I imagine the relaxing on the beaches, exploring the local landscape and seeing the wildlife are up there as some of their favourite activities, and memories. And that doesn’t surprise me.
Nature is a big part of people’s holiday experiences. In fact, according to UN Tourism, more than 80% of travel and tourism’s goods and services rely on nature and biodiversity.
Biodiversity encompasses all living things; plants, animals, organisms, and the different habitats they live in – forests and oceans for example. Basically, the things people enjoy about their holidays.
However, biodiversity is in decline, and habitats are under threat. Global biodiversity has fallen by about 70% over the past 50 years.
The amazing beaches, plants and wildlife people see on their holidays aren’t as diverse or robust as they used to be. This is a problem for the planet and global warming, as nature plays an important role moderating our atmosphere.
As part of the world’s battle with climate change, scientists are inventing ways to capture carbon, but this is something nature has always been doing. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and turn it into their food, so essentially nature is the original carbon capturer.
In light of this, it’s important nature is supported and biodiversity is restored so it can continue its important role on our planet and help tackle global warming.
Given the prevalence and importance of nature in holidays, travel has a really big role to play in supporting this work.
Whether you are a travel agent or tour operator, you can help. You would be amazed at the opportunities open to travel to help support nature - even the simplest of things, like a beach clean, will make a difference.
Some practices you can adopt now include promoting the use of low-impact transport when on holiday such as biking, electric vehicles and public transport, as they can help reduce pollution, which is damaging to plants and water systems, among other things.
Offering accommodation and resorts that prioritise renewable energy, water conservation and the use of sustainable building materials will also help. Robust sustainability certification schemes, like Abta’s Travelife, are a really valuable resource for agents looking to identify this type of accommodation.
Abta’s sustainability message emphasises nature and biodiversity. By prioritising these elements, they provide the overarching framework that connect all aspects of sustainability, including climate action, such as reducing your carbon footprint, community development, human rights and animal welfare.
To help ABTA members understand more about biodiversity and travel, and what you can do to support it, we are offering a series of free workshops throughout November and December, which will be delivered by experts Animondial.
Many Abta members are already involved in biodiversity projects, and we’re pleased some of them will be involved in the workshops. Travelopia will presenting on their "nature-first" plan, which includes supporting projects conserving and restoring marine eco-systems.
Carol Rose is Abta’s head of sustainability.
To find out more about Abta’s work in this area and the free biodiversity workshops, visit abta.com/events/biodiversity-workshops. Sessions will be held on 13 November, 20 November, 26 November, 3 December and 11 December.
