Sustainability Guide (Advisors)

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Protecting Nature Ask Your Client: “Do you want the company you’re traveling with to actively protect wildlife in the places you explore?” Travelers consistently rank “ecotourism” and “nature” among the top five criteria for selecting vacations,6 so it’s likely many of your clients come to you seeking recommendations for travel where they can authentically explore pristine environments and view iconic wildlife. For these clients, this is the perfect opportunity to tap into their love of nature and encourage them to choose sustainable travel providers. For example, you can pose this question: “Do you want iconic species like polar bears, blue whales, emperor penguins, giant tortoises, etc., to exist in the wild 30, 50, 100 years from now?” For clients with children or grandchildren, this can be a particularly powerful illustration of why traveling with companies that actively preserve the places they explore—rather than exploit them—is so important. Tourism, as an industry, has historically had a negative impact on the environment, and even contributed to habitat destruction and decreases in biodiversity.7 But many travel companies are doing their best to preserve the natural world and all the wildlife habitat it holds. For your nature-loving clients, these companies are a good fit.

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A Travel Advisor’s Guide: Sustainable Travel

What else can you tell your clients? “Did you know that feeding wildlife or getting too close can actually harm animals? Traveling with companies that abide by wildlife viewing regulations ensures that animals aren’t exploited.” “Effectively protecting nature requires a lot of people working together: governments, nonprofits, educational institutions, and individuals. And you can join those efforts as a sustainable traveler!" “Ocean conservation is just as crucial to the health of the planet as terrestrial conservation. Sustainable travel providers, particularly those that explore marine and coastal areas, are invested in supporting the creation of Marine Protected Areas: areas of ocean where human activities like fishing are restricted in order to protect sea life.” “Did you know that invasive species can destroy entire ecosystems, wreaking havoc on native species? Travel companies serious about sustainability follow all necessary biosecurity measures to prevent the accidental spread of invasive species, and ensure their guests do the same.”


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