Telegraph article right on sustainable tourism

Last week, sustainable investment specialists branded a Telegraph article as “wrong” when it came to ethical investing. But the newspaper is right on the money when it describes sustainable tourism as “luxury travel’s new trend”.

In an article published last month, Lola Pedro of trendwatching.com writes how environmentally-conscious travellers were beginning to realise the wealth of opportunities available to them in terms of tourism that doesn’t harm the planet or detriment local communities.

“In recent years sustainability in the travel industry has progressed from a truly niche consideration to an industry-wide priority (helped, of course, by airlines, airports and hotels finding that adopting eco-friendly initiatives also saved them money)”, writes Pedro.

“What is now clear to accommodation providers is that holidaymakers expect the companies they book with to be as responsible, ethical and sustainable as possible – allowing hotel guests to reuse their bed linen isn’t enough.

“Over the coming years expect travel brands to integrate sustainability into their offerings in exciting and inventive ways.”

But the demand for sustainable tourism is there already.

Recent Blue & Green Tomorrow polls showed that three-quarters of travellers will be considering the ethical or environmental impact of their holidays in 2013, while four out of five tour operators expect to see an influx of sustainable travel bookings in the coming 12 months.

The Guide to Sustainable Tourism 2013 profiles some of the best responsible and independent travel companies in the UK, while also speaking to industry representatives about the encouraging growth of enlightened travel.

Further reading:

UN emphasises ‘vital role’ of sustainable tourism

Sustainable tourism can help tackle the world’s biggest challenges, says UN official

81% of tour operators and 75% of travellers say yes to more sustainable travel

Sustainable tourism labelled a ‘key trend’ by luxury travel network

The Guide to Sustainable Tourism 2013