Tourism2030 -

Covid-19: nature recovering - plastic waste still growing?

2020-04-06T10:15:40Z

Tourism Review, Tomas Haupt - Apr 5, 2020

Eco-disaster: the Mediterranean drowns in plastic waste

As soon as the corona pandemic banned residents and tourists from the streets of the Italian lagoon city of Venice, the canals became crystal clear and full of fish. Nature seems to recover quickly from the consequences of mass tourism. However, not all waters will be able to regenerate in such a short time.

The Mediterranean is one of the most polluted waters on earth and the coast of Venice is only one of many popular destinations on the Mediterranean. Along with the tourists comes plastic waste.

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Happy Easter & Stay Healthy!

2020-04-12T15:59:39Z

Post COVID-19: Travel & Tourism to be redesigned now!

While the COVID-19 emergency actions have cut down travel & tourism from 100 to almost 0 you may wonder how travel and tourism will be redesigned and whether the opportunities will be used to finally mainstream sustainable tourism as a driver for the SDGs.

Just imagine: what would be your role and benefit if all national Tourism policies would make environmental and sustainability certification for tourism businesses and destinations their flagship aim until 2030?

See the Travel Green Planet 2030 collaboration initiative as a contribution of ECOTRANS to make this happen.

Covid-19: Setting the course for sustainability

2020-04-14T15:39:19Z

14 April 2020

Today the German National Academy of Sciences “Leopoldina” recommends in their third ad-hoc-statement entitled Coronavirus Pandemic – Overcoming the Crisis Sustainably to continue or even to strengthen the measures for sustainable development, saying:

Setting the course for sustainability

Existing global challenges, such as climate and species protection in particular, do not disappear with the corona virus crisis. Political measures at national and international level should be based on the principles of ecological and social sustainability, future compatibility and gaining resilience. Measures that are based on broad scientific evidence and political and social consensus before the coronavirus crisis must not be weakened, but must continue to be implemented with high priority or even strengthened. Economic stimulus programs should generally be compatible with the goals of the European “green deal”.

An illusion? To early? In your country?

Based on that recommendation Germany and other countries could and should now set the course to massively expand sustainable tourism across Europe in collaboration with the many well experienced national and international certification programmes for hotels and camp sites, restaurants and attractions, destinations and tour operators.

Imagine a end of 2020 news like “Europe wants to increase the share of sustainable tourism companies and destinations from 1% to 20% by 2023”!

As a contribution to make this happen ECOTRANS launched the Travel Green Planet 2030 collaboration initiative.

Covid-19: It's Time for Going Green

2020-04-20T09:28:55Z

Justin N. Froyd assumes in his Tourism Review article "Cross Border Travel will never be the same" (see below):

The borders will only be opened again slowly and gradually
Immigration authorities now also focus on health
Air travel will become more expensive and complicated
Business travel will be resumed first
Slowly from domestic to international travel
Excessive paperwork
Is the "immunity pass" coming?

Making European tourism now a driver for the European Green Deal!

It is more than likely that domestic travel and tourism will recover first and fill beds and restaurants again. This recovery offers the unique opportunity to lay the path and to raise the sustainability & resilience level of the tourism businesses and destinations. National governments and tourism associations should now - beside Covid-19 emergencies - also use the opportunities to Making Tourism More Sustainable and to contribute to the European "Green Deal": using the Agenda 2030 SDG framework to develop synergy between SDG 3 (Health and Well-being) and SDGs 13, 14 and 15 (Climate Change, Life below Water, Life on Land) by using SDG 12 ( Sustainable Consumption and Production) to generate SDG 8 (Fair Employment & Economic Growth) with the approach of SDG 17 (Partnership).

Now there is time to raise the awareness for sustainable tourism certification, for supporting tools and services for Going Green and to raise the market share of credibly certified hotels and camping sites, restaurants and attractions, activities and travel packages from 1% to 10% … and thus to meet the interest of travellers in environmentally friendly and socially responsible travelling. More than 50% of the German travelers in 2019 expressed this interest!

TIP: TRIANGLE Going Green Business Programme

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Tourism Review News: Justin N. Froyd - Apr 20, 2020

CROSS-BORDER TRAVEL WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

The borders will only be opened again slowly and gradually: Of course, borders cannot and must not remain closed forever. But the fear of new infections will slow down the opening of borders. Smaller countries, already closely connected to each other, are likely to relax their mutual borders or border regulations sooner, while overseas destinations should wait longer before opening them completely.
Immigration authorities now also focus on health: Until now, the basic function of immigration authorities has been the fight against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism, but now also the health aspects. The resulting new rules and procedures for entry vary, are in part still unclear/undefined and may change even further, creating uncertainty among travelers.
Air travel will become more expensive and complicated: Airlines will always have to monitor the health of their crews very closely, which may increasingly involve intervention in flight operations. Possible measures include dual-cockpit crews or less interaction between flight attendants and passengers during service (which is already being practiced to some extent). Free middle seats as a new, safe standard are also conceivable. Airports, in turn, must also implement new health standards, such as temperature measurements for arriving passengers or medical control zones, or separation of passengers from risk or non-risk countries. This results in expenses that are cushioned by higher airport taxes. The limited supply of airlines is also likely to cause an increase in airfares.
Business travel will be resumed first: Business trips will soon be "necessary" again, in the form of visits to suppliers and producers, etc. However, the volume will clearly be lower than before, especially as MICE trips will hardly be possible at first. In addition, video conferences, which people have become accustomed to in the meantime, will at least partially replace conventional business interactions. It can also be assumed that business trips will become increasingly standardized, i.e. it will take much more in the future before a business trip is even approved. For the traveler and the company, it is essential that a trip is planned precisely and that the necessary documentation is available in a clean form.
Slowly from domestic to international travel: Although the hospitality industry is suffering in many countries, international tourism will not have the highest priority there. To prevent the spread of the virus, mass tourism is unlikely to resurface in 2020. The focus will, therefore, be primarily on domestic tourism, i.e. travel within one's own country, primarily with earthbound means of transport and less urban character. Subsequently, cross-border travel to other countries could resurface. Mass tourism by air is unlikely to be an issue again until 2021 - or as soon as a generally recognized vaccine is available.
Excessive paperwork: Open borders and visa-free travel are on hold for the time being. It is to be expected that persons entering the country will have to comply with special health requirements and, for example, present negative corona tests, vaccination certificates or the like. Here too, there is confusion because the requirements will vary from country to country and certain certificates may be accepted in one country but not in another. It will probably take a long time for international organizations such as the WHO (World Health Organization), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) or even the Schengen states to present clear, cross-border travel standards with regard to health regulations and the documents required for this.
Is the "immunity pass" coming? According to experts, many countries are considering the introduction of an "immunity certificate" for individuals who test positive for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies. However, there is still uncertainty, as various antibody tests have proven unreliable and further studies are needed to have generally accepted test methods and products.

Restart Tourism: Let it be better afterwards than before

2020-04-29T11:54:36Z

Author: fairunterwegs editorial office

"What are the lessons to be learned from the Corona crisis and what should be happening now so that tourism does not return to business as usual after the lifting of the lockdowns? This is the question we asked six experts*, and then we combined their thoughts with ours.

Tourism has spurred the spread of the coronavirus considerably. The corona crisis in turn has hit the tourism industry with full force. Many companies fear for their existence and are laying off employees. This particularly affects SMEs, which have not had the opportunity to build up emergency reserves, as well as employees in precarious jobs, which are all too common in the catering and hotel industry. The slump is particularly severe for tourism micro-entrepreneurs in the global South, who often lose their income, accommodation and social network simultaneously.

The fact that tourism is a volatile business is a painful experience that is made time and again. Destinations are sometimes in and sometimes out. Terrorist attacks, volcanic eruptions and extreme weather conditions have paralysed the sector in entire regions in the past. But Corona is different. The pandemic affects the entire globe and shows the vulnerability of the entire industry. The system of "fast growth through bargain prices" is in a tailspin. The vicious circle of more, faster, further, cheaper has come to a standstill - and we don't want to revert to it.

And neither do we need to. The Corona crisis shows what works better. Booking at a travel agency brings more security and better assistance than bargain hunting on anonymous online platforms. Travel agencies now have the chance to score points with a high-quality service and to put it to good use. This also includes knowledge about sustainable products. Strong regional economic cycles, cleverly complemented by locally well-fitted tourism, are more resilient than tourist monocultures. Staying at home, having more time and exploring the neighbourhood sometimes has a better recreational effect than the ten-day tour at the other end of the world. And leads to a greater commitment to the quality of life at home, including solidarity with people around us who are struggling with more difficult living conditions. Commuting stress and business travel can be reduced through online meetings and home office.

What needs to happen now to make these learning experiences work:

1-create breathing space - take away pressure: The pressure on tourism companies and regions to return to "business as usual" as quickly as possible is high. This can be witnessed in campaigns like "Dream now - travel later" or "The mountains are waiting - so are we". Now is the time to find instruments that take away economic pressure on companies and employees, as for example, an unconditional basic income, financed by a digital tax (also on booking platforms) or a financial transaction tax. Or why not introduce a global visitor's tax? This will give room for a new direction for this sector of the economy, which can only contribute to sustainable development through fundamental change.

2-involve the local population: More than any other industry, tourism uses public space and natural resources. This is why new strategies are needed, developed in close cooperation with hitherto insufficiently considered stakeholders (nature and heritage conservation and human rights organisations, trade unions, etc.). It is also important to clarify which tourism serves whom. What does the local population gain from tourism megaprojects such as airports and cruise ships, international hotel chains and tour operators? Where does the invested capital come from? Who earns how much? Where do the profits go and how much tax is paid where? Who pays for the social and environmental costs? Does the corona-induced bankruptcy of many SMEs lead to unhealthy monopolies?

3-develop strategies without the need for growth: There is hardly a country or destination that does not talk about "sustainable tourism". But sustainable would imply being in line with the Paris climate goals, the global development goals (Agenda 2030) and human rights. This is not compatible with permanent growth, but calls for a quality offensive: better protection of natural resources, more quality of life for the local population, more decent and secure jobs in tourism, more quality of experience for travellers - also through closer interaction with the local population - and more economic stability for the region. Previous strategies ignore the contradiction between sustainability and permanent growth.

4-implement coherently: Coherent implementation of a sustainable tourism strategy involves identifying and taking into account the carrying capacity of a destination: How many tourists can a region tolerate at most without damaging the environment, social fabric or culture? Accordingly, sustainable holiday and leisure models in the vicinity should be promoted and subsidies for forms of tourism that stand in the way of sustainable development should be reduced. In other words: no 40 million campaign by Switzerland Tourism in far-away countries (for short-term visitors who generate little added value and a lot of CO2) and no hidden and direct subsidies for low-cost air travel. Instead, invest in training for qualified consultation in travel agencies and the sustainable development of destinations. With 40 million, quite a lot could be done for this purpose. All those companies that were generously supported by the public sector during the Corona crisis should have sustainable development written into their recovery plan: Climate protection, energy efficiency, waste minimization, biodiversity, environmentally friendly mobility, fair working conditions, regional cycles, equal opportunities, etc. This applies especially to airlines and airports. They must finally internalise external costs, especially for their greenhouse gas emissions, and charge real prices including the CO2 tax.

Everyone, from the Federal Council to private individuals, is currently practising to overcome crises. People are involved in solidarity initiatives and accept restrictions in favour of the community. Researchers and companies are becoming innovative. Once we have come to terms with the corona pandemic, we can tackle the next challenges with the newly gained self-confidence of proven crisis managers: Climate emergency, smouldering conflicts due to social inequality, rapid shrinking of biodiversity - dealing with them will also be decisive for sustainable tourism.

* Nathalie Martin, slow traveling blogger; Hansruedi Müller, University of Bern; Christine Plüss, historian and former managing director of akte; Sivaraj Thekkayil, Corinne Karlaganis and Loucine Maugère of Uravu Eco Links (Kerala, India)