s discuss challenges to sector’s growth. Ian Taylor reports from Buenos Aires
Virgin Atlantic scoops WTTC’s innovation award
Virgin Atlantic was among the winners of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards announced at the WTTC global summit.
Virgin Atlantic won the Tourism
for Tomorrow innovation award for developing a framework for sustainable inflight catering, in partnership with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). Accepting the award on behalf of
the airline, SRA consultant Caitlin Hicks said: “This recognises all the hard work that has gone into making the meals on Virgin Atlantic not just good for passengers but good for the planet too. Food is a critical component of sustainability.” The Airport Authority of Hong
Kong won the environment award for its carbon-reduction programme. Mike Kilburn, the airport’s assistant general manager for sustainability, said: “Our airport is the number one for cargo in the world, so the more we can do to reduce our impact the better. Over
“The awards showcase some of the most outstanding examples of sustainable tourism”
150 companies participate with us to cut carbon and food waste.” The community award went
to Global Himalayan Expedition of India and its scheme to extend electric light to villages. Founder and chief executive Paras Loomba said: “Sixty villages are lit up now.” The Thompson Okanagan
Tourism Association of British Columbia, in Canada, won the destination award, while the people award went to the Cayuga Collection of sustainable luxury hotels and lodges in Costa Rica. Awards chairwoman Fiona
Jeffery said: “The awards showcase some of the most outstanding examples of sustainable tourism practice in the world.”
INNOVATION: Caitlin Hicks (right) collects the award won by Virgin Atlantic from Fiona Jeffery
THE SUMMIT ALSO RECOGNISED AWARDS’ FINALISTS: Community award: &Beyond, South Africa; and Sustainable Development Institute Mamirauá,
Brazil. Destination award: Riverwind Foundation, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, US; and Corporación
Parque Arví, Colombia. Environment award: Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania; and
Meliá Hotels International, Spain. Innovation award: Parkbus, Transportation Options, Canada; and Yayasan Karang Lestari Teluk Pemuteran (Pemuteran Bay Coral
Protection Foundation), Indonesia. People award: Heritage Watch,
Australia; Tree Alliance, Cambodia.
wttc.org/tourism-for-tomorrow- awards
UN climate change leader says ‘take action’
The head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) challenged travel leaders to “be bold” in efforts to cut the industry’s carbon footprint. Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the
UNFCCC, told the World Travel & Tourism Council summit: “We’re running out of time – 2017 was a disaster in many corners of the globe. “We only have a short period to keep the global
temperature rise to two degrees centigrade. If we don’t address this, there won’t be businesses to run.” Espinosa said: “This is the first time our
organisations [the UNFCCC and WTTC] have formally
met, and it is important we do. Economically, socially and culturally, travel and tourism is important. But your industry also has a carbon footprint, representing about 5% of global [greenhouse gas] emissions.” She insisted: “I’m not here to talk about restrictions.
But it’s hard to sell a vacation to a city that’s sunk below the waves. There are actions you could take right now.” WTTC leaders joined the UNFCCC in signing a Common
Agenda for Climate Change at the summit, pledging to set carbon-reduction targets for member companies. Espinosa told attendees: “Set your own pledges. Make efficiencies in supply chains. Be bold.”
ESPINOSA: ‘Set your own pledges. Be bold’
26 April 2018
travelweekly.co.uk 71
Tourism leaders vow to fight illegal trade in wildlife
Leaders of the global travel industry joined the fight against the illegal trade in wildlife with a ‘Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel & Tourism and the Illegal Wildlife Trade’ at the WTTC summit in Argentina. Catherine Arnold, head
of the illegal wildlife trade unit at the UK Foreign Office, said: “The trade in wildlife is worth $17 billion a year. It fuels corruption and it takes resources from countries. “A living elephant can be
worth $450,000 to a community in Africa over its lifetime. Dead, it may be worth $20,000.” WTTC president and chief
executive Gloria Guevara said: “Wildlife tourism is a significant generator of income for communities and the illegal wildlife trade puts at risk not only the biodiversity of our world but the livelihoods of these communities.” The declaration commits
signatories to sell only wildlife products that are legal and sustainably sourced, promote only responsible wildlife tourism, train staff to detect and report illegal trade in wildlife, and educate consumers.
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