Sustainable news round-up
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Sustainability news from the travel industry.
Industry gathers at responsible event
Priorities in sustainable tourism will be published online and through a report next month following a one-day conference in London last week. Initiatives into sustainable tourism for the next 10 years were outlined at the ‘Taking Responsibility for Tourism’ event at London’s South Africa House on Thursday, 10 years after the first Responsible Tourism in Destinations conference in South Africa. It served as a platform for TUI to outline its plans to deliver 10 million ‘greener and fairer’ holidays in the next three years as the company gears up to reveal its strategy next month. Further talks at the event included a keynote from Tokozile Xasa, Deputy Minister, Department of Tourism: the South African Experience of Responsible Tourism; World Travel Market’s Fiona Jeffreys and sustainable representatives from ABTA, TUI, Kuoni, Thomas Cook and Virgin Holidays.
WTM’s WRTD set to grow
World Travel Market’s World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD) is set to be given a boost this year with increased focus and initiatives. The UNWTO-sponsored day will be held at WTM for the sixth time on 7 November with speeches and debates, although initiatives will run throughout the show. These will include the Speaker’s Corner which will allow delegates to stand on a ‘soapbox’ in the ExCel’s cafes and voice their opinions on sustainable travel. Each slot will be publicised and follows a growth in demand of delegates who want to speak at the event. “We were always in this for the long haul and I’m delighted that responsible tourism is gradually gaining ground within every quarter of the industry”, said Fiona Jeffery OBE, chairman of World Travel Market. More than 100 companies have applied to use WTM’s WRTD logo with 70 approved so far.
Etihad signs up more wings
Etihad Airways has bought 200 hens and three bee hives to provide eggs and honey for its onboard meals. The airline’s hens and bees will be kept at Abu Dhabi Organics Farms and used across its ‘eggs any style’ breakfast option and a variety of meals. The airline is also planning to introduce a dish made entirely of organic products and is developing a line of pickles to sell to customers. “As the national airline of the UAE, we are committed to sourcing and using ‘Product of the UAE’ items wherever and whenever possible, and our partnership with Abu Dhabi Organics Farms is a great example of how we work together with UAE companies to bring local products to the world,” said Lee Shave, vice president guest experience at Etihad.
