Travel Weekly - January 3, 2011

Commonly included elements in responsible tour operator policies

Partnering with local community projects and nongovern-
mental organizations

83.7%

Cultural and environmental education for staff/local part-
ners and visitors

77.6%

Local partners (lodging and transport) and suppliers

63.3%

Membership in international conservation/
socio-cultural, nongovernmental organizations

57.1%

Employing locals (offering fair wages)

53.1%

Encouraging/providing carbon offsetting

49%

Resource-saving initiatives at destination facilities and
activities

42.9%

Resource-saving initiatives at headquarter facilities

34.7%

Offering opportunities for outreach and philanthropy

32.7%

Respecting/preserving/showcasing authentic elements of local culture

32.7%

Small group sizes

24.5%

0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

Source: Center for Responsible Travel, 2009

recycled goods; and claiming to minimize
waste while offering guests packaged items
such as bottled water and single-portion
packages of cereal.
Wilderness Safaris’ Roche highlighted
four areas that he said need to be consid-
ered when evaluating the sustainability
of a supplier: operational sustainability,
biodiversity conservation, community en-
gagement and cultural appropriateness. He
suggested that environmentally conscious
consumers should ask several questions:
How energy- and water-hungry are the
facilities? What is the source of the water
supply? What about recycling?

Consumers, Roche said, should also check if a particular company makes any contribution to local conservation of biodiversity and whether it has genuine engagement with the local community through joint-venture business, revenue sharing or community-centric employment.

Finally, he said, are the properties designed in a way that is sympathetic to the environment and cognizant of the local culture and architecture? Do the properties’ activities promote exposure to local culture and tradition?

Harley also suggested looking for certification that supports a travel company’s commitment to sustainability.

“We use a company, Travelife, that re-
views the sustainability efforts of hotels
its social and environmental responsibil-
ity but also what the company does. They
verify through a variety of resources, from
friends and colleagues to news and re-
views, to formal recognition and available
public feedback.”
Other telltale signs can be obvious: for
instance, the sale of wildlife merchandise
from an endangered species or the pres-
ence of a golf course in dry or tropical
areas. “Tropical regions are the most bio-
diverse on our planet, so if there’s a golf
course in the tropics, it’s likely this biodi-
versity was replaced,” Connelly said.

RESPONSIBLE COMMUNITY TOURISM SHOULD:

and lodges we use and offers them a range of help, advice and tools to aid in all missions to be more environmentally sensitive,” Harley said.

Connelly advised that consumers can find examples of excellent sustainable tours by visiting a variety of websites, such as TourismFor Tomorrow.com, which has been vetting sustainable tourism through a system of global review for nearly 10 years, or by looking for Responsible Travel awards that recognize smaller, locally based products.