According to United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) statistics, 1 in 12 people in both advanced and emerging economies work in the tourism industry. In 2012, there will be an estimated 1 billion tourists crossing borders rising to almost 1.8 billion in 2030. Often, those most disproportionately vulnerable to the impact of falling tourism revenues due to bad news are transitional and developing countries whose tourism industries contribute significantly to their GDP. Ultimately, it’s ordinary people and their families who suffer most because of lost jobs and income.

Every destination can be subject to the scrutinizing lens of the media.  How you relate to that lens is what influences outcomes.  Such was the essence of the topic of this year’s 2nd UNTWO Conference on Tourism and Media: Partnering with Media during Challenging times.

So what can tourism organizations – tourism boards, tour operators, and accommodation providers – do to work better with media during difficult times of negative perception related to current events?  How can they better weather the storm? What is it that journalists are looking for from the tourism industry? And how can the tourism industry develop better relations in the media during these times?

Here are ten quotes that suggest practical takeaways for tourism organizations looking to work with media, especially during difficult news cycles:

1) “The best way to deal with the media is to be honest and be yourself.” – Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of UNWTO

Most journalists, by the nature of their trade, aim to honest and objective.  When working with them, give them the room to be both.

2) “Objectively safe is different from perception of safety. Five to ten deaths in 2011 by sharks, 150 by falling coconuts. Yet none of us fear coconuts on vacation.” – Dirk Glasser, Coordinator, Risk and Crisis Management, UNWTO

Perception trumps reality and statistics. Influence the conversation and provide perspective and you just might change perceptions.

3) “Just because you think it’s a story doesn’t mean it’s a story.” - Abigail Hauslohner, Egypt Correspondent, TIME Magazine

Don’t expect journalists to jump on everything you throw at them, especially if what you are offering consists mainly of press releases and promotional materials.  Only through open discussion of something new can a story emerge, even if it’s not the one you originally imagined.

4) “When working with media there’s a difference between giving info[rmation] vs promotional materials.” – Michael Altenhenne, Senior International Correspondent, Deutsche Welle TV

When pursuing your needs for promotion through the news media, consider first giving journalists what they need to do their jobs.  Providing promotional materials — videos, photos, advertisements — does not usually help a journalist put together a story. Providing access to the right people and the right information does.

If you invite media on a press trip, have some unique story ideas (i.e., no one has covered them) in mind.  Be creative, and understand that journalists like fresh stories.  Let’s face it:  EVERYONE likes fresh stories.

5) “Press releases and press conferences mean nothing. I have something for YOU. That means something.”  - Ben Wedeman, CNN Cairo Bureau Chief, Senior International Correspondent

This sentiment was echoed throughout the conference.  The upshot is that journalists want a personal approach, not a canned one.

6) “Never deny a bad story that is true.” – Mark Leftly, Associate Business Editor, The Independent

The truth will eventually find a way.  If you wish to build trust and work with media, denying the truth is a bad start.

7) “It’s time to pay attention to the bloggers, tweeters… etc in many ways this form of media are overtaking mainstream media.” – Ben Wedeman, CNN Cairo Bureau Chief, Senior International Correspondent

Real-time sharing of experiences from real people is increasingly what gets traction.  Understanding this can help you make the news cycle work for you.

8) “If we can’t get access, it’s more likely to be left out.”

What’s the best way to get your desired story angle covered? Be open and provide access (to the experience, the destination, etc.) to journalists so that they can find the stories they want.  The result may just be the story you want, but never knew you did.

9) “The media writ large doesn’t exist.” - Andrew Burmon, Associate Travel Editor, The Huffington Post

The media as a concept may be useful for discussions, but beyond that it doesn’t exist.

Under the enormous umbrella of “media” there are many players and agents through which you can help get your story told.  Understanding needs and motivations — and that not all members of the media work the same way — will go a long way.

10) “Build a relationship, not a partnership. Get us out of the ‘us vs. them’ conspiracy mindset.”

Even though the title of the conference referred to “partnering with the media,” it’s clear as it is in all business, the success of your story and your message will be impacted by the relationships you develop.

What practical advice do you have for working with media? 

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Check out the live-stream and slideshows from the 2nd UNWTO Conference on Tourism and Media: Partnering with Media During Challenging Times.

The GSTC Board is a dynamic, active organization whose dedication and experience ensure the continuing success of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. It is important to have a diverse board membership to ensure that all stakeholders are represented as fairly as possible. Please consider a leadership role within your organization. A potential candidate may nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.

If you are interested in participating in the 2012 Board Election, please fill out the application available on the Members’ Only Section of the GSTC website. Or if you would like to nominate someone else, please email GSTCmember@unfoundation.org with their name, organization, current position, nationality, and a letter of endorsement for the individual.

The deadline for the application for all candidates is on Wenesday, May 23rd. Please email GSTCmember@unfoundation.org if you need a reminder of your password or username.

All nominees will be reviewed by the Election Committee for eligibility by May 30^th.  After confirming eligibility, candidates will be listed on the GSTC website during the election period from June 13^th through July 11^th. Once the voting period closes, the Election Committee will validate the election results and deliver a report to the Secretariat who will announce the results no later than August 1^st.  Elected candidates will assume their posts on August 15^th for a period of 3 years.

If you have further questions about the election process or responsibilities of a GSTC Board Member please contact Harmony Lamm at hlamm@unfoundation.org.

“A healthy future…” — the GSTC mission of promoting sustainable tourism in all its dimensions — environmental, cultural, and economic — aligns with the meaning of these words in their fullest.

On the dawn of Earth Day, what better way to celebrate this than by highlighting a few sustainability initiatives — the actions — being undertaken by GSTC members around the world.

Perhaps these diverse initiatives will surprise you. Maybe they’ll make you think. Most of all, we hope they plant the seed of inspiration for you and your organization to take further action.

Here’s to a healthy future, a sustainable future.

Happy Earth Day! 

InterContinental New York Barclay: Rooftop Beekeeping and Gardening

When you think of a five-star hotel in New York City, beehives and an herb and fruit garden are probably not the first images that come to mind, but that’s exactly what the InterContinental New York Barclay has done.

The “Barclay bees” as they are affectionately known play an important role in the pollination of the hotel’s 16th floor fruit and vegetable garden. Additionally, the food waste from the hotel’s restaurants is run through an industrial composting machine, providing a sort of natural fertilizer that helps enrich the garden’s topsoil. Together, it all helps keep Executive Chef Serge Devesa stocked with fresh ingredients for his culinary creations.

Photo credit: InterContinental New York Barclay

For Earth Day, the Barclay is adding five new hives to its existing three (watch the video) and launching the BeeCam, an opportunity to observe the Barclay bees live at work.

Read more about the InterContinental Barclay’s sustainable practices here.  

Hostelling International: More than Just Budget Accommodation

Read Hostelling International’s mission and you’ll get a sense of a vision of sustainable tourism before the term even existed:

“to promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as an ancillary thereto to provide hostels or other accommodation in which there shall be no distinctions of race, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class or political opinions, and thereby to develop a better understanding of fellow men at home and abroad.”

Photo Credit: Hostelling International

Today, one example of this mission statement at work comes by way of a Hostelling International Bolivia volunteer program. The program now works with 118 volunteers committing more than six months to work in ten remote villages across Bolivia. The program provides school assistance and the HI-Foundation now runs ten kindergartens and environmental awareness programs that feature garden creation and community cleaning. In addition, the HI foundation supports an  ”Elderly Pension Home” that engages young volunteers to care for elderly people who have no one else care for them.

Hostelling International not only helps travelers see and experience the world by offering low-cost accommodation, but it also provides them opportunities to get involved in and give back to communities around the world.  Learn more about Hostelling International’s sustainability programs here and the initiatives of its sustainable hostels here.

Caesars Entertainment: An Employee-Driven Commitment to Community

At Caesars Entertainment the employees – more than 70,000 of them – help to drive the company’s sustainable initiatives through its innovative The Code Green program. Not only does this employee-driven program work to reduce natural resource use, conserve energy and promote reuse and recycling, but it’s giving back to the communities where Caesars works.

During the Clean the World initiative, Caesars’ soap and bottled amenities (shampoo, condition, lotions) are recycled and given to members of the local community, thereby diverting waste from landfills while providing much-needed hygiene supplies to those who need them. In addition, Caesars Entertainment’s philanthropic charitable organization, the Caesars Foundation has given more than $250,000 to open a Las Vegas-based recycling facility that now serves as the processing center for the West Coast.

Check out this video to learn how and why Caesars is constantly evolving its sustainability strategy and how important it is to its employees, guests and operating communities.

WildChina: Building Community Ties in One of China’s Poorest Provinces
When WildChina began visiting Guizhou — one of China’s poorest provinces with 2.55 million people living in absolute poverty — in 2000, the villagers weren’t accustomed to receiving visitors. The company worked together with communities to establish basic standards of operation, from how to prepare food for foreign visitors to proper washing of sheets and linens.

During one preparation journey, a guide sprained his ankle while playing a basketball game on a dirt patch with the village kids. Because there was no transportation available, he stayed at the village while the villagers helped him recuperate. He returned to the WildChina office with this story and the employees made donations to build a basketball court built in the village. Since then, WildChina guests are welcomed into the village with ceremonies typically reserved for their most distinguished guests.

Photo Credit: WildChina

In 2007 WildChina saw an opportunity for voluntourism in the region. Over the past five years, WildChina has sent over 700 clients to a Baibi village to support its ongoing projects, including two fish ponds, four paths to connect more remote villages with the main school in the village and a comprehensive drinking water system.

You can see more of WildChina’s work in this WildChina’sCSR report.

According to the Green Economy Report (UNEP-UNWTO, 2011), “the tourism economy represents 5% of world GDP, while it contributes to 6-7% of total employment. International tourism ranks fourth (after fuels, chemicals and automotive products) in global exports, with an industry value of US$1 trillion a year, accounting for 30% of the world’s exports of commercial services or 6% of total exports. In over 150 countries, tourism is one of five top export earners, and in 60 countries it is the number one export.” Nearly all leisure tourism is to cultural or natural destinations. Hence, the principle source of employment and foreign exchange for numerous countries depends on the sustainability of the cultural and natural attractions that draw-in tourists. However, few destinations have the knowledge or the tools to ensure that their attractions are sustained. As a result, many destinations follow an unsustainable cycle of increased development, loss of attractiveness, and increasing poverty.

This is where the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations can help. The criteria are a set of guiding principles and performance indicators designed to lead destination managers, communities, and businesses on a path to sustainability: maximizing social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits while minimizing negative impacts. The Destination Criteria complement the existing GSTC Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators, which have become a worldwide standard for tourism sustainability. The criteria are designed to be used by all types and scales of destinations by focusing on these four main objectives:

• Demonstrate sustainable destination management
• Maximize social and economic benefits for the host community and minimize negative impacts
• Maximize benefits to communities, visitors and cultural heritage and minimize impacts
• Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts.

Click here to see the full list of the Criteria.

The recently released, draft version of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination is now available for public consultation. All interested persons and organizations are invited to comment or suggest improvements until June 2, 2012.
Your considerations can be made here in English, French, Spanish and Mandarin.

Erika has recently participated on panels and spoken to audiences about sustainable tourism at ITB Berlin and the Rainforest Alliance conference in Costa Rica. She was kind enough to sit down with us to answer these six questions on sustainable tourism, GSTC and its criteria, and how the discourse on sustainable tourism is changing.

1) What were the primary takeaways (top three) regarding the state of sustainable tourism today? Most significant challenges? Greatest opportunities?

Main Takeaways

• While still perceived by many a niche, leading industries and destinations are taking important strides in that direction, it [sustainable tourism] is here and it is here to stay.
• It is complicated and confusing, there is a need of a single language to communicate, according to industry leaders in Germany there is a need for a ceiling brand “Dachmarke” and GSTC certainly meets that profile.
• Greenwashing is a big concern.

Challenges

• How to reach the end consumer: he is less interested in certifications, however he wants 3rd party acknowledgement.
• There is a perception that sustainability is expensive, the challenge is not that it is expensive it is not, but that it is not marketed enough and therefore they see little of the value of the investment. Creating the market access is a challenge.
• Building confidence in the brand is important but with the confusion that exist with all certification and self-claims that is difficult.

Greatest Opportunities

• Tourism is one of the best suited industries to ensure conservation and poverty alleviation, if done sustainably. With the GSTC criteria we have the principles for the hotels and tour operators to take these steps, and soon for destinations as well.
• With the request for a ceiling brand, GSTC has the opportunity to shed some clarity in the market place, which was the intent in the first place. With one brand it is easier to market to businesses and eventually to consumers. That will be GSTC’s role.
• Destinations are seeing the value of sustainability and as such it opens the opportunities through policies, incentives and legislation to accelerate the process.
• With the GDS systems and Tour Operators supporting sustainability, we have an opportunity to integrate sustainability into the mainstream market, creating the market value that businesses had been missing.

2) You’ve been involved with sustainable tourism for 6 years now. How have sustainable tourism initiatives and discourse evolved?
The discourse had been marginal until the last three years. While it has taken longer than in other industries and the actions had been very timid, in the last three years has increased. Large hotel chains have undertaken important programs, Tour Operators like TUI are supporting and promoting certifications, companies like Travelocity have created search options for consumers seeking sustainability. It is a mainstream discussion now and with that we can move away from the philosophic discussions we were having even 3 years ago, to the action that stakeholders can take.

3) Where do you see sustainable tourism headed in the next 5-10 years? Are there any developments that you would characterize as being “on the edge” of the sustainable tourism curve? In other words, progressive practices that few organizations now engage in, but will eventually be generally accepted best practice?
My hopes would be that sustainability follows the path of quality and is an accepted requirement for travel selection. If that will happen or not, will highly depend on those promoting tourism. Sustainability now is still seeing mainly as environmental stewardship and companies have separate CSR activities. However slowly it has been made clear, and hopefully the GSTC criteria will help in this process, that sustainability encompasses environment, socio-economic and cultural aspects.

There are many activities out there and in my mind progressive are those that are taking a holistic approach looking at their own footprint as well as engaging suppliers and other stakeholders. Measuring and acting upon those measurements. You would think this would be common practice, but it is not. Most companies prefer to undertake CSR activities that benefit their communities but do not take this holistic approach.

4) How do you see the GSTC — the organization and its criteria — fitting into this future?
GSTC and its criteria provide a guideline through its principles by which businesses and soon destinations can build towards sustainability. Complemented with this is the process of recognizing and approving certifications, creating not only a more clear picture to separate the real deal from greenwashing, but also through the promotion of the one brand, building more awareness and less confusion. Finally, through the membership we have and led by industries like Sabre, Amadeus, TUI, Royal Caribbean there is a clear engagement in marketing sustainable businesses. With the commitment of destinations like Huan Shang in China, Costa Rica, Sierra Gorda, Mexico, we will be able to build sustainability into destination management. Overall the principles, the technical support, creating clarity in the market place and building markets are the value GSTC brings to sustainable tourism.

5) If you could change one thing about the discussion surrounding sustainable tourism today, what would it be?
There is still too much procrastination on whether we should engage in sustainable practices. We are here, other industries have been here long before tourism and as the industry that can have the highest positive impact on a place, we should move on and act.

6) What are the most significant challenges travel and tourism companies face when implementing the GSTC criteria? What are the biggest rewards when they successfully implement them?
The criteria were created as principles and as such businesses can use them to determine their baseline. There is a perception that you have to go and do big investments to accomplish the criteria, or that you have to immediately get certified. This blocks any attempt to move forward. We believe that sustainability is a process, one that certifications certainly can help guide, but one that at the end sits with the businesses. The perception that it is costly needs to be changed for what is the value that it brings, making the costs relatively low compared to the benefit.

There are clear cost savings rewards and according to some of our members clear stakeholder benefits, some see repeated customer loyalty based on their sustainability practices, others see higher employee retention because they align with the company philosophy on sustainable tourism. And with the launch of the recognition process and the commitments of key companies supporting GSTC, we will also have a market value proposition.

Best regards,

GSTC Secretariat

Linking Tourism and Conservation survey

We are pleased to announce a new UNEP/GRID-Arendal Linking Tourism and Conservation survey. This survey is aimed at collecting information on existing global Sustainable Tourism initiatives that support protected areas.

With this survey we hope to identify, learn from and replicate positive examples where tourism supports the creation, management, and development of protected areas. This is a global UNEP/GRID-Arendal project that supports the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD; www.cbd.int).

The main goals of the survey are to:

• Capture global cases of Linking Tourism and Conservation
• Identify communication tools that efficiently convey how tourism supports protected areas
• Highlight functioning models and produce incentives for replication

This initiative supports the overarching aim of protecting global biodiversity and enabling future generations to experience healthy ecosystems and the beauty of nature.

Your participation in completing this survey will contribute to these efforts and is greatly appreciated. Please forward this information to relevant contacts. Follow the weblink to the Linking Tourism and Conservation Survey.

The Linking Tourism and Conservation initiative is a recognised project of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism (GPST).

The survey was developed by UNEP/GRID-Arendal as part of a partnership with the European Commission project entitled FAST-LAIN – Further Action on Sustainable Tourism.

Regards,

Christina T. Cavaliere
UNEP/GRID-Arendal

To view this in another browser, please click here.

Contact UNEP/GRID-Arendal:

Christina T. Cavaliere
UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Sustainable Tourism Project Manager
Capacity Building and Assessment

Email:
Christina.cavaliere@grida.no

Skype ID:
Christina-ecotourism

Cathy Parsons - Chair, GSTC Accreditation Panel

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council announced the launch of the GSTC Process this week. This announcement marks the culmination of over two years of work by dedicated volunteers, consultants and general practitioners of travel.

The Process itself is accomplished in three stages. First, standard owners or hotels and businesses that have created their own standard apply to the GSTC technical team to have their standard GSTC-Recognized. This means their standard is equivalent to the GSTC Criteria, the global minimum of sustainable tourism practices. Stage 2 involves certification bodies using these GSTC-Recognized standards to develop certification programs and submitting their program to the GSTC. The GSTC reviews their process and procedures to ensure compliance with global best practices for transparency. Stage 3 is the final stage where certification bodies move to Accreditation, the most reliable and credible state. For a more detailed description you can visit the GSTC Process section of the GSTC website.

The elements of the process itself have gone through much iteration in an effort to provide our community with a process that accomplishes our common mission of mainstreaming sustainable tourism while being affordable, accessible and credible.

I am the chair of the Accreditation Panel and our group was responsible for developing the GSTC Process. The group comprises people with past experience both in the development of sustainable tourism standards and their implementation. As the development process evolved we struggled with all of the elements one would imagine: Is the program too stringent? Does it hold organizations and business accountable? Is it cost effective and priced in a way that ensures the viability of the program but is obtainable for smaller organizations? Does it lend itself to establishing the credibility we know the traveling consumer wants? Is it complex enough to achieve what is mentioned above while at the same time clear enough to be implemented well? Will standard owners and certification bodies as well as travel and tourism businesses find the process appealing?

We believe the staged approach we developed will allow for more people to come into contact with the concept of the GSTC Process and sustainable tourism in general. It will allow them to work towards achieving better practices and compliance over time and prepare their organizations for the important step of accreditation.

In other words, the GSTC Process helps us all learn to crawl before we walk, walk before we run.

We hope you agree.

If you have comments, concerns or questions please leave them below and we will answer you as soon as possible. If you’d like to reach the GSTC directly with your questions please email GSTCMember@unfoundation.org.

Sincerely,

Cathy Parsons

Chair, GSTC Accreditation Panel

As you can imagine, the value of standards is something that is part of my day-to-day thoughts. Last Thursday, heading to the office, I read an article written by Olivier Peyrat, Chair of the ISO Committee on conformity assessment, called “International Standards – How do they build confidence?” (ISO Focus+, Volume 2, No. 8, September 2011). The article hooked me when he alluded to an example that I could easily relate to: “If credit cards did not adhere to international standards, could we safely withdraw cash from anywhere in the world?” And the answer was no, because the standards allow reliable transfer of data.

This is obvious, as were some other examples related to product safety, but does this apply to tourism, can we say the same thing about the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria? Well, here are his summarized thoughts, followed by how they apply to the GSTC Criteria:

1. “Standards are seeking to build clarity and mutual understanding.” This is exactly what we believe; a common language will allow clarity and understanding anywhere in the world. There are hundreds of certifications, but if we base them on common ground, they will all be able to use the same language to speak to businesses and consumers, reducing noise and increasing understanding.

2. “Standards are synonymous of …assurance.” Built on existing standards, programs and codes of conduct , having undergone a multi-stakeholder global process, the GSTC Criteria can provide assurance that the main principles of sustainable tourism are covered, while the GSTC recognition process ensures that those standards that are currently working in tourism meet those principles.

3. They provide benchmarks that national and regional regulations fail to provide, for want of harmonization or availability of such regulations. In numerous cases the GSTC Criteria have served to provide a solution where there was a void, have given governments a base for the development of their own standards and programs, served businesses as guidelines, and even served as the base for the creation of the InterAmerican Development Bank’s scorecard for investment in tourism projects.

4. They provide measurement tools and ensure comparability of results through common analytical methods. The indicators provide a suggested measure, and through the recognition and accreditation processes we will be able to compare results and provide valuable feedback on the impacts of sustainable tourism.

5. International standards facilitate systems interoperability and compatibility. The examples used are JPEG, PDF, DVD, and MP3 formats that allow transfer and storage that are compatible all over the world. Imagine a tour operator that focuses on sustainable travel around the globe: How will they be able to determine sustainability if each national standard is different, yet clients traveling from one country to another expect the same standards? Having the GSTC allows for that common base.

6. International standards can promote transfer of information and facilitate market access for innovative solutions by providing confidence in the users. Following on the example above, a common standard makes it a lot easier for a Sabre or Amadeus, or any other large tour operator, to gather information and focus their attention on marketing the best hotels and tour operators.

7. The standard creation process itself creates confidence, standards creation is based on the involvement of thousands of stakeholders. With an outreach to over 80,000 stakeholders and over 2000 people providing active feedback to the criteria, and over 60 organizations and experts leading the process of the creation of the criteria from all categories in the sector, as well as from all regions of the world, this is the widest consultation initiative for a standard to date.

8. There is an increased concern by consumers about manufacturing processes, environmental impacts, and behavior of businesses. Sure, consumers are hesitant to pay more for what should be a given, but they will make choices, and sustainability is an ever-increasing concern in tourism. Demand is already there, lack of confidence in self-claims is there as well. While consumers may not care about the back-end, which is the standard itself, they do care about what they see, the experience they have, and the reviews they read. A seal of approval provides confidence for consumers.

The GSTC Criteria are a set of global guiding principles – which should be adapted to the local conditions that will dictate the final metrics – and we enable standards to speak with a common language. The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria signify a consultative process, a commitment to environment, communities and culture, and a common language that facilities communication between sectors and regions.

Leilani Latimer - Sabre Holdings, GSTC Board Member and Chair of the Market Access Working Group

By Leilani Latimer,  Sabre Holdings and GSTC Board Member

Today is World Tourism Day – a day dedicated to fostering awareness about the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value – and this year’s theme is “linking cultures”.

“In a global environment marked by rising intolerance and cross-cultural tensions, often exacerbated by the economic divide between nations, tourism can foster spiritual and cultural respect among and between peoples, while creating economic opportunities to benefit disadvantaged populations” - UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

Sabre is celebrating World Tourism Day by renewing our commitment to the work of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.  We were a founding member of the GSTC and since 2008 have adopted the GSTC criteria as a baseline for our sustainable travel offerings so that we can provide clear, sustainable choices to our customers with integrity and confidence. This global framework is an essential tool for businesses to innovate, increase customer loyalty and compete in today’s fast-paced environment – all whilst protecting our key stakeholders; economies, communities, people and the planet!

“Linking Cultures” is also about celebrating strong partnerships, and along with the Rainforest Alliance – another founding member of the GSTC – Sabre has built a strong partnership dedicated to promoting frameworks for sustainable tourism, and providing education on how to use these standards in product offerings. In fact, our Travelocity® Latin American team recently participated in the Seminar of Sustainable Tourism organized by Rainforest Alliance at Travel Mart Latin America, and will be presenting at the upcoming People, Planet, Peace conference in Costa Rica as well – show-casing Travelocity’s Green Hotels as an example of sustainable travel in action.

This week Sabre will be amongst the presenters at the XIX Inter-American Travel Congress in San Salvador speaking about best practices in Sustainable Tourism as a means for sustainable development in emerging markets. Fostering links between the public and private sectors and driving Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable practices further into our industry is another objective of UNWTO and of our “Better travel, better world” commitment at Sabre, and the GSTC’s vision to “Travel Forever”. Join us … because together we can make the world a better place … one journey at a time!