just the Fab Four that connect the city with music” MADELEINE BARBER DISCOVERS HAMBURG’S MUSICAL HERITAGE, p51
Warning over plastics ban
James Chapple
Travel companies have been warned efforts to reduce single-use plastics must not come at a net detriment to the environment.
Delegates at WTM London heard how a complete switch to plastic alternatives could cause greater environmental harm than present usage.
Speaking at a panel discussion on plastics, Ian Rowlands, director of Incredible Oceans (AF195), said the key to sustainable use was reusability and recyclability. Rowlands described plastics as a “scourge” and a “pestilence”, but said they also presented an opportunity to highlight the environmental impact of travel. “It’s the canary in the coal mine,” he said, adding disposability “was not an option” and that recycling had to
SOUTH AFRICA GUIDANCE Child travel law ‘relaxed’ The view from Table Mountain Jennifer Morris
South Africa’s (AF500) tourism minister has confirmed new guidance notes softening requirements on travelling with minors are to be issued in the “next couple of weeks”. Derek Hanekom told TTG@WTM that visa requirements introduced in 2015 to combat human trafficking had been “onerous” for adults travelling with children and, combined with the Cape Town drought, had had a negative impact on tourism.
The regulations that came into effect in 2015 meant those travelling with children to South Africa had to carry unabridged birth certificates. “We have to make it easier for people to come to South Africa so visa reforms are critical,” said Hanekom. “In the next couple of weeks the advisory notes should be issued… we went for an option that went way beyond what other countries were doing.
“We are still concerned about human trafficking, but there are
different ways of dealing with it.” Going forward, travellers will not be advised to carry documentation unless there is reason for suspicion. Hanekom predicted 2019 would be a stronger year for tourism after last year’s drought, which led to Cape Town almost running out of water. “We know we’ve been growing, but tourism is vulnerable to various types of shocks,” he said. “The drought last year meant immediate cancellation of trips and significantly impacted on tourism
Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, takes to the stage
be part of the lifecycle of all plastics. Soren Stober, business
development director at S&P Global, said the “environmental cost” of current plastic usage in travel and tourism resulted in $139 billion worth of damage a year, while a move to more sustainable plastics would cost the industry $98 billion.
He added a complete switch to plastic alternatives, though, would cost $533 billion a year due to the
increased environmental impact of sourcing and producing other materials. “Switching away from plastic is not the answer,” Stober insisted. “It’s important to look at the wider value chain of the whole plastics industry before we switch.” Travel Without Plastic (TWP), founded by Jo Hendrickx, has produced a toolkit to help hotels reduce single-use plastics with a view to eliminating a billion
items by the year 2020. “It’s about solving a problem without creating another,” she said. She explained how TWP had helped 10 Gran Canaria hotels, which produced 6.6 million items of single-use plastic waste a year, reduce this by a million “in five minutes” by simply analysing their purchasing arrangements. TWP has also been working with Thomas Cook to reduce plastic waste at its own-brand hotels. Cook on Monday pledged to remove 70 million single-use plastics from its operations over the next 12 months. The most striking approach to plastic reduction was detailed by Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board (AS150). The island’s tourism sector is built around the island nation’s outstanding natural beauty. However, Francis revealed it was producing millions of items of single- use plastic waste every year. The government announced a blanket ban in January 2017 and gave the sector six months to respond. “There was a natural transition. Today, it’s business as usual,” said Francis. “Our tourism industry is built on the environment, it is the cornerstone. When it’s your livelihood, you don’t have a choice [but to protect it].”
numbers. In Cape Town, the impact is still being felt – there was a 20% reduction in tourism there [since the end of 2017] and 10% for the country as a whole.”
This followed “really good growth in 2016” – 7.2% overall and 10% from the UK market. Total overseas arrivals for 2018 look set to see about 2% growth.
Hanekom added: “There have been a lot of lessons learnt and demand has been reduced. There is no water crisis. We are a water-scarce country and climate change is real so we have to be water conscious.”
Asked about national carrier South African Airways’s financial troubles, Hanekom said: “It’s going to be continuing. We [the South African government] budget three years in advance and we’ve set aside the kind of money to help them stay afloat. “Obviously we can’t subsidise for ever, but they have a turnaround strategy, and as a cabinet we’re satisfied they’re putting a lot of effort into it.”
07.11.2018 07
“The Beatles began their career here, but it’s not
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