Would you like to implement initiatives in your hotel or restaurant to reduce and better manage waste? Have a look at this collaborative toolbox developed by Future of Waste, a makesense.org program, with the active support of SUEZ. It’s 100% free and accessible to everyone! The toolbox is divided into 4 sections: Methodology: follow those 10 steps to implement change. Solutions: find concrete solutions more »
Sustainability Blog
Welcome to our blog, which features a new topic every month, with different experts sharing their opinions and knowledge in these original articles.
*Please note that the views presented in these articles are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the Pacific Asia Travel Association
#PATASustain interviewed Clarissa Elakis, Project Coordinator for ChildSafe in Cambodia. In this interview, Clarissa tells us about the ChildSafe Movement and shares how the travel and tourism industry can do its part. 1. Hi Clarissa, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Can you tell us a little bit about Friends-International and the ChildSafe Movement? Thank you for the more »
#PataSustain interviewed Dr. Andrew McLean, co-founder of the Human Elephant Learning Programs (H-ELP) foundation, an Australian organisation aiming to improve the welfare of working elephants in Asia. Since its foundation in 2010, H-ELP has grown significantly as Andrew’s systematic approach to elephant training is recognised as a viable and safe alternative to traditional submission-based methods. The following interview has been edited more »
by Marta Mills (oneplanetblog.com), sustainable tourism specialist and sustainability adviser for the Transcaucasian Trail Exactly a year ago after ITB Berlin 2017, I wrote White Men in Suits and Sustainable Tourism for PATA’s Sustainability Blog, referring to the nationality, race and gender imbalance of speakers at ITB, but also at other conferences and events in the tourism industry. more »
email interview with Małgorzata Then, CEO, Biotrem Q: Hi Małgorzata, nice to meet you. So tell us, what is Biotrem? What kinds of products do you offer? A: Biotrem is a Polish technology company developing an innovative production process of bio-based tableware and packaging. The patented technology allows us to manufacture a biodegradable disposable tableware from sustainable organic raw materials, such as more »
email interview with Mallika Naguran, Publisher and Managing Editor, Gaia Discovery and Gaia Guide Hi Mallika! The tables have turned! You do a lot of interviewing, now it’s time for someone to interview you! To start things off, tell us a little bit about your road to Gaia Discovery. It sure has! Thank you for this opportunity to tell my story. I more »
email interview with Javad Hatami, CMO & Co-founder, Optishower 1. In 2-3 sentences, what is your product, what does it do? What is your elevator pitch? Optishower integrated solution helps hotels achieve operational excellence, decrease water and electricity consumption, and ensure the highest levels of guest satisfaction. We use IoT-based smart sensors to monitor water and electricity in buildings; engage more »
by Juliane Little, Account Executive, Precious Plastics Bangkok Did you know that plastic doesn’t actually decompose? Over time it’ll start to break down into smaller pieces called microplastics; however, it’ll never fully be removed from our planet. So how do we expect to tackle this ever-growing issue about plastic waste? While there is no short more »
by JJ Harvey, Operations Manager, Reef-World Foundation The modern traveller is not what they used to be. The game has changed and competition amongst businesses is as high as it has ever been. In a similar situation to people applying for work they need to have a CV that stands above the rest, something that has more »
By Michelle Groothedde, Associate Intern Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Pacific Asia Travel Association. In Doi Inthanon National park, about 90 kilometres from Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand, two communities, Pha Mon and Mae Klang Luang, both ethnic Karen communities, have worked in community based tourism for 11 and 18 years respectively. On a mini field trip we visited the two more »
by Sudan Budathoki, Senior Office -Online Branding & Communication, Royal Mountain Travel, on behalf of CommunityHomestay.com While luxurious hotels with all the mod-cons can be a lavish way to travel, with travelers interested in getting to know local people and exploring different cultures, some may find this a limiting way of experiencing a country. If you’ve seen the more »
Some businesses may feel threatened by the sharing (collaborative) economy but it is time for our society to change its view on the importance of owning ‘things’. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12) focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. With this in mind, we need to consider sharing a little more and owning a little less to help more »
by Jackie Edwards, editor, researcher and writer Some seniors think that sustainable travel is not a suitable option for them, because it requires them to make extra efforts in most travel situations. However, it’s important to understand that it does not take much to be environmentally conscious during travel. Here are some tips that can help senior travelers minimize their impact more »
by Jackie Edwards, editor, researcher and writer Sustainable Tourism: Ways Your Trip Can Have a Positive Impact When we go on holiday to a new place, it is increasingly important to us to learn as much as we can about the local atmosphere and culture. Often, the best part of the trip is when we are able to interact with the more »
by Jeremy Smith, Editor & Co-Founder, Travindy The easiest way to understand why most people struggle to communicate sustainable tourism well, and to understand how to get it right, is to stop thinking about sustainable tourism. Instead, think about food. When you buy any food that comes in packaging, that packaging is covered with information. On the front, there’s more »
by Marta Mills (@oneplanetblog), Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Director, Transcaucasian Trail Association According to UNWTO, tourism’s role in the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is to promote inclusiveness: inclusive sustainable economic growth, social inclusiveness, diversity, mutual understanding. The word “inclusive” appears in five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet one thing that was clearly missing from the ITB’s “Sustainable Tourism more »
by Nicolas Dubrocard, Former Wild Asia Project Director, auditor for Travelife and Green Globe, and Director of Audit Diagnostic Solutions Tourism I started my path on sustainable tourism exactly ten years ago in Morocco where I was supporting small accommodations and hotels to obtain the Green Key international eco label and to save water through Travel Foundation’s programme called Every more »
By La Carmina, travel blogger and TV host @ lacarmina.com Intro As a millennial travel blogger, I’ve noticed a rising interest among travelers my age for “authentic, immersive” experiences. I personally gravitate towards sharing stories in this vein, such as conservation safaris in South Africa, or village food tours in Vietnam. Skift’s recent report echoes this movement: “Arguably the most more »
by Maeve Nightingale, Mangroves for the Future Programme Manager, IUCN Home to a golden sand beach, towering cliffs, amazing surf, rare conch shells and colorful pagodas, Cox’s Bazar should long ago have been on the map as a popular tourist destination. Yet, little is known about this fascinating fishing port located in the South Asian nation of Bangladesh. Cox’s more »
Celebrating a decade of best practice in responsible travel Ten years ago Wild Asia, a social enterprise in Malaysia, identified a need to work with industries, rather than against them, to improve social and environmental impacts of the private sector. One of those industries was tourism, and as a way to inspire and educate businesses from around the region, they more »
