PhiliPPine TaTler: Sustainability has become a big
buzzword in travel. What does it mean to you and why is
it so important?
Jeremy Jauncey: Sustainability is critical to the future
of our industry and the planet. Climate change is real and is
impacting us all over the world, but it is addressable. If we
make changes now to the way we consume products, the way
we spend our money, and the way we travel, we can change
the trajectory we are on. I’m a very passionate supporter for
the World Wildlife Fund and the work they are doing to
protect environments and animals is something I believe
is hugely important.
PT: What practical steps can the eco-conscious traveller take
in support of sustainable travel?
JJ: The easiest and most obvious is to offset your carbon
footprint. Many airlines now offer the chance to do that when
you book a flight, and there are numerous organisations that
have calculators so you can see the impact you have. A few
I recommend: Gold Standard and the climate consultants
3Degrees who helped me to offset the carbon impact of my
business so we can be climate positive.
PT: There are local communities in various destinations
around the world that have not yet embraced sustainability as
a way of life and in a crucial way, a means of self-preservation.
how does travel communicate the importance of sustainability
without sounding patronising?
JJ: I think context is the most important thing to understand
when talking about sustainable development through tourism.
If a family has no food or a safe place to live, talking about
recycling or offsetting carbon does not respect the situation
they are in. The travel industry has the power to change this as
travellers invest their dollars into projects that create amazing
travel experiences and put money into local economies. I strongly
recommend people to look out for ways to do this. Eat at local
restaurants, hire local guides, buy local products, and venture
outside your hotel as the money you spend when you travel can
change people’s lives. In Rwanda [I saw this firsthand visiting
gorillas], the guides and those who worked at the National Park
had been poachers who were taught the power of protecting
the animals and generating income through tourism instead of
poaching. They did not poach because they wanted to; they had
no other way to survive. The development of sustainable tourism
enabled them to protect the environments that now give them so
much more than they had before.PT: What would you consider to be your top three eco-
destinations in the world?
JJ: 1) Rwanda, definitely—I love that country; 2) Palau—their
pledge is an amazing idea and tourism marketing tool in one;
and 3) Nihi Sumba.On SuStainable travel
“ Sustainability is critical to the future of our
industry and the planet. Climate change is real
and is impacting us all over the world, but it
is addressable. If we make changes now to the
way we consume products, the way we spend our
money, and the way we travel, we can change the
trajectory we are on”