Big Opportunities in Eco-Tourism
Introduction
Eco-tourism is a holistic approach to travel & stay, that incorporates ecological products into creating beautiful spaces for tourists to stay. This includes air quality, social impact management, clean energy, waste management, sourcing food and beverages from the local farmers and promoting the consumption of local produce, and it can go so far as to incorporating food security, and learning for the visiting tourists. This increases the amount of people profiting off tourism, even those that do not directly work in the tourism sector but has a positive impact on promoting local sustainability will all benefit.
On March 21, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago announced it will close international borders to all travelers, including Trinidad and Tobago nationals, as of midnight on Sunday, March 22. These lock downs put our daily life on hold and threatens our Tourism industry, It’s predicted that 120 million jobs are at risk, with economic damage likely to exceed over $1 trillion. It is important that we rebuild the tourism sector more sustainably, in order for it to “regain its position as a provider of decent jobs, stable incomes and the protection of our cultural and natural heritage. It also offers a chance for hotel and accommodation owners to rethink their old ways, we can’t go back to normal, people are willing to reconsider their behaviors and change the way they live, consume, and travel. We could build a strong Eco-tourism with “LEED”.
Our tourism, economies, health and social well-being are all affected by climate change, and although the consequences of climate change will vary on a regional basis, all nations and economic sectors will have to live with the challenges of climate change through adaptation and mitigation. Tourism is no exception and in the decades ahead, climate change will become an increasingly pivotal issue affecting tourism development and management.
With its close connections to the environment and climate itself, tourism is considered to be a highly climate-sensitive economic sector similar to food security, insurance, energy, and transportation.
Change will be highly relevant for tourism destinations and tourists alike, requiring adaptation by all major tourism stakeholders. LEED certificates on buildings & homes will be the better accommodation option for tourist visiting our islands after this year (2020) pandemic.
On a broad scale, switching to environmentally friendly tourism is dependent on state interventions to declare areas of their territory a natural reserve and to put protective measures into place. Nonetheless, LEED for hotels can have a positive impact on the environment and can in return increase the revenue created by a hotel owner. A study by Booking.com suggests that 87% of tourists want more sustainable travel options and more than 67% are willing to spend at least 5–10% more on their travel if it helps reduce its impact on the environment. Especially consumers under the age of 35 are concerned with their environmental footprint and are willing to spend more money on more sustainable tourism. This underlines the importance for travel companies, hoteliers and accommodation owners to reimagine “Tourism” and to target this group of travelers. Thereby, even small hotels can generate higher revenues with LEED.
At the same time, the tourism sector is a contributor to climate change through GHG emissions derived especially from the transport and accommodation of tourist every year to different islands around the globe.
One of the reasons why tourists visit Latin America and the Caribbean is the sheer beauty of landscapes and climate. Mountains, rainforests and crystal-clear waters attract visitors from all over the world. Thus, protecting the environment does not only mean helping to keep the climate stable but for business owners in LAC, it also entails protecting their own comparative advantage. If rivers and seas are polluted and beaches full of waste, the next generations will not have the chance of generating their income through tourism.
