This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
What if local tourism was the solution to anchor the industry in a perspective of sustainability and eco-responsibility?
This year, the tourism sector has returned to almost 60% of its pre-pandemic level, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): “Now is the time to rethink tourism, the direction it is taking and its impact for humanity and for the planet”, says the United Nations Organization in echo of its 2020 recommendations: “Sustainability must be the new normal in tourism”, insisting on the consequences of the industry on the changes climate, especially because of transport. Admittedly, it is not new that industry players are wondering about the best practices to adopt to limit their environmental impact. A concern shared by travellers: in 2019, we saw the emergence in Europe and North America of the phenomenon of flygskam (Where flight shame), the “shame of flying”, in Swedish. Proof that the message is beginning to be heard by both specialist companies and consumers. So how do you embed sustainability into behaviors?
Sobriety objective
Certainly, the traveler can offset his carbon footprint (nearly two tonnes of CO2 for a round trip between Montreal and Paris, or about $50 to invest in environmental protection or reforestation projects), but buying carbon credits is voluntary and cannot be a long-term solution. This lies more surely in sobriety, because the most carbon neutral trip is still the one you don’t take. “Refuse” is also the first principle of the “4 Rs” put forward by the French collective Voyager differently, followed by the other three: “reduce” (travel less often), “replace” (opt for human motor , for example) and “recycle” (choose socially acceptable business models: cooperatives, shared enterprises, etc.). Like responsible consumption, the tourist of tomorrow will also be well advised to favor local purchases, that is to say, the use of Quebec companies. During the last two years – during which international tourism has been very slow – many Quebecers have taken their vacations in Gaspésie or on the North Shore, for example, where there is no shortage of quality tourism players.
Return home
This tendency to favor domestic tourism is one of the avenues recommended by the UNWTO to support local businesses, sustain jobs (in Quebec, one in 10 jobs is linked to tourism) and restore the social benefits provided by this activity. That’s the whole point of the feature film Resonances, produced by Vaolo, the collaborative platform for travelers concerned about their impact on the planet and put online for free last September. His message: a change of scenery is possible, even around the corner. Hosts and players passionate about tourism demonstrate the extraordinary power of attraction of the regions of Quebec and the unique experiences that can be enjoyed there. Through the testimony of four Vaolo explorers who set out to meet tourism entrepreneurs, a reflection on the role of travel is gradually taking shape: forging powerful links through memorable encounters, (re)discovering one’s territory, keeping one’s gaze open and amazed at what surrounds us. “We wanted to see the real world, not necessarily the most beautiful sites in the region, explains Matt Charland, the director of the documentary and himself an avid traveler. We wanted to go back to the roots, to the essential, to the human. These entrepreneurs still need to have the means to initiate a transition to sustainable and responsible practices: energy efficiency, waste management, respect for the natural environment, the presence of electric terminals for cars, bicycles and snowmobiles, etc.
Tools to prioritize
There is no shortage of recent public tools to support this transition, particularly from the federal government, via Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the provincial government, with the Quebec Action Fund for Sustainable Development. Its Sustainable Destination and Concerted Action plan implemented this year alone includes an envelope of $10 million. “But this funding only concerns calls for projects,” explains Jean-Michel Perron, co-founder of Tourisme durable Québec. We thus risk missing out on the necessary actions to be taken for our existing companies. For this expert in tourism of the future, the establishment of a simple and free application is necessary to help entrepreneurs measure their carbon footprint. Ditto for the management of tourist flows: “Overtourism does not only concern a popular place in Italy, it can also apply to a national park here”, he says. In this regard, it is surprising that national parks have not yet set up free shuttles from major urban centres, as we see in Scandinavia, for example. But, for Jean-Michel Perron, it is the establishment of a national certification, recognized by the independent organization Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which is essential: “There are so many certifications and labels on the market, regret he, it takes an external audit to ensure that we are not in the greenwashing ! A tool that is more than ever necessary in the era of the return of mass tourism.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.