Emerger Strategies: Sustainability Consulting

Sustainability 101: What is Sustainable Tourism?

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

By: Emma Abrams

It’s summer, and vacation may be on your mind. Unfortunately, everyone’s summer vacation has a larger impact than you may think.

The tourism industry has a huge global impact: tourism accounts for about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and about 10% of global GDP. On top of that, tourism is often hurting the beautiful nature and historical sites that tourists flock to. Traffic jams, overcrowding and plastic pollution often follow tourist booms. For example, the island of Boracay has lost up to 90% of its coral cover due to pollution and irresponsible snorkeling.

Due to this huge impact, there is a movement to shift towards a more environmentally-conscious mode of travel: sustainable tourism. This shift is largely fueled by tourists themselves who want to see greener options. A survey from Booking.com found that 61% of people want to travel more sustainably in the future, and 69% of travelers want to reduce or offset the carbon footprint of their trips.

Sustainable tourism means using tourism to create a positive, rather than negative, impact on the environment, culture and economy. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council outlines the key requirements in sustainable tourism practices: “Demonstrate effective sustainable management, maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts, maximize benefits to cultural heritage and minimize negative impacts, maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts”. For example, a hotel should choose sustainable suppliers and products and take steps to conserve energy and water. Operations should employ locals, and consult with the local community about how to present local culture and history. 

An example of sustainable tourism is RealNZ, a company that offers tours to the famed Milford Sound in New Zealand. Local employees educate tourists about local conservation issues, and participate in rewilding efforts throughout Fjordland. In addition to yearly donations to conservation efforts, the company only serves New Zealand-made wine, recycles used uniforms and has stopped using plastic water bottles.

To travel more sustainably, make sure to do your research! Pick less busy locations, or visit in the off-season to avoid overcrowding. Look into the environmental policies of accommodations and services. Taking extra steps to be a more sustainable traveler has numerous benefits: your trip will have a lower environmental impact, you can support the local culture and economy, and immerse yourself in a more authentic experience.

Are you a fishing lodge interested in starting your sustainability journey? We have worked with lodges from the Bahamas to Idaho to measure and improve their sustainability performance. You can learn more about our Sustainability Consulting Services on our website or contact us today!


Emma is our 2023 Summer Sustainability Intern, and a sophomore at the University of Delaware, where she is majoring in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. She spent her first semester studying in Auckland, New Zealand. While an avid world traveler, the lowcountry will always be home; She grew up swimming and tossing cast nets in the creeks around Charleston and Edisto, and her love for this environment drives her passion for sustainability. Emma has long been involved in environmental activism, and now hopes to make a career in protecting the ecosystems and communities she cares about. With experience in advocacy, research, data analysis and a healthy dose of optimism, she hopes to bring a fresh perspective and new solutions to the environmental field. Emma is excited to be working with Emerger Strategies to help Charleston create a greener future.

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