The current situation worldwide

The increased frequency and intensity of droughts, floods, forest fires and other natural disasters are all a result of climate change, a global phenomenon that is now widely recognised and accepted due to evidence from scientific literature such as the STERN Report. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now high on the agenda for many companies and organisations operating in the UK and worldwide.

The tourism industry is ready to respond although the challenge will be immense. The challenge is to integrate a sustainable way of thinking into the tourism industry, which includes the consumers and the suppliers of tourism. It is VisitBritain’s role to educate the tourism industry, promote responsible travel and lead the way to a sustainable future.  Sustainable tourism in Britain is important for the following reasons:

• A prosperous economic future  
Tourism in Britain is an £85 billion industry, the fifth largest industry in Britain. This needs to be economically sustainable in order to provide a strong and stable economy, creating opportunity and prosperity for future generations. The view needs to focus on long-term economic gain. Ignoring our environmental impacts may pay now but it won’t pay later. 

• Climate change
In 2006 UK residents took nearly 102 million overnight trips to England, of which 75% of these trips involved the use of a car, [United Kingdom Tourism Survey, 2006]. 75% of visitors to the UK arrive by air, [International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics, 2006]. There is no denying that tourism in the UK has a significant contribution to climate change and with the increased frequency and severity of flooding in Britain in recent years climate change is now impacting tourism. The integrity and authenticity of the environment both physical and social is paramount to the tourism industry. Visitors and tourism businesses need to minimise their impact on the environment in order for us to manage and adapt to climate change more effectively. 

• The Climate Change Bill
The Government has introduced a Climate Change Bill which imposes a cap on carbon emissions that could drop greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2050. Businesses will soon be legally required to reduce their carbon emissions. At this stage it is important for businesses to be ahead of the game. 

• Public demand
The household expenditure on ethical goods and services has almost doubled in the past 5 years. The ethical market is worth £32.3 billion a year in the UK, an increase of 9% in the last twelve months, [The Co-operative Bank, Ethical Consumerism Report, 2007]. This increase in public demand supports the case for sustainable tourism as behavioral change is occurring.