Opinion: All about ‘glocal’ tourism

GOING glocal

Could ‘glocal tourism’ be the key to a tourism industry that benefits small communities over big business? Mark Bibby Jackson thinks so

The fast-track vaccination programmes rolling out across many countries indicate that the tail-end of 2021 will see a resurgence of international travel, albeit one that may require proof of vaccination.

The question is what course this recovery will take. While there is a clear suggestion that many travellers are just waiting for the green light so they can recommence budget holidays on the continent, via Ryanair, EasyJet and the like, many are choosing a different route from their norm.

A new report by Euromonitor International, ‘Top Countries for Sustainable Tourism’, revealed that just over two thirds of consumers globally “want to have a positive impact on the environment through their daily actions in 2021.”

The report takes into account a number of factors, including environmental, social and economic sustainability, in addition to the demand for sustainable tourism.

However, “only 55% of travel businesses implemented some form of sustainability strategy,” continued the report. This compares with 70% of companies within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector.

There appears to be a clear dichotomy between the types of responsible travel experiences that many tourists want and those actually being offered by most travel providers.

“Businesses need to resist chasing short-term volumes and focus on the long-term, value driven strategies for a sustainable recovery,” says the report.

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On the back foot

According to the data from Euromonitor, the UK is lagging behind many of its European neighbours in sustainable tourism.

Sweden tops the Euromonitor list followed by Finland, Austria, Estonia and Norway. The rest of the top 20 is dominated by European nations, until Bolivia which takes the 22nd spot. The UK is in 40th place out of the 99 countries.

Glocal tourism

At the moment staycations appear to remain in vogue, but as new countries are added to the green list we can expect more people travelling again. Some projections expect 2019 figures to be reached by 2022 or 2023. Data provided by About the author the UNWTO has Mark Bibby Jackson is the revealed that 58% of founder of Travel Begins at 40, travellers are placing a website for people over 40 more importance on sustainable tourism that who want to travel responsibly creates a positive impact and imaginatively. on the travel destination, charitable.travel/travelso wrote Ciaran Wark in an begins-at-40 article for Travel Begins at 40 on sustainable local tourism

initiatives. This, he explained, is what promotes the provinces of New local communities, and how the we call glocal tourism. Brunswick, Newfoundland and tourist can participate. Typically, such initiatives involve Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Hopefully, when international travel travellers booking tours run by Edward Island, to bring our readers fully recommences it will be in a local people that benefit local Atlantic Canada Voices. much more locally-driven rather than communities, helping tourist money This is a series of articles showcasing profit-orientated direction. stay within the country/community local people working in these Perhaps you’re thinking about and fostering a more sustainable beautiful Canadian provinces, your first trip now? This sparsely tourism sector. highlighting how they promote populated, naturally beautiful It also enriches the customer sustainable tourism and work within region of Canada can be reached in experience.“You are much more around five hours and has plenty of likely to get something different sustainable experiences, so if you’re and interesting through a looking for a destination to ease you local company than you into international travel, it could be are through a western just the ticket. brand,” Huw Owen, co- By 2022 a tourism sector working

Mark Bibby Jackson is the founder of Travel Local to the benefit of the many rather founder of Travel Begins at 40, told Wark. than to the profits of the few a website for people over 40 who want to travel responsibly Local voices on a global scale could on its way to becoming a mainstream concept. Now that really is something to look forward to! and imaginatively. In the spirit of glocal charitable.travel/travel- tourism, Travel Begins begins-at-40 at 40 has started working with Atlantic Canada, the tourism authority that

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