Sustainability: our planet deserves more than half measures
When it comes to addressing climate change it matters to everybody and we will all have to step it up, including all those involved in tourism.
Tourism is a global industry that has numerous stakeholders existing in separate factions, divided in operations and not within any accepted international framework. Consequently, with no single stakeholder ‘owning’ tourism, it is difficult to attribute responsibility to stakeholders. If, however, the means to bring these stakeholders together exists, the challenge can be shared and mutually beneficial solutions can be created.
In Hotel construction, the designers and some management companies have taken sustainability seriously, and that’s a good thing. However, getting owners and contractors to go green is proving tough. While they are all seemingly green, greed quickly changes that greenness to the colour of money.
Against this backdrop, sustainable tourism projects, particularly those that invade pristine areas become a challenge. In most cases, it is only after the project is completed that ‘sustainability’ or any mention of it creeps in, where the mantle falls squarely on the operator. Let’s face it, after the project developer has razed all the trees in the forest to clear the land for construction; expecting the hotel operator to minimise the use of soap and detergents, not change the linen often or discontinue with single-use plastics is relatively marginal. Unless, the key players, starting from regulators, owners, designers and operators believe in ‘true’ sustainability from the very outset – little will be accomplished.
Sri Lanka is faced with haphazard deforestation which is rapidly posing a threat to the fertile flora and fauna habits. Its looming environmental fate can be halted only by government intervention, grassroots efforts and empowered ecotourism – where recovering forest cover, implementing green incentives, and an evolving model involving eco-conscious tourism is firmly in place, to benefit both conservation and the economy.
Then, at the destination level, there is the challenge of creating and maintain robust partnerships between businesses, communities and the different agencies of government – where astute political skills are needed to identify, agree and stick to agreed solutions. When there are required changes, they are done by engaging all the partners.
Sustainable tourism, especially in the Asian region is still a new concept and not well understood. At the heart of the issue is the complexity of how experiences are interlocked, with contributions from public and private stakeholders; from regulatory bodies and immigration to airlines, to tour operators, taxi drivers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and guides – who of whom, play a role, with their own interests at heart. And, not all those who provide these services, even many visitors too, fail to realize that sustainable tourism requires a different perspective on vacationing.
Part of sustainable tourism needs to be tourists really connecting to the local environment – not just walking or driving around in a cocoon, but attempting to understand what life is like on the ground, and then how one’s presence influences the people or animals that live there all the time.
Shafeek Wahab – Editor, Hospitality Sri Lanka, Consultant, Trainer, Ex-Hotelier
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