How can tour operators contribute to sustainable development?

Many tourism businesses realise that the principles of sustainable development can make good business, as well as moral, sense. Increasing numbers of tour operators are accepting that they have a responsibility to society and the environment, globally and locally, as well as to their shareholders.

Tour operators previously argued that impacts in destinations were not their responsibility, but that of local governments and tourism suppliers in the destination. However, many have now realised that their role as intermediaries makes them uniquely placed to influence consumer choice, supplier practice and help tourism to develop sustainably.

To encourage this process, the Tour Operators’ Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development and the United Nations Environment Fund have developed a manual for those people responsible for ensuring sustainability within tour operators.

Sustainable tourism can provide a market advantage; more and more tourists are choosing holidays that help, rather than harm, destinations. It also saves money by reducing the use of resources, such as water and electricity, improves relations with staff and local people and preserves the destinations that businesses rely on.

Tour operators can implement sustainable practices in all sections of their operations:

• In their offices, companies should reduce the use of paper, water and other resources.
• Companies should ensure labour rights are respected, and that staff are trained to implement sustainable policies.
• Tour operators should use sustainability criteria to plan tourism activities, for example by avoiding places where tourism causes environmental damage. By advertising these criteria, they will encourage destinations to meet them and attract new customers.
• Tour operators must select local suppliers based on sustainability criteria and help suppliers to become more sustainable. For example, they can promote suppliers who employ and train local staff in their brochures.
• Tour operators have access to tourists before, during and after their trip. Tourists should use all these opportunities to encourage responsible behaviour.
• Tour operators can work with local authorities, for example in waste management schemes.
• They can also provide funds, technical support and goods.

The tour operations business is complicated because it deals with many suppliers in many places. However, it has the potential to make an important contribution to sustainable development because it reaches so many different people involved in the tourism industry, including staff, clients, business partners and governments.

Tourism managers can take three steps to improve practices within their company:

• Develop a sustainability policy that identifies impacts and prioritises those to be addressed, identifies targets and actions to address them, and measures and reports on their progress.
• Focus on internal communications to build knowledge, commitment and awareness among staff of actions they can take and to reward good practice.
• Train all staff to a basic level of knowledge about sustainability (including targeted training for specific roles) using examples from existing sustainable tourism operations.

Source(s):
‘Integrating Sustainability into Business. A Management Guide for Responsible Tour Operations’, United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP/DTIE), by Xavier Font and Janet Cochrane, 2005 Full document.
‘Integrating Sustainability into Business. An Implementation Guide for Responsible Tourism Coordinators’, United Nations Environment Programme Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP/DTIE), by Xavier Font and Janet Cochrane, 2005 Full document.

Funded by: UNEP and Ministère de L’Ecologie et du Développement Durable (France)

id21 Research Highlight: 27 January 2006

Further Information:
Xavier Font
Leeds Tourism Group
Leeds Metropolitan University
Civic Quarter Leeds LS1 3HE
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 113 283 2600
Fax: +44 (0) 113 2833 111
Contact the contributor: xavier@leedstourismgroup.com

Leeds Tourism Group, UK

Janet Cochrane
Leeds Tourism Group
Leeds Metropolitan University
Civic Quarter Leeds LS1 3HE
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 113 283 2600
Fax: +44 (0) 113 2833 111
Contact the contributor: J.Cochrane@leedsmet.ac.uk

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