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The Case for Responsible Travel:
Trends & Statistics Martha Honey, Ph.D.
Co-Director Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
Keeping the Right Balance: Enhancing Destination Sustainability through
Products, Partnerships, Profitability
CTO: 14th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development Port of Spain, Trinidad
April 15-18, 2013
Global Tourism Milestones
2011: International tourism receipts exceeded one trillion dollars.
2012: More than one billion international travelers.
Tourism industry growth is being matched by growing interest in sustainable travel
Demand for Sustainable or Responsible Travel
CREST meta-analysis finds…
“increasing recognition among both travel professionals and consumers of the importance of responsible travel.”
“strong evidence” that sustainable travel is “good for the economic bottom line.”
www.responsibletravel.org
Demand for Sustainable Travel
Study endorsed by UNWTO and other leading international tourism organizations.
“The tourism sector is embracing responsible tourism not as an option, but as a condition for its continuous growth…”.
--Luigi Cabrini, Director for Sustainable Development, UNWTO
Travel Trends & Statistics
1) Consumer Demand for Sustainable Travel
2) Business Case for Sustainable Travel
3) Destination Case for Sustainable Travel
Travel Trends & Statistics
1) Consumer Demand for Sustainable Tourism
“Green is no longer just a trend. It’s a way of life.” -- Fran Brasseux, Exec Director,
Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International
Consumer Demand
• 66% of consumers globally prefer to buy products and services from companies that have implemented programs to give back to society.
-- Nielson Wire survey, 2012
• 93% of readers said that travel companies should be responsible for protecting the environment.
-- Conde Nast Traveler, 2011
‘Green Travel’ Gains Momentum
• 71% of TripAdvisor members say they plan to
make more eco-friendly choices in the coming
year, up from 65% last year. -- TripAdvisor, 2012
Consumer Trends Favoring Sustainable Travel
• Emergence of experiential tourism
• Search for fulfillment
• Demand for authenticity
• Urbanization and need to connect with nature
• Togetherness
Sustainable travelers = high value travelers
Travel Trends & Statistics
2) Business Case for Sustainable Travel
“One thing is for sure – travel companies and services are all beefing up their eco-credentials in order to attract the rising number of customers seeking a ‘green experience.’”
- Jason Halal, Manager, Sierra Club Outings
Business Case for Sustainable Travel
• Companies that adopted environmental, social, and governance policies in the 1990s outperformed those that did not. “Adoption of these policies …reflect substantive changes in business processes.”
--Harvard Business School study, 2011
Business Case for Sustainaable Travel
• 51% of meeting planners will hold meetings only in sustainable venues.
-- JW Marriott Denver, 2010
• 84% of those in marketing and PR see ‘green’ credentials as increasingly important.
-- The Travel Foundation & Forum for the Future, 2012
Willard Hotel, Washington, DC
2009 CondeNast Traveler World Savers award 100% wind power, composting, recycling
Major ‘greening’ of premises & operations
Green chemicals for in-house laundry
Guests asked at check-in to contribute to projects Water wells in S Africa & S Dakota
Habitat for Humanity
Clean up of Anacostia river
Clean up of park in front of hotel
2009: $700,000 in new business from meeting planners & guest because of green practices
Going green is good for business…
Greening the travel industry
Ski resorts
Hotels & resorts Golf Courses Cruises
Beaches Convention Centers
Airlines
New Senior Positions Created for Sustainability
Fairmont Marriott IHG Kimpton Accor Hilton TUI Vail Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Virgin Banyan Tree Six Senses Punta Cana
Travel Trends & Statistics
3) Destination Case for Sustainable Travel
“If the product – our destinations – aren’t protected in environmental and social terms, then people won’t want to vist them. It is as simple as that.”
-- John De Vial, Financial Protection, ABTA
Sustainable Destinations: International Initiatives
Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC)
Ashland, Washington
Guanajuato, Mexico
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Coastal Fjords, Norway
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Wachau Valley, Austria
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Northeast Kingdom, Vermont
Grenada, West Indies
Geotourism
Sustainable Destinations
• 30% of travelers chose a destination for a trip because it is considered eco-friendly.
• Costa Rica is the most popular destination in the world for travelers interested in an eco-friendly trip.
-- TripAdvisor, 2012
Costa Rica’s Ecotourism/Sustainable Tourism Model
Home grown & grew quickly 1987 – 1992
Built largely on local assets, not foreign investment
Nature based: near parks or private reserves Spread throughout country
Locally owned: Costa Ricans or foreign residents Many have strong social &
environmental ethics
Earnings remained in country
Responsive to market trends and sustainable practices. Remained remarkably strong
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Financial Success of
Costa Rica’s Ecotourism “Model”
In 2 decades: Arrivals increased 7 times Receipts increased 14 times Costa Rica doubled its earnings/tourist
By mid-1990s, ecotourism = top foreign exchange earner
Costa Rica
Costa Rica's Tourism Growth
Year 1986 1990 1995 2000 2007
Arrivals (thousands) 261 435 792 1,088 1,980
Gross receipts (millions
US$) $133 $275 $718 $1,229 $1,895
Pacific Coast Rapid Growth of Other Types of Tourism:
Cruise, Resort & “Residential” Tourism
Distinct history, trajectory, & impact
Guanacaste’s “Gold
Coast”: ~100 coastal
resorts served by
Liberia airport.
JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort
Villa Buena Onda
Los Altos de Eros
Four Seasons
Paradisus
Sol Papagayo Resort Fiesta Premier Resort & Spa
Flamingo Beach Resort Guanacaste
Hotel Riu Guanacaste
Allegro Papagayo
Barcelo Langosta
Liberia Airport
By 2008, 65% of
Liberia airport arrivals
staying in all-inclusive
5-star resorts.
Since 2002
Growth of Brands and All-Inclusive Resorts
Golf Courses
Golf courses considered necessary for all-inclusive resorts.
Serious environmental impacts, consumes daily as much water as a
village of 10,000 people. 2% of tourists to Costa Rica play
golf. Condominiums next to golf courses
sell for 20% more. Real purpose: real estate
speculation. …. & marketed as ‘eco’!
Contrasting Profiles of Tourists (Based on Government Airport Surveys)
Tourists Liberia airport (resort tourism)
San Jose airport (ecotourism)
From U.S. 80% 51%
Visit North Pacific Coast (88%)
2 or more locations
Beach & Sun 96% 57%
Visit national park 41% 53%
Length of stay 9 nights 13 nights
Conclusion:
Ecotourists are higher value tourists
Cruise vs. Overnight Tourism in Costa Rica
Arrivals: Cruise Ship visitors: 280,017 Overnight visitors: 1,659,165
6 times more
Daily spending per tourist: Cruise passenger: $55 Overnight visitors: $120
More than double
Total spending for visit: Cruise passenger: $55 Overnight visitors: $1000
18 times more
Contribution to local economy: Cruise Ships tourism: $18.9 million Overnight tourism: $2.1 billion
111 times more
Conclusion: Government should not increase cruise tourism
Tapping into the Sustainable Travel Market: Recommendations for Policy Makers
Key Recommendations
o Build high value, rather than high volume tourism. o Target socially/environmentally aware consumers &
European as well as American market. o Center on local assets, not foreign imports: create linkages,
reduce leakages. o De-emphasize all-inclusive resort, vacation home & cruise
ship tourism. o Provide incentives to innovative ‘green’ developers and
investors. o Incorporate international best practices for sustainability.
Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)
Websites: www.responsibletravel.org
www.travelersphilanthropy.org www.crestconference.org
Email: [email protected]
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Suite 300 East Tower Washington, DC 20005
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