In a region of Canada deeply impacted by climate change a tourism development agency and an environmental organization have combined efforts to tackle global warming head on by challenging Canadians, and the world, to travel responsibly.
Every year in Canada 'fully independent vacation travel' and motorized recreational activities are promoted as the primary method of travel by every level of government and regional tourism agencies.
By encouraging the tourism industry and government to actively promote 'sustainable group travel' the number of vacation vehicles would be reduced, thus also reducing harmful emissions.
By tracking and applying new environmental and economic benchmarks, the tourism industry could begin to track emission levels and show how promoting the Green Vacation Challenge reduces emissions and helps the environment.
Through the Green Vacation Challenge we would continue to encourage a greater number of tourists to travel, but via more group travel. The Challenge also promotes guided learning experiences about how our climate is changing and how we can conserve resources and protect wild habitat.
The Challenge is a unique approach linking tourism goals to environmental sustainability, by reducing harmful emissions by challenging Canadians on how they conduct their leisure travel activities, an area where they may be willing to try new methods of travel as part of a vacation adventure.
Bearfoot Canada and the Canadian EarthCare Society have reached an agreement that will build strategic partnerships with businesses, communities, governments, and corporations that will work towards a 10-point responsible travel program called the Green Vacation Challenge.
The Challenge will help Canada lower greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging group travel and more efficient methods of reaching holiday and recreation destinations, by building and presenting educational programs and travel experiences that promote traveling responsibly.
THE CHALLENGE AND INDUSTRY AWARENESS
The Challenge will work with partners to apply an industry awareness campaign to the domestic and international travel community about the benefits of group travel, and a public awareness campaign attempting to reduce the number of vacation vehicles on the road, thereby encouraging sustainable group travel and reducing harmful emissions.
The initiative seeks to build a national and international effort for creating a healthier and more sustainable travel industry, which encourages people to travel, work, and play in nature while building stewardship ethics.
Every year in British Columbia our wild lands are at risk from vacationers not acting responsibly within sensitive habitats. As more resorts and commercial developments d encroach into wild areas tourism will be attracting even more visitors, and the threat of wildfires and long-term negative impacts to sensitive habitat becomes an over-all threat to the sustainability of the environment and local economies. Further visitor increases as a result of 2010 will magnify these risks even greater.
A key objective within the Green Vacation Challenge is to build a SmartTravel Best Practices Program, which is a workable, responsible travel Code of Ethics and Best Practices for small independent nature-based tour operators, guides, resorts, attractions and communities.
The supporters of the Green Vacation Challenge believe that business needs the ability to adapt to climate change factors. Nature-based Tour Operators will be recruited to act as stewards and educators of B.C.'s natural habitat, which would lead to better management of our land based resources.
