“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Big words by Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most inspiring human beings and drivers of change our world has seen. The Fridays for Future movement is only one sign that there are many others, a lot of them still in their teenage years, yet passionate and driven who are calling for change of the way businesses and politics don’t seem to see the urgency and crisis of our time. While still too many businesses lust for profits at the true costs to others, luckily there are others that lead the way in creating shared value while being profitable. We’ve interviewed Anne, entrepreneur and sustainability consultant for tourism companies on her view of the matter.
Anne, first of all, tell us about the idea behind Fair Sayari?
Sayari means planet in Swahili, so Fair Sayari = Fair Planet. Fair Sayari was created because I felt I could make more positive impact supporting a larger group of tour operators instead of just working for one. I am intern sustainability advisor for Dutch tour operator and sustainable frontrunner Better Places and account manager Africa for certification scheme Travelife for Tour Operators. For the latter I have coached over 100 tour operators and supported them in implementing and practicing sustainability.
Thereby, I work with organisations, tour operators and destinations through 1-on-1 consultancy and trainings. Besides the consultancy work, I also write business and travellers blogs to make sustainability easier, accessible and more fun! I believe sustainability is the ultimate way to create a future-proof tourism industry and a win-win situation for everyone. With Fair Sayari, I focus on building a sustainable tourism industry that works for everyone.
Extreme weather, global warming, loss in biodiversity, plastic waste are only a few major issues we’re facing at the moment. Would you say people have started to connect the dots and are actually doing something about it or is the whole talk about sustainable development merely a trend that will pass?
I am convinced there is a large group starting to connect the dots and I don’t think sustainability is a trend that will pass. The results of global warming, the plastic soup or abused elephants are visible everywhere, shared worldwide, and the response is huge. This knowledge is shocking and especially the younger generation is determined to make a positive change – look at the number of activists who took it to the streets to demand more action to stop climate change.
This generation (including you and me) is the future, and the more we demand sustainable development, the more pressure we put on the travel industry. They will start to experience the negative effects if they don’t participate. Don’t underestimate the power of social media influencers and the younger generation that are more and more getting into sustainability as well and who feel it’s important to only support companies that create positive change and impact. They want to protect their future.
What are in your experience the most common misconceptions about sustainable businesses?
As a sustainability consultant I coach and support tour operators in implementing more sustainability practices and to also influence their local supply chain positively. The most heard drawbacks for not participating is that they feel it’s dull, expensive and difficult to make certain (sometimes big) changes and they feel they are not up for investing time of money.
Thereby, a large group feels that there is zero demand for more sustainable tour operators and therefore decide not to act until this demand increases. The big question however, is who will change first? The client or the tour operator? I personally feel it’s the responsibility of the industry to step up and to create the offer, show clients what it’s really like to travel sustainably and do it in such a way clients will never want anything different.
There are hundreds of eco-labels and certification programs in the tourism industry alone. How can consumers know which one to trust?
Knowing which certification program to trust is indeed extremely difficult. Some programs only operate locally, others are vague or not even officially improved by GSTC, and some have better marketing teams to promote their program. In order to find a reliable certification scheme, it’s important to check if it’s accredited by GSTC. This organisation internationally approves certification schemes based on their sustainability standards.
In Europe you can look at Travelife for Tour Operators & Hotels and TourCert GmbH who are (at the moment) the biggest, most reliable and most complete certification schemes. They focus on all aspects of sustainability including internal and office management, accommodations, transport, activities, animal welfare and client communication.
To make it even more difficult, many tour operators are not certified by any program while they are extremely sustainable. They often feel certification doesn’t add any value to their business. This makes it extra difficult for consumers to determine if this company is actually sustainable or if they are pretending. The best solution is to ask questions about their sustainability policy and practices. Are they transparent, open and happy to answer your questions? Then you’re good to go!
Sustainable action is pretty complex and easily discredited when companies are talking buzzwords but aren’t actually walking the talk. What would you consider as greenwashing and what can companies do to be transparent on their actions?
For me, greenwashing is the concept of pretending to be extremely sustainable, but still offering unsustainable accommodations, activities and exploiting animals and local communities. Unfortunately, this is too often still the case and it makes it extremely difficult for consumers to select a sustainable tour operator.
How do they know if tour operators tell the truth or if they are only pretending to be responsible?
The answer is quite simple. In order to be transparent in their actions, certification is a very important tool under the condition that the tour operator selects a GSTC approved certification program. When certified by a GSTC certification scheme, the tour operator can easily communicate their efforts and practices to partners, suppliers and clients. Their policies and practices will be checked by a third party who will independently verify they are walking the talk!
Whether social enterprises or sustainable businesses, are they basically just another form of a non-profit or can they be just as competitive as conventional business models?
I have noticed that social enterprises and non-profit organisations are often clustered in the same category, but there is a fundamental difference between these two types. While non-profit organisations fully rely upon funding and donors, social enterprises are focused upon creating a profit for themselves while doing business.
In order to make a proper social impact, you need money – a lot. Social enterprises can influence their business model by working hard and therefore being able to donate more, while non-profit organisations are often bound to budgets and funding. While their purpose is similar, their way of achieving positive impact is completely different.
I would say social enterprises are not as competitive as conventional businesses. Where conventional organisations would invest their money in building and investing in their company are social enterprises looking to invest their profit in sustainable projects worldwide to create positive impact.
What’s one thing you wish you could change right now?
I wish I could change the mindset of many tour operators in the travel industry and clients who don’t take responsibility for their actions. Extremely high CO2 emissions, plastic pollution, exploitation of wild animals, children and local communities without anyone claiming responsibility or looking at ways to positively change this. For me, tourism should be a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Some tour operators still offer petting lion cups because it’s in demand and there are tourists that go and pet these cups because it’s perfect for their social media account. Meanwhile, the cups are separated from their mum, toothless and raised in an unnatural habitat. It’s 2019, I think we all should know better, step up and start looking for ways to create a future-proof tourism industry that benefits everyone.
What is a resource (book, movie, podcast etc.) everyone should check out?
The Blue Planet I and II documentaries by the BBC and David Attenborough. Everyone who tries to fool themselves and ignore the enormous problems we have regarding plastic soup, waste disposal and global warming will be shaken up and determined to support the movement to take more care of the environment. This is what we need, more people that demand sustainable change and more commitment from large organisation that can make a large impact if they change the way they work.
Thereby, I am currently reading a book written by Dutch psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis called ‘He who does (not) travel is crazy. It shows both sides of the complex issue and changes your mindset on travelling. “He who does travel is crazy” because he is contributing to a huge increase in CO2 emissions and more greenhouse gasses, while “He who does not travel is crazy”, because he is not able to create positive impact to local communities or develop himself. Very interesting perspective and it really makes you think!
