

Reconstruction plans are being implemented with little or no input from local communities whose lives and futures are most affected by them. The Sri Lankan, Thai and Indian governments are not allowing people to rebuild their homes on the coast. They claim that the coastal buffer zone would be much better used by the tourism industry
than by fishing communities.

Tourism Concern recognises that the tsunami's impact was devastating and that affected governments were overwhelmed by its complex consequences. However, government and agencies should provide adequate assistance for local communities to build a sustainable future.

Tricia Barnett commented, "the drama `Tsunami, the aftermath' highlights once again that local people are marginalised in favour of tourism. This happens all over the world, with or without a tsunami".

Source: Tourism Concern

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World Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development(Porto Alegre, Brazil, 01 DEC, 2006): The world's largest and fastest-growing industry, tourism, has become the most effective tool to fight poverty and should be harnessed to better the lives of the world�s poor, says the head of Counterpart International, a global development and humanitarian organization.

"Tourism represents the greatest voluntary shift of wealth from rich to poor in history," says Lelei LeLaulu in a speech to the World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development hosted in Porto Alegre November 29th to December 2nd. "In recent years billions of dollars have moved from "have" to "have-not" economies through increasing global travel," he adds, "making tourism the world's richest funnel of money for economic growth and development".

LeLaulu says the United States` share of the world tourism market had declined by 17% and business travel by 10% leaving the world's third biggest tourism draw (behind Spain and France) with just 6% of the global market last year compared to 7.4% in 2000. Quoting from the recent Discover America Partnership report, he says losing a one percent share of the world tourism market in the US represents a loss of $12.3 billion additional spending; 150,000 jobs; $3.3 billion additional payroll and $2.1 billion in lost taxes.

Pointing to the Caribbean, he says the World Travel and Tourism Council confirmed that by 2016, travel and tourism employment in the Caribbean will total 3,645,000 jobs. This is equal to 18.1% of total employment or 1 in every 5.5 jobs. The Caribbean's travel and tourism industry is estimated at contributing 5.1% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006 (US$11.6 billion), rising in nominal terms to US$23.7 billion (5.8% of total) by 2016.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, tourism represents as much as 66% of commercial services in very poor countries where traditional economies are still the norm. This rapid growth of travel means poorer nations are waking up to the opportunities to attract wealth through tourism.

Stating "tourists take - and leave - more cash in the poorer parts of the world than rich governments give in aid," LeLaulu added, "Our challenge, as economic and social development specialists, is to ensure that the cash left behind by tourists finds it way to local communities in need." The driving force of sustainable tourism, he said, "was to improve the lives, health and wealth of the people in those destinations."

Strategies to maximize the positive impact of global tourism for poorer economies include:

- Ensuring local people are proud stakeholders in tourism facilities and attractions
- Designing Development Funds through which tourism revenues are used to improve the health of locals through the provision of better clinics and public health education
- Ensuring monies go to the education of the young, which among other benefits, shows how tourism creates wealth
- Showing youth that careers in tourism go beyond hospitality and commercial airlines to include architecture, medicine, agriculture, culinary arts, conservation and many other fields not normally associated with tourism
- Making a keen distinction between �customer service� and �servitude.� The real benefits of tourism should be taught in the first year of elementary school. We have to ensure that the best and brightest young people treat tourism as their first -- and not last � career option
- Guiding money to communities to revive culture and traditions that attract tourists � including arts and craft industries.

Travelers want to meet local people, eat local food, enjoy the local culture and increasingly, they want to know their money is helping people who host them where they visit, says Lelaulu. Also, studies confirm that tourists who meet local people are much more likely to return to those destinations.

According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the business activity of the tourism industry is to promote the "salable" or appealing aspects of the community, transport non-residents into the community, manage the hospitality for and guide the activities of these visitors, and provide them with goods and services to purchase during their stay.

Bringing sustainable tourism to areas rich in natural and cultural resources gives local communities a financial incentive to preserve their natural resources. Tourism also creates meaningful interactions between tourists and inhabitants, bringing together a diverse group of backgrounds, cultures and people. It is important to look at ways of benefiting from the growth of this huge industry; to use the power of tourism for the benefit of these local communities.

About Counterpart International

Since 1965, Counterpart has given people a voice in their own future through smart partnerships, offering options and access to tools for sustained social, economic and environmental development. Operating on five continents, Counterpart is supported by the generosity of its corporate and individual donors, foundations, host countries, multilateral institutions and several US government agencies.

Source: eTN TravelWireNews

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