Interview on Sustainability with Ted Martens from STI

Sustainable Travel International (STI) is the leading internationally recognized non-profit dedicated to sustainable tourism development. In partnership with STI, Austin-Lehman Adventures is committed to expanding and enhancing its efforts to support environmental conservation, preserve cultural-heritage and contribute to local economic development.

STI is dedicated to taking a holistic approach to addressing sustainable development within the travel and tourism industries by providing solutions-oriented programs that generate tangible results and affect long-lasting change.

We were able to sit down with Ted Martens, STI’s Director of Outreach & Development and ask him a few questions about sustainable travel and how his company is helping.

What is your definition of sustainable travel?
Sustainable travel is a level of tourism activity that is viable in the long-term because it results in a net benefit for the communities, economies, and environments where it takes place.  The key components of this definition are the “long-term” – preserving destinations for generations to come, and the “triple bottom line” – or the focus on the local environment, community, and economies – all of these must benefit for travel to be sustainable.

Why is sustainable travel important?
The travel and tourism industry is arguable the largest industry in the world, and the negative impacts associated with this massive industry are significant and widespread.  Because the industry relies on the quality of destinations and livelihood of host communities, we must take proactive steps to preserve them so that we may visit them again, and so that our children will also have the opportunity to experience these phenomenal locations.  Sustainable travel is the type of tourism that will allow for the long-term viability of the world’s greatest places.

Who should participate in sustainable travel and how can someone get started?
Anyone and everyone can and should participate in sustainable travel.  At its core, sustainable travel is all about making educated decisions – decisions on how you act when you travel, who you travel with, and how you spend your money in the destinations.  Getting started is easy – choose travel providers (hotels, tour operators, guides, etc) who are committed to this philosophy (for a list of questions to ask potential providers, click here).  Be respectful of the environments and people in the destinations you visit.  Patronize local businesses.  Consider mitigating your environmental impacts through carbon offsetting or think about giving philanthropically to the destinations you visit.  For a full list of best practices and tips for travelers, visit STI’s consumer page.

How is sustainable travel different from ecotourism?
There is no official and industry-wide agreement on specifics of these terms, but at their core, both ecotourism and sustainable tourism (and responsible tourism and geotourism and pro-poor tourism, etc) are aimed at the same outcomes – preservation of the environment and providing benefits to host communities.  In our eyes, ecotourism is a form of sustainable tourism.  While ecotourism tends to focus only on responsible travel to natural environments, sustainable travel encompasses responsible travel to all types of environments.  Some argue that you cannot engage in ecotourism in an urban environment, but you certainly can engage in sustainable travel in an urban environment.  So, in a nutshell, ecotourism is a sub-category of sustainable tourism.

How can tour operators help minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism?
We could write an entire book on this topic!  To summarize a few key ideas, tour operators can:

• Educate their travelers on the importance of sustainable tourism and how to actively participate in it
• Analyze their business operations with a “green lens”, looking for places to increase efficiencies, decrease fossil fuel consumption, minimize waste, etc.
• “Green up” their supply chain by choosing hotels, restaurants, and service providers who are committed to preserving the environment and creating benefits for the host community
• Minimize their carbon emissions and offset unavoidable emissions
• Create or participate in a philanthropic initiative that directly benefits the communities that host their tours

What does the future hold for sustainable travel?
While the “green” movement is well in motion and is becoming part of consumer and corporate culture, we still have a long ways to go before the industry as a whole is operating in a sustainable manner.  Fortunately, industry-leading businesses are realizing the financial benefits of operating in a more sustainably, and the information and tools that facilitate this movement are becoming more widespread.  I’m optimistic that we’ll  see an incremental adoption of more sustainable practices across the industry, but it will take a lot of effort.  Travelers need to demand responsible travel options, and industry-leaders need to continue to share best practices and success stories.