Sustainable Tourism News
WTM London’s Sustainability Track to Spotlight Regenerative Tourism
For the very first time, World Travel Market is placing Regenerative Tourism at the forefront of its Sustainability Summit, taking place at Excel London on Wednesday 6 November 2024. Overseen by the show’s sustainability advisor Tina O’Dwyer, a leading expert in sustainable tourism and driving impactful campaigns, the three-hour Summit will focus on the core theme of using travel as a force for good, coinciding with the show’s overarching theme of ‘TravelPower’.
Amid Climate Uncertainty, the Imperative for Sustainable Travel Grows
As climate change intensifies, sustainable travel emerges as a critical strategy in addressing the crisis. With the travel and tourism industry contributing 8% of global carbon emissions, travelers have an undeniable opportunity to influence the future of our planet by fostering community consciousness, ecological conservation, and economic resilience. "Hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts are ravaging the globe and the urgency for collective action on climate change has never been greater," emphasizes Joy Martinello, founder of Wild Nectar Immersive Travel Collection.
THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN SUSTAINABILITY IS BEING SHAPED AT ECOMONDO
Europe is gearing up to meet the dual challenge of the green transition: training a new generation of skilled professionals in the green sector while introducing innovative technologies at the same time to ensure truly sustainable development.
Finnair’s science-based climate target sets the company on an ambitious path to reduce its carbon em
Finnair has redefined its climate commitments and set a new science-based target to reduce its carbon emissions intensity (CO2e/RTK) by 34.5 % by 2033 from a 2023 baseline. The target, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), equates to a reduction of approximately 13% in absolute CO2e emissions, using the parameters that have been established for the period.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES LAUNCHES NEW INFLIGHT CUP AND STIR STICK
Southwest Airlines Co. introduced a new bamboo cup for inflight cold beverages and a wood stir stick with the carrier's iconic Heart branding. Both the new cup and stir stick are part of the carrier's ongoing work toward its goal to eliminate, where feasible, single-use plastics from inflight service by 20301.
Indianapolis Zoo Grants $1 Million to Save Critically Endangered Blue-throated Hummingbird
The Indianapolis Zoo has awarded a $1 million grant to Ecuadorian conservation group Fundación Jocotoco to save a newly discovered hummingbird from the brink of extinction. The Indianapolis Zoo created the $1 million Saving Species Challenge with the specific goal of saving a single species from extinction. The blue-throated starfish rescue plan was chosen by a panel of international animal conservation experts. A total of 52 submissions were received from 46 countries.
Sandals Resorts Reveals Key Trends and Takeaways in All-Inclusive Space
Last week, over 1,000 travel advisors, industry partners, dignitaries, government officials, and resort executives gathered in Jamaica to explore the island's tourism offerings through the lens of the Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts brands. A dynamic one-day Jamaica Love Showcase, hosted by Executive Chairman Adam Stewart and featuring keynote speaker Dr. The Most Honorable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, showcased valuable insights and emerging trends showcasing the future of travel to Jamaica and the Caribbean at large. Attendees explored new sustainability practices, innovative culinary concepts enhancing the all-inclusive experience, product advancements, and the link between high employee engagement and exceptional guest satisfaction.
Gibraltar's Net Zero Delivery Board Identifies Areas to Achieve Improvements
The Gibraltar Net Zero Delivery Board, attended by three members of cabinet together with senior officials from across Government, has agreed short term targets in areas where improvement to reach net zero targets can be achieved in the shortest time. Following an update from external consultants Ricardo on the review of the 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Results, manageable emissions have been broken down by sector.
NEW Sustainability Survey by Premier Inn Middle East reveals Strong Environmental Awareness
A recent sustainability survey conducted by Premier Inn Middle East has revealed new insights into the environmental habits of travellers, both at home and when booking and staying in hotels. The survey, which polled almost 900 individuals ahead of World Sustainability Day on 26 October, highlights a strong environmental awareness among travellers, with the majority actively considering a hotel’s sustainability efforts. However, when booking accommodation, location and price continue to be the primary decision drivers, with environmental practices taking a secondary role. These findings present significant opportunities for hotels to enhance their sustainability initiatives and provide better education on the importance of environmental practices for guests during their stay.
Helsinki Named World's Most Sustainable Travel Destination
Helsinki has achieved its target of being the world's most sustainable destination. The Finnish capital was ranked number one in the latest Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index, which was published on 16 October 2024. The Global Destination Sustainability Index measures the sustainability of travel destinations in four different categories using more than 70 indicators. The comparison includes more than a hundred cities throughout the world that have invested in sustainability. Helsinki has performed well in the GDS Index in the past: in 2023, our ranking was fourth.
UNIQUE APPROACHES TO TRAVEL INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY FORTHCOMING AT ‘A WORLD FOR TRAVEL’ EVENT
The highly anticipated 5th edition of A World for Travel event is set to take place on October 23-24 in Seville, Spain, and promises to showcase unique and exciting aspects of addressing sustainability challenges within the global travel industry. This year’s event will not only focus on collaborative actions but will also draw on tangential industries to share innovative approaches.
First Saudi Protected Area Listed on IUCN Green List
The Saudi National Center for Wildlife (NCW) is announcing that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included the Ibex Reserve in its exclusive Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas. The Ibex Reserve, which is managed by the NCW, becomes the first reserve in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to meet all the required criteria and indicators to join the list, which includes less than 80 reserves out of over 300,000 protected areas worldwide.