27 October 2009

PATA: getting greener

Pacific Asia Travel Association has launched the PATA Sustainability Index with Sustainability Intelligence UK, the organization that operates the Green Globe Index program globally.

The program is intended to help the industry measure and learn about sustainability from a cost savings perspective, while at the same time reducing its carbon footprint.

Index participants are included in a major international internet marketing booking referral program. Further details will soon be available.

Initially, the Guide to Sustainable Tourism website will feature the work of 15 PATA members within the Asia Pacific region and cover a variety of projects including hotels, dive sites and other operations.

Case studies include details of why the companies concerned opted for a more responsible approach, and what work took place.

Results in every case show tangible benefits for tourists, the industry and the environment, participants say.

Shortly, PATA will be going live with the first of these online forums.

"We know there are many more companies in different branches of the travel and tourism industry that would like to share their experiences and success stories in the area of CSR and especially sustainable development and sustainable tourism, and we would be happy to add them to the forum and the website," said Anthony Wong, secretary/treasurer, PATA. He added:

"Our PATA members want to be green but they don’t know how to go about it."

Full details of qualifying projects and how to submit them are included on the site.

This Best Practice Guide to Sustainable Tourism is the first of what PATA expects will be a series of partnerships to ensure effective implementation of social responsibility programs.

PATA’s partners are GTZ and SNV (Asia) on the research side and 15 of its industry members who supplied knowledge through their own research.

By David Wilkening