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ari Kishigawa's family have been in the tourism business for decades. In the remote Pacific country of Palau, on an even more remote archipelago, Mari runs the 11-room Carp Island Resort, a 30km boat journey from Palau's commercial centre, Koror.

But beneath canopies of palm trees, bordered by crystal clear water, Mari is reassessing her future.

"If I had financing, I would have changed my business to house rental instead of a tourism-related business."

The Covid-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living have battered her business.

"Even though the border is open, we are still having a hard time getting customers. Our resort uses a generator for electricity, so even without customers, I still need money to buy diesel and to bring a speed boat to the island weekly - for food, diesel, gasoline."

Prior to 2020, Palau welcomed an average of 118,000 visitors a year, with tourism the main contributor to the economy. This year though, fewer than 10,000 visitors have come, according to the ministry of finance.

It's a pattern that's repeated across the Asia-Pacific, where governments have struggled to turnaround the steep decline in visitor numbers, brought on by the pandemic. Hopes are high that tourists will return over the festive period, but cost of living concerns and China's strict zero-Covid policy are threatening to derail progress.

International arrivals and occupancy rates at hotels across the region still lag far behind their pre-pandemic levels, despite European hotspots like France and Greece experiencing a high volume of visitors over the course of the northern hemisphere summer.

The tourism industry in some nations has been hampered by restrictive Covid-19 measures that have only been lifted in recent months.

Japan hopes to attract billions in tourist spending after over two years of travel bans due to Covid-19. Photograph: Taidgh Barron/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

Japan's government is aiming to attract 5tn yen ($34.5bn) of annual tourist spending after reinstating visa-free travel for dozens of countries in October. However analysts predict that spending from overseas visitors will reach just 2.1tn yen ($14bn) by 2023 and won't exceed pre-Covid levels until 2025.

Even in countries that lifted Covid-19 restrictions early, visitor numbers are still well below where they once were.

Thailand began to reopen its borders in November 2021, with hopes to attract 15 million visitors in 2022. It has since revised those numbers down: tourism arrivals this year are expected to be closer to 10 million, compared with nearly 40 million visitors in 2019.

The Indonesian island of Bali is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, but its visitor numbers are still far lower than prior to the pandemic. In August 2022, 276,000 foreign tourists arrived in Bali; that's compared with 606, 000 in the same month in 2019.

Figures like these are at odds with some European destinations which saw business come booming back through the northern hemisphere summer. In July and August of this year, occupancy rates in French hotels were actually above the levels recorded in the same month in 2019.

Monthly visitor arrivals in Australia are still around one million shy of their pre-pandemic peak, but as the weather in the souther hemisphere warms up, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia CEO Margy Osmond is looking forward to a busier 2023.

"Our region has certainly taken longer to recover than Europe on the international tourism front. We've had stricter travel restrictions for longer than in the northern hemisphere."

"Another big factor in the recovery has been the restrictions on Chinese travel, which has traditionally been a major source market for many destinations across Asia and Australia. However, we need to continue to take advantage of other markets like India to fill that gap in the meantime."

Palau's tourism sector has been hit hard by the fall in arrivals from China. Photograph: Global_Pics/Getty Images

In Palau the decline in visitor numbers from China has been devastating. In 2019, Chinese travellers made up about a third of all visitor arrivals. This year, just 57 Chinese national have arrived. With health officials in China recently announcing they would "unswervingly" stick to the zero-Covid policy - making international travel almost impossible - the outlook for Palau's tourism sector remains bleak.

Ron Leidich, founder and manager of kayaking tour operator Paddling Palau, is blunt in his assessment: "The mainland Chinese market no longer exists.

"The Taiwan market will begin to trickle back later this month and the Japanese are filtering in small numbers. So I think if we holistically look at ... Palau's tourism market, this is still going to be a slow incremental recovery."

However, Ron is able to find some blue sky among the clouds. While Covid-19 hurt the local tourism industry, it was a great win for the environment.

"I have been here for three decades and I have never seen a vibrant Palau environment the way I'm seeing it right now," he says. "But as a tour operator, financially, it was a real kick in the butt."

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Paradise paused: Asia-Pacific tourism continues to lag after the Covid induced freeze

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ari Kishigawa's family have been in the tourism business for decades. In the remote Pacific country of Palau, on an even more remote archipelago, Mari runs the 11-room Carp Island Resort, a 30km boat journey from Palau's commercial centre, Koror. But beneath canopies of palm trees, bordered by crystal clear water, Mari is reassessing her future.

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What is sustainable tourism? Why sustainable tourism management is so important

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Succinct summary video (but why the computer generated voice over??)

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Succinct summary video (but why the computer generated voice over??)

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The recycling myth: What actually happens to our plastic

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EarthCheck - Good For Business, Good For The Planet

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EarthCheck is the world's leading certification, consulting and advisory group for sustainable destinations and tourism.

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For the last year at Cordis, Auckland, a team member has been working day and night in the back of the house, turning food waste into water.

ORCA is a stainless-steel container with a door for employees to deposit food waste. The machine 'consumes' the food, mimicking the human digestion process.

The machine creates the perfect thermophilic biological environment for micro-organisms to digest food waste, turning it into liquid which is carried away through sewage.

"We have prioritised waste minimisation and diversion of organic wastes to landfill as a major operational focus. All departments follow a waste management hierarchy policy to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover and all our food waste has been diverted from landfill, now processed onsite by the ORCA technology," said Franz Mascarenhas, managing director, Cordis, Auckland.

Cordis, Auckland has now eliminated the need to truck food waste, which also reduces emissions from road use and composting, helping reduce overall landfill.

"Cordis, Auckland is proud to be the first hotel in New Zealand to introduce the waste management system which turns 1000 kgs of discarded material into environmentally safe water, every 24 hours.

"As the first Earthcheck platinum certified Hotel in Australasia, we continually strived to lead Langham Hospitality Group's efforts to promote sustainability in our business practices and we are always looking out for innovative new initiatives to improve our efficiency and business practices."

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Cordis turning food waste into water - Hotel Magazine

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For the last year at Cordis, Auckland, a team member has been working day and night in the back of the house, turning food waste into water. ORCA is a stainless-steel container with a door for employees to deposit food waste. The machine 'consumes' the food, mimicking the human digestion process.

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How The World's Largest Cruise Ship Makes 30,000 Meals Every Day

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Amoalo - Supporting Social Entrepreneurs

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Kyaffe Farmers Coffee: Women empowerment through a fair trade and organic coffee.

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It's not easy for sustainability-minded travelers to find truly green accommodations, but these new hotels - one of which claims to be the first net-zero carbon emissions hotel in the country - are aiming high.

Compared to the typical hotel in Britain, room2 Chiswick, which opened in London in January, is 89 percent more energy efficient, according to its owners. Credit... Room2 Chiswick

Many global travelers, it appears, want to tour more sustainably. In its annual survey on sustainability, the hotel platform Booking.com recently found 71 percent of respondents planned to travel greener, up 10 percent over 2021 results. More than half say they are more determined to make environmentally responsible travel choices this year.

But when it comes to making those choices, it's not easy to find green accommodations beyond those forgoing tiny plastic bottles of shampoo and encouraging guests to reuse their towels.

"One of the challenges facing tourism is that after transportation, particularly air and drive travel, buildings, including hotels, are the biggest source of greenhouse gases," wrote Jonathon Day, the graduate program director in the hotel school at Purdue University and the author of a book about sustainable travel, in an email.

Most of the major hotel companies, he noted, have made commitments to go carbon-neutral by 2050 or earlier, but the challenge is in designing energy-efficient new buildings and retrofitting existing ones with green technology. "That requires investment and commitment from hotel owners, management companies and brands," he added.

A recent economic impact study on green building by the U.S. Green Building Council found that, across all industries, green construction is outpacing traditional building techniques. The council expects green building to grow in the hospitality industry. A so-called "net-positive" project, Populus, recently broke ground in Denver, promising to offset more emissions than produced by planting more than 5,000 acres of forest.

Now ready or nearly ready for check-in, a few independent newcomers are demonstrating what net-zero carbon emissions and reducing waste looks like. They introduce measurement terms that responsible travelers will likely need to learn.

In May, a 1970 Brutalist building in New Haven, Conn., originally designed by the architect Marcel Breuer, will open as the Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which its backers are calling the first net-zero carbon emissions hotel in the country. Credit... Becker + Becker

A modernist mid-rise building with a raised, concrete-cast window grid, the Armstrong Rubber Company Headquarters has been an unofficial gateway to New Haven, Conn., since it opened in 1970. But it remained vacant for more than 20 years before the architect Bruce Redman Becker purchased it to create a sustainable hotel.

In May, the Brutalist landmark, originally designed by the architect Marcel Breuer, will open as the Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which its backers are calling the first net-zero carbon emissions hotel in the country (rooms from $229).

"In the green building industry, net-zero is a building that produces as much energy as it uses," Mr. Becker said. "For those of us focused on the climate crisis, there's a higher bar, to have a building that doesn't use any fossil fuels."

The 165-room Hotel Marcel, featuring Bauhaus-inspired geometric textile patterns, will be all electric, using solar panels on site to run its lighting, heating, cooling and hot water systems. Power over Ethernet lighting, a low-voltage system that runs on less power than traditional wiring, is expected to cut lighting energy use by about a third.

The thickness of the original concrete walls, along with the addition of extra insulation and triple-glazed windows, stabilize temperatures indoors and position the building for Passive House certification, a measurement of efficiency in airtight buildings.

"He definitely knew what he was doing and it impacted the way the building was oriented, but Breuer was more interested in the architectural effect" than saving energy, Mr. Becker said.

After its substantial remodeling, the building is projected to use 80 percent less energy than the median used by hotels in the United States. Mr. Becker plans to apply for LEED Platinum certification, the highest rating established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Even the kitchen at BLDG, the hotel's restaurant, will be all electric, with electric stoves rather than gas.

"An all-electric kitchen is a healthier environment because you don't have all this combustion and particulate matter," the architect said. "This approach informed every decision that we've made."

In London, the new room2 Chiswick hotel uses recycled materials, from reclaimed terra cotta floors in the lobby to hallway carpets made from plastic fishing nets found in ocean refuse. Guest rooms have custom recycling bins. Credit... room2 Chiswick

When the brothers and developers Robert and Stuart Godwin set out to build room2 Chiswick, an 86-room hotel in London that opened in December 2021, they knew they wanted to operate on a net-zero emissions basis, but decided to expand on the concept and account for its construction and eventual demolition in what is known as " whole life net zero."

"Ultimately, we've said we need to take full accountability for our entire carbon footprint from our entire existence, because if we don't, and others don't, we stand no chance of going anywhere near a net-zero future," said Robert Godwin, the managing director of Lamington Group, the family's development company, and co-founder of room2 Hometels, designed as hotels with residential features of a home, such as kitchens.

Where possible, the construction used recycled materials, from reclaimed terra cotta floors in the lobby to hallway carpets made from plastic fishing nets found in ocean refuse. Much of the custom-made furniture, headboards and banquettes were produced within 10 miles of the property and offset by planting more than 4,000 trees. Keeping its investments local, the developers procured wallpaper, ceramic tiles, mirrors and mosaics from area artists.

Efficient systems include geothermal heating and cooling. A "blue roof," essentially a reservoir beneath the top floor green roof, which is home to garden beds and beehives, can hold 50,000 liters of rainwater, easing runoff and providing water for plants. Guest rooms have custom recycling bins, including a section for food to be composted.

Compared to the typical hotel in Britain, room2 Chiswick is 89 percent more energy efficient, according to its owners, who are at work on the next room2 in Belfast and plan to open more than 40 hotels in Europe and North America by 2030.

The hotel offsets the emissions it can't eliminate and what it expects will be the cost to the environment in some 60 years when the building is potentially demolished, by investing in a bamboo farm in Nicaragua that grows the woody plants to capture carbon, then harvests selectively.

Rooms start at 129 British pounds, or about $168.

"Accessibility is important," Robert Godwin said, of the affordable rate. "Ultimately, the world needs to make sustainability economically viable."

SCP Hotels says its goal is to reduce waste at its seven locations by 90 percent of standard hotel operations, and then offset anything that exceeds that effort through investments in green operations. Above, the SCP Depoe Bay hotel in Depoe Bay, Ore. Credit... SCP Hotels

As a New Year's resolution, Ken Cruse, the chief executive and co-founder of SCP Hotels, decided he was going to personally go zero-waste, as in contributing nothing to landfills. Shortly after he set the goal, he went to buy light bulbs and discovered a problem with his ambition.

"Packaging," he said. "Absolute zero waste is a difficult standard."

Still, at the hotel's seven locations in California, Colorado, Hawaii and Oregon, he aims to make the properties net-zero waste starting in June. Rather than sending absolutely no trash to landfills, the goal is to reduce waste by 90 percent of standard hotel operations, and then offset anything that exceeds the effort through investments in green operations.

Using email and digital messaging, the hotels have done away with paper, which Mr. Cruse said accounts for 25 percent of waste produced by hotels. In lieu of plastic water bottles, there are refillable glass jars of water in the rooms. Refuse containers are divided into three sections, recycling, food waste (to be composted) and trash. Instead of paper coffee cups, there are mismatched mugs from thrift stores.

"Someone in Hilo might be drinking from a Ski Vail mug," Mr. Cruse said. "It's kitschy fun and makes a good statement."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produce 4.9 pounds of municipal solid waste, or trash, a day. SCP's target allowance is one pound a day for each guest.

The hotel group, whose name stands for Soul, Community and Planet - references to its organizing principles of wellness, kindness and sustainability - will follow the Total Resource Use and Efficiency measures for zero-waste production established by Green Business Certification Inc.

At the end of the year, the company will offset all of the waste it sends to landfills through programs like a beach clean-up partnership it has established with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. But, Mr. Cruse said, he's "confident" SCP can achieve its goal of limiting daily trash to less than a pound per guest.

"We'd like to not only inspire guests with what we're able to do, but hopefully other operators," he said of the net-zero-waste goal. "If we can do it, Marriott, you guys can do it."
Elaine Glusac writes the Frugal Traveler column. Follow her on Instagram @eglusac.

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It's not easy for sustainability-minded travelers to find truly green accommodations, but these new hotels - one of which claims to be the first net-zero carbon emissions hotel in the country - are aiming high. Many global travelers, it appears, want to tour more sustainably.

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Citation: Website, written by Paul Polman, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2016
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/engaging_employees_to_create_a_sustainable_business

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Hospo industry moving to sustainability (Cordis)

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Hospo industry moving to sustainability (Cordis)

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Hospitality Industry Now More Steadfast about Sustainability Measures

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Hong Kong, 3 May 2019 - The inaugural G.R.E.E.N. Hospitality Conference concluded as a great success on 26 April 2019, as over 160 hospitality professionals, enterprises specializing in sustainable solutions, NGOs and charities unequivocal about their respective causes from human rights to food wast…

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"We visited Rubbish Direct's facility in West Auckland where they handsort recycling, and we can confirm that they operate with transparency and integrity"

- Lucile Payraudeau, Cordis Auckland

Cordis Auckland is a hotel based in Auckland CBD and has 411 intelligently designed state-of-the-art rooms. It also has a restaurant, 13 conference facilities, swimming pool, health club and the award-winning Chuan Spa.

Basically, if a V.I.P. is visiting Auckland, they're most likely to stay at the Cordis Hotel.

How did we help Cordis Auckland sort their rubbish?

Mixed Recycling
We made recycling more convenient for the Cordis Hotel by providing them mixed-recycling bins. This enabled them to increase their recycling percentage.

On-site Training
We are going the extra mile and providing on-site training to their colleagues, thus improving their overall recycling operations.

Innovation & Responsibility
We understand Cordis Auckland's commitment to minimize their environmental footprint and we constantly innovate to improve their recycling operations

Synergy
We and the Cordis Hotel work as a team and have each other's back when it comes to garbage disposal. We provided them with contacts to source compostable and eco-friendly products. On the other hand, they have helped us learn about the new Orca food-waste disposal machine as they were the first ones to introduce the Orca machine to New Zealand

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"We visited Rubbish Direct's facility in West Auckland where they handsort recycling, and we can confirm that they operate with transparency and integrity" - Lucile Payraudeau, Cordis Auckland Cordis Auckland is a hotel based in Auckland CBD and has 411 intelligently designed state-of-the-art rooms. It also has a restaurant, 13 conference facilities, swimming pool, health club and the award-winning Chuan Spa.

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Central-city hotel Cordis, Auckland are one of many accommodation providers around the region that are making waves in delivering sustainable best practices.

Every 24 hours Cordis, Auckland work their magic to convert 1000 kgs. of discarded material into environmentally safe water - a zero food waste to landfill initiative they have been partaking in for the past year. Leading the way in this space, Cordis, Auckland is proud to be the first Hotel in New Zealand to introduce this waste management system.

Meanwhile, a few floors up the building are the newly-built beehives with bees a-plenty. Urban beehives have been cropping up around the city to assist with pollination. The hotel is also making great use of the honey produced from the busy hives.

Keeping the fizz in festive, Cordis, Auckland re-purposed champagne bottles into candle keepsakes and gifts over the Christmas break - a partnership with local artisan maker, The Bubbly Project. Monies raised went towards the Auckland City Mission Christmas Appeal.

Another in-house recycling programme involves recycling used soap bars and redistributing them to the community, to help promote hygiene and reduce the spread of disease. As the first hotel in New Zealand to partner with Beyond Skin Deep since July 2018, Cordis, Auckland's first batch of newly 'recycled' soap was minted from a total of 55kg of used soap collected at the end of August, recycled from the hotel's 411 guest rooms and suites.

In 2016 Cordis, Auckland received EarthCheck Platinum status - the world's leading sustainability certification programme for the tourism and travel industry.

For more information on Cordis, Auckland and their sustainable initiatives, please access the website at www.cordishotels.com/en/auckland

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Cordis, Auckland partakes in new sustainability initiatives

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Central-city hotel Cordis, Auckland are one of many accommodation providers around the region that are making waves in delivering sustainable best practices. Every 24 hours Cordis, Auckland work their magic to convert 1000 kgs. of discarded material into environmentally safe water - a zero food waste to landfill initiative they have been partaking in for the past year.

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As several hotel chains move to adopt measures such as ditching plastic straws and using energy efficient light bulbs, the Cordis Auckland pushing ahead with next-level efforts.

In fact, every 24 hours Cordis Auckland converts 1,000 kg of discarded material into environmentally safe water as part of a zero-food-waste and landfill initiative it has been partaking in for the past year.

Cordis Auckland is the first Kiwi hotel to introduce this waste management system.

A few floors above the waste-to-water initiative, there are newly-built beehives buzzing with activity.

Urban beehives such as this one have been cropping up around the city to assist with pollination. The hotel is also making great use of the honey produced from the hives.

The bees aren't the only environmental sustainability measure under way.

Keeping the fizz in festive, Cordis Auckland repurposed champagne bottles into candle keepsakes and gifts over the Christmas break in partnership with local artisan maker, The Bubbly Project.

Monies raised went towards the Auckland City Mission Christmas Appeal.

There are more traditional measures being undertaken at Cordis Auckland as well.

Another in-house recycling program involves recycling used soap bars and redistributing them to the community, thereby helping to promote hygiene and reduce the spread of disease.

As the first hotel in New Zealand to partner with Beyond Skin Deep since July 2018, Cordis, Auckland's first batch of recycled soap was minted from a total of 55 kg of used soap collected at the end of August, recycled from the hotel's 411 guest rooms and suites.

In 2016, Cordis Auckland received the EarthCheck Platinum status - the world's leading sustainability certification programme for the tourism and travel industry.

More information on Cordis Auckland and their sustainable initiatives are available .

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Green commitment: Cordis Auckland signs up for exemplary sustainability measures

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As several hotel chains move to adopt measures such as ditching plastic straws and using energy efficient light bulbs, the Cordis Auckland pushing ahead with next-level efforts. In fact, every 24 hours Cordis Auckland converts 1,000 kg of discarded material into environmentally safe water as part of a zero-food-waste and landfill initiative it has been partaking in for the past year.

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About

Designed for guests who value heartfelt service and engaging experiences, Cordis Auckland is located in a lively uptown area, within walking distance of the city's museum, galleries and thriving retail scene.

The hotel has 640 rooms and suites, an exclusive Club Lounge, state-of-the-art meeting spaces, a fitness studio, swimming pool and the award-winning Chuan Spa. Perfect for gatherings, Cordis Auckland features the city's favourite, Eight restaurant, a unique interactive dining experience with eight specialist kitchens, each dedicated to a different cuisine, the Chandelier Lounge which serves High Tea by Cordis with TWG, and Cordis Auckland's destination bar, Our Land is Alive, offering the best of New Zealand made food and beverage.

Visit our website

Physical address

83 Symonds Street, Auckland Central, New Zealand .

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Cordis, Auckland by Langham Hospitality Group | Accommodation in Auckland, New Zealand

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Designed for guests who value heartfelt service and engaging experiences, Cordis Auckland is located in a lively uptown area, within walking distance of the city's museum, galleries and thriving retail scene. The hotel has 640 rooms and suites, an exclusive Club Lounge, state-of-the-art meeting spaces, a fitness studio, swimming pool and the award-winning Chuan Spa.

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Qualmark and sustainability ratings

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Qualmark is New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance organisation, providing a trusted guide to iconic travel experiences.

Owned by Tourism New Zealand and backed by leading industry organisations, Qualmark provides a grading system for accommodation providers and a quality assurance programme for visitor activities, service and transport providers, as an official mark of quality.

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Qualmark is New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance organisation, providing a trusted guide to iconic travel experiences. Owned by Tourism New Zealand and backed by leading industry organisations, Qualmark provides a grading system for accommodation providers and a quality assurance programme for visitor activities, service and transport providers, as an official mark of quality.

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Guest Rooms at The Hotel Britomart, Auckland, New Zealand

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Still and calm, the 99 rooms and five beautiful suites at The Hotel Britomart pair simple elegance with the luxury of tactile materials.

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socio-cultural impacts of tourism positive and negative

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Travel & Tourism Economic Impact | World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

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Our reports are a vital tool in helping us to equip public and private sector bodies with hard evidence of the huge value Travel & Tourism brings to the economy.

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The Future of the Great Barrier Reef series in partnership with

Climate change is hitting the corals of the Great Barrier reef hard. But what about the people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy reef?
This article was written and sponsored by Greenpeace Australia Pacific
The appeal of swimming, snorkelling, diving and sailing in the Reef is dependent on healthy marine life and rich, multi-coloured corals. Climate change is posing a potentially catastrophic threat to not only the Reef but also its $6 billion tourism industry, and the 64,000 jobs that rely on a healthy reef.

Year after year, millions of tourists flock to Queensland's coast to catch a glimpse of the stunning Great Barrier Reef. The largest living coral reef system in the world is a place of rich biodiversity and deep spiritual significance to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. Beneath the glassy turquoise-waters, thousands of marine species live in perfect symbiosis; creating a colourful underwater city that teems with life.

In the past five years, we've witnessed three major mass-bleaching events as a result of climate change; the frequency and severity of which has damaged both the Reef and the livelihoods of 64,000 people.

Our escalating climate emergency has caused a 54 per cent increase in the number of marine heatwave days each year; making it difficult for damaged corals to sufficiently recover. These dramatic changes to the once-thriving underwater ecosystem is causing a sense of apprehension among tourism operators.

"What you'll find is that some tourism operators are a bit wary about talking about the problems that the Reef faces. Obviously, they don't want people to know that the Reef is compromised; it's bad for business," says diving operator Tony Fontes.

"If we do talk about it, then the public starts to think: 'well, there's no Reef, so we'll have to visit somewhere else'. It's a fine line," he says.

With 40 years of diving experience under his belt, Fontes has witnessed both the decimation and revival of corals, along with the changes to the Reef's tourism industry.

"The Reef has had significant bleaching events, particularly in the past five years. But there's still a lot of good coral out there. When bleaching occurs, or cyclones - you have to move. That's practically what everyone has done".

Coral bleaching occurs when zooxanthellae - the colourful, microscopic algae that live within the coral - is expelled due to environmental stressors like marine heatwaves caused by climate change. The absence of zooxanthellae gives the coral a faded, bleached appearance. If temperatures fail to return to normal, the coral eventually dies. It can take decades for coral reefs to recover from a single bleaching event.

"What I've seen happen now, in terms of adaption, is more non-underwater activities like sailing, bushwalking and jet-skiing. Many operators are looking at activities that don't require you to get in the water and look at coral - which, to me is incredibly sad - but they've got no choice," says Fontes.

At 1.5°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts a loss of 70-90 per cent of the world's coral reefs. At 2°C, that number increases to 99 per cent.

Dr Nikola Casule, Head of Research & Investigations at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, says that the harm inflicted upon the Reef is happening because humans have tampered with the natural mechanisms of the planet. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon emissions, which exacerbates the greenhouse effect and increases the temperature of our oceans.

"Corals are very sensitive to the particular ecosystems that they live in; they can only survive within a small temperature range. Climate change really is the biggest threat to the Reef, overwhelmingly because of the harmful effect that warming conditions have on corals," says Dr Casule.

Queensland's tourism industry is wholly dependent on the survival of the Great Barrier Reef, but Australian Marine Conservation Society's (AMCS) David Cazzulino believes the reputation of the Reef has taken a hit in recent years.

"A lot of tourism operators feel frustrated with questions like: 'wow, I heard the Reef is dying - do I bother coming to see it?'"

"There is a concern, if we don't take action, what will happen to regional centres like Cairns and the Whitsunday's - all those places where tourism relies heavily on the Great Barrier Reef".

"That's been the core of our work at the AMCS - so far, over thirty tourism operators have signed the Reef Climate Declaration which calls for action on climate change to keep global warming below 1.5°C. That timeline depends on what we do now," says Cazzulino.

Fontes, having worked on the Reef for much of his lifetime, says that he's both optimistic and realistic about the future of the Reef's tourism industry.

"Future generations will have a Great Barrier Reef if we get on top of things soon. But if you want to have an impact and make people do something, you can't just talk about nature and its beauty - you also have to talk about jobs and money," says Fontes.

Keeping fossil fuels in the ground is essential to preserving the future of the Great Barrier Reef and its tourism industry. Dr Casule says there's absolutely no time to waste. "The best time to have taken this seriously was 30 years ago, the next best time is now".

"The question facing Australia, and the Federal Government in particular, is - do we want coral, or do we want coal? Because we can't have both. The survival of the Reef is incompatible with continuing to burn coal," says Dr Casule.

"As long as we're doing our part, raising our voice for the Reef, and working together to push for bolder climate action - I think there is hope to protect our iconic reef," Cazzulino concludes.
By Olivia Nankivell, a journalist, freelance writer and copywriter based in Adelaide, South Australia. For more in this series, visit The Future of the Great Barrier Reef hub.

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How climate change impacts the Great Barrier Reef tourism industry

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The Future of the Great Barrier Reef series in partnership with Climate change is hitting the corals of the Great Barrier reef hard. But what about the people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy reef?

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What smart and sustainable strategies could beused to reduce the impact of overtourism?

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What smart and sustainable strategies could beused to reduce the impact of overtourism?

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Sustainable Development Goals

A clean and healthy environment is required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts to counter the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste must be ramped up in order to truly transform societies and economies for everyone, everywhere.

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The global authority for the environment with programmes focusing on climate, nature, pollution, sustainable development and more.

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Supporting Jobs and Economies Through Travel and Tourism

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The New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment aims to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025.

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"Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities"

Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

Thus, sustainable tourism should:

1. Make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.

2. Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, conserve their built and living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contribute to inter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

3. Ensure viable, long-term economic operations, providing socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders that are fairly distributed, including stable employment and income-earning opportunities and social services to host communities, and contributing to poverty alleviation.

Sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as strong political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus building. Achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous process and it requires constant monitoring of impacts, introducing the necessary preventive and/or corrective measures whenever necessary.

Sustainable tourism should also maintain a high level of tourist satisfaction and ensure a meaningful experience to the tourists, raising their awareness about sustainability issues and promoting sustainable tourism practices amongst them.

Reference: Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy Makers, UNEP and UNWTO, 2005, p.11-12
COMMITTEE ON TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY (CTS)

Hotel Energy Solutions (HES) is a UNWTO-initiated project in collaboration with a team of United Nations and EU leading agencies in Tourism and Energy.

Hotel Energy Solutions (HES)

The World Tourism Organization is regularly preparing reports for the General Assembly of the United Nations providing updates on sustainable tourism policies both from UNWTO member States and States Members of the United Nations, as well as relevant agencies and programmes of the United Nations system.

UNGA Sustainable Tourism Resolutions

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"Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities" Sustainable tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments.

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Stuff article about sustainable tourism April 2022

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Stuff article about sustainable tourism April 2022

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OPINION: There's a newish acronym in Wellington. It's called ITP. It stands for Industry Transformation Plan and is being applied to seven industry sectors, including tourism.

MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) says the plan will involve high intensity, high engagement to set transformative vision and action plans.

The tourism ITP is planning a regenerative model "giving back more to people and places than it takes" - not just economically but enriching communities and helping protect and restore the environment.

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Maybe I'm getting old and cynical, but it feels like another tourism strategy with a different name. We've made quite a business out of talking about and developing tourism industry strategies since last century - a regular festival of talk.

Yes, we've talked until we're blue in the face about attracting high-value, low-impact visitors, about tourism becoming a valued, well-paid career, and about delivering an authentic experience to our visitors.

But despite all those strategies, the industry overall was a lot less discerning, hauling in more and more visitors - with the lowest value being our biggest international market, Australia.

Then suddenly border closures stopped tourism in its tracks and the industry turned its focus to Kiwis to keep business ticking over.

Since then, many things have happened.

Kiwis have had a real taste of being tourists at home and kinda like not sharing with other visitors.

The world has re-evaluated its values in lockdown, stimulating phenomena such as The Great Resignation - leaving or changing the way we work - as well as getting a greater appreciation for nature and hanging out with family.

Meanwhile, the industry has had a gruelling time and just wants to start earning money and re-employing staff.

And just last week the old issue we were struggling with reared its head, with a McKinsey & Company global survey showing emissions are now the top concern for air passengers, which is more than a bit of a worry for a long-haul destination like New Zealand.

For the record, aviation accounts for a mere 2.4 per cent of global CO2 emissions and 12 per cent of transport CO2 emissions. But passengers might find they're flying less anyway, with airlines folded, merged or having cut flight frequency, which means New Zealand could potentially be missed off some routes.

It feels like Mother Nature got bored with all our tourism strategies not really working and threw Covidat us to force the transformation.

And while it has been the toughest years ever for tourism - we do have the opportunity to genuinely develop a sustainable tourism industry.

This could be where people really do stay longer and spend more, perhaps because flights are more expensive and sparse, or because they're less focused on work and more interested in travelling. It might be where we really prove we have a commitment to the environment in the way we operate the tourism industry.

They could even fall in love with our food, wine and authentic products, tell others and want to keep purchasing from New Zealand when they get home.

But what worries me is right now, there is a tourism industry that's really hurting, with its mindset on getting its business and its people back to work. Their interest is survival, not transformation.

And there is absolutely nothing to stop a return to old habits.

Nothing will change unless we have a mechanism that controls either the volume of visitors or the border.

And the only real way to do that is through a strong entity with a mandate to run the tourism industry in a way that is best for all New Zealanders. That's transformation.

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Can New Zealand develop a sustainable tourism industry?

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OPINION: There's a newish acronym in Wellington. It's called ITP. It stands for Industry Transformation Plan and is being applied to seven industry sectors, including tourism. MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) says the plan will involve high intensity, high engagement to set transformative vision and action plans.