2011 sts marketing college travel green presentation part 1

2011 STS Marketing College

Doug Arbogast and Carl Thompson

Travel Green Appalachia

Fayetteville, WV

Travel Green 101

Part 1:

• Green Travel and Certification

• Destination Stewardship

Part 2:

• The Market for Sustainable Destinations

• Developing a Strategy for Destination Stewardship

West Virginia is located within a 250-mile radius of several major metropolitan markets and within 500 miles of more than 60% of the United States population. Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Charlotte all are within a day’s drive.

6

The Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources (RPTR) Program at

West Virginia University is a recognized leader in training the future

managers of recreation, park, and tourism areas and organizations in

America and internationally.

Learning, travel, and yet more travel

Alexander von Humboldt

International Tourist Arrivals Worldwide (million) (1990-2004)Source: World Tourism Organization (WTO)©

Multiply by five for rough estimate of in-country trips

458 464

503

519

550565

597611

635

652

697 693

715

691

760

800

846

898

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

International Tourist Arrivals Worldwide (million) (1990-2008+)Source: World Tourism Organization (WTO)©

Multiply by five for rough estimate of in-country trips

458 464

503

519

550565

597611

635

652

697 693

715

691

760

800

846

903 904

880

900

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Gulf War

9/11 attacks

Tech bubble bursts

Millennium travel spike

Tourism growth goes on. . .

SARS & Iraq War

Credit -crisis collapse

Recovery?

Tourism = >10% of global GDP

and 200 million jobs worldwide

Tourism = 5 percent of global CO2 emissions

more than the emissions produced by billions of people

living and working for one year in big industrialized

countries or emerging economies

What is green travel?

According to the 2007 Travel Industry of America Research

Report

Travelers are becoming more sustainability-conscious

and are beginning to make decisions based on

sustainability criteria.

According to a 2009 Cone Consumer Environmental

Survey

Despite the state of the economy, 34 percent of

American consumers indicate they are more likely to

buy environmentally responsible products today.

According to a 2009 Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social

Marketing study

Consumers are verifying green claims by reading the

packaging (24%) and turning to research (going

online, reading studies 47%).

Greenwashing?

• Greenwash (a portmanteau of green and whitewash) is a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.[1]

• The term is generally used when significantly more money or time has been spent advertising being green (that is, operating with consideration for the environment), rather than spending resources on environmentally sound practices.

Source: Wikipedia

The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations

says that “Sustainable tourism, like a doctor's code of ethics,

means "First, do no harm." It is the foundation for destination

stewardship. Sustainable tourism protects its product-the

destination. It avoids the "loved to death" syndrome by

anticipating development pressures and applying limits and

management techniques that preserve natural habitats, heritage

sites, scenic appeal, and local culture. It conserves resources.

Environmentally aware travelers patronize businesses that reduce

pollution, waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping

chemicals, and excessive nighttime lighting. It respects local

culture and tradition. Foreign visitors learn local etiquette,

including at least a few courtesy words in the local language.

Residents learn how to deal with foreign expectations that may

differ from their own. It aims for quality, not quantity. Destinations

measure tourism success not just by numbers of visitors, but by

length of stay, how they spend their money, and the quality of their

experience.‖

Green Travel Performance Indicators

One study estimated that

a single transatlantic return flight emits

roughly half the CO2 emissions produced by

all other sources (lighting, heating, car use,

etc.) consumed by an average person

yearly.

Source: UN Atlas of the Oceans – Air Travel Pollution

1 Go through each Inventory and

answer ―Yes‖ or ―No‖ to each question

2 If you answer ―Yes‖, then select a % range from a dropdown

list

© enviroIndex. All rights reserved. 2010

1 Use the Calculator to input the type and quantity used

2 An estimate of the amount of greenhouse gas will be provided

3 All quantities can be converted to a common unit of measure

© enviroIndex. All rights reserved. 2010

1 Use the Calculator to input the type and quantity produced

2 Use the Calculator to input the type and quantity recycled

© enviroIndex. All rights reserved. 2010

Who can participate?

• Accommodation

• Convention Center

• Event

• Restaurant

• Tour Operator (Guide)

• Visitor Center

• Etc.

Additional Components to Consider

Who’s Gonna Manage and Administer?

Cost

Site Assessment (Third Party verification)

Second party verification

itravelgreen® West Virginia provides:

1. a comprehensive system for assessing and improving the

triple-bottom line of travel and tourism providers, and

2. brand recognition as a sustainable travel and tourism

organization.

Performance Indicators

• Communication

• Energy Saving

• Water Saving

• Waste Reduction

• Local Involvement

• Purchasing

• Transportation

• Natural Environment

• Built Environment

• Sustainability Policy

Also Consider

• Percentage Inventories

• Measuring Consumption

• How to Report

• Who Can Participate

• Branding

• Marketing

• Management

• Cost

• Second Party Verification

• Site Assessment

Being greener is a start.

Quality of place completes the appeal.

DESTINATION TOURISM STYLES

DIFFER IN RELATION TO PLACE

Touring R & R Entertainment

Touring-style tourism

Relies on human and physical character of place.

ACTIVITIES

• sightseeing

• history

• nature

• scenery

• hiking / Nordic skiing

• local shopping

• typical cuisine

• photography

• culture & festivals

CHARACTERISTICS

• Diffuse impact

• Supports small businesses

• Requires protecting nature

and heritage

• Needs architecture,

landscapes, culture unique to

the locale.

R & R tourism Depends only on physical character of place.

ACTIVITIES

• coastal resorts

• golf

• downhill skiing

• water sports

• vacation homes

CHARACTERISTICS

• Risk of sprawl

• Environmental impacts

• Opportunity for architecture,

landscaping, cuisine, day tours,

that suit the locale.

Entertainment-style tourism Manufactured attractions that do not depend

on character of place.

ACTIVITIES

• theme parks

• outlet malls

• amusement parks

• convention centers

• sports arenas

• casinos

CHARACTERISTICS

• Changes nature of locale;

high impact.

• High employment generator.

• Mass tourism; high traffic.

―Tourism is like fire,‖ goes a saying.

―It can cook your food.

It can burn your house down.‖

DESTINATION STYLE DRIFT . . .

if development unchecked, unguided

Touring R & REntertain-

ment

Unspoiled

destination

SPOILED ?

Tourism and sustainability

UNSUSTAINABLE

TOURISM

GEOTOURISM:

Now, celebrate

the place

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM:

First,do no harm

people, profit, planet

Chain hotels,

resorts, malls, etc

• Overcrowding

• Lower quality of experience

• Loss of distinctiveness

• Erosion of culture and

environment

Geotourism What More and More People Want From Travel

Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical characterof a place — its

• environment, • culture, • aesthetics, • heritage, and • the well-being of its residents.

?? Some hotel, somewhere

CONSTRUCTIVE

RESTORATIVE

School project:

What you like

most about

Block Island?

The Geotourism Charter

A set of principles to

promote sustainable

tourism and enlightened

destination stewardship.

1. Integrity of place

2. International codes

3. Market selectivity

4. Market diversity

5. Tourist enthusiasm

6. Community involvement

7. Community benefit

8. Protection and enhancement of

destination appeal

9. Land use

10. Conservation of resources

11. Planning

12. Interactive interpretation

13. Evaluation