p22 ttg_lux_eco 5/3/10 17:02 Page 22
i
p
voice of
reason
David Gilmour
t
r
Chairman
LATA Foundation
For the past 25 years, I have been a specialist
in Latin America. Travellers who half a lifetime
o
ago might have been long-haired backpackers
are today’s well-educated and well-travelled
passengers. In a word, sophisticated.
They have curious minds and are aware that
they are arriving from a rich nation into a
developing country. They like to give
something back and want travel companies to
ec
take their responsibilities seriously.
The best operators and agents have long
supported worthwhile projects. “Corporate
social responsibility” is merely modern jargon
for what these companies regard as part of
their normal working practice. But some
agents and operators still don’t seem to get it.
The challenge is to persuade organisations
that not doing anything is unethical, especially
GREEN SKY THINKING FROM BA as it is easy to donate a small sum for each
British Airways plans to establish Europe’s first sustainable jet fuel plant to booking to a charity relevant to a passenger’s
provide low-carbon fuel for part of its fleet from 2014, writes Chris Gray. destination. Alternatively, you can add a link to
The airline said the plant, likely to be sited in east London, will convert waste the charity from your website.
biomass that would otherwise go to landfill into aviation fuel. The plan is to It can also make the difference between
convert 500,000 tons of waste per year into 16 million gallons of jet fuel winning or losing a booking, and it can
– more than twice the amount required to make all of BA’s flights at London City enhance your standing and integrity in the
airport carbon-neutral. eyes of competitors and customers.
BA has signed a letter of intent to purchase all the fuel produced by the plant, The Latin America Travel Association (LATA)
which will be built by the Solena Group, a bio-energy and bio-fuels company encourages agents and members to support
based in Washington DC. the LATA Foundation, which assists projects
Chief executive Willie Walsh said: “This unique partnership with Solena will throughout the region. We have funded a
pave the way for realising our ambitious goal of reducing net carbon emissions reforestation programme in Peru, planting
by 50% by 2050. 20,500 trees in one weekend. We supplied the
“It will lead to the production of a real sustainable alternative to jet kerosene. start-up equipment for a cottage industry in
We are absolutely determined to reduce our impact on climate change and are Guatemala that produces natural cosmetics.
proud to lead the way on aviation’s environmental initiatives.” In Colombia, we have supported Children of
Four sites in the east of London are among those under consideration for the the Andes, which runs 13 projects assisting
construction of the bio-jet fuel plant. The scheme will lead to the creation of up to vulnerable children and young women. In
1,200 jobs in the area and could also go some way to reducing local authority Brazil, we assist an educational and
landfill tax bills. environmental waste-management initiative in
a national park. We have also helped set up a
clinic in Buenos Aires that provides free dental
treatment to disadvantaged children.
ECO TIPS
WORLD FIRST FOR WOLGAN Australian conservation-based Wolgan So we have made a start, but with the
Valley Resort & Spa has been recognised as the world’s first carbon-neutral hotel by support of responsible travellers, and
CarboNZero, an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification programme. ethically minded agents and operators, there
Wolgan Valley will host a ttgluxury Experience trip in April (emirateshotelsresorts.com). is a lot more we could do (latafoundation.org).
CLASSIC ZAMBIA Norman Carr Safaris celebrates a milestone this year with its Classic 60th
Anniversary Safari. Visionary Norman Carr (pictured)
“Doing nothing is
pioneered the involvement of local people in wildlife
conservation instead of hunting in Zambia and created the unethical and could
country’s first game reserve. The 10-night safari will show-
case the best of South Luangwa (normancarrsafaris.com).
lose you bookings”
LIGHTS OUT Earth Hour, WWF’s campaign which aims
to get a billion people to switch off their lights as a show
of recognition for the impact of climate change, takes
place at 8.30pm on March 27. During Earth Hour
2009, iconic landmarks including Sydney Opera House,
the Eiffel Tower and Big Ben were all plunged into
darkness for 60 minutes (wwf.org.uk/earthhour).
CANARIES GO GREEN A team of British expats have
set up stayecochic.com to help identify eco-friendly
places to stay in the Canary islands. Stay Eco Chic
includes villas, fishermen’s cottages and farmstays.
EGYPTIAN ECO Celebs have been flocking to a place
tipped as Egypt’s first eco-luxury lodge, Al Tarfa in the
Dakhla Oasis. Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel have been
22
spotted enjoying the calm of the resort (altarfa.travel).
in the know
spring 2010 ttgluxury.com
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