Eco-Holidays THE GREEN VOTE
There’s a green revolution sweeping the travel industry. It may be a whisper rather than a shout, but eco-holidays, once a niche market, are fast becoming mainstream, says Jo Cooke
something back to the destination they are visiting and reduce the impact that their stay has on the environment. What defines an eco-hotel or resort?
T
Usually it will have initiatives in place to conserve natural resources, such as asking guests to reuse towels and linen, installing solar-powered heating and having fresh-water swimming pools. Eco-properties, and the operators that sell them, may also pledge to ensure
staff receive fair
wages, the restaurant serves locally-bought produce or a
percentage of profits help fund local hospitals and schools. An increasing number of operators are encouraging the
hotels they feature to go green. Thomson and Cosmos, for example,
have signed up to the ABTA-backed Travelife scheme (
www.travelife.eu) which advises properties on how to become more eco-friendly and then awards them bronze, silver or gold status to reflect the level of sustainability they’ve achieved.
26 June 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
he altruistic appeal of eco- holidays is that they offer clients the opportunity to give
Such eco-drives by operators are not
just a sign that travel companies are doing their bit for Mother Nature: they are also a response to customer demand. In recent years consumers have been made aware of their carbon footprint by national advertising campaigns encouraging recycling and asking us to
reduce the amount of energy we use to help combat global warming. Operators now
report that clients are just as keen to be ‘green’ on holiday.
“If agents can reiterate that a resort is focused on eco-tourism, the client might may be more swayed to book it,” says Kate Andrews, product manager Asia & Africa at Sunset Faraway Holidays. The recession hasn’t stemmed this
new passion for eco-tourism either, largely because green holidays don’t necessarily cost more. In fact, they can cost less. When hotels and resorts find ways of reducing waste and using less energy their overheads fall and this saving can be passed on to clients. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s destinations where the natural environment is the
big draw that have the most worthy eco-credentials. Put simply, these suppliers know they need to protect their fragile product if they are to continue to attract tourists. Sri Lanka, Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles
and Maldives are all leading the way, but as Sean Owens, sustainable product manager for TUI UK & Ireland says, eco-tourism needn’t be the
exception it can be the rule. “We don’t anticipate
trying to create “green” products
– our goal, quite simply, is to make our entire holiday portfolio more sustainable, in every part of our customers’ experience.”
What’s New Nisbet Plantation Beach Club in Nevis has introduced electric scooters for guests to do some eco- friendly sightseeing. The 36-square-mile island is also developing an
Clockwise from top left: Silky Oaks Lodge, Queensland, Australia; Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands; Knight Inlet Lodge, Canada
Selling Tip
Most clients will feel comfortable with the suggestion that they
should offset the carbon 'footprint' of their holiday
KNIGHT INLET LODGE
LEFT AND TOP LEFT © TOURISM QUEENSLAND
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