Vicky Smith is a sustainable tourism expert, founder and powerhouse behind Earth Changers, an organisation dedicated to sustainable tourism for development and responsible travel.
battleface sat down for a chat with Vicky about her views on how sustainability will impact travel trends in 2022.
One of the key trends predicted for 2022 came from attitudinal studies where travellers state that the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably. Do you think a shift in attitudes will transform consumer demand for sustainable destinations or activities?
Yes, I do; and I base this on the fact that the choice of destinations where sustainable tourism is available is varied and extensive and can handle an upswing in demand. The supply side can manage more – it’s been consumer action that has been lacking. Perhaps this is part of a larger dynamic of societal change that we’re witnessing, and for sustainable travel it is also reflected by mainstream tourism operators including sustainable options in their mix to meet this change in public attitudes.
What we should acknowledge is that sustainability is not a black-and-white issue of whether a holiday destination is sustainable, or not – and there is a whole range of topics we could discus on the balance between environmental impact or social impact which are both part of the concepts behind sustainable tourism.
Your prediction for 2022 is that people are looking out for ‘responsible brands.’ How do you define this notion of a responsible brand?
I believe responsible brands are not solely focused on profit. Sustainably becomes a consideration of staff, customers, suppliers and impact – they have a triple bottom line approach to their operations.
Can you explain what a triple bottom line is?
Sure; it represents: Planet – People – Prosperity. You could also frame this concept as responsibly managing the economics of the business in conjunction with the environment outcome and societal consequences. These represent the pillars of a sustainable economy and organisations that embrace sustainability will measure business success against all these principles.
In sustainability matters, are you an entrepreneur or advocate?
Both!
Surely, they conflict?
Of course – all the time, and particularly in resource prioritisation. I’m a small business operator so the urgency of a business deadline may conflict with a priority I have with an issue that is impact driven or a goal in social enterprise. When I founded Earth-Changers, I saw a gap in travel market for integrity, so my goals were first aligned to gaining influence. That said, to be sustainable I also need to earn money. It’s a constantly shifting situation of how to manage my time and energies.
So finally, where in the world you would love to visit and why?
Brazil! There is lot going on in Brazil for sustainable tourism. It’s a huge country and there are lots of areas where people are doing amazing things despite the challenges they face from political decisions at present.
Read the full report: Earth Changers Travel Trends for 2022
All images: © 2022 Earth Changers
