news eco
Green: can it keep you out of the red?
TTGIS teaming up with the Travel Foundation to launch a series of forums aimed at taking the mysteries out of going green, saving money and running a sustainable travel business. The first Green Think Tank, “Why does greener
travel matter in the economic downturn?”, will be held at TTG’s offices in central London on Tuesday November 26. Further Green Think Tank events will be hosted
by TTG and the Travel Foundation next year. The first session will be introduced by TTG editor Daniel Pearce and the speakers will include Christian Cull, communications director for Tui Travel and Richard Hammond, managing director of
greentraveller.co.uk and travel editor of National Geographic’s Greenmagazine. Jeanne Lally, director of travel and tourism consultancy Travelscape, will also give an insight into how eco issues affect agencies including high street shops, online businesses and call centres. Key questions will include: ■ Can going green help keep you out of the red? ■ Has consumer behaviour changed during the recession?
■ How is this linked to greener tourism?
How to attend: the seminar, which will be held from 2pm-5pm on November 26, is free and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve a place, email
admin@thetravelfoundation.org.uk
One of the Travel Foundation’s projects is in Gambia, where it helps local farmers to supply the tourism industry
There will also be a Q&A chaired by Travel
Foundation chief executive Sue Hurdle. Pearce said: “Too many travel businesses think that they haven’t got time to tackle the green question. “Together with the Travel Foundation we aim to show that there is no mystery to ‘going green’ – and rather than it being a hassle, the potential it offers to win new customers and save money means it should be an essential part of running a travel business today.”
MALDIVES.
Resort helps marine charity
THE MALDIVES’ marine wildlife is set to get a boost following the Eco Symposium hosted at Soneva Fushi.
Six Senses chairman and symposium host Sonu Shivdasani pledged to donate a share of the resort’s diving revenue to conservation group the Blue Marine Foundation. He also urged other resorts in the region to do the same, saying: “Unless we protect our oceans now, fish stocks will suffer an irreversible collapse.”
Blue co-founder Chris Gorell Barnes told TTG: “By giving revenue to Blue to help us preserve and protect the ocean, Six Senses is offering its clients a way to give back and contribute to the health of marine biodiversity, and investing in the future of its business. “With no fish for divers to see, let alone a
vibrant, beautiful ocean to enjoy, there will be no revenue or visitor appeal in the long-term.” Blue is also in talks with the Maldives govern- ment about creating a marine conservation area in the country’s territorial waters. Gorell Barnes stressed the importance of
creating more conservation areas, telling delegates at the conference that just 0.6% of the world’s oceans are protected. “The rest can be fished until they are empty,” he said, adding: “If we go on at the same rate the oceans will be empty of fish by 2050.” Meanwhile, the Maldives government’s climate change advisor Mark Lynas said resorts in the region must act to support in the country’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2020. “Without the participation of the 100 or so
UN TARGETS . Agents ‘vital’ to climate change deal
A LEADING environmental expert has urged travel agents to join the Live the Deal campaign, which has been set up to help travel businesses achieve sustainability targets agreed at last year’s UN climate change conference. Professor Geoffrey Lipman, assistant the sec-
retary general of the UN World Tourism Organi- sation, said: “This campaign puts the focus on helping businesses and employees understand the changes that will be increasingly necessary to meet the targets that governments are committing to.
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“Much will come from understanding what 22.10.2010
other sectors and early adopters are doing in terms of energy conservation and shifting to renewables.” “Travel agents can play a vital role by linking
to Live The Deal as an educative and informative tool for their businesses and their customers.” Lipman added that key to the campaign was the fun, easy-to-use website, which is designed “help understand and navigate the complexity of shifting to the green economy”.
■To find out how you can get involved, visit
livethedeal.com
Soneva Fushi will donate revenue to boost marine biodiversity
resorts across the islands this can never become a reality,” he said.
ttglive.com
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