Trends

Cashing in on Green Travel

Don Birch

Years of hampered economic development in many Asian countries, often the result of wars or political conflict, may yet prove to be the Asian travel industry's 'secret weapon' when it comes to competing in the rapidly growing 'green traveller' market according to Asia-Pacific's leading travel facilitator, Abacus International.

With the World Tourism Organisation indicating that eco-tourism is currently growing at three times the rate of the mainstream travel market, Don Birch, President and CEO of Abacus International says green travel is an opportunity where Asia has both geography and history on its side, but the travel industry itself can do more to capitalise on these assets.

"Asia's vast, dispersed and often mountainous or coastal terrain, combined with its unique flora and fauna and uneven pattern of development caused by previous social conflict, has created a legacy of natural environments hugely appealing to the growing tribe of travellers seeking out 'green' experiences," says Birch.

"With offerings such as Laos, Northern Thailand, Sarawak and Sabah, Nepal, Myanmar, Kerala in India, and hundreds of unique locations across the archipelagos of Philippines and Indonesia, Asia is sitting on a 'green-mine' of natural and cultural resources that will prove to be a magnet for green travellers for years to come," Birch said, adding that China also offered a huge diversity of natural experiences, although less well-known than its big city experiences.

Many of Asia's smartest travel providers are already alert to the opportunities in green travel as well as the over-arching trend towards more sustainable travel. A growing network of self-styled, eco-tourism enterprises is springing up across the region, from boutique low-impact resorts of a few bungalows, to the adoption of sophisticated global environmental accreditation programmes by major resorts. More than 110 Asia-Oceania hotel, resort and visitor complexes are now accredited or benchmarked by 'Green Globe', the world-wide certification programme for the travel and tourism industry. By design many of these are, located in areas of outstanding natural value such as Coco Palm Dhanikohu on Baa Atoll in the Maldives, the Conrad and InterContinental hotels in Bali and Cross Waters Eco-Lodge and Spa in Guangdong, China.

The PATA and Visa International Asia Travel Intentions Survey 2007 found that almost nine out of 10 survey respondents said that they would prefer to choose tourism products that showed concern about the impact tourism had on local cultures and customs and took measures to protect the natural environment. Globally, research by the Centre on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD), Working Paper No 104, April 2005, Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism, provides a host of supporting studies about consumer preferences for green and responsible tourism. However, translating these consumer preferences to put a direct economic value on the 'green market' is as yet an imprecise science with relatively few economic studies on the size and scope of this market according to Birch.

The green traveller

Who are today's 'green' travellers and what does it mean to 'travel green'? Birch says, "Green travellers and their cousins - the eco- and ethno-tourists - are a departure from the more familiar ‘buy-and-bye’ model of mass tourism in that they often travel with the objective of enhancing the livelihoods and environments of local communities. Their travel philosophy is founded on respect - for the environment, the culture and the community. This motivates travel choices in favour of resorts and travel service providers that employ locals and provide opportunities for volunteering and social investment."

"Besides being socially responsible, green travellers are also more interested in the authenticity of their travel experience. By living with local communities, respecting and even engaging in their daily activities, this approach to travel offers another glimpse into a different culture, one that is usually not captured in glossy travel brochures or magazines," Birch added.

Pushy, passionate and proactive

Many green travellers are people on a mission, and it is not just a mission to catch the ultimate nature or adventure buzz says Birch. "The truly green traveller is one of the best informed travellers on earth, often utilising peer-to-peer communications to seek out and verify the green credentials of all the vendors in the travel supply-chain; from the travel agent to the transport provider, accommodation, guides and visitor experiences," he says.

They are joined in this advocacy role by the many specialist tour operators targeting green consumers. "These operators are more likely to set and publicise responsible policies because superior environment performance can translate to a branding and pricing advantage," Birch says.

Customers navigating the 'green traveller' universe are constantly invited to 'make a difference'; whether it is publicly signing the Friends of World Heritage 'I am a responsible traveller' pledge, applying to buy carbon emission offset credits via their travel agency or being encouraged to lobby hotels for more recycling.

"The disposition of green travellers to express their needs and demand 'greener' delivery of the experience in everything from paperless tickets to fuel-efficient transport, and energy conservation in hotels, actually means that green travellers play a vital 'canary in the coal-mine' function for the travel industry at a time it faces increased scrutiny from the climate and environment lobby," Birch said.

"Today's marginal 'green travellers' are harbingers of the concerns of the mainstream traveller of tomorrow. In the future, greener travel will not be considered an option but rather a requirement for a large percentage of the market, meaning green travellers have a strategic value well beyond their contribution to tourism receipts," said Birch.

This advocacy role by the green travellers and the specialist travel suppliers servicing them is particularly valuable in Asia, where, Birch says, awareness of environmental issues generally lags that of Western economies. The air transport industry in particular has yet to receive the same scrutiny as it does in the West where the environmental impact of the air transport industry, and flying habits of some high-profile celebrities have become the focus of climate change debate.

Part of a bigger picture

Environmental awareness in Asia's travel industry is likely to be consumer-led says Birch, with regulators chiming in to reflect the concerns of consumers. "In due course, sustainability will emerge as a significant challenge for Asia's travel industry, with the concerns of consumers and regulators shaping up as a key influence on future growth as Asia moves toward becoming the largest aviation market in the world over the next three years.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts Asia's passenger volumes to grow at an annual rate of six per cent until 2010, by which time flights to, from and within the region will be a third of the global total, making it the largest single block of air traffic.

"With growing public awareness of climate change and the environmental impacts of our actions, travel is being seen in a whole new light as potential travellers begin to balance the responsibility of sustainability with lifestyle (travel) expectations." According to an April 2007 report released by the Pacific Asian Travel Association (PATA), 28 per cent of travellers have already made changes to the way they travel in order to minimise any impact on the environment.

"The region's travel industry needs to address these opportunities by ‘greening up’ its act, by leveraging innovative technologies and collaborating with local communities and interest groups to offer travel products and services geared towards the 'green' traveller," Birch said. "We have a responsibility to join the process."

He added, "Governments and industry associations have already begun taking the lead in addressing sustainability issues in the industry. Forums such as the 7th Global Travel and Tourism Summit organised by the World Travel and Tourism Council is just what we need to discuss, ask questions and develop solutions."

Airlines and airports, led by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have set themselves the target of achieving 25 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency by 2020, and to improve the efficiency of global air traffic management systems, estimating that every minute of reduced flight time saves 62 litres of fuel and 160 kg of carbon emissions. IATA estimates that the current investments in new aircraft are expected to drive a 25 per cent improvement in global fuel efficiency by 2020.

The rise of the green traveller is also spawning a new industry of science and heritage consultants, architects and advisors involved in the 'greening' of hotels, resorts and visitor experiences and a plethora of international agencies such as The International Ecotourism Society (ecotourism.org), international conferences such as World Travel and Tourism's 7th Annual Congress and special bulletins for green travellers such as Malaysia-based Wild Asia which boasts a 10,000 strong subscription list. Award programmes such as Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Award are also lifting awareness of the green segment and sustainability generally within the industry.

The Lao National Tourism Administration holds annual Ecotourism Forums to promote ecotourism services and products available in the Mekong region as well as to create opportunities for networking and knowledge-sharing between the government, travel service providers and local communities.

Beyond boundaries

The concept of travelling green is interchangeably used with terms such as 'eco-tourism', 'responsible tourism' and 'sustainable tourism'. Semantic differences aside, the bottom-line in the issue is that everyone in the industry needs to play a part.

"Definitions are merely arbitrary markers defining different aspects of the same issue. The key challenge for the industry going forward is recognising the opportunity for greening of the industry and the commensurate threat if these initial market signals are not heeded. We are already seeing much more dialogue and awareness within the industry bringing together different sectors of Asia's travel industry to talk about the issue," Birch said.

He concluded, "The building blocks are already in place for Asia's travel players to capitalise on the region's travel boom to cater to this travel segment and also evolve the industry, as a whole, in more sustainable directions. The travel and tourism industry has traditionally been a major catalyst of economic growth and alongside growth we have the responsibility to ensure that we continue to build and not damage the communities that we develop."