Government legislation, natural disasters and a growing awareness of the traveller footprint is helping to drive sustainable tourism in the region, writes Pamela Whitby

One of the big drivers of sustainable tourism in Asia Pacific is – you guessed it – China. With the Asian giants rapid economic expansion have come ecological issues and growing public awareness of them. Government has been forced to respond to with new and stricter policies around sustainability and tourism companies are responding too.

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, one of the early pioneers of sustainable practices, seems to be in the right business. While the group’s feeder markets have typically been mainly in Western Europe, Asian travellers are increasingly worried about their environmental footprint.

“We are seeing growing interest sustainable tourism in Asia Pacific but particularly in China which is a big potential market for us,” says Li Peng, Open hotel, Group Director of Distribution & E-Commerce at Six Senses.

In May 2015, the group will open its first hotel at the gateway to the Qing Cheng Mountains, near the UNESCO World Heritage & Natural Cultural site Dujiangyan.

Other brands too are launching sustainable products and using these in their online marketing efforts. Shrangri-La, for one, has embarked on a food & beverage programme coined ‘Rooted in Nature’ which is aimed at promoting sustainable ingredients and local produce.

The Grand Hyatt in Singapore is another; in a bid to win those ethically minded customers, it claims to be one of the first luxury hotels in the city-state to serve only sustainably sourced seafood products.

While Li acknowledges that it’s difficult to measure the exact size of the segment, he believes the recent launch of new ‘100% natural’ hotel brand, 1 Hotel by Starwood Capital adds further weight to the trend.  

Growing demand is also highlighted by TripAdvisor’s move to launch a scheme that helps responsible travellers find a bed for the night. Greenleaders allows eco-friendly hotels and B&Bs, from budget to luxury, around the world to list their credentials. Around 8,000 hotels have already signed up, although admittedly most of those are located across Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

That’s likely to extend to Asia Pacific as the big brands increasingly incorporate this into their business models, something that Li thinks should be “standard business practice”. 

Destination marketers are also taking note, according to Afzaal Mauthoor, co-founder of Inspired Escapes.

Here are two possible reasons for growing interest in responsible travel.

1)    Natural disasters are putting destinations on the map

After a natural disaster, the quickest and most sustainable way to get people back on their feet is to get the local economy going, says Mauthoor. Destination marketers are showing particular interest. In the Philippines, for example, Inspired Escapes is working closely with the country’s tourism board to inspire people in the UK to travel beyond Thailand and Borneo. The country is made up of over 7000 islands after being ravaged by the Typhoon Haiyan people have pulled together and are leading the way in social entrepreneurship for the poor.

“The tourism board is all ears to hear more about responsible tourism in the Philippines and although they are not 100% there yet, it will happen,” says Mauthoor.

Responsible tourism is also growing in popularity in Malaysia in Perhentian Islands on the east coast and also in the jungle where they just discovered tigers again. Previously thought extinct, they are being cautious so not to attract poachers until responsible tourism is in place.

In fact, Mauthoor believes responsible tourism is now moving one step up and what he describes as ‘travel philanthropy’ is on the rise.

Over the weekend of the Vanuatu cyclone there was a 700% increase in searches for the destination from the UK - e-Dreams ODIGEO

So natural disasters come with a silver lining, helping put destinations on the map. Interestingly data from e-Dreams ODIGEO shows that in the weekend of the Vanuatu cyclone there was a 700% increase in searches for the destination from the UK.

“The trick here,” says Mauthoor, “is to keep smiling and bounce back with a welcome sign”. 

2)    Millennials and the meeting of east and west

The second reason for the growth in responsible travel is that millennials today are confident to travel independently and in a spontaneous unplanned way. Part of the allure is to explore and find something that no one else has ever or rarely experienced.

According to Mauthoor, local tourism projects and outfits set up by young and passionate local people are prime suppliers to his company’s western millennials.

Millennials in both west and east are like-minded and share the same value. “With the user experience on websites in Asia being improved and the reach of social media, more and more millennials are confident to book direct with local providers in Asia Pacific. This will only advance as APAC internet and entrepreneurship is on a dramatic rise. 

Join us at the Travel Distribution Summit Asia May 20-21) where Li Peng, Open hotel, Group Director of Distribution & E-Commerce at Six Senses will be speaking