ROUND TABLE
industry hobby horse, but
the problem is it distorts the
market. Old, polluting aircraft
that ferry cargo do not pay it.
The worry is that emissions
trading will not work. As an
industry we are overly cautious
about anything seen as negative.
We have to be more clever
about the environmental
impact of fl ying and the social
benefi ts of travel.
Stephanie Draper: The UK
government is committed to an
80% reduction in CO2 emissions,
including aviation. That
requires thinking differently,
but it is hard for the industry to
think what to do differently. For
example, there is resistance to
the idea of longer holidays.
That is where industry leadership
is important.
Noel Josephides: If you look
at the science, things are
moving a lot faster than any of
us think. I fear the situation
will be similar to the way the
government took a laissez faire
attitude with the banking
industry and subsequently
realised it needed to take drastic
action. But without the government,
whatever we decide
to do there will be a section of
the industry that will not do it.
TW: Will the recession limit
progress if people have less
to spend and focus on budget
options or all-inclusive
resorts? Can the industry
continue to off er luxury and
be sustainable?
Richard Short: People will
downscale and many will
approach travel in a less
sustainable way, but I take
issue with the idea that budget
hotels are less responsible.
www.travelweekly.co.uk
Richard Short
and Sarah
Holloway
Noel
Josephides
and Zoe
Brown
They are the most sustainable
hotels in our sector. Sustainability
needs to be integrated
into the everyday running of
hotels. We see the benefi ts
fi nancially and in sustainability,
and some guests see it too. But
others want luxury. So most
sustainability measures are in
the background, particularly in
high-end properties.
Stephanie Draper: We don’t
want to equate luxury and
sustainability, but there can
be both.
Luis Rendon: If all-inclusive
resorts use local resources, the
impact on the community can
be positive. But if resorts leak
75% of revenue [outside the
community] we are not keen.
Cancun has suffered a bad
reputation, although having
people in a single place leaves
other areas pristine – so there
is something positive. However,
we are seeing change. If
consumers see you behave in a
sustainable way, they are more
likely to travel with you again
and return to a destination.
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