Sustainability Case Studies
Destinations
AUSTRALIA/NZ
New Zealand and sustainable tourism – This video shows what a tourism company can do to run a national park more sustainably in New Zealand.
Byron Bay Sustainable Streets Program – works towards fostering community level sustainability. Efforts include rainwater harvesting, using local food, solar power and energy efficiency.
Northern Australia Along with a 5 year strategic plan for sustainable tourism, this destination offers toolkits and educational information to help organizations in the area move forward.
Greening Melbourne’s hotels
The City of Melbourne introduced an innovative environmental program to help city hotels to cut energy, water and waste management costs. The Savings in the City program aims to provide leadership, support, recognition and advice to hotels in the municipality. It will help hotels to identify economically viable actions they could take to reduce energy consumption and operating costs.
Hotels are the first sector to be targeted in the Savings in the City program, with 11 being among the top 200 water users in the City of Melbourne. And the hospitality sector – including accommodation and food providers – generates up to 18 per cent of all waste in the municipality, so there’s plenty of scope top make meaningful savings.
Intercity Transportation in New Zealand is aiming to be more sustainable. New Zealand’s only national public transport network, InterCity operates New Zealand’s largest passenger transport network with the combined networks of InterCity, GreatSights and Gray Line. Together InterCity and GreatSights connect to more than 600 destinations nationwide, with over 130 services every day. InterCity Group (NZ) Limited has an active Responsible Tourism programme based on core operating philosophies of Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga. In line with these philosophies we have an active programme of engaging in our communities and mitigating the impacts from resource usage. We are proud to be rated as an Enviro Silver rated operator by Qualmark.
SOUTH PACIFIC
Tetepare – The largest island in the southern hemisphere and one of the only islands that has never been logged, conservation measures have been widely recognized here.
Maldives – With the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, this small island aims to become the first carbon neutral destination by 2020. Of course, they aren’t taking into consideration their travel into this equation but…
Bay of Bengal Green Model for Eco-Tourism
This case study presents a green model for eco-tourism as it is currently in place at the Welcomgroup Bay Island (WGBI) hotel in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The model concentrates on a so-called four-R’s strategy, which includes Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink of procedures and policies for the hotel. (quoted from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) , 2005)
SOUTH PACIFIC
Tetepare – The largest island in the southern hemisphere and one of the only islands that has never been logged, conservation measures have been widely recognized here.
Maldives – With the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, this small island aims to become the first carbon neutral destination by 2020. Of course, they aren’t taking into consideration their travel into this equation but…
Bay of Bengal Green Model for Eco-Tourism
This case study presents a green model for eco-tourism as it is currently in place at the Welcomgroup Bay Island (WGBI) hotel in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The model concentrates on a so-called four-R’s strategy, which includes Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink of procedures and policies for the hotel. (quoted from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) , 2005)
ASIA
Bali – The island of Bali developed a plan of action for sustainable tourism in 2005. Many efforts have been noted, however there is no conclusive documentation on implementation and some issues are still of concern.
This ecotourism initiative represents national parks, nature reserves and proposed protected areas spread over mountains, lowland forests, wetlands, islands, coral reefs and 3,440 km of coastline. Locked within these natural pockets is an endemic and indigenous biodiversity that makes Vietnam a truly special country. An estimated 12,000 species of vascular flora occur in Vietnam. The organisation’s goal for the ecotourism map is for international tourists to take note of Vietnam’s spectacular natural composition, whilst being responsible, respectful and considerate of local communities. By engaging local people through the use of guides, home- stays and various modes of transportation, it is hoped that tourism will serve to increase local communities’ awareness of their natural environment whilst providing them with alternative sources of income. All sale proceeds from the map go directly to support Vietnamese primate conservation. For further information, please contact: huong.lan.hoang@ffi.org.vn
EUROPE
Ljubljana, Slovenia – winner of the European Mobility Week Award twice, first in 2003 and again in 2013. Green capital of Europe for 2016, this city has 46% of it covered by green space. In the past five years, these pedestrian areas have been increased by almost 620%
Barcelona – heritage conservation, sustainable transportation and now bridges that eat pollution
Lake District, UK – showcasing sustainable tourism initiatives including low carbon cottages, sustainable transportation efforts and footpath erosion
Burren and Cliffs of Moher, Ireland – working with over 45 tourism enterprises to achieve certification, the park is now a recognized tourism destination. Recognized as a geopark the area promotes sustainable tourism, has its own sustainable tourism criteria and strategy working towards conservation and bringing benefits to the community
Sockmob – a unique initiative to see a different side of London, England. A volunteer network brings you walks by professionally coached homeless guides. To date they have been successful in getting some people off the street and introducing a new social consciousness into commercial walking tours.
SouthWest Tourism (UK) – SW Tourism became the first destination to obtain a gold level certification under the Green Tourism Business Scheme. They received a World Travel and Tourism Tourism for Tomorrow award for sustainable tourism in 2009. The destination has a comprehensive sustainable tourism plan complete with marketing and training assistance for businesses. Visitors are educated about their impacts and how to make more sustainable choices. They developed a green tourism toolkit and have assessed the consumer to determine their needs and wants for green tourism.
Ecocomptor – a Finnish initiative to help hotels communicate their sustainability initiatives. As an average hotel room in a midrange hotel produces between 5-20 kg of CO2 per room, there is a need to reduce emissions. Based on a French word ‘to count’ the idea is to save on operating costs, reduce the impact on climate change and manage consumption with reporting.
Green Tourism Finland
Green Tourism Finland is a network of companies who are dedicated to sustainable development. They have an accreditation program whereby they grade each business. Members include transportation, accommodation, food and tours.
European Sustainable Tourism Prize
The Province of Rimini was awarded with the first European Sustainable Tourism Prize, “Carmen Díez de Rivera” for its LIFE-Environment Project “Strategies and Tools towards Sustainable Tourism in Mediterranean Coastal Areas”. The award from the EU is divided into public and private initiatives for sustainable tourism. Some objectives include new management systems, planning and managing tourist destinations and implementing new management of tourist destinations in accordance with their environmental, social, cultural and economic values.
Cinqu Terra Sustainable Tourism Project – The territory of the Cinque Terra located on the coast of northeastern Italy has established a sustainable tourism project to protect the culture, heritage and environment. Cinque Terra is famous for the five villages that are accessible only by train or trail: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggore, however the large number of tourists has a significant impact on the sustainability of the region. The region was recognized as a National Park in 1999 and as a UNESCO protected territory since 1997. The sustainable tourism project has established an Environmental Quality Brand for accommodation facilities, a cinque terra card, guidelines for tourists and public information about conservation. In order to control tourist numbers, a Cinque Terra Card is provided which includes access to all paths, nature observations centres, botanic paths, picnic areas, and bird watching areas. Tourists exploring the region can purchase a 1, 3 or 7-day card which also provides unlimited access to the train and bus between villages. The fee goes to protect the trails, marine and national park and maps, train and ferry times as well as a list of main business sectors participating in the scheme are accommodations which implement energy and water saving techniques as well as the purchase of local produce, recycling and using sustainable transport. An easy to read pamphlet offers visitors and businesses in the region simple, straightforward and easy options to reduce impact, support local economies and protect the fragility of the region.
For information on a participating hotel, please see Hotel Câe Adrean located in Manarola at http://www.cadandrean.it /for more information.
Kolarbyn Ecolodge, Sweden Sometimes called Sweden’s most primitive hotel, the lodge works to protect endangered species in Scandinavia. There is no electricity and all water comes from a local spring. Working to offer a unique ecotourism experience, it is not for the lighthearted.
Sunart Oakwoods Initiative
This initiative aims to create and re-establish 2500 square miles of native woodlands. The woodlands will provide ecotourism type activities (walking, cycling, wildlife hides, canoeing, etc.) and will train, employ and house local people. The site will also be managed by local people in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highland Council, Lochaber Enterprise and special interest groups. Ten years since the initiative started, it plays a large tourism role. Over 10,000 m of new paths have been constructed, new interpretive panels and Gaelic trails have been established and an integrated tourism strategy set out.
EUROPE
Ljubljana, Slovenia – winner of the European Mobility Week Award twice, first in 2003 and again in 2013. Green capital of Europe for 2016, this city has 46% of it covered by green space. In the past five years, these pedestrian areas have been increased by almost 620%
Barcelona – heritage conservation, sustainable transportation and now bridges that eat pollution
Lake District, UK – showcasing sustainable tourism initiatives including low carbon cottages, sustainable transportation efforts and footpath erosion
Burren and Cliffs of Moher, Ireland – working with over 45 tourism enterprises to achieve certification, the park is now a recognized tourism destination. Recognized as a geopark the area promotes sustainable tourism, has its own sustainable tourism criteria and strategy working towards conservation and bringing benefits to the community
Sockmob – a unique initiative to see a different side of London, England. A volunteer network brings you walks by professionally coached homeless guides. To date they have been successful in getting some people off the street and introducing a new social consciousness into commercial walking tours.
SouthWest Tourism (UK) – SW Tourism became the first destination to obtain a gold level certification under the Green Tourism Business Scheme. They received a World Travel and Tourism Tourism for Tomorrow award for sustainable tourism in 2009. The destination has a comprehensive sustainable tourism plan complete with marketing and training assistance for businesses. Visitors are educated about their impacts and how to make more sustainable choices. They developed a green tourism toolkit and have assessed the consumer to determine their needs and wants for green tourism.
Ecocomptor – a Finnish initiative to help hotels communicate their sustainability initiatives. As an average hotel room in a midrange hotel produces between 5-20 kg of CO2 per room, there is a need to reduce emissions. Based on a French word ‘to count’ the idea is to save on operating costs, reduce the impact on climate change and manage consumption with reporting.
Green Tourism Finland
Green Tourism Finland is a network of companies who are dedicated to sustainable development. They have an accreditation program whereby they grade each business. Members include transportation, accommodation, food and tours.
European Sustainable Tourism Prize
The Province of Rimini was awarded with the first European Sustainable Tourism Prize, “Carmen Díez de Rivera” for its LIFE-Environment Project “Strategies and Tools towards Sustainable Tourism in Mediterranean Coastal Areas”. The award from the EU is divided into public and private initiatives for sustainable tourism. Some objectives include new management systems, planning and managing tourist destinations and implementing new management of tourist destinations in accordance with their environmental, social, cultural and economic values.
Cinqu Terra Sustainable Tourism Project – The territory of the Cinque Terra located on the coast of northeastern Italy has established a sustainable tourism project to protect the culture, heritage and environment. Cinque Terra is famous for the five villages that are accessible only by train or trail: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggore, however the large number of tourists has a significant impact on the sustainability of the region. The region was recognized as a National Park in 1999 and as a UNESCO protected territory since 1997. The sustainable tourism project has established an Environmental Quality Brand for accommodation facilities, a cinque terra card, guidelines for tourists and public information about conservation. In order to control tourist numbers, a Cinque Terra Card is provided which includes access to all paths, nature observations centres, botanic paths, picnic areas, and bird watching areas. Tourists exploring the region can purchase a 1, 3 or 7-day card which also provides unlimited access to the train and bus between villages. The fee goes to protect the trails, marine and national park and maps, train and ferry times as well as a list of main business sectors participating in the scheme are accommodations which implement energy and water saving techniques as well as the purchase of local produce, recycling and using sustainable transport. An easy to read pamphlet offers visitors and businesses in the region simple, straightforward and easy options to reduce impact, support local economies and protect the fragility of the region.
For information on a participating hotel, please see Hotel Câe Adrean located in Manarola at http://www.cadandrean.it /for more information.
Kolarbyn Ecolodge, Sweden Sometimes called Sweden’s most primitive hotel, the lodge works to protect endangered species in Scandinavia. There is no electricity and all water comes from a local spring. Working to offer a unique ecotourism experience, it is not for the lighthearted.
Sunart Oakwoods Initiative
This initiative aims to create and re-establish 2500 square miles of native woodlands. The woodlands will provide ecotourism type activities (walking, cycling, wildlife hides, canoeing, etc.) and will train, employ and house local people. The site will also be managed by local people in collaboration with the Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highland Council, Lochaber Enterprise and special interest groups. Ten years since the initiative started, it plays a large tourism role. Over 10,000 m of new paths have been constructed, new interpretive panels and Gaelic trails have been established and an integrated tourism strategy set out.
AFRICA
Sustainable tourism in Kenya – learn what the Travel Foundation is working with local communities
Il Ngwesi Community Trust, Kenya – is constructed with local materials, profits directly support local communities and is one example of successful community based tourism. Their efforts have won them numerous awards
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and lodge,South Africa
A luxury camp two hours north of Cape Town, Grootbos is more than just 5 star accommodation and a nature reserve. The nature reserve was instrumental in setting up the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy in 1999 and currently consists of 21 landowners, who manage approximately 12 000 hectares of fynbos. The Reserve has been running the longest running vegetation survey to date, which was started in 1997. Grootbos is not just about conservation as they also operates a private foundation that offers a number of different sustainability initiatives.
The ‘Growing the Future’ initiative trains 8 men and women every year in the growing of vegetables and fruit, beekeeping and the principles of successful animal husbandry. Since 2003, they have had over 80 graduates. The ‘Green Future’ project provides annual, practical-based training programs for unemployed local people in the fields of landscaping, horticulture and ecotourism. The project is designed to develop nature-based sustainable livelihoods for people from the local community, and so engender a conservation ethic in surrounding areas.
They also run a ‘Spaces for Sport’ initiative that offers a multipurpose facility which is considered a community development project. The site was chosen due to its unique position in the centre of three diverse communities in Gansbaai: Masakhane Township is comprised of about 12 000 black residents, the Blompark community has about 5000 coloured residents, and the Gansbaai white community consists of about 8000 residents.
More than 300 kids every year are trained here by our coaches and volunteers. Guests visiting Grootbos can also participate. Grootbos runs a project called ‘Future Trees’. Guests are given the opportunity to plant a tree in a patch which was previously Milkwood Forest that was decimated in a fire in February of 2006. Approximately 1000 trees have been planted to date. Each guest receives a tree planting certificate with the co-ordinates of where the trees have been planted. The GPS co-ordinates are uploaded unto Google Earth and guests have the opportunity to track their tree’s progress.
CAMPFIRE in Zimbabwe
Tourism development has helped many of Zimbabwe’s poorer rural communities as part of the Communal Areas Management Programme For Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE). Through CAMPFIRE, foreign visitors buy licences to hunt wildlife within certain quotas. As well as keeping wildlife numbers at sustainable limits, the profits from these licences and the sale of meat and skins of the animals is ploughed back into local communities to build new schools, wells and health clinics. Is tourism under threat in Zimbawe as there have been fuel shortages and many tourism resorts are owned by white landowners and community tourism initiatives feel they cannot attract tourists. For more information, see this case study illustrated by Global Eye at http://www.globaleye.org.uk/secondary_spring2002/focuson/case1.html
The Red Sea Sustainable Tourism Initiative (RSSTI)
One of the first tourism programs in the Middle East to adopt principles of sustainable development, this programme was funded by USAID. The Tourism Development Authority (TDA) in Egypt plans to build approximately 200,000 new hotel rooms in the next 15 years near and around the Red Sea and Sinai Peninsula (source: greenhotelier). The RSSTI has a mandate for sustainable tourism and advocates their mission by working with the TDA and encouraging environment and socially responsible projects which involve local participation in decision making, eco-efficiency, the use of EIA’, Environmental Management Systems, etc. In addition, a set of economic instruments have been developed to encourage developers to be more responsible.
Responsible Tourism in West Africa – A recent opportunity to explore West Africa offered a unique way for cultural interaction to take place. As many westerners wish to visit rural communities for history and cultural interaction, giving money to a village may interrupt the economic balance or status. In the southern Burkinabe village of Kontambougou, tour guide leaders chose to bring chairs for the elders in the community as a gift. Elders in the village of Kontambougou used to stay in their huts as they aged but with the gift of chairs, they sit out in the village and socialise and interact with the other villagers. The villagers welcome the westerners by showing them their hospitality through music and dancing and the chief’s son explains the village structure and formation to the tourists. Another way to bring something back to the village was by bringing photographs of the elders that were taken on the last visit so that the village had a record and photograph of the old chiefs and significant elders.
Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania
Chumbe Island is the first privately established and managed marine park in the world and takes serious note in its sustainability operations. Its income from eco-friendly visitors finances conservation and environmental education programs for local schools and other groups. The 7 palm thatched bungalows, while comfortable and beautifully unique, are also built entirely out of local material and designed with solar lights, rainwater catchment, solar-heating of shower water and composting toilets. Chumbe has won the 2000 UNEP 500 Roll of Honour Award, 2004 TODO socially responsible tourism award and 2004 Responsible Tourism Award in addition to many others. For more information, check out www.chumbeisland.com.
Vamizi Island Offering luxurious eco-lodges in Mozambique, made up of ten low-impact beach houses. The lodge tries to sustain livelihoods by providing a boat for islanders to patrol the waters for illegal fishing, and steps are being taken to manage the elephant population so that human and pachyderm can coexist The construction uses almost entirely local materials – timber, thatch and stone all come from the mainland or the islands themselves – thus providing help to the local economy. Although not yet off the grid, the property is working towards being truly sustainable.
Three Camel Lodge Rated by National Geographic as one of the top 50 lodges worldwide, this accommodation offers environmental and social sensitivity. Powered mainly by wind and solar, it serves as a base for scientifc and wildlife research and is the first-of-its-kind cooperative agreement with the Bulgan Sum Township and Gobi-Gurvansaikhan National Park authorities.
Sources: World Resources Institute Reefs at Risk, 2013, WTO, 2000, & 2002, UNWTO, 2015, NCDC, 2015, www.risingtide.co.uk, 2004, UN, 2003, Gov’t of Canada, 2005, Tourism Concern, 2011, Green Car Reports, 2014, Science Museum, 2010)
Resources to Get Started:
ARE YOU Traveling?
Use these guidelines for being a responsible traveler
ARE YOU Traveling?
Use these guidelines for being a carbon conscious traveler
ARE YOU A BUSINESS or ORganisation?
Use these questions to to guide you
HAVE US help you
with policy development, environmental management, business planning & marketing.
Read More or Contact us
For definitions and information about sustainable tourism, click the button below