Tui Travel is seeking a step-change in sustainable tourism while pursuing day-to- day changes that make a difference. Group director of sustainable tourism Jane Ashton spoke to IAN TAYLOR
responsible travel edition
responsible travel edition
Water is central to most people’s idea of a summer holiday – a pool and a shower are hardly luxuries. But water illustrates perfectly
why greater sustainability in tourism is essential and has to be mainstream not niche. Pressure on water supplies
is increasing – as illustrated in California, which is in a third year of drought. The state’s Orange County was reported last week as increasingly dependent on “toilet to tap” recycled water. Jane Ashton, Tui Travel’s group
director of sustainable tourism, points out that many places we most like to go on holiday are worst affected. She said: “A number of holiday islands are among the places that will suffer water stress in coming years.” Cyprus and Malta already experience “a high level of stress”. Yet Ashton said: “Most hotels can save 20% on water, and 10% on energy, without [much] upfront investment.” She gave examples: “Putting flow restrictors on taps, ensuring there is no leakage, educating staff on better use of water, improving signage to customers on towel management, training housekeeping staff
and understanding the principles of backwashing on pools do not cost anything.” On energy, she said: “Ensuring key- cards function well and cut energy when people leave rooms, not lighting more than necessary in communal areas and making sure there is as much low-energy lighting as possible takes modest investment that pays for itself within weeks.”
Cypriot star The Holiday Village Aliathon in Cyprus is a shining example. The hotel boasts the largest swimming pool in Cyprus – and pools use a lot of water due to evaporation and regular cleaning. Yet the Aliathon used just 165 litres of water per guest per night last year, down from 200 litres in 2008. Tui Travel’s target for all its
hotels is 400 litres per guest per night, and in the wider industry it can be 800-1,000 litres a night. How does the Aliathon do it? Ashton said: “By daily monitoring
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of leaks, water aerators on showers and taps, dual-flush toilets which use backwash water from the pool, water conservation signs in
restaurants, educating staff to report leaks – standard stuff but they
do it very well. They even reuse the final rinse water from the laundry.” The Aliathon has also invested
in electronic water conditioning in the pool so it does not have to backwash so often, robot pool cleaners that save 50% on water, and drip irrigation for its gardens. Ashton explained: “We’ve set benchmarks of 400 litres of water and 24kwh of energy per guest per night within three years [from 2012].” Average energy use in Tui’s mainstream hotels is now 24.3kwh, down from 26kwh in 2012, and water use is 470 litres – down from 494 litres in 2012 and more than 500 litres in 2011. She acknowledges there is a
way to go, particularly on water. One reason is the benefits may not be immediately obvious.
The Holiday Village Aliathon, Cyprus, has exceeded Tui’s
targets. Inset: Jane Ashton, group director of sustainable tourism
Ashton says: “The cost of water does not yet really reflect the environmental challenges water is going to face.” But the Aliathon shows what is possible.
The Travel Foundation Now Tui has joined the Travel Foundation and business consultancy PwC in a project to measure the full impact of holidays in a destination – something never done before. The project in Cyprus will use PwC’s Total Impact Measurement and Management (Timm) system to gauge the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism. Work PwC has already done with hospitality group Accor suggests 80% of a hotel’s water ‘footprint’ is in the food it serves. Travel Foundation chief
executive Salli Felton has described the project, now under way, as “a step-change for the industry”. Ashton said: “We will be measuring the environmental, fiscal, economic, human and social impact of eight mainstream hotels Tui Travel operates in Cyprus. We’ll look at everything that happens from the moment people land until they leave – the ground-handling, excursions, discretionary spending.
SPECIAL REPORT
Tui sets example in sustainable tourism
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