Last week, I traveled to North Lake Tahoe, Calif., to attend a Meaningful Travel Summit with Tourism Cares, a nonprofit organization serving the travel and tourism industry.
Over the course of the three-day event (which included one full day of community engagement and volunteering in the host destination), I engaged with some of the biggest drivers of change in our industry — from media companies and sustainability consultancies to travel advisors and suppliers — on the topics of environmental awareness, social-impact tourism and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
And I became increasingly uncomfortable.
While I have always considered myself a responsible traveler — one who attempts to leave no trace, to engage with the local communities and to opt for more sustainable choices — I'm a sucker when it comes to convenience. As I sat in the conference center listening to panels on climate change, pollution, overtourism and equity disparities in travel, I could not help but reflect on a few of my own recent decisions.
I had purchased a 52-minute flight to come to Lake Tahoe — a convenient option, but one that undoubtedly pumped more harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere than if I opted to drive from my home in Los Angeles (Note: For this particular conference, Tourism Cares pledged to offset all carbon emissions from attendees’ flights). The single-use plastic water bottle I had purchased at the airport? It's going to take 450 years to disintegrate in a landfill. Even after that, its legacy will remain in the form of miniscule microplastics.
But the goal of Tourism Cares’ conference was not to shame its attendees, but rather to encourage us to become “activated.”
I’m just one person, and I only make a handful of decisions each day. But compounded with the other 8 billion decision-makers in the world — including you, my fellow travel industry professionals — we have the potential take steps forward and bring about positive change for our industry.
Not sure where to start? Below are a few ideas for harnessing positive change through your travel business.
Add Land Acknowledgements to Travel Documents
The Washoe tribe has long resided in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe and the border between California and Nevada, and each educational session during last week’s Meaningful Travel Summit began with a land acknowledgement that recognized that we were on land taken from the Washoe people.
When sending travel documents and/or itineraries to clients, consider adding a land acknowledgement in the materials that explains the history of the land and the current role of its native communities. Doing so will help clients understand the historical context of the destination and deepen their respect for the land they are visiting.
Integrate Volunteer Opportunities Into Travel Plans
A staple of all Tourism Cares events is a day of hands-on volunteering in the local community. I helped clear a multi-mile trail that would eventually serve Lake Tahoe’s community of mountain bikers and hikers, while other attendees helped raise community garden beds, build greenhouses and sort litter found in Lake Tahoe, among other activities.
Other destinations have already started to promote in-destination voluntourism as travel picks back up: Hawaii Tourism Authority’s Malama marketing campaign, for example, offers free hotel nights (supplied by partnering properties) in exchange for volunteering.
Advisors should consider researching the needs of a specific travel destination and open a dialogue with clients about the ways in which they can give back to the local communities they are visiting. Tourism Cares’ Meaningful Travel Map tool is a great resource for North American destinations, and the Tourism Cares’ Guide to Meaningful Travel Product can help advisors develop responsible travel offerings.
Help Clients Offset Carbon Emissions From Flights
Planes, trains and automobiles emit greenhouse gasses that amplify the negative effects of climate change and pollution. Several airlines now offer carbon offset purchase plans that allow clients to balance their journey’s emissions and lower their carbon footprint.
Other initiatives, such as the Adventure Travel Trade Association's Tomorrow’s Air program (in partnership with Climeworks), offers payment plans that allow travelers to permanently remove carbon in the atmosphere and store it underground.
Communicate these options to clients early in the consultation and offer them as an add-on to the total price of the trip.
Contact Meeting Organizers to Inquire About Sustainable Practices at Industry Events
When heading to a travel industry conference or event, there are several questions attendees can ask meeting organizers in advance or once they're on-the-ground: Will the event be using single-use plastics? If so, will there be alternative options for attendees? (The average person ingests a credit card’s worth of microplastics each year, according to Heather Segale, education and outreach director at University of California, Davis, and a panelist at the summit).
Do meeting organizers plan to reuse (or donate) conference swag or items such as nametag holders? Will planners be offering vegetarian options at mealtimes? (Opting to eat meat just two days less per week can help a traveler eliminate up to one ton of carbon per year).
If the conference doesn’t implement sustainable practices, don’t lose hope: By bringing these ideas to the table, attendees may influence decisions for future events.
Roll Out Company-Wide Policies on Sustainability, Ethics, and DEI
At the end of the Meaningful Travel Summit, Tourism Cares members wrote down their own ongoing commitments to spearhead positive change in their organizations. These can range from long-term undertakings (i.e. committing a company to Net Zero by 2030, eliminating single-use plastics in operations and offering products targeted to an underserved community) to short-term goals that include attending educational webinars on climate change or estimating a company’s carbon footprint after a week of operation.
Agency owners have the power to shape the culture of their companies with inclusive policies and programs. Other progress-forward initiatives include creating a vendor-sourcing strategy (to include organizations with sustainability goals or those led by minority groups and women), drafting a company-wide policy on indigenous tourism and ethical marketing, creating travel products that serve an underrepresented demographic and more.
Owners and managers would also do well to re-evaluate marketing collateral to ensure it is representative of all people, regardless of race, ability and gender identity.
We Want to Hear From You
Do you have other ideas for how to better your business? Send us a note at letters@travelagewest.com.
