ITB Berlin bills itself as the world’s leading travel show. It’s a behemoth of an event, jaw-dropping in its scope of more than 100,000 visitors to more than 10,000 exhibitors’ stands over the course of five days (March 7-11). True to something so generously expansive, and given the assembled brain trust, in parallel with the displays ITB Berlin packs in an impressive three-day program of convention seminars covering major cross-cutting qualities of the industry.
Two key subject areas this year were sustainability and responsibility in tourism.
Lest you think my responsible-travel appeal from earlier this month was a fringe consideration, ITB Berlin went so far as to recognise “responsible trade, sustainability and environmental awareness” as more than just trendy topics. Acknowledging them as “social imperatives and pre-conditions for long-term economic success and competitive ability,” ITB actually devoted 18 of the official program’s 52 pages to its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Event, and for the fourth year in a row brought together representatives from business and politics to discuss best practices in and the economic prospects for sustainable tourism.
One of the CSR Day sessions that drew a very large crowd examined whether there are too many sustainable tourism certification programs. (Without wading too far into the debate, the outcome seemed to be that yes, the jungle of labels is thick, but that’s not the problem; what’s really at issue is whether anyone understands the labels and whether they advance the sustainable tourism cause.)
“Eighty-six percent of consumers do not believe in self-claims” about sustainabilityOne key takeaway was information shared by Ms Erika Harms, Executive Director of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, about the United Nations–affiliated Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria – “an effort to come to a common understanding of sustainable tourism.”
“Eighty-six percent of consumers do not believe in self-claims” about sustainability (hotels that claim they’re green), remarked Ms Harms, so third-party labels are needed to confirm it. And now, faced with the proliferation of standards, one has usefully emerged against which all others can be measured.
Why should this be important to you?
Chris Doyle, Executive Director (Europe) of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Editor of AdventureTravelNews™ and host of ITB CSR Day, told me:
No matter how many certification schemes there are in the world, they are rendered useless unless the traveller understands what they are. What we hope for is that travel journalists will seek to understand what it all means and then be the front line of communication to the traveller. I think that travel journalists who don’t invest time and energy into understanding the principles of responsible travel are irresponsible. The media ought to step up a level to where responsible travel is central to the way in which they communicate to their readers.
Although you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the excessive under representation of responsible and sustainable in the exhibitors’ stands at ITB Berlin, “Sustainability has become mainstream,” says the introduction to the certification programs session.
Now, if scores of the industry’s leading practitioners have taken it so much to heart, and there’s a global effort to strive for transparency in green certification in tourism, isn’t it time you took interest too?
Feature Image: Gap089
Post Revisions:
- 3 April, 2012 @ 5:36 [Current Revision] by Ethan Gelber
- 10 March, 2012 @ 10:38 by John O'Nolan
An understandable certification scheme is essential. Some hotel chains have released the average carbon footprints of their rooms. I’d love to see a label similar to those used on electrical appliances or for that matter this apartment in Chamonix (Cat C for CO2). Not the be all end all. Eco food labelling is also appearing in France.
It will be difficult for big luxury suites to secure low C02 footprints, giving the budget sector a marketing opportunity that they don’t appear to be taking. Is it because hotel chains are comprised both luxury and budget brands?
If we, as consumers have the information to hand when booking our travel we can have some control over our ecological footprints. Very pleased that progress is being chased on this issue.
But it’s also important for people to understand that “sustainability” isn’t JUST about “being green.” That part of sustainability – the eco-friendly part – definitely has become mainstream, to the point where it barely even means anything anymore. But true sustainability consists of 3 parts: the environmental part, but also the economic part, and the socio-cultural part. Tourism can only truly be “sustainable” and “responsible” when it incorporates all 3 aspects.
Amanda, very true. Ecological sustainability is one of the three parts addressed by CSR policies. I’d still like to see an understandable, meaningful, open sharing of the ecological part as a first step. If we degrade the planetary life support systems too much, then economic and socio-cultural considerations will be forced to take a back seat. Even when scores for all three components are readily available, consumers will likely as not sometimes have to choose which ones are most important to them as individuals. Not all organisations will score well on all three of the pillars, but a common measurement system will drive improvements in all sectors.
A number of NGO’s do produce guides covering all three aspects of sustainability. Mountain Riders produces guides on all ski resorts, ski equipment and clothing. I have seen league tables for cruise liners. Ethical Consumer also produces guides. Companies do publish their CSR Reports with their annual accounts. They make interesting reading. I wonder how many other travel writers read them though?
A common measurement system and an independent organisation set up with the travel industry’s support would really make a difference.
I think it will be a log time before travellers recognise certification brands in the sustainability space and seek them out. Two reasons;
First, voluntary certification for sustainability in tourism (versus mandatory certification in areas like food safety, electrical safety, health, aviation, etc) will not easily lend itself to harmonisation. Countries, regions and large companies will all try to shape their sustainability efforts to build competitive advantage and support their own brands. They may well leverage many of the elements of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria in their programs, but they will shape and brand programs in their own way and internal auditors or third party certifiers will audit accordingly. These big players in tourism (big buyers / distributors like TUI, AMEX, Airlines, Cruise Lines etc.) are where we can expect to see the best short to medium term gains in sustainability uptake, as they mandate compliance by suppliers, however I don’t think this will necessarily lead to a global harmonisation behind one scheme or label.
Second, experience in other industries has not shown high levels of consumer awareness of either accredited schemes or of certification company brands….even where the schemes are mandatory ones operating under global standards. The marks or labels attaching to products and services are secondary branding at best (often overshadowed by the brand of the certification agency), and are not top of mind for most consumers.
Since I did not attend ITB in Berlin and since the sessions from the event were not livestreamed, it’s difficult to know what to think of such meetings. That we should once again recognize that travelers do not recognize the multitude of certification schemes makes it clear that the wheel can be re-invented a million times over.
I would give both ITB and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria a failing grade. We can do much better.
What I would propose is a rating scheme for the rating schemes — which ones are the most transparent, which involve involve locals, which help the small and medium-sized businesses (the majority of tourism enterprises and those rarely present at large trade events) and which deliver useful info to the visitor.
Also, I would propose an award for best documentation of responsible tourism and sustainable development initiatives from regional and country tourism portals. Many countries have great examples of locally owned tourism businesses applying environmental and cultural conservation measures, but you’ll never learn about them from the official tourism portals.
As to events, I say we (bloggers, tourism professionals, speakers, participants) demand free wifi and livestreaming at events. Otherwise we are having closed door discussions instead of engaging events.
I think that part of the problem in “defining sustainability” is that it’s too broad to capture in one blanket statement, and doing so could actually hinder progress, or run counter to it. A general definition would gloss over far too many region, city or even village specifics. Environmentally, for example, what is considered sustainable in the Pantanal of Brazil is far different from what is considered sustainable in the Nevada desert. Adding in another wrench of complication, what a large-scale government organization (or other funding organization that is millions of miles away) might consider to be sustainable in that Nevada desert could be completely different from how local residents conceptualize, understand and define sustainability. Coming up with a general statement of what sustainability is has the potential to gloss over these localized differences. And an understanding of what is necessary – locally – to reach sustainability is probably the best way to achieve it. Along these lines, I think the Chris Doyle quote is incredibly pertinent – it is up to travel writers to hone in on local situations so as to pinpoint how sustainability is defined within that particularly community (by the people directly affected by it) and to bring that knowledge to the awareness of the wider community of outsiders who travel there.
i was at the ITB and kudos to the authorities for backing sustainable travel at all levels. like any other branch of businesses this too requires a third party certification ,but then who will do it? will it be an honest platform?also small operators may get sidelined. the best is we leave this for the travelers themselves to judge. maybe like trip advisor we can have one community/page where feedbacks can be posted on via the website.
El tema de la sostenibilidad es que es un concepto “paraguas” como el de “turismo”. La clave está en el desarrollo sostenible que es la materialización de la sostenibilidad.
El problema no es que haya muchas certificaciones, es como entienden el desarrollo sostenible los que deben aplicarlo. Siempre es un tema de EDUCACIÓN Y FORMACIÓN a todos los niveles. Dentro de la tipología de empresas/actividades turísticas certificadas hay clientes no saben el significado real y la mayoría del personal tampoco de la certificación que figura en un cuadro.Eso no quiere decir que no haya excepciones y hay empresas que estén haciendo un esfuerzo por transmitir la sostenibilidad.
Lo verdaderamente importante no es la certificación sino la FORMACIÓN y que todos los implicados reconozcan como les afecta a ellos y a su entorno y como deben aplicar el desarrollo sostenible en su trabajo.
La sostenibilidad es el nuevo paradigma del siglo XXI y solo hace falta hacer una visualización de lo que sucede en el mundo para afirmar que todavía somos “muy insostenibles”. Un ejemplo fue ayer con el DÍA MUNDIAL DEL AGUA.
Hi Jesus, Ok, you clearly have a point to make. This one time I’m going to dump the Google translation here, so that others can judge. But this is an English language site and we don’t have an auto-translate app, so I’d appreciate it if you could stick to English from here on :)
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The issue of sustainability is that it is an “umbrella” concept as “tourism”. The key is sustainable development is the realization of sustainability.
The problem is not that there are many certifications, is like understanding of sustainable development which should apply. It is always a matter of education and training at all levels. Within the type of business / tourism is certified clients do not know the real meaning and most of the staff nor the certification contained in a cuadro.Eso not mean that no exceptions and there are companies who are making an effort to transfer sustainability.
What is really important but not the certification training and that all involved recognize how it affects them and their environment and how they should implement sustainable development in their work.
Sustainability is the new paradigm of the century and just need to make a display of what happens in the world to affirm that we are still “very unsustainable.” One example was yesterday WORLD WATER DAY