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Brooke Porter
- Hospitality & Tourism
- Monday, 10 February 2020
Last year I created a 'quick' guide of best practices for coastal tourism for Brink Magazine. I've expanded it from a previous chapter I published in, Coral Reefs: Tourism, Conservation and Management in hopes that it will make sustainability options more accessible industry players. Brink has recently asked for an update to the article and I would welcome any feedback for a second version of this chart.
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Hi Brooke. Great chart! Personally, I would suggest under "Best" for Cleaning "Products": Recyclable and/or compostable packaging. A great guide 
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Brooke A Porter, I love your chart! 
Following are a few thoughts...
Should "Building Materials" go broader and include construction methods? The inclusion of things like good insulation, double glazing, and airtightness can make big difference to energy efficiency. The simplest way to build this in (pun intended) would be to make reference to an energy efficiency certification such as LEED.
Also, what about energy efficient appliances? For example, I believe that refrigeration is a large part of the electricity bill in hospitality properties, so energy efficient refrigeration can make a big difference. A truly efficient property would also incorporate smart building technologies to do things like dimming or turning-off lighting in areas not in use.
The could also be a section for "Energy Source". A property could install its own solar or wind generation, or (if their supplier allows) they could choose to purchase electricity from renewable sources.
"Best" for Disposables looks like it might be a mistake? Disposable seafood?
Following are a few thoughts...
Should "Building Materials" go broader and include construction methods? The inclusion of things like good insulation, double glazing, and airtightness can make big difference to energy efficiency. The simplest way to build this in (pun intended) would be to make reference to an energy efficiency certification such as LEED.
Also, what about energy efficient appliances? For example, I believe that refrigeration is a large part of the electricity bill in hospitality properties, so energy efficient refrigeration can make a big difference. A truly efficient property would also incorporate smart building technologies to do things like dimming or turning-off lighting in areas not in use.
The could also be a section for "Energy Source". A property could install its own solar or wind generation, or (if their supplier allows) they could choose to purchase electricity from renewable sources.
"Best" for Disposables looks like it might be a mistake? Disposable seafood?
Adam Thyer, Founder at GreenExecutive
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Pending Moderation
Hi Brooke,
Nice compilation. I always find way too difficult when I am asked to prepare large-scale criteria instead of localized ones.
Not sure if I read this on time, but in my opinion, the following are some basics that should be reflected as well.
1. Construction Phase
It should also be included on the reflected practices. Current construction procedures are one of the main causes of pollution, even when using lots of sustainable materials. We can use the most sustainable materials ever and the best coastal barrier emplacements, but the methods used to build the infrastructures also count, and a lot. The best practice should be the one that with as little of a negative impact on the surroundings during the construction phase as well.
2. Building materials: I'd also mention ancestral building materials and smart ancestral energy efficiency systems so that people do not think that green architecture is only about fancy and modern mechanisms. This will also foster not only the environmental scope of sustainability but also the sociocultural one (heritage preservation through architecture, which is HIGHLY needed in Tourism).
3. Guest staff
3.1. Cell "Better" } "Environmentally trained staff" for sure. However, I'd also add staff trained on the art of hosting/serving, since their main responsibility is to deal with guests - trust me, training on this is a must too, and even with training, not everyone has the necessary skills to serve/deal with people, especially not if they are out of their comfort zone.
3.2. Cell "Best" } I'd also add something like "communicators of potential corrective operational and environmental improvements", since the staff who is day-to-day working, can track and report this better than anyone else. However, the voice of the staff is not always valued.
4. Cuisine
Cell "Best" } Locally-source and sustainable products enhancing *traditional* gastronomy of the place.
apart from preserving our environment, we must also preserve and enhance our cultural heritage, also through gastronomy. Hence, a pizza, even when made with locally-sourced and clean products, is not precisely the most sustainable cuisine in Asia, for instance.
5. Souvenirs
Cell "Best" } i'd also add the word "traditional" to sustainable handicrafts.
Again, fostering the preservation of autochthonous cultural heritage through ancient crafts it is much better than selling handmade Vietnamese cone hats in La Rambla de Barcelona, as i saw once
Hence, generic criteria, especially in Tourism, must always somehow make strong allusion to local features, to make stakeholders understand the importance to preserve the very genuine essence of their destination (coastal or not). Destinations can be super green, but if they lose their own identity, there is no way for them to be sustainable, since what (smart) visitors really appreciate is the feeling of being in "a different, authentic place".
Nice compilation. I always find way too difficult when I am asked to prepare large-scale criteria instead of localized ones.
Not sure if I read this on time, but in my opinion, the following are some basics that should be reflected as well.
1. Construction Phase
It should also be included on the reflected practices. Current construction procedures are one of the main causes of pollution, even when using lots of sustainable materials. We can use the most sustainable materials ever and the best coastal barrier emplacements, but the methods used to build the infrastructures also count, and a lot. The best practice should be the one that with as little of a negative impact on the surroundings during the construction phase as well.
2. Building materials: I'd also mention ancestral building materials and smart ancestral energy efficiency systems so that people do not think that green architecture is only about fancy and modern mechanisms. This will also foster not only the environmental scope of sustainability but also the sociocultural one (heritage preservation through architecture, which is HIGHLY needed in Tourism).
3. Guest staff
3.1. Cell "Better" } "Environmentally trained staff" for sure. However, I'd also add staff trained on the art of hosting/serving, since their main responsibility is to deal with guests - trust me, training on this is a must too, and even with training, not everyone has the necessary skills to serve/deal with people, especially not if they are out of their comfort zone.
3.2. Cell "Best" } I'd also add something like "communicators of potential corrective operational and environmental improvements", since the staff who is day-to-day working, can track and report this better than anyone else. However, the voice of the staff is not always valued.
4. Cuisine
Cell "Best" } Locally-source and sustainable products enhancing *traditional* gastronomy of the place.
apart from preserving our environment, we must also preserve and enhance our cultural heritage, also through gastronomy. Hence, a pizza, even when made with locally-sourced and clean products, is not precisely the most sustainable cuisine in Asia, for instance.
5. Souvenirs
Cell "Best" } i'd also add the word "traditional" to sustainable handicrafts.
Again, fostering the preservation of autochthonous cultural heritage through ancient crafts it is much better than selling handmade Vietnamese cone hats in La Rambla de Barcelona, as i saw once
Hence, generic criteria, especially in Tourism, must always somehow make strong allusion to local features, to make stakeholders understand the importance to preserve the very genuine essence of their destination (coastal or not). Destinations can be super green, but if they lose their own identity, there is no way for them to be sustainable, since what (smart) visitors really appreciate is the feeling of being in "a different, authentic place".
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