communicating about responsible tourism for hotels greenwash, hogwash or genuine commitment?
TRANSCRIPT
Communicating about Responsible Tourism for
Hotels
Greenwash, Hogwash or
Genuine commitment?
Importance of environmental issues
Tot
al (
17
coun
trie
s)
Am
eric
ans
Arg
enti
nean
s
Aus
tral
ians
Braz
ilia
ns
Brit
ish
Can
adia
ns
Chi
nese
Fren
ch
Ger
man
s
Hun
gari
ans
Indi
ans
Japa
nese
Mex
ican
s
Rus
sian
s
Sout
h Kor
eans
Span
ish
Swed
es
Economic problems 43 68 26 54 14 70 58 34 56 34 51 11 48 22 38 65 50 33
Unemployment 14 12 9 8 9 6 13 9 24 23 9 12 18 9 7 8 41 26
Political problems 9 4 8 4 15 5 7 8 5 13 12 15 12 11 19 12 2 6
Environment/ climate
change6 * 13 22 6 2 3 23 1 * * 6 3 10 * 2 * 4
Crime/ violence 4 0 17 1 16 4 1 * 1 1 2 2 1 21 2 1 * 1
Poverty/ homelessness 3 * 6 * 5 * 2 * 2 4 5 15 * 5 4 0 0 *
Education 2 * 3 1 12 * 1 1 * 2 0 3 1 3 1 1 * *
Terrorism/ war 2 4 2 * 1 * * * * 0 0 14 * 5 0 1 1 *
Health 1 4 1 2 5 * 5 1 * 1 * * 1 1 1 * 0 3
Top mention * Less than 1 percent
Source: National Geographic Greendex
Unprompted, top mention, Percentage of Consumers in Each Country, 2009
Tourists care (or say they do)Surveys among UK residents taking
holidays overseas Organisation commissioning research
Focus Year %
Reputation of the holiday company on environmental issues is important (agree or strongly agree)
ABTA Outbound 2002 70
A holiday should not damage the environment (agree or strongly agree)
ABTA Outbound 2002 85
A holiday should benefit people at the destination (agree or strongly agree)
ABTA Outbound 2002 71
How important is it to you that your holiday does not damage the environment (very important or fairly important)
Tearfund Outbound 2002 87
Surveys among tour operators offering overseas holidays
Are more clients asking about responsible tourism (yes)
Weedon Outbound 2001 30
Surveys among UK residents taking holidays at home
Do you think the tourism industry is doing little or nothing to reduce environmental impacts? (Yes)
VisitScotland Domestic 2004 60
Do you normally consider environmental issues when booking your holiday? (yes)
Devon Visitor Survey Domestic 2005 54
Do you think Devon is more of an environmentally friendly destination than others in the UK? (yes)
Devon Visitor Survey Domestic 2005 68
Sources of data: Ethical and Responsible Tourism: Consumer Trends in the UK [19]; Ethical Tourism - An Opportunity for Competitive Advantage [20]; Tearfund
[21]; ABTA 2002 Attitudes of Package Holiday Makers Survey [22] Devon County Council (2005) Discover Devon Naturally Green Paper.
Source: VisitBritain (2007) Sustainable Tourism:
the UK domestic perspective
Actions speak louder than words
Total %
Male %
Female %
I am aware that some holidays have a negative effect on the environment and have changed behaviour
13 13 13
I am aware that some holidays have a negative effect on the environment and intend to change behaviour
14 12 17
I am aware that some holidays have a negative effect on the environment, but it probably won't change behaviour
49 55 42
I am not aware that some holidays have a negative effect on the environment
14 8 20
I don't believe that any holidays have a negative effect on the environment
10 11 9
Source: VisitBritain (2007) Sustainable Tourism:
the UK domestic perspective
Some hotel clients care more than others
What’s in a word
Sustainable Tourism:
“High quality provision that you would wish to visit again or
regularly”
“Tourism that sustains itself – gets people back for more”
Source: VisitBritain (2007) Sustainable Tourism: the UK domestic perspective
Responsible tourism:
“Being a responsible tourist would mean not dropping your litter on the floor, while
being an eco-tourist would involve recycling your litter”
Ecotourism:
'It reminds me of swampy, living with nature, living on a compost heap.'
What matters to different groups of
consumers is different
… and will ultimately be influenced by things outside of the hotel
… and often does not match hotel priorities
Modes of communication
Ensure the mode matches the market
• Business
• Leisure
• Reports• Carbon
measurement• Certification• Local food• Healthy• Soft transport• Destination links
Golden rules of greenwash
(adapted from Futerra – the Greenwash Guide)
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language“Green issues matter to the hotel
managementEco-friendly Ecologically
awareGreen
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products
“We offer eco-friendly 4 by 4 driving experiences in the unspoiled sand
dunes around the resort”
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while ignoring
glaring pollution) “The focus of our green programme is on cleaning up the
local beach”
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while
ignoring glaring pollution)5. Best in class (when the best are terrible or operate
under very different circumstances to you).
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while ignoring
glaring pollution)5. Best in class (when the best are terrible or operate under very
different circumstances to you)6. Using jargon or presenting very complex information
Golden rules of greenwash
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while ignoring glaring pollution)5. Best in class (when the best are terrible or operate under very different
circumstances to you)6. Using jargon7. No proof – or failure to practise what you preach
Hotels that host towel cards and fail to train staff appropriately.
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while ignoring glaring pollution)5. Best in class (when the best are terrible or operate under very different
circumstances to you)6. Using jargon7. No proof8. Outright lying
Golden rules of greenwash
1. Fluffy language2. Eco-speak for dirty products3. Suggestive pictures4. Making overt claims about small actions (while ignoring glaring pollution)5. Best in class (when the best are terrible or operate under very different
circumstances to you)6. Using jargon7. No proof8. Outright lying9. Presenting what matters to you and ignoring what matters to your clients.
Ethics Girl: The Devil Wears Primark
By Sophie Morris http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent/2008/06/the-devil-wears.html
The dangers of Greenwash
It couldn’t happen to a hotel company?