As we discussed earlier, sustainable tourism is a wide, sometimes unclear concept. Part of our job @ Greenty will be to help you understand and find good alternatives for minimizing your impact when traveling ….
To get our basics right and to help finding, selecting and rating the best eco-travel providers, we will follow the Principles for Sustainable Tourism given and stated by the Tourism Concern/WWF.
1.Using resources sustainably:
the conservation and sustainable use of resources – natural, social and cultural – is crucial and makes long-term business sense;
2.Reducing over-consumption and waste:
reduction of over-consumption and waste avoids the costs of restoring long-term environmental damage and contributes to the quality of tourism;
3.Maintaining Diversity:
maintaining and promoting natural, social and cultural diversity is essential for long-term sustainable tourism, and creates a resilient base for the industry;
4.Integrating Tourism into Planning:
tourism development which is integrated into a national and local strategic planning framework and which undertakes environmental impacts assessments, increases the long-term viability of tourism;
5.Supporting Local Economies:
tourism that supports a wide range of local economic activities and which takes environmental costs and values into account, both protects those economies and avoids environmental damage;
6.Involving local communities:
the full involvement of local communities in the tourism sector not only benefits them and the environment in general but also improves the quality of the tourism experience;
7.Consulting Stakeholders and the Public:
consultation between the tourism industry and local communities, organisations and institutions is essential if they are to work alongside each other and resolve potential conflicts of interest;
8.Training Staff:
staff training which integrates sustainable tourism into work practices, along with recruitment of local personnel at all levels, improves the quality of the tourism product;
9.Marketing Tourism Responsibly:
marketing that provides tourists with full and responsible information increases respect for the natural, social and cultural environments of destination areas and enhances customer satisfaction;
10.Undertaking Research:
on-going research and monitoring by the industry using effective data collection and analysis is essential to help solve problems and to bring benefits to destinations, the industry and consumers.