Sustainable tourism tips

When planning a trip to Italy, most people put historic, charming cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome on the itinerary. But Oasy Dynamo, a new luxury, wilderness retreat nestled in the Pistoia mountains of upper Tuscany, is hoping travelers want a taste of nature, too.

No wiggle room exists anymore for superficial business as usual.

Sustainable travel has developed a sense of urgency post-pandemic. However, while carbon emissions, environmental degradation, and cultural sensitivity are picked apart at length, animal exploitation through the sale of captive wildlife entertainment has received less pushback.

India plans to promote green tourism, open up to 50 new tourism destinations, and launch a publicity campaign in overseas markets during its presidency of the G20 this year, officials said.

The head of Air France-KLM hit out on Thursday at a Dutch decision to cut airline slots at Amsterdam’s Schiphol to reduce air and noise pollution, saying it disrupted planning for the arrival of efficient new jets better able to curb emissions.

Intrepid Travel, one of the world’s largest tour operators with a reputation for responsible tourism, has cleaned up its wildlife tours offering, maintaining its animal welfare policy standards.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority put two contracts up to bid, one for marketing to the U.S. and the other for destination management, on February 14.  The two contracts are essentially a split of the previous one that included both responsibilities and had been awarded to a community non-profit. A government official canceled the it minutes before his term ended on December 5.

The U.S. travel sector needs to revamp its messaging around the sustainable action its destinations and businesses are taking in order to maintain competitiveness with European markets.

Sustainable tourism organization Fairbnb.coop has launched in the UK. 

The short-term rental industry can be sustainable, but not without support and structure. As it currently stands, there are few institutional incentives and considerable regulatory obstacles to make sustainability a universal priority.

Setting a new “gold standard” for travel, Bhutan is now offering duty-free gold to visitors, who may have been discouraged to visit the destination due to the high sustainable tourism fee.

Amsterdam is trying to drive away party tourists in order to preserve resident quality of life and attract more mindful visitors. The city aims to reduce the appeal of the De Wallen, which is internationally called as the Red Light District, a major tourist attraction known for brothels, drinking, cannabis coffeeshops and other recreational activities.

It started with a Linkedin post.

Most U.S. travelers are interested in going on more environmentally friendly forms of travel, but they’re largely finding it challenging to do so. 

The Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau recently ended its tourism partnership with the City of Sedona because the local government wouldn’t allow it to restart destination marketing. The move came in the wake of a November election that saw a mayor and council member voted out and that was seen as a referendum on resident attitudes toward tourism.

On Thursday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority was officially excluded from the state budget and now has to request funds from the state’s budgeting and finance department. The governor and legislature will vet the funding requests, putting the agency under their scrutiny. 

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has awarded the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau the contract to market the island to the mainland U.S., the island’s largest source market, the agency announced Monday. The contract is worth over $38 million, has a two and a half year term with an option of a two-year extension and is scheduled to begin on June 22. 

American Express Travel has launched ‘Stay with Purpose,’ an online directory of curated hotels and resorts that are committed to ‘initiatives furthering conservation, community development, and inclusive travel’.

Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton says he doesn’t just want to pay a so-called living wage – he wants to exceed it. That goes for the company’s own employees as well as all the workers involved with its tours and services on five continents.

John De Fries will step down as president and CEO of Hawaii Tourism Authority effective September 15. ​De Fries did not accept an invitation from the board to extend his three-year employment contract.

Last year, Bhutan sent a shock to its tourism sector by raising its so-called sustainable development fee from $65 to $200 per night, per person for all tourists, excluding Indian nationals, who are charged $15 (Rs 1200) per night, per guest.