Up in the Air: The Icarus Foundation Blog

Manitoba based Prariemango has the right ideas on how to build a sustainable tourism industry.  They take a community first, bottom up approach for tourism that works to build sustainable communities encompassing cultural and social empowerment, economic action and environmental growth.  Through insight, education and leadership this organization hopes to overcome barriers and implement a self-sustaining tourism industry in the province.  The brainchild of Richard Magleo, he explains that the idea behind Prairiemango was his goal to build a "real identity" of Manitoba.

Manitoba is rich in natural tourism resources including Churchill in the north, a projected UNESCO site to the east dubbed by some as the "lungs of the north" that are all looking to eco-tourism as a part of its overall economic stability, cultural appreciation and environmental conservation. Prairiemango seeks to provide the tourism industry with insight, educational tools and the necessary leadership skills needed to create a road map to sustainable tourism development in Manitoba.

This change is occurring at a time of environmental concern in the tourism industry.  These factors allow for growth in the tourism industry and opportunity to promote the environment through tourism. With Prariemango’s logic, eco-tourism can be an integral part of a sustainability strategy that will provide economic stability, cultural understanding and environmental conservation.  Check out their newly launched website here.

First Online Student Symposium on Tourism and Climate Change Announced

The Icarus Foundation has announced they will host a one-day online student symposium on tourism and climate change in spring, 2010.  The conference will be student led with student content.  Participants in the forum will include tourism industry representatives, university and college students and faculty members and The Icarus Foundation.  Confirmed sponsors so far include Intrepid Travel, i-to-i and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Originally planned to include the Canadian institutions only, initial response has included a great deal of interest from American students and institutions, so the Foundation recently decided to widen the scope to be North American focused.

Scheduled for March 29,2010, students will present and discuss project work that explore the issues and possible solutions surrounding climate change and tourism. Through interactive presentations, including aspects of video, audio, and text, students will foster discussion on the next steps needed for the industry to move forward meaningfully. 

Recent years have seen an increase in research on tourism and climate change amongst academics.  Additionally, dialogue on climate change amongst the tourism industry has also increased.  The goal of this symposium is to connect students to industry in North America on the topic of climate change.  This project is very timely given the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) scheduled for December of this year.

Contrary to existing research and dialogue, there is little action amongst the tourism industry to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism and few research studies or projects exist that provide actionable tools through which industry can easily learn.  As students will be the leaders of tomorrow and move into leadership positions within the hospitality and tourism industry, it is important that they have the opportunity to share information and engage in dialogue.

Students, speak with your faculty member to ensure that your university or college is participating! For more information on participating in or sponsoring this event please contact aousmand @ theicarusfoundation.com, or go to www.theicarusfoundation.com

Download Studenthandout

Times of Change- The Tourism 2023 Vision

On October 8, 2009, Forum for the Future, a non-profit sustainable development organization, introduced its project the “Tourism 2023 Vision” at the ABTA travel conference.  The purpose of this project is to help the UK outbound travel and tourism industry understand the challenges it faces in planning for a sustainable future.  This ‘what if’ report outlines what could happen to tourism in the future as a result of climate change, population growth and shortages of oil and other resources through the exploration of four possible scenarios that could impact the future state of the tourism market. Major UK based tour operators, airlines, cruise companies and travel agents participated in the exercise and signed the Tourism 2023 Vision, committing themselves, individually and as a group, to creating a sustainable industry by 2023.

 

In summary, these Tourism 2023 scenarios include “Boom & Bust” where new technologies make green traveling easier and where an aging population takes medical holidays for cheap operations elsewhere. “Divided Disquiet” where political instability will have made many world destinations unattractive to tourists, except for doomsday tourism where people will flock to see rapidly disappearing natural resources. “Price and Privilege” where the rising costs of fuel and energy will make long distance travel too expensive for most people. “Carbon Clampdown” where legislative measures such as personal carbon credits combined with increased awareness on the risks of climate change could result in a reduced demand for international travel.

 

This vision for action that resulted from the 18 month project is based on six principles: protecting the environment, developing employees, providing customers with mainstream sustainable products, ensuring that destinations benefit from tourism, innovating to create sustainable transport and resorts and developing a business which is environmentally, socially and financially sustainable. The group of signatories are expected to focus on measures for promoting low carbon destinations and travel options, reducing landfill waste, better returning economic benefits back to local communities, and improving resort water efficiency.

 

The project has been successful in drawing attention to some challenges the tourism industry will face in achieving sustainability.  It has also been successful in convincing businesses and organizations that their practices must change to ensure sustainability in the future of tourism.  Currently only targeting the UK tourism industry, these principles could be applied to the Canadian tourism industry to further the conversations on sustainable tourism and act as a catalyst for action.  

Comments on Discussion Paper

Just in case you haven't seen it, you can download the Icarus Discussion paper on Climate Change here.

Download icarus_discussion_paper.pdf

We welcome and really want your comments, creative ideas and concerns - so please send your comments by clicking on "comments" at the foot of this post.

Gore Takes a Cue from Wayne Gretzky

While I've never really been that interested in sport and the finer points of hockey always eluded me, I always remember the confession of Canada's most succesful players, Wayne Gretzky,  who said, "I pass the puck not to where they are but where they are going to be."

Gore quoted Gretzky in an impassioned speech delivered in Bali a few hours ago talking about the need not just to anticipate (which is what I think the hockey player had in mind) but also to hold space for a player who clearly wasn't yet playing the same game. He urged the participants in the climate change conference not to wait on the US to create an agreement but to "move forward keeping a large blank space in your mandate, saying our mandate is incomplete but we're moving forward in the hope that it will be filled in by the time we have a treaty in Copenhagen at the end of 2009". Gore also said that the US was not the only country that could move forward and that directing anger at the US delegation could result in the entire world losing momentum.

I read into his comment  a request for charity (such an old fashioned word nowadays) as well as anticipation and urgency - wise counsel that reflects the growing awareness of people everywhere that spaceship earth does not have lifeboats; we're all in this together;  and that, unless we see ourselves as  one global family, able to both coach the reluctant as well as calm the reckless we make matters infinitely worse.

Here is a link to the most recent summary of Gore's Bali speech.

For more inspiration - below is a video of Gore's acceptance speech in Oslo on December 10th.

When I think of all that lonely travelling through all those soulless airports and mindless, inconsistent airport security checks that he had to do with a bunch of slides before enough of us "got it" , I feel deeply indebted.......

 

Take a Stand, Exercise your Political Will

Anna Pollock

I am writing this several thousands of miles away from Canada. Sadly I am not in Bali but in Europe, from which vantage point it is less and less possible to ignore the way in which Canada's reputation for fairness, forward thinking and international diplomacy is being trashed so visibly by a Premier who can think only of his own self interest. The issue is no longer about left and right politics and shaming others; it is simply about taking the right action now. The western world has grown prosperous and mean spirited on the back of cheap oil and cheap credit. Both may be diminishing in supply and that will bring its own set of challenges and conflicts.

Right now, however, as Canadian citizens, we have a chance in Bali to do the right thing; to create a multilateral, multi-national agreement and, thereby, show that each of recognizes that nature knows no political boundaries. We're all in this together, rich and poor...., urban or rural, environmentalist or capitalist.

But our democratic rights are curtailed. Unless we petition our leaders between elections, they appear to be able to do what they wish or think they can get away with. many are cut off from voter sentiment by advisors, pundits, spin merchants. There's a small window available. Avaaz - a social network of concerned citizens invites Canadians to expres their concerns by signing a petition.

I reproduce their e-mail in full below. Click on Avaaz above or the first link in their email below to get to the petition form quickly.

Dear friends,

Right now, a major UN summit in Bali has just a few days left to hammer out an agreement on stopping catastrophic climate change. But instead of helping out, Canada is actually sabotaging the UN talks! On Saturday, experts gave us the global "fossil" award for being the worst country in the world on climate change.

There's still a few days left to save Canada's reputation -- and the climate -- but we need a massive democratic roar to remind our Prime Minister what Canada is all about, and stop him from blocking the world at Bali. Click below to sign the petition and we'll advertize the number of signatures we get in an ad campaign across Canada this week. Our goal is to get 25,000 people to sign in just 3 days before the ads run. Click below, then forward this email to all your friends and family right away:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/another_canadian_climate_crime/4.php

Enough is enough. Prime Minister Harper's short-sighted, undemocratic and big oil-driven policy on climate change is damaging the world and destroying our image as a good country. We're supposed to be the nice guys, who try to do the right thing in the world.

The vast majority of Canadians are hopping mad on this issue -- we can win this. We just need to show Harper how serious we are that he change course. Sign up now and forward this email to everyone you know - we've got just 3 days to hit 25,000 signatures!

With much respect and hope,

Ricken Patel,
Avaaz.org

PS - Here are links to some more info on this:

David Suzuki (the Nature of Things) calls the government's spin on climate change "humiliating" and "ludicrous"
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/283829

The former editor-in-chief of CBC news discusses the damage done by Canada's climate policy to our international reputation:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_burman/2007/12/canada_flounders_on_issue_of_c.html

The Fossil of the Day Award site:
http://www.avaaz.org/fossils

What Are We Waiting For?

Where Did All the Ice Go?

This set of photographs was obtained from the Corporate Knights Forum and shows simply how fast the Arctic Ice Cap is melting. Apparently scientists are "stunned" by the loss of ice, with an area almost as big as Britain disappearing in the last week alone (Sept 5th, 2007)

So much ice has disaapeared that the northwest passage across the top of Canada is now fully navigable. If this pace of melting continues, the Artic will be free of ice by 2030.

More details can be found in an article published by the ever vigilent Guardian Newspaper here or you could go straight to the National Snow and Ice Data Center and read their Fall Summary that shows the extent to which the NorthWest Passge is opening up and ice levels are receding. 

Why is this not front page news in Canada? The entire geography and economy of this country is changing in front of our eyes with enormous political, economic and ecological consequences. The pace and magnitude of this change is unprecedented. We're looking at the destruction of an entire way of life and economy of the Inuit people,  the potential extinction of the Polar Bear and many other species that comprise the Arctic ecosystem. The competition to stake claim on the Artic's mineral and subterranean fuel resources will undoubtedly stiffen with Russia, Denmark and Canada asserting their rights. Huge changes in shipping patterns will follow as the faster polar route cuts months off the time required to ship goods from one continent to another.

Even if you're in shipping, mining and energy and stand to benefit materially from these changes, you must be wondering how and why an entire population can manage to avoid a vociferous public debate on the pros and cons of this change and whether or not there are benefits to slowing the pace while we examine the consequences?   

Public Affairs Discussion on Climate Change

On Sept 5, 2007, DR. Rachel Dodds, co-founder of the Icarus Foundation, attended a panel discussion entitled: Climate Change: Differing Views on Reaching Kyoto. Here's her summary: 

The discussion focused first locally on the new plan by Peter Love, Chief Energy Conservation Officer, Ontario Power Authority who outlined the news plan by Ontario’s government on the conservation of electricity. 82% of production and use of energy comes from electricity generation in

Canada

and Mr. Love focused on the need for a megawatt reduction.

The second panelist, Dr. Vicky Sharpe, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada then discussed the role which government needed to play in order to meet Kyoto targets. Suggestions from Dr. Sharp included the need to look at climate change as an economic problem in addition to an environmental one and that the government needed to take financial risks, use incentives and recognize that such industries such as agriculture could benefit from new technologies such as biofuel production.

Dr. John Stone, Vice Chair, two working groups of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was the final panelist who summarised the discussion by outlining the role of the IPCC and the findings of their recent May, 2007 report. Dr. Stone outlined that there is now no question that all scientist agree that there is an irreversible problem and the need for action in the next ten years is urgent and a policy imperative rather than just an option.

Sadly, mitigation and adaption of climate issues are still discussed separately and they still need to be discussed in a wider framework. The speakers outlined how targeting climate change solutions can not only foster the development of new technologies but provide greater energy security and give Canada in a competitive advantage.

Although there was no direct discussion of tourism in this panel discussion hosted by Toby Heaps, Editor, "Corporate Knights Magazine”, the message is still the same – making development more sustainable can reduce environmental vulnerability and be a strategy for positive growth.

Moving Canada From Good to Great, When Less is More

Yesterday at the Annual General Meeting of the Vancouver Coast and Mountain tourism association,in beautiful Pemberton, under the watchful gaze of majestic Mount Currie,   I presented the first rough thoughts about how Canada could move from a good to great destination.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, once remarked that "what a company stands for is becoming more important than what it sells". This statement applies to tourism destinations as well. Most tourists can be pretty confident that a country as mature and as wealthy as Canada will offer decent transportation, accommodation and hospitality services and a range of interesting things to see and do. But what is Canada all about? What do we stand for as a country? How can we differentiate ourselves by standing out for the land we call home and that we share with the plants, animals and landscapes our visitors come to see? Do the policies emanating from our national leaders reflect our views and concerns? If not, how do we communicate an alternative, more grass roots vision? Canada used to attract respect because of its international peacekeeping role but that strength has ebbed and Canada's prominence in the consciousness of global citizens has probably never been more subdued, more fuzzy and more overshadowed by our neighbour to the south.

It's time for tourism to play its full role in Canada and help to re-shape its image in the eyes of the rest of the world. This is especailly needed in Europe that remains a vitally important source of long-haul, "high yield" visitors yet where a growing number of conscious consumers are seriously contemplating reducing their long-haul travel.

One in four respondents to a Trip Advisor survey conducted recently said that they plan to reduce the number of trips taken each year and 38% would prefer an "environmentally friendly" hotel and pay for it.

Given that traffic from our closest neighbour - the US - continues to plummet and our dependence on either domestic or long-haul sources will neeed to rise to compensate, then some creativity and innovation is overdue.

What we need is a Green Tourism Strategy - a bold vision for an industry that is willing to:

1. Tell the truth. Tourism, as currently practiced and growing at or aspiring to grow at rates of over 4% per annum is unsustainable. Unless we find a way of reducing that impact, any growth in this sector will impede national efforts to reduce ghgs and will render our sector subject to closer scrutiny and possibly regulation and taxation. That's because we rely on a fossil fuel to bring our guests  to the point of the consumption and generate a variety of noxious, heat trapping wastes in the process;

2. Face up to our responsibilities. It's one thing to be asked to be recognised as important, it's another to then assume responsibility for the consequence of our importance. Just how much does the tourism industry contribute to national and global greenhouse gas emissions and what are we doing to reduce that contribution? Have we weighed ourselves in carbon terms recently?

3. Re-think the nature of the product sold - how do we enrich and fulfill our customer's search for rest, relaxation, meaning and purpose? Where and how has our obsesson with cost cutting, efficiency, process and product distracted us from our essence and impaired our ability to care for our clients? How often have you walked through airport security recently? All the root words associated with tourism - recreation (to re-create), holiday (from holy day - time out contemplating something other than one's material existence), vacation (from vacare, latin to empty, to let go) suggest that we can play a vitally important role in meeting customer's spiritual and emotional needs. Our worsening health care statistics (stress, diabetes, cancer, depresson, mental illness) also suggest that it's in national interest that we soothe and calm.

4. Slow down and limit supply. Newsweek (May 14-21, 2007) ran a series on tourism. Interestingly the cover title in Europe was "Slow is Beautiful" . In the US it was "luxury travel". Never has the notion of "less is more" been more appropriate. The issue was full of articles showing that when supply was limited and labelled "exclusive" and "luxury" then yields soared; when customers slowed down and saw less but experienced more, more money was left on the table. Can growth be understood as better rather than simply more? Before we blanket more green space with second homes and car parks, can we ensure that every existing supplier is operating at full efficiency - generating maximum yield and profit before encouraging more investment? Can we increase average annual occupancy of existing facilities from 60+% to a situation where there might even be a waiting list? Can we increase average daily spend?

5. See the challenge of Climate Change as an Opportunity to be embraced and not a Problem to be resisted, avoided or ignored. The good news is that a growing number of consumers want to save the world too. They are the one's influencing progressive politicians at city, province and state level to be proactive. They are the ones that are enabling Green Brands such as Whole Foods, Toyota, Patagonia etc to enjoy higher than average profits. Canada's tourism cannot afford to be caught up in the downward vortex of commoditisation - we have to attract customers who value our clean, green, wild spaces and the comforts and excitement of our contemporary urban areas.

The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), that focuses analysing on the high yielding green market, stated yesterday that customers are seeking a deeper values experience.

"The retail and brand "New Luxury" explosion that made consumers expect an extremely high level of experience at every touch point is now evolving beyond the physical and emotional dimension to the experience of fundamental core values. From luxury hybrid cars to couture dresses made from organic and sustainable fabrics, it is not enough to have it all, consumers also want to feel better about what they have."

Canada has the chance to satisfy this growing demand for meaning and our visitors' slow but steady progress towards redefining wealth as "wellth", balance and wholeness.  But to capture and serve that market, we need to get back to the very essence of what it is we offer and ensure that every step along the visitor's journey, we can deliver verifiably responsible, "green", wholesome, value while supporting our customer's in achieving their need for calm, re-jevenation, peace.

A radical re-think of how we market Canada, how we define growth and progress, how we serve our customers and what we stand for is needed. Nothing less will earn us the accolade "great". Nothing less is worth aiming for.   Achieving such a re-think' stimulating a nation-wide conversation about tourism's place in a greener world, is what The Icarus Foundation is all about. Come join in the conversation.....Anna Pollock

About Us

Anna Pollock is a strategist, futurist and change agent who has consulted to the international tourism industry for over 30 years. DestiCorp' s clients include the federal and provincial governments in Canada, the World Travel and Tourism Council, PATA, the European Travel Council, Visit Scotland, the Canadian Tourism Commission, and many other smaller destination marketing organizations. Anna is recipient of the Tourism Visionary Award from British Columbia's tourism sector in recognition of her pioneering work in a number of sectors including adventure travel, spa and wellness tourism, education and development and industry organization. Please contact Anna at 604 218 5103 or email annapollock@shaw.ca.

Dr. Joe Kelly is an accomplished tourism researcher and advisor on climate-friendly travel. With over 10 years of professional experience, he has provided strategic consulting services to numerous public and private sector clients in tourism and transportation. His expertise is in evaluating the environmental impacts of travel and in assessing visitor responses to environmentally sound tourism initiatives. Notably, he was the first to develop a comprehensive model of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for tourism destinations. Joe is currently the Director of Strategic Services at InterVISTAS Consulting. He is also an active board member of Connecting Environmental Professionals and an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia.

Dr. Rachel Dodds has over 17 years of experience in the tourism industry and is a specialist in sustainable tourism. Rachel is currently the Director of Sustaining Tourism, a consultancy firm as well as an Assistant Professor at Ryerson University in Toronto. She has worked in all facets of the tourism industry including tour operators, hotels, governments, NGOs and small businesses. Her experience includes working with the World Bank, European Union, Caribbean Tourism Organization, International Business Leaders Forums International Tourism Partnership and WWF as well as Canadian experience with tour operators and Toronto's Green Tourism Association.

Dr. Peter Williams is Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management and Director, Centre for Tourism Policy and Research at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia. Recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from The Travel and Tourism Research Association, he has made a significant contribution to the development of policy and planning frameworks that guide the sustainable use of natural and cultural resources for tourism purposes.

Pat Corbett is owner, manager of The Hills Health Ranch in central British Columbia. In addition to being a current Vice President of the Board of Directors of COTA, Pat is also the Chair of the Canadian Spa Association and a national distributor of spa products. Past board experience includes the BC Progress Board, past Vice Chair of Tourism BC, and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Pat is also a past President of the Cariboo Tourism Association and past Chair of COTA.

Sonya Graci is an Assistant Professor in the Tourism and Environment Department at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. Sonya is also the Director of Accommodating Green, a consulting firm that focuses on integrating sustainability practices into businesses mainly in the tourism industry.  She has had extensive experience with greening the tourism industry with a focus on the hospitality sector. She has worked on several projects in North America, Asia and Central America working with stakeholders through partnerships to move the tourism industry towards sustainability