The world is slowly starting to spin again and we see the light at the end of the tunnel to start travelling. Well depending on where we are in the world but I definitely have started to see the light. The last year we have talked big words about restarting tourism and looking into more sustainable future. No one wants to be in overtourism mode again and we all hope that we have managed to get a bit more organized and be able to welcome our guests to a organized and well prepared destinations. The Center for Responsible travel has taken some lessons together on that matter in the book Overtourism: Lessons for a Better Future? (hertelier.com). In a perfect world, we will all have considered all of the factors but the reality is that we will always have some challenges and new opportunities for our destinations as tourism and travel develops.
Many destinations have created travel pledge for their destinations as a possible tool for sustainability as I have written about before in the article on Does your destination have a pledge?
There are lot of articles out there and thoughts about travel in the future. There is less talked about how we as travelers can be sustainable but one of them is from New York Times on How to travel more sustainably. In that article they ask questions on what does sustainable travel mean and how we do our homework as travelers.
This made me think that maybe one more added value in the supply chain for tourism is that instead of us as travelers wait for everyone to tell us how to travel – we decide ourselves and create or own travel pledge? As the responsibility does not only lie with the companies but with ourselves. At least I have decided to start doing my own?
The first draft of my very own travel pledge would be that I will:
1. Choose places that show that they take care of their future destinations
2. Choose hotels and activities that have environmental policies
3. Buy local products (e.g. foods and souvenirs)
4. I will explore but not leave any traces behind
5. Limit food waste as possible
6. Not litter, recycle all waste and pick up trash if I see it
7. Choose eco-friendly transportation where possible
8. Carbon neutral my transportation
9. Ask for environmental choices where I stay and use activities
10. I will send thank you notes to service providers if I am happy or if I think they can do better on being sustainable and responsible
Well that is a start.
What would be your travel pledge?
This article was first published on LinkedIn, 2 June 2021: (1) My Very Own Travel Pledge | LinkedIn