BML111: Tourism, Events & Destinations: Impacts & Sustainability
Sustainable Tourism and Events
Sustainable Tourism and Events
Sustainable Tourism and Events
Sustainable Tourism and Events
Sustainable Tourism
The Rationale
The Rationale for Sustainable Tourism/Events: • Encourages an understanding of the impacts of tourism on the natural, cultural and human environment • Ensures a fair distribution of benefits and costs • Generates direct and indirect local employment in tourism • Supports the viability of wider enterprises • Diversifies the local economy, particularly in rural areas • Seeks decision-making from among all related stakeholders
Sustainable Tourism
The Rationale
The Rationale for Sustainable Tourism/Events: • Incorporates planning and zoning, ensuring tourism development is appropriate to the carrying capacity • Cultural tourism enhances local community esteem and provides the opportunity for greater understanding and communication among peoples of diverse backgrounds • Respect the integrity of the local environment, culture, people, infrastructure and character of an area • Assists in conservation work in the natural and built environment
Sustainable Tourism
Development
Factors Influencing the Development of ST: • Financial: savings to businesses from more sustainable practices, e.g. energy efficiency • Political: international and national pressure to set and meet sustainability targets , e.g. on reducing air pollution, recycling of waste • Policy frameworks for sustainable tourism: local and regional initiatives are promoting sustainable tourism • Commercial advantage: using ‘green’ credentials as a key marketing tool • Statutory requirements: laws prohibiting some activities or enforcing particular practices, e.g. water quality
Sustainable Tourism
Definitions
Activity 1: Defining Sustainable Tourism Events • You have been asked by Visit Chichester to lead a 20-minute workshop on sustainable tourism/events • How would you explain the concept of sustainable tourism/sustainable events?
Sustainable Tourism
Definitions
‘Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while promoting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in a such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems’
[World Tourism Organisation]
Sustainable Tourism The Principles of Sustainable Tourism • It should satisfy the visitor • It should not adversely affect the environment • It should be acceptable to local residents • It should be profitable for business
Sustainable Tourism The Principles of Sustainable Tourism
V I C E
Visitor Industry Community Environment
Sustainable Tourism The Principles of Sustainable Tourism
V E R B
Visitor Environment Residents Businesses
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Activity 2: Understanding the VERB Model Use the VERB model identify the main elements of sustainable tourism in relation to: • The Visitor • The Environment • The Residents • The Businesses
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
The Visitor • Using green tourism to enhance (not compromise) the quality of the visitor experience • Putting a distinctive emphasis on the quality of the visitor experience
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach www.forestofbowland.com
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach www.industry.visitwales.co.uk
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
The Visitor • Using green tourism to enhance (not compromise) the quality of the visitor experience • Putting a distinctive emphasis on the quality of the visitor experience • ‘Incentivise’ the visitor to go green
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
The Visitor • Using green tourism to enhance (not compromise) the quality of the visitor experience • Putting a distinctive emphasis on the quality of the visitor experience • ‘Incentivise’ the visitor to go green • Recognising the starting point for the visitor experience
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Engaging with the Customer Journey
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Engaging with the Customer Journey
Invisible Visitor
Visible Visitor
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
The Visitor • Using green tourism to enhance (not compromise) the quality of the visitor experience • Putting a distinctive emphasis on the quality of the visitor experience • ‘Incentivise’ the visitor to go green • Providing specific messages and guidelines to help visitors appreciate environmental issues and the impact of tourism • Tailoring information to meet sustainable tourism objectives
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
English Tourism Council (2002): • 63% of consumers would be willing to pay extra to stay with an accommodation provider that was committed to local purchasing • 65% of consumers would be willing to pay extra to stay with an accommodation provider that was committed to good environmental practices • 96% of consumers agreed it was ‘important to protect the traditional character of a destination’
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
Devon County Council (2005): • 54% consider environmental issues when booking • 82% of visitors are willing to pay more for environmentally responsible products • 72% think an environmentally aware business is more likely to be MORE quality conscious • TripVision's tracking survey of UK travelers shows that environmental issues are of increasing importance to consumers
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
How Green are Your Customers? Deep Green Indicative attributes: Considerable interest in environmental issues; keen to protect wildlife and keep the environment pristine for outdoor recreation; care about air and water quality; interested in ecotourism; willing to pay a premium; keen to support visitor pay-back schemes
Light Green Indicative attributes: Some interest in environmental issues; want to balance the needs of the environment with other needs; understand the need for a reduction in carbon emissions; will recycle items if the process is made easy for them; keen to purchase quality local produce; need convincing to pay a premium or support visitor pay-back schemes
Not Green Indicative attributes: Indifferent or antagonistic to environmental issues; not convinced that to need to reduce carbon emissions; spectical about the benefits of sustainable development; unwilling to pay more to reduce environment impact; suspicious of businesses that promote environmental issues
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
What consumers look for in sustainable accommodation? The most motivating elements offer a tangible benefit to them personally in terms of quality/ease/convenience (VisitBritain, 2007)
Minimum Requirement
Added Bonus
Motivating
Recycling by accommodation
Landscaping for biodiversity
Locally sourced/organic food
Recycling points for guests
Reduced water consumption (showers)
Eco/Recycled products
Renewable energy sources
Information on local area (public transport, local businesses, local food, local cultural events)
Energy saving measures
Home-grown food
Reduced water consumption (toilets, sheets/towel change) Composting (rural)
Network of sustainable businesses Employ local people Bicycles for hire Pick up from local station
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
The most motivating aspects of sustainability are also the ones where the impact is less to do with the environment and more to do with economy/culture and are primarily local rather than global in effect (VisitBritain, 2007) Minimum Requirement
Added Bonus
Motivating
Supporting the environment at an expected level
Supporting the environment by going the extra mile/investing
Supporting the local economy & community
= GLOBAL
= GLOBAL
= LOCAL
Positive reinforcement of decisions already happy to make
Opportunity to have positive impact on places visited
Sustainable Tourism
Customer Expectations
Depends on what they are paying for…. Less prepared to pay for:
More prepared to pay for:
Actions having a benefit to the provider, e.g.:
§
Tangible benefits for them/ the community or benefits that enhance the holiday experience, e.g.:
§
Reducing stress of everyday/city life, getting away from it all e.g. help and guidance on what to do/see, travel options in local area
§
Quality of experience e.g. locally sourced (fresh, unpackaged, home-grown) food
§
Anything fulfilling the search for a special/unique/individual experience and feeling they are “part of” the community by putting back in
§
Being healthy e.g. nature walks, cycling, eating “homemade” food
§
Recycling
§
Basic energy saving measures i.e. timed lighting vs. solar panels
§
And outside of London/SE, reduced water consumption Water shortages in SE mean Londoners are more tuned into the issue and more open to idea of re-using/not-using water than those in other regions
Sustainable Tourism
The Benefits
Businesses • Emphasis on sustainability will encourage repeat business and word of mouth recommendation/reputation • Adds distinctiveness to your own business/event (USP + POD) • Commercial advantage: using ‘green credentials’ and distinctiveness as a key marketing and branding tool • Capitalising on changing customer demand, which is creating new market opportunities
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Businesses • Joined-up thinking - recognising the value of tourism to the local area • Enhanced networking, marketing and business awareness (including non-tourism businesses)
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Businesses • Joined-up thinking - recognising the value of tourism to the local area • Enhanced networking, marketing and business awareness • Encouraging and assisting enterprises to undertake environmental action
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism/Events
Sustainable Tourism/Events
Sustainable Tourism/Events
Sustainable Tourism
Barriers
Barriers to Business • Lack of an evidence-based business case - lack of research into consumer demand for green products • Attitudes and motivations of the small business sector • Perceived Costs - lifestyle considerations mitigates against the uptake of new business practices • Diversity - large number of small-scale operators who are influenced by short-term financial gain rather than long term environmental considerations • Lack of financial resources for management resources lack of funds to manage resources effectively
Sustainable Tourism
Barriers
Barriers to Business • Lack of joined-up planning and investment - complexity of the planning system and lack of importance afforded to tourism development has often resulted in a fragmented approach • The complex relationship between the public and private sectors - cost of maintaining the natural resource balanced against perceived benefits and that public goods (e.g. National Park) should be free
Sustainable Tourism
The Benefits
Sustainable Tourism
The Benefits
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Residents • Tourism that engages with and benefits the host community • Provide information about local communities and the way of life in visitor information material • Generate the greatest local benefit from visitor spending, by purchasing [& promoting] supplies and services locally • Explore the benefits of supporting the local farming community, and farming practices that give the character to the local landscape
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Environment • Promote the quality and distinctiveness of the local environment (natural and man-made) • Provide and promote excellent visitor information to encourage responsible behaviour / redistribute visitor demand • Create alternatives to the car - link them to the local area and the quality of the visitor experience • Improving internal environmental practice
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism
The VERB Approach
Sustainable Tourism By the end of this session, you should be able to: • Define and explore the concept of sustainable tourism/events, using the VICE/VERB Model • Identify the key principles and elements of sustainable tourism/event development • Identify and discuss the factors and rationale influencing sustainable tourism/event development • Recognise and discuss the problems and constraints facing sustainable tourism/event development