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Sustainable Travel Report
The Responsible Tourism e-Newsletter
A Message from STI President
STI has been fortunate to participate in a number of important events this year. One in particular was exceptional -- the Ecotourism in the U.S. conference. It bought together hundreds of individuals, organizations and businesses to discuss how the concepts of eco- and sustainable tourism can be and are being integrated into the U.S. travel and tourism industry.
There are many countries that are known as eco-friendly destinations, such as Australia, Belize, Costa Rica and New Zealand. Historically, the U.S. has not been known as an ecotourism oriented country, but individual states as diverse as Alaska, Hawaii, West Virginia and Wisconsin are taking a lead in sustainable tourism development. And tourism providers, including major hotel chains, international tour operators and car rental agencies are beginning to realize that sustainability equates to profitability.
As reported by the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries in May 2005, the U.S. has seen growth in visitation for the past year and a half, adding $94 billion to the U.S. economy last year alone. Clearly, the U.S. travel and tourism industry can be economically sustainable. After all, it is the world's single largest travel and tourism economy. Its challenge, however, is to become sustainable across the triple bottom line of environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic health.
As travelers and tourism industry professionals based inside and outside of the U.S., we all live in a time of great opportunity. Whether it's a business opportunity or a moral obligation, we at STI invite our audience to get more involved in eco- and sustainable tourism development and STI can provide you with the tools you need. We also invite you to explore a number of other leading organizations and resources:
Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel
Conservation International
Earth Foot
Green Globe 21
Pro-poor Tourism
Responsible Travel
The International Ecotourism Society
The Travel Foundation
Tour Operator's Initiative
Tourism Concern
World Tourism Organization
In addition, I am personally available to answer any questions and provide assistance for those who are interested and wish to get involved (or more involved) in supporting the travel and tourism industry's move toward sustainability.
Most sincerely,
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Altruism and Hurricane Relief
Hurricane Katrina revealed to the world the growing gap between the working poor and the rich. The Gulf Coast, however, has the potential to resurrect itself, to support local community development, and to create an economy that nurtures the array of skills required to sustain a large and diverse workforce.
You may have given to relief programs. Now consider supporting one of the many reputable, local community-based organizations that will be working in the Gulf area well after the media spotlight is gone.
ACORN, the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, is fighting for humane treatment of evacuees and is working on ensuring they get the respect they deserve from local and national political representatives.
New Orleans People's Committee's goal is to unite evacuees and hurricane survivors to demand a role in reviewing and influencing how resources are allocated on their behalf and to fight for decision-making power in the long-term redevelopment of New Orleans.
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, New Orleans Network, and the Sparkplug Foundation will be working on the ground to help evacuees and hurricane survivors long after most aid agencies and relief volunteers have departed.
Working Assets and The League of Young Voters Education Fund is still working on reuniting families that were separated, and your donation can buy a one-way ticket to reunite a family tomorrow.
Please consider giving to these community-based organizations and helping to build a better Gulf Coast.
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Solid Waste:
Management and Reduction
By minimizing the amount of solid waste that goes to landfills and incinerators, you can help reduce negative environmental impacts. Perhaps more importantly, minimizing waste reduces the need for virgin materials, and it limits the amount of greenhouse gases that are released throughout a product's life cycle i.e., extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal.
Measuring Your Impact: Weighing your Waste
Determining the volume of solid waste that you or your business produces is fairly straightforward. If your local garbage collector weighs the waste they collect from your business, they should have records of every pick-up collection. This information is usually available in a cubic feet measurement.
Contact your local garbage collector and ask them to supply this information for the last 12 months or for the last two years, so you can gauge historical increases or decreases. The same process applies to the volume of waste you recycle and the volume of waste going to Material Recovery Facility and / or being converted from waste-to-energy.
If this information is not available, you will probably have to weigh your garbage and recycling. First, determine the weight of your weekly output of waste. Note: 1 pound or 16 ounces equals 0.01671007 of a cubic foot. Repeat this as many times as possible throughout a 12-month time frame (we suggest a minimum of four) and average the weekly figure.
It is very important that you collect the data at different times of the year in order to get an accurate annual average, taking seasonal operations into consideration. Then multiply the average figure by 52 weeks to get an estimate of your total volume of waste for the year.
Managing Your Impact
The key to improved management of your solid waste can be broken down to three elements: reduce, use/reuse, and recycle. Consider the following suggestions; some may be obvious while others may be insightful:
Reduce
- Avoid disposable items and goods that utilize excess packaging as much as possible.
- Purchase goods in bulk in reusable, refillable, or returnable containers.
- Streamline your operational systems that utilize paper.
- Consider reducing the size of your brochure and other direct mailings, eliminating any customers from your list who haven't purchased in the last three to five years.
- Utilize email to send information and consider storing information on your computer rather than on paper.
- Set your printers and / or copiers so that they automatically print on both sides of a page.
- Instead of making individual copies for everyone, use a routing slip when circulating information to staff, or post notices on a bulletin board. Better yet, email everyone.
- Do not use cover sheets for faxes.
- Print rough drafts on the unused side of paper that would otherwise be thrown out or recycled.
- Provide daily newspapers to clients on request only.
- Avoid using disposable food service items.
- Have employees and clients use reusable cups, utensils, plates, etc.
- Distribute condiments and napkins from behind the counter or upon request.
- Retailers don't automatically give customers a bag - ask if they need one first.
Use/Reuse
- Purchase locally produced goods; imported products typically require more packaging and energy to transport.
- Purchase rechargeable batteries.
- Utilize cloth bags for shopping errands, laundry, and the like.
- Reuse envelopes for inter-office mail.
- Cut up scrap paper to use as note pads.
- Utilize plain paper fax machines or better yet, an e-fax software program so that you can send and receive faxes through your computer.
- Purchase cloth towels instead of paper towels. If this is not feasible, utilize perforated roll towels instead of folded paper towels; people use less paper with a roll towel system.
- Buy reusable air filters for your heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.
- Utilize liquid soap and shampoo dispensers in guest rooms.
- Reuse damaged towels and sheets as cleaning rags.
- Consider crafting torn or worn linens into other usable items (e.g., sheets into pillowcases).
- Reuse newspaper, shredded paper, and incoming packaging materials (bags, boxes, peanuts) to package goods for your customers.
- Donate obsolete or unwanted equipment, furniture, drapes, and carpeting to charity.
- Donate leftover soaps, toilet paper, tissue, and linens that are no longer suitable for guest use to charity.
- Donate unused food to a community food bank or charity.
- Create a trash to treasure program and generate additional revenue.
- Determine what your local recycling facility will recycle or if a local program isn't available, consider starting your own recycling program.
- Many recycling centers will accept the following: aluminum and metal cans; newspapers, magazines and old phone books; office and mixed paper; corrugated cardboard; glass; plastics #1-#7; and motor oil.
- Fewer than 1% of cell phones are recycled or reused, meaning more than 500 million cell phones end up in landfills. To recycle or donate your old phone, visit www.ripmobile.com, www.pawsplace.org, www.collectivegood.com, and www.wirelessfoundation.org.
- FedEx Kinko's will recycle toner cartridges at no cost, and you can even generate money for charitable causes.
- Batteries contain toxic heavy metals that poison the environment, so they should be disposed of properly. Find battery recycling locations here.
For more useful ideas, visit our Guide to Sustainable Tourism on-line.
Useful Links
- The Freecycle Network is an online community of 1.5 million people that give and / or receive everything from toys and computers to furniture and other household items: www.freecycle.org. Similar websites that promote reuse and recycling include: www.craigslist.com and www.wastematch.org.
- The EPA's WasteWise helps you to design your own waste reduction program tailored to your unique needs: www.epa.gov/wastewise.
- The Energy Saving Trust is also a valuable resource on making the most of your energy consumption: www.est.org.uk
- King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks and STI have information on starting and maintaining recycling programs in an office environment: www.metrokc.gov
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Green Building: Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility - Mann, Natur und Umwelt
In 2003, the Steinhude Sea Recreation Facility, Steinhude, Germany, was named an American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Building. It's no wonder this 3,057-square-foot (284-m²) facility was recognized. In addition to the island's beautiful ecosystem, including beach area, green fields, children's play area and bird sanctuary, the facility features environmental aspects that are seldom matched.
Photovoltaic (PV) panels, which supply 60,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year and reduce 60,000 kilograms (66 tons) of carbon dioxide emissions annually; solar hot-water collectors; a seed-oil fueled microturbine for backup power; daylighting; natural ventilation; and high-performance materials are some of the building's notable characteristics. In fact, the PVs also run eight solar-powered boats that are available for lake tours.
Greywater for toilets is collected through the terraces surrounding the building and from roof runoff. Wastewater is piped to the mainland sewer system to avoid water table and lake pollution.
Certified reforested wood from central Europe, translucent wall panels and windows and metal stairs compose most of the building materials. Recyclable materials also were used for aluminum and glass curtainwalls, concrete floor pavers, mineral-fiber insulation and polycarbonate translucent panels.
Because the island does not allow automobiles, you'll have to travel there by foot, bicycle or boat. No matter the transportation means, you should make a point to enjoy this self-sustaining integration of "Man, Nature and Environment."
Please note: This article originally appeared in Eco-Structure Magazine.
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Responsible Travel:
Guerba World Travel
Guerba World Travel Ltd. achieved third place in Condé Nast Traveler's "Green List," and it's no surprise. The company has been operating adventure and discovery tours for 25 years. From the beginning, Guerba has strived to minimize their impact and has focused on working with local partners and locally owned businesses. Their small group tours are led by local guides who bridge the cultural gap for their clients. This approach also ensures that the wages they pay their staff are reinvested into local communities rather than to an itinerant western tour leader.
Guerba also has a strong focus on travel philanthropy, having helped a number of grass roots charities in  Africa to build schools and training centers. Their current project is working towards raising over US$178,000 to help build an orphanage for the Amani Children's Home in Tanzania (www.amanikids.org) for orphans and street kids. To help attain their goal, Guerba has donated over US$35,000 in 'free' tour product to various fund raisers. 100% of the proceeds generated from these fund raising efforts is then passed on to the Amani Home. The company also takes children on safaris, so they can see the wonders of their own country first-hand, an experience that's usually only available to wealthy visitors.
To compensate for their carbon emissions, Guerba has devised an innovative long-term strategy. For the past few years, the company has been offsetting the carbon impact of their head office operations and their vehicle-based tours through local tree planting programs in Kenya and Uganda. Specifically, they encourage locals with land to 'farm' firewood so that natural woodlands are not exploited and destroyed in the quest for fuel wood. Doing this requires an investment over a period of several years before any returns can be made, so Guerba funds this initial period with the aim of creating lasting employment for local people and minimizing local forest destruction.
In summary, Guerba's underlying philosophy is to treat people all over the world as they would like and expect to be treated and not to exploit their economic weakness to maximize profits. Not only is this the right thing to do, it also means that the company's clients are well received wherever they go which in turn increases their repeat business.
To learn more about Guerba's tours, best practices and fund raising efforts, visit STI's Eco-Directory and / or the company's website.
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Responsible Travel:
3 Rivers Eco Lodge
3 Rivers is a small Green Globe 21 certified eco lodge and sustainable living center in The Commonwealth of Dominica that offers a range of accommodations and nature-based activities.
The award-winning eco lodge uses renewable energy and biodegradable cleaning products. They only employ local people, and they only use local businesses. Their gardens are 100% organic. And their company vehicle runs on used vegetable oil, reducing harmful emissions by some 93%. Most green accommodations are striving to attain these levels of sustainability. What makes 3 Rivers truly stand out, however, is their focus on educating their guests, other visitors and local communities. 3 Rivers offers free tours of their property and environmental management systems to visitors and all schools in Dominica, as well as regular workshops on sustainable living through the lodge's own non-profit, the Sustainable Living Initiative.
The Sustainable Living Initiative workshops promote the use of simple technology to minimize negative impacts on the environment and to conserve natural resources. Trainees are involved in theoretical instruction and practical construction of alternative energy units initially at 3 Rivers and subsequently in their own communities. Specifically, trainees are taught how a unit is installed before they're required to learn 'hands on' with a second unit by disassembling and reassembling it many times. Participants are then able to purchase their own unit, at cost, or through installments via a revolving loan fund, to be installed during another workshop for people in their village. After this process has been completed, trainees have an opportunity to become instructors at future workshops.
In addition to employing only local people and utilizing only local businesses, 3 Rivers supports a variety of local projects and businesses. For example, they're actively involved in helping the local village council establish its own bamboo restaurant and bar, and they've established a laundry service that's available to their guests and is responsible for washing all of the lodge's linens.
3 Rivers also brings new meaning to the concept of nature-based activities. They run what they call community activities, where every day is spent in a village with the locals learning their farming methods and about crafts, music, and dance as well as helping in the village school.
To learn more about 3 Rivers Eco Lodge and the Sustainable Living Initiative, visit STI's Eco-Directory or the lodge's website.
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Conference Corner:
Adventure Travel World Summit and
Greening the Hospitality Industry
We would like to announce that The Green Meeting Industry Council has scheduled the 2nd Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference for October 5-7, 2005, in Metro Washington DC. For more information and registration details, visit GMIC's website.
We would also like to remind our readers about the 2005 Adventure Travel World Summit in Seattle, October, 16-18, 2005. No previous adventure travel indust ry gathering has featured the depth, knowledge and influence of those addressing the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS). Top executives of Virtuoso, Lonely Planet, Orbitz, AARP, Geographic Expeditions, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Costa Rica Expeditions, Wilderness Travel, ExOfficio, Off the Beaten Path, G.A.P Adventures, Explorandes, Outdoor Industry Association, America Outdoors, and Sustainable Travel International are among the dozens of leaders presenting during the Summit.
The primary aim of the three-day conference is to help Summit participants fuse big-picture vision with everyday practical knowledge and tools to help businesses reduce costs, increase revenues and grow their own customer bases. Core discussion topics include trends, research, marketing, partnering, operations, sustainability, and funding. ATWS sessions will provide participants with opportunities to form partnerships, collectively analyze new research, debate challenging issues, and develop group-buying power.
Hosted by the ATTA, the Summit is designed primarily for industry executives and decision makers of domestic and international tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, lodges, and travel agencies worldwide. The outcome of the ATWS is to enable the industry to better serve travelers, promote responsible tourism, and optimize the industry's market potential.
Online registration is available. For more information email info@adventuretravel.biz.
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High Moon Cartoons
If you would like to purchase any one of High Moon's six cartoon books, you may order them directly from the Japan Environmental Exchange via email or JEE's website.
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