How Tourism Harms the Environment

How Tourism Harms the Environment

Responsible Tourism in the next decades

It is the biggest challenge all the tourism operators face today and will have to manage in the next decades as well.

To talk about such an important subject we need to separate operators in Accommodation (hotel, motels, holiday parks and camping grounds) and Tour Businesses

Accommodation

Let's use a hotel as an example of accommodation. There are several different ways a hotel can cause harm to the environment.

• Recycling: a careful recycling policy needs to be put in place when the hotel dispose of its garbage. You really don't want to mix food with plastic and wood and metal, etc.
• Power usage: installing a system in all the rooms where all the power is switched on only when the guests arrive in their rooms. And is also switched off when they leave.
• Laundry: we see nowadays in most of the hotels signs asking us to leave the towels on the floor if we wish them to be replaced (washed). This can save a huge amount of power and water. Usually I recommend not asking for new towels if you are staying up to 3 days.

Tour Businesses

A responsible tour operator running tours with different vehicles should always make sure that:

• All the vehicles are services at the due date. This is the only way to make the fleet lasting longer and also to reduce fuel consumption.
• All the tyres pressure are checked before each tour. This can save up to 10% in fuel consumption.
• Proper training is given to the driver/guides so they know how to handle any hazards that may occur during the tours.
• Power usage in the office is also an issue here. Simple things like having the proper lighting can save a huge amount of power in the long run. Other important aspect is the air conditioning, which is frequently ignored for most people. If you close the premisses at 5 pm, turn the air conditioners off by 4:30 pm. It is also really noticeable the amount of power saved during the year, or at least during the summer months.

As we have seen above, small actions can make a big difference while running a business. And there is no doubt that we have a limited offer of resources in our planet and the hospitality industry can play a positive role in improving our lives. Having the proper information and training can help us all having a better environment.

Flavio is a tour operator based in Auckland, New Zealand, and has been providing New Zealand Tours since 2002. Like traveling and taking pictures? Join our forum and talk about your trips. Our NZ tour forum

by Flavio Alvarenga; Sunday, November 6, 2011 @ 08:30 AM [99]

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