the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.or The Tour Operators’ Initiative: tour operators in action for sustainable development
Jan 10, 2016
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
The Tour Operators’ Initiative:
tour operators in action for sustainable development
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Tour Operators’ role
• Direct the flow of tourists
• Influence the development of destinations
• Influence the supply chain
• Influence customers’ choices and
behaviour
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
The business perspective
Sustainability helps:
• Retain and gain clients
• Increase revenue
• Reduce costs and improve operational efficiency
• Manage risks
• Enhance staff performance
• Protect the core assets of the business (Environment
and Culture)
• Enhance brand value and reputation
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Linking sustainability to a sound business
Actions to integrate environmental, social
and economic principles can be taken in:
• Internal Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Product Management and Development
• Customer Relations
• Co-operation with destinations
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Linking sustainability to a sound
business :
some examples
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Formalised company commitment to
environmental, social and economic
sustainability
• Key elements: Mission Statement and Code of
Practice
• Creation of a responsible tourism manager
position
• Responsible tourism seminars for Exodus’ staff
Exodus: Development of a Responsible Tourism Policy
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Public report on environmental
actions and results:
– Based on GRI Sustainability
Reporting Guidelines and
Performance Indicators
– Two main sections: management
statements and actions areas
– Information about company’s goals
for the coming year
– Key financial figures, glossary, TOI
statement
Hotelplan: Environmental Reporting
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Hotel contracts with minimum environmental criteria
• Classification system for company’s hotels and
holiday apartments, based on:
– performance on 35 sustainability measures (e.g. waste
management)
– 100-point scale
– four level of hotel classification (minimum level - three star)
Aurinkomatkat-Suntours: Green Contracting for Hotels
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Development of the manual ‘The
Environmentally Friendly Holiday
Hotel’ in five languages
• Addressed topics include drinking
water, outside areas, energy,
purchasing, waste and communication
• 15,000 copies distributed in 2002
• Distributed through LTU’s tour
guides, sales agents and destination
agencies
LTU Touristik: Technical Assistance to Contracted
Hotels
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
MyTravel Northern Europe: ‘50 Steps Towards a Good
Environment’• 50 environmental actions hotels
can adopt voluntarily
• 11 categories are targeted (e.g.
cleaning, F&B, purchasing)
• Manual and poster to support
the programme
• Annual ‘MyTravel Environment
Award’ for hotels receiving best
results on customer
questionnaires
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
‘Care for the Environment
Programme’ (Attenzione per
l’Ambiente):
• Opening up a constructive
dialogue on environmental issues
through an an ‘Environmental
Checklist’
• Information collected highlighted
in the catalogues
• Customers’ feedback to monitor
performance
Orizzonti: Green Checklist for Hotels
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Holiday programmes developed
by local organizations to protect
local environment and culture
• Donations generated through
the holiday programme
• Collaboration and partnerships
with 37 NGOs since 1997
DiscoveryInitiatives: Holiday Programmes that Support Local
Development and Conservation
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
• Three objectives:
– Raise consumers’ awareness
– Integrate sustainability into
resorts
– Build partnerships with local
communities
• The Interpreter becomes the
focal point on sustainability
matters internally and externally
Ventaglio: Environmental Interpreter Programme
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Establishement of the
‘Umweltfranken’ (Eco-Fund) to
support projects and activities that
would :
– Actively involve guests and
stakeholders in destinations
– Support integration of social aspects
into Hotelplan’s activities
– Support Hotelplan’s environmental
commitment financially
Hotelplan: An Eco-Fund to Support Sustainability
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Tour Operators’ Initiative
A network of committed tour operators Over twenty tour operators members catering for more than 30 million tourists Open only to tour operators of all sizes and specialities, in bound and out bound from all countries of the world
A partnership between three international organizations
UNEP, UNESCO and WTO/OMT work together to guide and provide assistance to the members UNEP DTIE hosts the Secretariat of the TOI
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Tour Operators’ Initiative
Accor Tours (France)Atlas VoyagesMorocco)Aurinkomatkat-Suntours (Finland)DiscoveryInitiatives (UK)Dynamic Tours (Morocco)Exodus (UK)First Choice (UK and Ireland)FreeWay Adventures (Brazil)G.A.P. Adventures (Canada)Hotelplan (Switzerland)
Orizzonti (Italy)Premier Tours (USA)KEL 12 (Italy)LTU-Touristik (Germany)NSTravel (The Netherlands)Settemari (Italy)Studiosus (Germany)Travel Walji’s PVT (Pakistan)TUI Group (Germany)VASCO Travel (Turkey)Ventaglio (Italy)
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Tour Operators’ Initiative
Launched by UNEP, UNESCO and WTO to:
• Catalyse the actions of committed tour operators
• Provide a neutral platform for dialogue among tour operators and between tour operators and other stakeholders
• Provide guidance and motivation
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
The Objectives
• Assist tour operators in implementing sustainable tourism through the adoption of best practices in their internal operations, in the supply chain and in the destination
• Broaden the support to sustainable development of other players in the tourism sector, including tourists
• Create the critical mass of committed tour operators
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
A Commitment to Sustainable Development
Members of the TOI have signed a Statement of Commitment that includes - among others - commitments to:
• Adopt best practices with regards to environmental, social-cultural and economic impacts of their activities internally and when forming business relationships with partners, suppliers and sub-contractors.
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
A Commitment to Sustainable Development
• Encourage and seek co-operation with all stakeholders at destinations to develop an integrated planning and management of destinations.
• Create awareness and active involvement in their customers towards the natural, social and cultural environments they visit by promoting, in their communication and advertising, behaviors and activities compatible with sustainable development’s principles.
• Develop the principles in their corporate policy, establish measurable goals and report regularly.
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
Working with other organizations
• Contribute in ‘ad hoc’ activities and working groups (WG on Sustainability Reporting, Poverty Alleviation information campaign, internal reports, Side meeting, etc) and Provide funding• Take an active role in shaping the TOI participating as advisor to planning phase and supporting financially activities• The Center for Environmental Leadership in Business at Conservation International and GTZ have actively contributed to the work of the TOI
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
TOI Results achieved
Building partnerships with destinations: • Establishment of a partnership with Side (Turkey) and organizations of workshops to improve the dialogue with stakeholders at destination (April 2002 and May 2003)
• Sustainable Tourism Round Table in Punta Cana/Bayahibe (3-4 December 2003) that led to the development of an agenda and establishment of a Co-ordinating Body
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
TOI Results achieved
Supply Chain Management:• Assessment checklist to identify environmentally and socially responsible marine recreation providers and “Practical guide to good practice for marine recreation providers”
• Handbook identifying actions and tools to integrate sustainability principles in supply chain management, including accommodation suppliers screening indicators
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
TOI Results achieved
• “Practical Guide to good practice for the accommodation sector”, in co-operation with CI/CELB, with best practices for hotels 30.000 copies disseminated by members of the TOI to their contracted hotels•The guide has been now translated in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Turkish
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
TOI Results achieved
Sustainability Reporting:• The Tour Operator’s sector supplement to the GRI 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines
• User’s manual
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
TOI Results achieved
• Workshop on integrating sustainable development into the tour operators’ businesses (Rimini 30 June - 1 July 2001)• Workshop on “Using networks of World Heritage Sites in tour design” (Jakarta, 11-13 September 2002)• Internal reports (coral reef and tourism; communication to customers; ecolabels as a supply chain tool)• Poverty alleviation information campaign• The TOI web site (www.toinitiative.org)
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
“Sustainable Tourism: the Tour operators’ Contribution”
• 32 examples of good practice grouped by tour operator’s business areas
• Examples highlight also benefits to tour operators’ business
at the United Nations Environment Programme-DTIE www.toinitiative.org
For more information:
Giulia CarboneUnited Nations Environment Programme
www.toinitiative.orgwww.uneptie.org/tourism