Some might argue that #IY2017 did not have consumer impact. But whilst #IY2017 passed, really it was just the beginning…

The UN is a global policy organisation. It sets voluntary goals that are up to countries and organisations to implement – that’s never going to fully happen in a year, it’s going to take time to penetrate consumer level. The point is to get the global buy-in, and start the ball rolling. We think it’s done that.

At Earth Changers, we were not only featured as a ‘solution’ on the UN World Tourism Organisation #IY2017 website, but our ‘Purpose’ section series of blogs on tourism and the SDGs was well liked, followed, earnt us a UK Blog Award nomination – quite an accolade for a ‘niche’ subject in mainstream media awards (especially in our first year) – and influenced the industry.

Tourism for Sustainable Development

It’s worth remembering, the Sustainable Development Goals weren’t just for tourism’s #IY217, but rather the UN’s Agenda 2030. But what they did in 2017 is give all organisations a common cross-sector long term structure for aims, plans and vital measurement and monitoring, by breaking those down into defined digestible chunks of goals and their targets. It enabled business to connect and proactively seek information to help with this and how to take more responsibility for, and communicate, their impacts.

As Taleb Rifai, the former Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organisation said at the end of his tenure of office in an interview with Professor Harold Goodwin of the World Travel Market Responsible Tourism,

“The biggest achievement has been the recognition of the importance of the sector. It is now seen as more than just having a big party. What matters is tourism’s contribution to employment, conservation and natural heritage. Tourism is now respected as an important economic sector.”

Sustainable Development for Tourism Takes the Stage

2017 also saw the Responsible Tourism stage at the World Travel Market with many more attendees, but also a lot more different organisations, and it was perhaps the first time discussions such as ‘communicating heritage’ hit the main stage sessions too.

Maybe it was helped because WTM came at the back-end of 2017, which was an impactful year, UN or not. Responsible tourism perhaps finally went mainstream, not by selling the concept, but because worldwide cities and the mainstream press had seen the negative impacts of irresponsible tourism in the form of over-tourism like never before – its unsustainability, thus alternatives, impossible to avoid discussing as a consequence.

And so whilst #IY2017 may not have been a huge consumer carrot, it was a useful sector tool, and overtourism a massive stick that prompted consumers, organisations, tourist boards, governments and mainstream media attention to wake the world up to the necessities for more sustainable tourism, and thus the true value tourism can have (or not, if not managed responsibly and sustainably).

Sustainable tourism is a necessity, because without it, mass-volume, ill-considered tourism impacts are killing its very destinations. Consumers might not know they want more sustainable, responsible tourism, but many more know they don’t want irresponsible, unsustainable tourism.

Tourism for Sustainable Development Onwards

After #IY2017, the trade was in a more educated position for more sustainable tourism product development, with organisations awareness for the need for skilling up increasing to promote without greenwashing to switch sell to more consumers.

And sustainable tourism ‘mainstreams’, the more differentiation of ‘responsible tourism’ we expect to see – not just of different products (overland, backpack, cities, summer sun etc) and price levels (budget, family, luxury) but also reputation for sustainability levels.

There’ll be less masquerading: consumers will start to better understand just because something calls itself ‘ecotourism’ doesn’t mean it is responsible or sustainable. Hopefully their raised awareness will result in questions which will see greenwashing start to be flushed out.

It may well be ironic, but ultimately #IY2017’s overtourism has seen even more people move to want better tourism, a better sector and better impacts. Policy and grassroots levels are ready, now it’s up to the customers in the middle to proactively choose to buy.