The storm of Covid-19 has hitted to countries and territories from over the world from last months of 2019. The Asia countries are firstly gradually recovered. Then Europe and America are at the peak down.
People are coming back new normal life. The consume demands are grown up. Especially tourism needs immediately wake up after Covid-19 going down. This threshold brings tourism policy makers to decide how tourism footprint to keep sustainable tourism. These following issues will lead tourism to the future of mass or sustainability.
What will happen for tourism industry when overloaded needs from tourists occuring at social distancing lifted?
Can tourism industry be still kept on the right track of sustainable growth?
How will tourism carrying capacity be at destinations?
What tourism leaders do to protect the environment during the stage of tourist wave back?
The solution is how to control footprint in tourism to ensure all strategic plans well environmental implemented. The balance of eco footprint and material footprint is sincerely conducted by all stakeholders. This is an important strategy to keep distance from natural disasters or diseases in the future. Therefore, we need to define and aware the concepts tourism footprint to harmorny in activites of all sustainable tourism value chain. It is the tool to measure the quality of tourism destination. Also, it is the way of national tourism brand building. It is one of competitive advantage indicators among countries and territories.
Tourism footprint defined
The tourism footprint family comprises the tourism ecological footprint (TEF), the tourism carbon footprint (TCF) and the tourism water footprint (TWF). The tourism footprint represents an important tool for quantitatively assessing the impact of tourism activities on the ecosystem of a tourist destination.
Ecological Footprint. The simplest way to define ecological footprint would be to call it the impact of human activities measured in terms of the area of biologically productive land and water required to produce the goods consumed and to assimilate the wastes generated.
Carbon Footprint. Tourism’s global carbon footprint relates to greenhouse gas emissions. Transport, shopping and food are significant contributors during the journey of tourists. The majority of this footprint is exerted by and in high-income countries. The rapid increase in tourism demand is effectively outstripping the decarbonization of tourism-related technology
Water Footprint. Water footprint is included tourism sewage and water for management, and used the world heritage.
How to manage tourism footprint by key stakeholders?
The role of government for tourism footprint.
First of all, making stratergic footprint policy for national tourism is a necessary plan for post Covid-19. New regulations at destinations that limit the mass touirsm is a proper approach to prevent virus spreading again while for ensuring carrying capacity for environment. Moreover, the government lauches tourism footprint tool kit to guide all enterprises of tourism industry and other industries to fullfil the requirement which is the quality measure for the health of tourism growing. In addition, partnership engagements are developed to minimize use of watse and reduce carbon tourism footprint. Good examples of suscessful touirsm footprint policy are Australia, Bhutan and Japan. Specificly, Bhutan declared that the country has no carbon release where happiness is the place.
The role of tourism enterprises for tourism footprint.
Touirsm enterprises take footprint practice as their competitive advantage. Travel companies and hotels cooperate to create responsible activities. The services are integrated in comsumption of all services provided to tourists including: accommodation; food and drinks; mobility and transfers; activity and services. They are all organic products.
The role of tourists for tourism footprint
From the promotion of sustainable tourism development that is expressed by eco tourism footprint activities, tourists are aware of responsible consumption for their journeys. These tour designs are pushing tourists being safe for health in post Covid-19 nightmare. This is one of approach to improve the awareness for local communities and tourists contribute their practices to sustainable environment.
For example, Staying at small-scale, family-run, local and traditional housing accommodations, preferably with renewable energy sources in place. Considering the quantity of food consumed: light and balanced dishes are favored over lush, bountiful, and never-ending banquets. Traveling “slow” by using alternative and motor-free modes of transportation as much as possible. Walking, as well as using bikes, kayaks, horses, or even public transit, is preferred to carbon-intensive transportation. Enjoying carbon-free activities that allow tourists to enjoy the slow pace of the natural areas they are visiting and re-discover the original rhythm of nature.
Key Measures for tourism footprint
The assessment is conducted annually by independent social audit organizations to help the local ecotourism group of businesses and public authorities understand and address the impact of their ecotourism products while ensuring their high quality.
More amount of tourism enterprises engage to practice eco tourism footprint activities.
More brands in tourism industry named for no carbon emission such as means of transportation, hotels, tour operators.
Increased number of industry professionals with expertise in sustainability issues.
Increased number of consumers seeking sustainable experiences and acting in a more environmentally friendly manner.
Source: Global Footprint Network
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Hanni TranDirector of Asia, Global Tourism Forum
