Revenge travel can be ‘green’ (Sabong News)
Author
Johannes Chua
Date
APRIL 06 2022
A few days ago, a friend sent me a video of a crowd at the airport. Almost all the counters were filled up with lines snaking up to the entrance. Though there was some physical distancing implemented, the airport hasn’t seen such a crowd in a long time. Included in his video were the words: “Revenge travel is real.”
After two years of lockdowns, travel restrictions, and delivered food, it’s time to travel (even technically, we are still in a pandemic). I was so surprised to see friends who were so cautious during the pandemic suddenly appearing in Singapore, Bangkok, some European city, and New York. There’s no one traveling to Hong Kong yet but I’m sure that once Covid cases there go down, the number of Pinoy travelers will rise, filling up this popular tourist destination to the brim.
It’s the same situation next week during Lent. I’ve received multiple inquiries from friends asking for tips and leads on the best beaches, resorts, adventure camps, etc. A lot of them have booked flights to Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, while others are preparing their vehicles to reach Vigan, Baguio, Baler, Sariaya, or San Pablo. Whether these are short trips or long drives, these are indeed welcome news as local travel must first be prioritized to help Filipinos in the provinces who earn a living via tourism.
Amid the explosion of this so-called “revenge travel” is the climate impact of such activities. There is a carbon footprint when planes fly or when vehicles move from one location to another. Studies on the tourism sector’s contributions to emissions paint a worrisome picture for post-pandemic operations.
In an article contributed by The Climate Reality Project Philippines, the group acknowledged the huge challenge in making the tourism industry “green” in light of climate change. “The challenges in charting paths for all tourism establishments in the Philippines may seem daunting. However, there are best practices, guidelines, and roadmaps published over the years that can help tourism establishments in the Philippines not just in becoming climate and environmental stewards, but also in delivering better economic benefits and local community development.”
One of the roadmaps for a green tourism sector was developed in 2017 by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP-Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Partnership, Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI). The roadmap called for a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gas (GHGs) for all hotels and event venues by 2030.
“This includes a 30-percent reduction of traditional sources of energy, and a 50-percent reduction of food waste for the said establishments.”
Solutions related to sustainable food value chains, sustainable events, zero pollution, and sustainable energy measures are proposed, and measures to achieve these solutions are presented on the roadmap. The targets will be achieved through monitoring and reporting tools, as well as indirect emissions due to electricity, food wastes, food purchases, and specific types of waste. The tool also supports the monitoring of plastic purchases,” said the group.
Globally, tourism establishments may refer to a published net-zero roadmap for the tourism sector by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UNEP, and Accenture in 2021, which calls for establishments to properly set GHG emissions baselines and set emissions targets for 2030 and 2050, in line with the 1.5-degree Celsius scenario outlined by the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. “The net-zero roadmap also includes measures for monitoring and reporting the progress to reduce emissions, increase awareness and collaboration with other tourism businesses, and pursue climate investments in tourism.”
Lastly, the Climate Reality Project Philippines encourages tourism establishments to look into supporting the “Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism,” launched on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference last year. “Similar to the net-zero roadmap, the declaration calls for the reduction of carbon emissions in tourism establishments by half in 2030 and the achievement of net zero by the sector before 2050.”
The declaration also calls for five pathways for businesses to follow — “Measure, Decarbonize, Regenerate, Collaborate, and Finance” to speed up and spread the word on climate action in tourism.
As revenge travel will not fade soon and may last until next year’s summer season, it may be wise and practical to think about the environment when we travel. Ask some of these questions: “Are we staying at a green hotel?” “Are we supporting an eco-friendly tourism business?” “Are we not leaving any waste behind on the destinations we visit?” “Does this activity disturb the natural ecosystem?”
Our country is so unique and rich in history, nature, and beauty. Let it stay that way for future generations. Revenge travel or normal travel, let “green” be our permanent practice when we travel.
