Sustainable Tourism: Who’s Really Sustainable?

By Amy Millican

This is the second in a series of articles about how you can practice Sustainable Tourism! Traveling in a sustainable, earth-friendly way requires an understanding of many facets of the travel industry. The first article in the April issue shed light on the beneficial effects of non-profit organizations on sustainable tourism. This article addresses how to make sure all of your travel providers are offering truly Sustainable Tourism. With this knowledge of how the travel industry works, you are empowered to ask insightful questions of your Travel Planner, judge which travel options meet your criteria for sustainability, and positively impact the communities where you travel. Remember, you are the key to Sustainable Tourism!

Inthe travel industry, Travel Planners use what are known as “Destination Management Companies” (DMCs). The DMCs are the ground handlers; the people at the destination who will coordinate all of the travel. Best practices dictate that a DMC would reflect the values of the Travel Planner and their goal of Sustainable Tourism.

But, here is an insider secret, many do not. It is fairly common on travel industry boards, pages, and chat groups to see requests from Travel Planners for DMCs for areas in which the Travel Planner has no experience or understanding. This can put you, the traveler, at greater risk. Also, if you are trying to practice Sustainable Tourism, just because your Travel Planner says they practice Sustainable Tourism, does not necessarily mean the DMC does.

How do you vet whether your Travel Planner’s DMC practices Sustainable Tourism? Here are several questions that you should ask:

- Does your Travel Planner say they practice Sustainable Tourism?

- What does Sustainable Tourism mean to the Travel Planner?

- Who is their DMC?

- Does their DMC practice Sustainable Tourism?

- How long have they worked with the DMC?

These questions will alert your Travel Planner to the fact that you care about Sustainable Tourism and want to live your values.

Below is an interview with Nikki Thaver, of Southern Africa 360 Luxury Holidays and Exclusive Tours, one of my DMCs in South Africa. Southern Africa 360 is owned and operated by Nikki and Collin Thaver. Their values align with my business’s commitment to Sustainable Tourism. Southern Africa 360 is a dynamic, owner run and managed DMC, covering the entire Southern African region.

Southern Africa 360’s focus is on crafting bespoke Fully Independent Traveler (FIT) arrangements and small group itineraries. They are renowned for meeting the needs of their discerning clients. Southern Africa 360’s vision is to make Southern African travel dreams come true with carefully crafted itineraries, handpicked excursions, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

How does Southern Africa 360 Luxury Holidays and Exclusive Tours define and practice Sustainable Tourism?

Sustainable tourism has three pillars – environmental, economic, and socio-cultural. Practicing sustainable and responsible tourism minimizes detrimental impacts on these, while maximizing inclusive socio-economic development and conservation. In a simple nutshell, it is to have the well-being of people and the planet at heart.

In our business we practice Sustainable Tourism in several ways:

● Being a tour operator/ DMC we bring together many elements of a travel package – accommodation, transport, activities, dining, etc. We thus have a great opportunity to work with a number of smaller businesses and one of our goals is always to support small, particularly previously disadvantaged, tourism businesses and assist them to grow.

● With Collin’s and my vast experience in the industry, we have also been involved in mentorship programs, working with small businesses needing guidance.

● We also support and market to our own client bases packages that incorporate products that are Fair Trade Tourism accredited. The Fair Trade Tourism logo is defined as the mark of best practice in responsible and Fair Trade Tourism, defined by fair wages and working conditions, fair purchasing and operations, equitable distribution of benefits, and respect for human rights, culture and the environment.

● We take into consideration Game and Safari Lodges that have a strong Conservation ethos and will always recommend these to our clients above those that don’t. Conservation in South Africa among the Safari Lodges is very strong, so we do not struggle with product in this regard!

● There are certain activities that we absolutely do not support – for example activities that involve the petting of animals (e.g. lion cubs, which often end up the victims of caged hunting) and hunting – to the extent that we would not even book a transfer to such activities.

● Within our own office one of our biggest objectives is to grow women in tourism, particularly those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. We take on and train straight-from-college interns, giving them 18-month experience in the tourism field. We employ freelance services of women, helping them to grow their own businesses –e.g. our accounts and marketing services. We pay our consultants competitive salaries and also incentivize them so that they benefit from every booking they make. We empower our consultants and interns with product training and attending educational training sessions and also send those with management potential on management and empowerment courses.

● We are environmentally conscious in our office with regards to energy and water consumption, paper usage, recycling, etc. We also try to employ people who live within a 10km radius from the office to reduce the time spent on the road.

What impact do you believe Sustainable Tourism has on South Africa, its people, and the economy?

Tourism remains a key driver of South Africa's national economy and contributes to job creation. The tourism industry is a major contributor to the South African economy and employment of its citizens. The sector contributes about 9% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Employment opportunities, infrastructure development, promotion of culture and preservation of heritage are all ways in which tourism, when managed sustainably, can contribute to building a society that is engaged with sustainable tourism.

Being in the Republic of Korea, you may have the opportunity to travel domestically and internationally. If you choose to practice Sustainable Tourism, please keep in mind the role of the DMC, in addition to the Travel Planner, when creating your travel adventures. Your travels have a great effect on the economy, environment, and socio-cultural structures in the communities you visit. You are the key to Sustainable Tourism!