communicating about responsible tourism for hotels greenwash, hogwash or genuine commitment?

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?