UN Tourism defines sustainable tourism as “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.” But sustainability can be a minefield. It means so many different things to different people. Hotels and holidays are also never a one-size-fits-all. They come in all shapes and sizes, which means it is impossible to judge somewhere on one strict set of criteria. Destinations too. Issues specific to one place won't be relevant to another. Bali, for example, has water scarcity issues whereas Switzerland does not.
At Great Escapes our best escapes are those that are either conservation or community-led. People and the environment come before profit. Organisations should also show how they are doing what they say they are doing. Many places label themselves as eco or green without doing much (or anything) at all.
As well as considering awards, what actions operators are saying they are doing and whether they are conservation or community-led, we also created a set of markers to look at what operators are doing against each one. Of course, this is not a perfect science, and our next goal is to focus more on accessibility options.
Reduces all energy use
Reduces all waste including food and water
Reduces consumption
Solar powered or renewable energy
Net zero
Carbon neutral
Solid recycling
Water recycling
Low impact transport
Low impact activities
Zero plastic
Limits plastic use
Ecosystem preservation
Wildlife protection or rescue
Reforestation or restoration
Sustainable build
Local or organic food
Plant based or offering large amount of plant based
Signed up to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism
Tourism's relationship with climate and nature is intertwined. It depends on healthy functional ecosystems to flourish, so it's even more vital to protect it. Eight per cent of carbon emissions come from the tourism industry and this is set to rapidly escalate if the industry continues to grow and function as it currently does.
Just switching to energy-saving bulbs and asking guests to reuse towels is not enough and never was. Tourist energy use and consumption patterns are typically much higher than local people, especially in large luxury hotels. This is one reason why we love smaller boutique, family or community-run places. Carbon use will generally always be much lower. That said, there are many chains and large luxury hotels that are leading the way to reduce and even negating energy usage, and will show guests how they are doing this.
Biodiversity protection is equally important as climate, and is also interlinked. Healthy ecosystems absorb carbon more effectively. Many of the places we list are conservation-led, where nature is seen as more important than tourism. Tourism provides an incentive to protect and conserve. When tourism is working at its best, it is actively protecting an ecosystem and all the species within it. All the members of The Long Run are great examples of this in action.
Tourism provides a livelihood for ten per cent of the world's people, but if tourism is to have a positive impact, jobs need to go to local people, wages should be fair training and development prospects should be available. Tourism can also go beyond direct employment to work with local suppliers and businesses, or to invest in social or environmental projects that will help that particular destination to thrive. Tourism leakage is a big problem. Leakage means that money spent by tourists doesn't end up benefitting the local economy. Instead it goes to foreign companies or investors. This is particularly problematic in lower-income countries.
We love community-owned escapes. Benefits remain in the hands of local people. Community-owned operators tend to also be champions of, or at least sensitive to, cultural and heritage preservation. When done right, tourism can help to increase local people's pride in their own culture.
Employs local people
Ethical and inclusive labour
Employee wellbeing and development
Funds projects
Education
Community led or owned
Community based
Empowerment
Community conservation
Preservation of cultural heritage
Respect for culture
Promotes local businesses
Transparent business accounting
Sustainable procurement along supply chain
Reinvests back into the community and or environment
Certification
Ideally we look for businesses that are open about their financial impact through transparent accounting, who support local craftspeople and producers and choose to work with suppliers who also show strong sustainability credentials, and who reinvest back in their local community or environment.
We also look at sustainable tourism certification, though do not rely on this. While certification can be a useful benchmark, it is not always a benefit because the high cost and time required to obtain them can unfairly exclude small-scale operators. Some certifications may inadvertently facilitate greenwashing if their criteria are too broad or if they lack the rigorous, on-the-ground auditing necessary to ensure that a business’s daily operations truly match its sustainable branding.