Sustainable Future for a COVID-19 World

Tourism has changed. Forever. So, the entire travel industry must adapt. 

Consumers will still travel. But the entire experience and expectations will be different. New norms and standards are being developed. Therefore, destinations, brands and product experiences will transform. And at the center of all of this transformation will be sustainability. It will be a requirement, an expectation, to do business in the travel industry. And that is an exciting opportunity. 

Sustainability in tourism has come a long way. First, it was ecotourism in the 1970’s and 1980’s where industry pioneers and visionaries said there was a more environmentally-friendly way to do business in tourism. Unfortunately, those pioneers were dubbed ‘treehuggers’ from those unable to accept or understand their newfound thoughts and perspectives. In the 1990’s, large travel companies, who could afford the investments, started to see major cost savings by being ‘eco’ or ‘green’ with energy efficiency and more. Then as the green movement started to mature and scale, smaller companies could also start to leverage these new cost savings. And well into the 2000’s, sustainability arrived and took off since the industry saw it as a way to ‘give back’ via CSR programs and also differentiate themselves from the competition. 

But the sustainability tables have turned yet again with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Once an outlier topic and issue, sustainability has become more mainstream. The main driver for this change? Consumer demand. Unlike any other global event, we have all personally experienced this major disruption. And regarding travel, after 6+ months of being cooped (or locked up) at home, it has spawned a new appreciation of family and community, protecting natural resources and the environment, and helping others during this challenging time. Let’s be honest, it’s been entirely transformational in every way possible. 

When I founded Green Living Project (GLP) back in 2008, the mission was clear. Connect brands, organizations, destinations and people together through compelling content that told important stories of global sustainability. Our business model has evolved over time, but the mission remains the same for me and the team, especially as we are living through a global pandemic. So, while travel has been on pause, we have not. We have taken the opportunity to really examine the work we do and how we do it. Sustainability starts at home. The pandemic has also made it very clear that a sustainable future is a team effort. So, Team GLP pooled together what we see as some important priorities for post-COVID tourism. 

12 Essential Steps for Sustainable Tourism:

1. Strategic Plan -- Sustainability should originate from the core of your business or organization mission and goals. It will take some reworking or building those business fundamentals. But it will help ensure that sustainability is not a separate budget line item that is at risk of being cut. So make sure sustainability is part of your core strategic plans. 

2. Team Empowerment -- Strong teamwork is crucial to any organization’s long-term success. So you should empower your team to be sustainability advocates. Educate them so that sustainability is not just part of your mission, but is also ingrained in your decision-making. So they also believe it is a fundamental part of doing business.

3. Invest Now -- Leverage this unique time period with minimal tourist traffic! The foundational investments you make now in sustainable tourism development will pay off when you are more prepared when tourism returns. Engage with key leaders and influencers while they are home and not traveling. Regularly communicate with your team of sustainability advocates. Complete important sustainability-related projects that you did not have time to complete before.

4. Team Diversity -- The future cannot be sustainable if everyone does not have a voice and a place at the decision-making table. So be intentional about the inclusion of diverse audiences within all of your tourism communications and marketing efforts. And make sure you build and maintain staff diversity across your entire team so they will be a solid representation of the diverse communities you will be interacting with over time. Ultimately, a more diverse and dynamic work environment can result in a stronger team, more reputable brand and better products. And those are all good things. 

5. Safety is Part of Sustainability -- As we all are experiencing, safety is now on the minds of all travelers. What are you doing to not only protect the traveler but also your local communities and fellow staff or team? People want to travel but they also want to know that their traveling will not cause harm. So let them know through thoughtful communications what you are doing to ensure safety for everyone involved. 

6. Rethink Success -- Traditionally, more ‘heads in beds’ and increased international arrivals have been the determination of success. However, even before COVID-19, overtourism revealed some of the downsides of mass tourism. Therefore, new measures of success should be the total length of time and total spend (aka ‘high-value travelers’) in destinations. For example, travelers doing ‘slow travel’ will spend more time (and potentially money) focusing on more authentic travel experiences in one or fewer places. This will further support health and safety through less touchpoints, less travel, staying put in one hotel, one town, etc, and offer stronger cultural connections during the visit.  

7. Rethink Your Products & Experiences -- We are all seeing the growth in popularity of nature, outdoors, wellness, and luxury travel due to COVID-19. People are now craving meaningful experiences and travel has an important role to play. What can travelers do in your destination, or with your brand or product, that they cannot do anywhere else? Clearly communicate the value that tourism brings so that your customers understand and feel the important benefits they are providing to your community.  

8. Invest Locally -- Inclusivity is now part of doing business. So, if you are investing in driving travelers to a destination or product, you must ensure that those travel dollars are spent and reinvested across the supply chain in the local economy via local guides, operators, hotels and restaurants. It keeps money in the pockets of locals versus leaving the area or region (called ‘leakage’). For example, hotels sourcing local (organic and sustainably-grown, of course) food also helps create local jobs and community support. And that keeps the locals happy too. 

9. Collaborate -- Collaborate. Collaborate. Collaborate. Talk to everyone now. Bring all types of people and organizations together and make it a team effort. Think outside the box on partnership opportunities. A shared crisis should be a shared opportunity to improve and create lasting solutions towards a more sustainable future for everyone.  

10. Do Not Sustainability-wash -- Do not cut corners on your brand’s sustainability initiatives, because consumers, the trade, and media will see it and talk about it. And we all know how fast words travel these days. Sustainability is now important to mainstream travelers as they seek out unique experiences that embrace nature, outdoors, wellness, giving back and much much more. So just be honest and transparent on how your brand will (help) meet travelers demands and become a leader in this new era of travel. 

11. Embrace Local Storytelling -- Stories bring people together. Consumers watch and share them before, during and after their travel experiences. So, produce new, local and authentic stories that engage travelers, but also bring your team, local community and supply chain closer together. Storytelling or filmmaking can be the most challenging work we do because it can be complicated and very time consuming. But this type of storytelling has the potential to reignite the power of tourism in the hearts of those longing for meaningful contributions through travel. Plus, who does not love a great authentic and local story? 

12. Innovate -- Invite change. How can you make sustainability a fundamental aspect of doing business in travel? Personally, I am very excited by the work we do. Whenever our crew gears up and heads out to our next campaign, we are so eager to experience each destination and collaborate with our partners and the local people. We do extensive preparation and research before we get on location, but the most important thing we bring to every new campaign is an open mind. Sometimes our best work comes in a moment of unexpected discovery. And that is the power of travel. So, shake it up. And look for your own unexpected discovery. 

Sustainability is no longer a niche. It is a fundamental part of doing business in tourism. It is smart. It is necessary. So challenge your destination, organization or brand to strive to become a leader in this new era of travel. Innovate. Pivot. Sustainable tourism is real. It is the present and the future. Let’s embrace this positive change and this exciting opportunity. I see this moment as an urgent time to come together, share ideas and build a stronger, more sustainable future for travel as a community. Okay, enough talking. Let’s get to work. 

~ Rob

#TourismStrong

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