Operators paying lip service to sustainable tourism?
Operators may simply be “buying time” by agreeing to set down sustainable travel policies, it has been claimed.
Environmental watchdog Responsibletravel.com said it remained unconvinced the big three operators – TUI, Thomas Cook and MyTravel – were serious about adopting a more considered approach to destinations.
The comments follow a concerted campaign by responsibletravel.com which accused mass market companies of virtually destroying destinations.
“We will keep up the pressure on these, and other operators, to ensure the policies they have agreed to draw up are not just words. We want to see action,” said Reponsibletravel.com director Paul Snudden. “It could be that they are simply buying time. Only time will tell.”
Speaking at the ITEX show for the independent travel sector in London, Mr Snudden predicted operators will also come under pressure from the City to move away from the traditional package holiday, which he claimed now made up just 30% of the overall market.
“Packages are exactly the same as they were years ago,” he said. “A flight, hotel and rep. It’s a mugs game. Operators are going round in circles and we shall see some casualties. We are already seeing profits drop.”
While some firms have admitted there is “destination fatigue”, their answer is to simply repeat the over-development process at great expense in new resorts. Customers have changed, but operators continue to churn out the same product, said Mr Snudden, describing resorts as “compounds”.
“I would have thought operators would be more enlightened than this,” he said. “Customers are now thinking what they want to get to get out of the holiday. They are looking for authenticity and a deeper experience.”
Report by Steve Jones
Phil Davies
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