Travel foundation green Mexico growth

Over 30 organisations to sign ‘commitments for conservation’ at Cancun’s Green Expo event

The Travel Foundation has brought together over 30 organisations working in tourism to make a commitment to sustainability at this week’s Green Expo 2013 in Mexico, in collaboration with the Mexico Tourism Board.

The annual trade fair and conference, which takes place on 23rd – 25th May, draws in tour operators, ground agents, hotels and other tourism businesses operating in the area. The event focuses on the preservation of natural and cultural resources.

New for the 2013 event is ‘Commitments for Conservation’, an initiative launched by the Travel Foundation to match hotels and other members of the tourism sector with a locally run business or NGO to deliver projects in one of the following areas:

Conservation of natural resources (for example, by composting hotel waste)

Conservation of an endangered species or species at risk (for example, by protecting turtles and Melipona bees)

Community linkages (for example, by selling products from social enterprises)

Development of sustainable excursions (for example, by using the Travel Foundation’s greener excursions tool)

Training and capacity building (for example, raising awareness amongst staff)

Over 18 tourism businesses, eight NGOs and seven local businesses will officially sign their commitment on 25th May, and progress towards their sustainability goals will be monitored by the Travel Foundation over the next year.

The Travel Foundation’s industry programmes manager, Julie Middleton, who will be presenting a session on working with local government to develop sustainability standards at the event, said: "The Riviera Maya’s Green Expo event showcases how a region can approach sustainability in unison, and together make changes to build a more sustainable future for its tourism industry. There has been huge interest in the ‘Commitments for Conservation’ initiative, with over 30 businesses already poised to make their pledge’.

The programme also includes presentations from TUI UK & Ireland, on the work it’s been doing to engage hoteliers with sustainability, and their supporting role with the Pitahi jam making group in Chumpon.

Thomas Cook will also be there highlighting the work they’ve been doing to support the Travel Foundation’s project with a Melipona bee keeping community, as well as the work they’re doing to green their excursion portfolio.

Valere Tjolle

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