Technology can help us meet the challenges of Responsible Tourism

Harold Goodwinby Harold Goodwin

In Blog, Responsible Tourism, Technology.

Technology can help us meet the challenges of Responsible Tourism

It is not just the green environmental agenda. There is a host of ways in which technology can assist us in reducing our sector’s use of resources and greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, managing overtourism, securing visitor payback, facilitating access for the differently abled, encouraging local spending on food, handicrafts and art, encouraging respectful cultural interaction and making authentic story telling available creating more enjoyable experiences for visitors and paperless self-guided walks. .   

WTM’s first panel discussion on Responsible Technology for Travel & Tourism took place in May in Dubai. It is well worth a listen.

The  Expo 2020 in Dubai delayed because of Covid opens on October 1st and runs to 31 March. The website carries a great deal of information about sustainability and the technology which can assist us in achieving it, if we take responsibility. The Hammour House enables you to explore coral reefs, the Czech Pavilion shows how water can be extracted from the air to water the desert, the Germany Pavilion has creative environmental ideas, the Netherlands Pavilion and the  Terra- the Sustainability Pavilion contains a wealth of examples of how technology can contribute to our living sustainably on Earth.

Dina Storey, Director – Sustainability Operations, Dubai Expo talks about the Sustainable Technology at the Expo

And Dina talks about the key sustainability achievements

WTM is launching a Platform for Change at the beginning of June, it will include Responsible Technology of Travel and Tourism. There are many examples here of how technology can be harnessed to achieve Responsible Tourism aspirations.

Glynn O’Leary explains why his company enters the Responsible Tourism Awards

Nominations for the Responsible Tourism Awards are now open, and this time they’re global. They’re free to enter, and the deadline is August 31st 2021. Categories:

  • Decarbonising Travel & Tourism,
  • Sustaining Employees and Communities through the Pandemic,
  • Destinations Building Back Better Post-COVID,
  • Increasing Diversity in Tourism: How inclusive is our industry?
  • Reducing Plastic Waste in the Environment and
  • Growing the Local Economic Benefit.

Each year we shall have at least one awards category focused technology – this year we have two: decarbonising travel & tourism and reducing plastic waste

Harold Goodwin

Harold Goodwin

Harold is WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor, he puts together the flagship Responsible Tourism programme at WTM London which attracted 4000 participants in 2020 and the programmes run at WTM Africa, WTM Latin America and Arabian Travel Market. Harold has worked on 4 continents with local communities, their governments and the inbound and outbound tourism industry. He is Managing Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership and chairs the panels of judges for the World Responsible Tourism Awards and the other Awards in the family, Africa, India and Latin America. Harold works with industry, local communities, governments, and conservationists and undertakes consultancy and evaluations for companies, NGOs, governments, and international organisations. He is also a Director of the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he is an Emeritus Professor, and Founder Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism promotes the principles of the Cape Town Declaration which he drafted.

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