Post-COVID there is growing global traveller awareness of ethical travel, and with traveller numbers expected to grow this coming high season, a global hotel booking system has called for travellers and suppliers to focus on a more sustainable travel footprint.

As of January this year, the UN World Tourism Organization estimated that, globally, international arrivals have grown by 130%.

“While this is great news for tourism industries around the world, it may spell bad news for the environment unless we can learn the art of regenerative travel,” cautions Leigh Myles, Business Development Manager at Profitroom South Africa.

Myles highlighted that, before the pandemic, around 75% of global animal tourism experiences were guilty of welfare or conservation abuses. “One of the unintended consequences of locking the world down for two years was that wildlife destinations took the opportunity to regenerate the land and allow animals to live as intended. As the world opens up again, we need to create a more sustainable tourism environment if we want to safeguard the future of our continent,” she said.

Time to travel ethically

Myles pointed out that the effects of climate change had become too glaring to ignore. According to her, in sectors across the business landscape, companies, customers and other stakeholders were recognising the need to act urgently if we want to avert disaster.

“The tourism industry is no different. Increasingly, travellers and tourism establishments are taking the concept of responsible and sustainable travel into consideration. Consequently, a more concerted effort is being made to minimise their carbon footprint and boost their contribution to local communities,” said Myles.

Sustainability makes long-term sense

Tourism is a major source of income in Africa and provides income to millions. In South Africa alone, tourism and travel brought in over R400 billion (€23.5bn) in revenue in 2017, which was over 9% of the GDP. However, a destination must be attractive.

Myles noted that roughly 84% of South Africa’s plastic waste was dispersed into oceans or overflowing landfills. Only 16% of that plastic is recycled. “Travel can be a huge source of disposable plastic and, over time, mass travel degrades the environment, thus making it less attractive and creating a vicious circle,” she said.

How to travel ethically?

According to Myles, exploring the world sustainably does not have to be difficult. She said if travellers just remembered not to leave litter behind, have respect for the local customs and traditions and book their holidays with sustainable service providers, they were already halfway there.

“Travellers that consciously exercise their purchasing power can redistribute money from the developed world into developing countries and, in so doing, to meaningful steps toward alleviating poverty on a local level,” she commented.

Rising to the challenge

Countries in Africa like Rwanda and Tanzania have banned plastic, seemingly Kenya is slowly starting this practice. Myles has challenged the South African government, suppliers and tourists alike, to restrict use of single-use plastic or, like the sugar tax, place a high tax on companies that use plastic. “By making that simple change it will reduce litter and allow for tax money to be redirected to more important areas – like poverty and medical care.”