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To a certain degree, Canada is playing catch up in terms of making our destination a more genuinely sustainable one. Despite our reputation, it is an exaggeration to suggest that Canada is uniformly clean, green, and pristine. If the Canadian tourism industry is to legitimately lay claim to the mantle of a green destination and remain viable in the longer term, it is up to all individual business owners and operators to become stewards of the environment and adopt sustainable practices.
A concerted effort will be required to address what is becoming a competitive weakness as Canada seeks to catch up in the race to capture a share of the growing eco-tourist/traveller market. Along with the industry’s grassroots and the membership of the association, TIAC is resolved to show that we can become a legitimately green and sustainable destination and that we can play our part in arresting and reversing climate change.
There is a rise in media attention to the issue of sustainability within tourism and especially to the impacts of air travel. In 2009, Phocuswright Inc. found that nearly one-third of U.S. travellers would pay premiums for green travel, but these more discerning travellers are looking for practices that go beyond cursory measures. Recognizing the growing market appetite for these kinds of experiences and the fact that other destinations have been burnishing their green credentials in the global marketplace, the industry has an incentive to improve its performance in this regard.
Canada has some intrinsic strengths in this regard; in particular, the iconic and much venerated status of our national parks, our abundant wildlife, and the aesthetic beauty of our landscape. And, according to the CTC, 81% of visitors harbour the belief that Canada is an environmentally friendly country.
There are few other industries that are affected by climate and meteorology as much as tourism. Climate has an important influence on operating costs such as heating or cooling, snowmaking, irrigation, food and water supply and insurance costs.
Climate determines the suitability and appeal of locations for specific tourist activities and defines the season in which those activities can occur. Thus global warming, which is now a scientifically proven reality, threatens Canada and our domestic tourism industry very directly.
TIAC continues to take a leadership role in urging Canadian tourism businesses, operators and destinations to adopt practices and measures that will promote the overall sustainability of our industry:
• In 1992, TIAC developed a Code of Ethics in partnership with many stakeholders.
• In 2001, the association signed a collaborative accord with Parks Canada which enshrined a commitment to stewardship of natural resources & special places.
• Based on stakeholder feedback, the Code of Ethics was updated in 2005 in collaboration with the CTC and Parks Canada. It urges our industry to show leadership in sustainable tourism and to mitigate undesirable environmental impacts
• In late 2008, TIAC released its Green Your Business: Toolkit for Tourism Operators, a practical guide developed in conjunction with Parks Canada and the Canadian Tourism Commission. The Toolkit is a best practices guide that provides tourism operators with practical, user-friendly tips and guidance on greening their businesses. The suggestions in the toolkit are tangible and easy to implement, and targeted towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s).
TIAC supports Parks Canada’s assertion that the preservation of Canada’s natural and cultural heritage is critical to the ongoing sustainability of the tourism industry. Parks Canada continues to attract numerous international visitors to its 3 national marine conservation areas, 42 national parks and 157 national historic sites, including 9 world heritage sites.
Additionally, through its Protected Area Network, which covers approximately 12 million hectares of conservation lands of national and international importance, Environment Canada preserves areas which are essential for climate change adaptation and for the economic health of Canada. There are also a series of beautiful provincial parks and protected areas which attract visitors as well.
Having developed a Code of Ethics and a Toolkit for the industry, TIAC is now working on the development of a national tourism certification or accreditation program so that we can foster the adoption of common benchmarks or standards of sustainability by businesses, operators and destinations. Ultimately this will be about certifying individual businesses and branding Canada as a whole as a green and sustainable tourism destination, a strategy that can potentially be deployed by the CTC in its promotional and marketing efforts overseas.
TIAC with the support of Parks Canada have created a Canadian Sustainable Tourism Advisory Council (CSTAC) consisting of experts and leaders in sustainable tourism both in Canada and internationally.
In 2010, TIAC will also hold its first Summit on Sustainability (SOS) in Toronto. The premise is to take the sustainability agenda out of the TIAC Leadership Summit and put it in its own arena. As envisaged, it will be an annual summit where operators, leaders and thinkers come together in plenary sessions and workshops to discuss how the tourism industry can become better environmental, economic and social stewards.
Chris Jones
Vice President, Public Affairs
Tourism Industry Association of Canada
613-238-7557
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