Move over Prince Harry: sustainable tourism is taking shape without you

Just weeks after being criticised for his frequent use of private jets with his family, Prince Harry has kicked off a new sustainable travel initiative, known as Travalyst. The Duke of Sussex’s new project will apparently work with well-known travel companies such as Skyscanner, Booking.com, Visa and TripAdvisor in a bid to reduce tourism’s environmental footprint.

"We could all do better, and while no one is perfect, we all have a responsibility for our own individual impact," the Prince said at the Travalyst launch in Amsterdam, “after two years of behind-the-scenes conversations and planning, we’re going to start with the tourism industry.”

The Washington Post was quick to pooh-pooh the announcement, arguing that the Travalyst scheme had “lofty language” but lacked measurable, concrete goals or specific solutions. Indeed, Travalyst might claim to be a “bold new global initiative,” but announcing that details will be released in “due course” is little more than marketing speak for “we don’t actually know what this is.”

Overtourism: a growing problem

Fortunately, other initiatives and companies have already started putting into place concrete solutions to cut down on the overtourism epidemic.

With the advent of cheaper travel options, the rapidly expanding reach of the internet, and fewer travel visa barriers than ever before, entire regions are falling prey to huge volumes of tourists—and the environment is bearing the brunt of the inflow. While the travel industry has, until now, focused almost exclusively on growth, a threshold has been reached: too many places say they are being overrun with too many people.

This is perhaps no more true than in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, a cluster of countries that has long boasted some of the most picturesque beach and island destinations in the world. An influx of visitors across the region, however, has had a devastating impact on local communities, flora and fauna; Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte recently described the nation’s Boracay Island as a “cesspool.”

An island once known for its white sands and clear waters, Boracay Island has increasingly struggled with a pollution problem, with sewage from local restaurants and hotels regularly dumped into the surrounding ocean.

Across the South China Sea, one study suggests that up to 72% of Thailand’s coral reefs are threatened by overtourism, while Indonesia’s Bali has quickly come to be known for its overcrowding and plastic-strewn surf spots. Both Thailand’s Maya Bay and the Philippines’ Boracay Island have both been closed down in the past in a bid to give the areas a chance to recover.

Meridian Adventure and Keemala: balancing exploration and sustainability

Simply closing down major sites is far from a long-term solution, however. Not only is tourism an important contributor to South East Asian economies, but the importance of exposure to different cultures and the world’s natural wonders should not be understated. “It’s [about] balancing business opportunities with social responsibility,” explained Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, the Philippines’ secretary of tourism.

One example of a company doing just that is the Meridian Adventure Resort. Meridian’s ethos is beautifully simple: allow visitors to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Raja Ampat, one of the most biodiverse places on earth, while ensuring they have a limited environmental impact on their stunning surroundings.

The resort is funded by Hong Kong-headquartered Meridian Capital Limited, which has made promoting the right equilibrium between luxurious adventures and eco-tourism a hallmark of its investment strategy. Yevgeniy Feld, principal at the investment firm, explained that “our individual passion for the ocean at Meridian Capital Limited has seen us invest in businesses that allow guests to explore some of the most beautiful and untouched locations that few people have visited. We believe that if people get the chance to see the ocean as it should be, it is a compelling reason to protect and preserve its beauty”.

Not only has the resort adopted a zero-plastic philosophy, but guests and staff are all involved in protecting the local environment through Dive Against Debris events and the monitoring of dive sites for outbreaks of the Crown of Thorns starfish. As veteran captain Sean Galleymore remarked, each of these initiatives, from Dive Against Debris to sharing data gleaned during dives with the local government in Raja Ampat, “is part of our larger view that builds on sustainable tourism practices: that we are guests in the world and should leave a limited impact on our environment and protect it for future generations”.

Meridian Adventure isn’t the only luxury resort driven by a commitment to sustainability. Even in the overcrowded Phuket, Thailand, the Keemala Resort is a standout for sustainability efforts in the country. Similar to Meridian Adventure Resort, Keemala eschews plastic, and furthermore steers travellers away from all-too-common activities that exploit animals for entertainment.

The preservation of local culture and the surrounding environment was of utmost importance to the resort from the outset. With a brand and design concept that both reflects a respect for the environment and enables low-impact activities, each villa in the resort has a reduced carbon footprint that provides a model for the domestic hospitality industry as a whole.

“We wanted to create something truly different, something that focused on wellness,” underlined Tanapong Somnam, Keemala’s executive director of hotel operations. The initiative, so far, appears to be a resounding success: half of the resort’s herbs and vegetables are directly sourced from an organic garden on site, and the Keemala Executive Chef is conscientious about using sustainably sourced fish.

There can be no doubt that the world is waking up to the challenge of global overtourism, and a growing number of industry initiatives are setting the pace for the sector as a whole. While Prince Harry’s initiative is just getting started, these resorts are well-ahead in pioneering a new type of tourism.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.