The role of tour operators and guides in low-carbon tourism products and practices

Tour operators and tour guides play a crucial role in promoting low-carbon tourism and reducing the negative environmental impact of tourism (Peeters et al., 2008). Their role is particularly important as tourism is one of the largest and fastest-growing industries in the world, and it can have significant negative impacts on the environment and local communities if not managed properly.

• Tourism and its consequences can be detrimental for the environment and for tourism-dependent areas or other localities experiencing mass arrivals, especially after the lifting of COVID-19 related restrictions.
• Research and economic projections predict that global tourism will increase by 30% in 2023 (EIU, 2022). Tourism is, therefore, expected to have an increasingly negative impact on climate change and energy consumption.

To tackle the environmental and socioeconomic challenges related to this phenomenon, tourism should take a turn towards greener and more sustainable products and practices. This undoubtable need has led to the definition of sustainable tourism as the tourism that strives to establish positive impact in all three areas affected:  environmental, economic, and sociocultural (GSTC, 2022 & Fig.1). For the purposes of this module, we will insist on the environmental aspect and the ways in which tour operators and guides can contribute to lowering carbon emissions of tourism products and practices.

Low-carbon tourism refers to tourism practices that aim at reducing carbon emissions and utilizing tourism resources in a way to save or responsibly consume energy and minimize negative environmental impact (He & Wang, 2021, p.2). Such practices include -but are not limited to:

• reducing carbon dioxide emissions in various activities,
• green/slow travel,
• new energy applications and new, sustainable materials usage,
• energy conservation,
• water saving technology, and so on (ibid.).

In other words, responsible tourism is a holistic approach that seeks to promote:

• low-carbon tourist attractions
• low-carbon tourist facilities
• low-carbon tourist consumption modes (ibid., pp. 3-4)

Examples of how tour operators and guides can promote low-carbon tourism:

Low-carbon tourism products: Tour operators play a crucial role in creating and promoting low-carbon tourism products. They can offer eco-friendly tour packages that focus on sustainable travel practices, such as reducing carbon emissions by using public transportation, staying in energy-efficient accommodations, and engaging in activities that have a low environmental impact. Tour guides can also provide information on eco-friendly products, services and destinations.

Changes in travel products: Tour operators can also promote changes in travel products to reduce carbon emissions. For example, they can offer tours that require less transportation or fewer flights, or promote medium and short haul travel instead of long haul travel. This can reduce the carbon footprint of travel and help to mitigate climate change.

Longer lengths of stay: Longer lengths of stay in a destination can reduce the carbon footprint of tourism by reducing the number of trips taken and by giving tourists more time to engage in sustainable activities.

Environmentally friendly travel modes: Tour operators can promote sustainable travel practices, such as using environmentally friendly travel modes like trains, buses, bicycles or walking tours. They can also encourage tourists to use public transportation instead of renting cars, which can contribute to lower carbon emissions.

Energy savings in accommodation facilities: Tour operators can work with hotels, resorts and other accommodation providers to promote energy savings. They can encourage them to adopt sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy, reducing water and energy consumption, and minimizing waste.

Protected areas in touristic offers: Tour operators can collaborate with protected areas and conservation organizations to promote ecotourism and sustainable tourism practices. This can include offering tours to protected areas, promoting sustainable activities like hiking and wildlife watching, and supporting conservation efforts.

Collaboration between protected area and tour operators: Collaboration between tour operators and protected areas can also help to promote sustainable tourism practices. Tour operators can work with protected area managers to develop tourism products and services that are environmentally sustainable, culturally respectful, and economically viable.

Shift to closer located destinations: Tour operators can promote the shift to closer located destinations by offering tours to nearby locations. This can reduce the carbon footprint of travel and also support local economies.

Green company image: Tour operators can develop a green company image by adopting sustainable practices and promoting sustainable tourism. This can attract environmentally conscious customers and also create a positive impact on the environment and local communities.

Education of customers for more environmentally friendly consumption behaviors: Tour guides can play an important role in educating customers on environmentally friendly consumption behaviors. They can promote sustainable practices, such as reducing plastic waste, conserving energy and water, and respecting local cultures and traditions. This can help to raise awareness and promote a culture of sustainable tourism.

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Additional steps that tour operators and guides can take to promote Ecotourism.

To support and promote low-carbon tourism, tour operators and guides should include the following focus points in their action plans:

• Biological Diversity: To preserve biological diversity, all tourist actions must be directed towards preserving natural areas, habitats and wildlife, and minimizing damage to them (GIFT, 2022)
• Physical Integrity: Tourism operations should “maintain and enhance the quality of landscapes, both urban and rural, and avoid the physical and visual degradation of the environment” (ibid.).
• Environmental Purity: To minimize tourism’s environmental footprint, tourism stakeholders should invest in non-polluting solutions, as well as responsible waste-management by tourism enterprises and visitors (ibid.)

For ecotourism to be successful and truly cautious, the collaboration between protected areas and tour operators is advised, so as to achieve the following:

1. Reduce the number of visitors: Tour operators can limit the number of visitors to ecologically sensitive areas to prevent overuse and minimize the impact on the local environment.
2. Educate visitors: Tour guides can educate visitors about the local ecosystem and the importance of preserving it. They can also inform them about sustainable practices such as reducing waste, conserving water, and minimizing their impact on the environment.
3. Use eco-friendly transportation: Tour operators can use eco-friendly transportation options such as electric vehicles, bicycles, or walking tours to minimize carbon emissions and reduce the impact on the environment.
4. Support local conservation efforts: Tour operators can support local conservation efforts by donating a portion of their profits to conservation organizations or by partnering with local conservation groups to implement sustainable tourism practices.
5. Use sustainable accommodations: Tour operators can choose accommodations that have eco-friendly practices such as using renewable energy sources, reducing waste, and conserving water.
6. Respect local culture and traditions: Tour guides can educate visitors about the local culture and traditions, and encourage them to respect them. This includes respecting local customs and not disturbing cultural or religious sites.

Additional steps that tour operators and guides can take to promote Responsible travel.

Low-carbon tourism cannot exist without an energy-saving mindset. This can be achieved by focusing on Resource Efficiency, i.e., the ways to “minimize the use of scarce and non-renewable resources in the development and operation of tourism facilities and services” (GIFT, 2022).

Research shows that the tourism sector needs to implement significant changes in travel behaviour in order to ensure a low environmental impact (Peters et al., 2008). Such changes may refer to the travel product itself (e.g., the destination), the transportation, and the tourist incentives (e.g., regarding length of stay).  For instance, tourism professionals can promote sustainable tourism by:

• Promoting destination alternatives that require less flying and, therefore, a shift from long haul to medium and short haul travel.
• Incentivizing customers to make a shift to longer lengths of stay that can favour mass transportation in trains, buses, or even bicycles instead of private cars/taxis.
• Including closer-to-home destinations that limit carbon emissions in travelling.

Moreover, tour operators and guides can contribute to the sustainability of the tourism industry through the following actions:

1. Engage in local community development: Tour operators can engage in community development by supporting local businesses and promoting sustainable livelihoods for the local community. This can include sourcing locally produced goods and services, hiring local staff, and supporting community development initiatives.
2. Encourage responsible behavior: Tour guides can encourage responsible behavior among their visitors by promoting sustainable practices such as reducing waste, conserving water, and minimizing their impact on the environment. They can also discourage activities that are harmful to the environment or cultural sites.
3. Provide cultural education: Tour guides can provide cultural education to their visitors by sharing local customs and traditions, and encouraging visitors to respect them. They can also educate visitors about the local history, art, music, and literature.
4. Use sustainable food and beverage practices: Tour operators and guides can promote sustainable food and beverage practices by sourcing locally produced, organic, and seasonal food. They can also encourage visitors to reduce their consumption of meat and other high-carbon foods.
5. Advocate for responsible policies: Tour operators and guides can advocate for responsible policies that promote sustainable tourism practices, such as supporting renewable energy, reducing waste, and protecting natural and cultural heritage sites.
6. Embrace technology: Tour operators and guides can use technology to promote responsible travel, such as offering virtual tours to reduce the carbon footprint of travel or using mobile apps to provide visitors with information about sustainable practices.