Conscientious travellers change the tourism landscape

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The latest trends show that tourism in 2019 is about creating an experience that is carbon neutral, with zero waste and is self-sustaining.

This form of tourism defined by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) as sustainable tourism takes “full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities”.

The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) believes that the tourism industry can take the necessary steps towards making a positive impact on the environment and local culture, while generating income, creating jobs and conserving local ecosystems.

Awareness

Current trends show that more than half of global travellers are choosing to not go somewhere in 2019 if they feel it will negatively impact the people who live there.

The 2019 traveller asks questions about a nation's social, political and environmental issues in potential travel destinations before deciding on where to visit. In particular, millennials and Generation Z travellers are in pursuit of sustainable experiences and places that care about the environment.

A recent campaign dubbed the flight shaming movement is a classic example of how travellers' needs are continuing to evolve drastically. It emerged from climate-conscious travellers who felt ashamed or embarrassed about boarding a plane because of its negative impact on the environment. While this affected tourism, it encouraged companies/corporates to begin to think about the environment and the footprint they are leaving behind.

Environmental measures

Destination South Africa is continuing to adopt environmentally friendly measures such as solar heating, using grey water, rainwater harvesting, the elimination of single-use plastic, waste management, etc. There are also various initiatives to plant trees that will go along way in offsetting carbon emissions. More industry initiatives are on the way to further demonstrate our commitment to sustainable tourism practices.

Sustainable tourism also goes beyond being environmentally friendly. It is about ensuring that South African tourism leverages partnerships to create a future for tourism. Tourism can have a lasting and positive legacy on the environment in which it operates. However, it is imperative that stakeholders in the tourism industry get involved in transformational, social, and environmental projects using their skills and knowledge to uplift their staff, communities, and protect the environment.

South Africa has a wealth of culture, cuisine, wildlife and scenery and the tourism sector could benefit immensely from creating immersive experiences for tourists.

Job creation

Currently, the local tourism economy is performing better than other economic sectors in South Africa, although not ideally. However, it holds the potential to increase jobs further, and improve its direct contribution to the South African gross domestic product (GDP) in the short, medium and long term.

In line with this, the TBCSA conducted a study to measure tourism potential in South Africa. It found found that tourism has the potential to double the number of foreign tourist arrivals to 21-million by 2030. The study also projects that an additional two-million jobs will be created, and the majority of those jobs will go to youth and women. This is an example of how tourism can continue to sustain many households in South Africa which is vital for country stability.

This immense untapped potential in the tourism sector stands to benefit the economy and could shift the entire tourism industry into greater heights. For the industry to reach these ambitious 2030 goals, we have to make sustainable tourism our number one priority.