At Thompsons Travel, we take sustainable tourism to heart, and enthusiastically encourage business travel that employs environmentally friendly practices, protects cultural and natural heritage, and provides tangible social and economic benefits for local communities.
“Sustainable tourism ecompasses more than the traditional definitions of environmentally friendly efforts,” says Chantal Kliche, Retail Manager of Thompsons Travel, Cape Region. “It’s about taking a holistic view of our choices and actively making travel decisions which leave the world a better place in which we found it.”
Who We Support
“As part of The Travel Corporation’s family of brands, we support the TreadRight Foundation, which works to ensure that the environments and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come,” says Kliche.
Through its support of existing conservation initiatives, the non-profit TreadRight Foundation was established to support projects that help the environment, protect and conserve ecosystems and benefit communities. To date, TreadRight has provided more than US$2 million to over 40 sustainable tourism projects around the world.
How you can encourage sustainable business travel in your company
The TreadRight Foundation addresses four key areas in support of responsible tourism: Water, Biodiversity, Leadership and Community. By highlighting these to your business travellers, you can encourage them to do their part in creating a more sustainable tourism industry.
Every drop counts
Water is a hot topic in South Africa at the moment, with the Western Cape in the grips of the worst drought in living history. “When travelling to water-scarce destinations, encourage your business travellers to educate themselves on water-wise practices,” says Kliche.
How to be a water-wise traveller:
- Book eco-friendly accommodation. A number of hotels support and employ water conservation strategies, such as collecting rainwater.
- Did you know? It takes six times as much water to produce bottled water than what is in the actual bottle. Wherever possible, use a reusable glass or stainless steel water container and fill up as needed – this not only saves water but is cheaper too.
- Most hotels give their guests the option of not having their towels laundered daily. “This is such an easy way to help save water,” says Kliche. “Simply hang up your towel after use instead of leaving it in the bath or shower.”
- Have shorter showers. An 8-minute shower uses 120 litres of water. Try and keep your shower to 2 minutes or less. Be sure to turn off the taps when lathering with soap, shampooing, conditioning or shaving.
Did you know? The United Nations designated 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development to raise global awareness about how responsible tourism can act as a vehicle for positive change.
For more information on the TreadRight Foundation, please visit www.treadright.org For tips on how to apply green thinking for your next corporate event, see our post on greening your conference. And to chat more about how we can work together to encourage responsible tourism best practices in your business travel planning, meetings, incentives, conferences and events, contact Thompsons Travel today.
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