Today, business travel’s success rests on original activities, state-of-the-art establishments, services and visits dedicated to participants. Sustainable tourism is rarely brought to the forefront regarding the organization of incentives, meetings and other conferences. However, the interest for these environmental and societal problematics is growing for the companies, generating some changes in the sector.

Responsible tourism: what is it and how to implement it?

To differentiate themselves and federate around their events, companies are more and more willing to add value to their travels with an eco-responsible aspect.

The objective is to share some important messages, especially respect for the environment, for cultures and for touristic places, all the while implementing them concretely during their travels.

Tourism has a responsibility in the deterioration of some very busy sites. Thus, in 2019, the push for a sustainable tourism is getting more and more real, and it starts to matter seriously for company managers, tourism companies and MICE agencies, which have now begun to integrate it in their communication strategies.

Travel motives have not changed (leisure, work, incentive…), nevertheless the operational side of travel organization and the resources deployed for it could be changed. This comes through simple actions and a global and collective consciousness regarding different aspects:

• Accommodation must be more responsible, with smaller structures and eco-labels, offering a personalized and authentic welcome. Such a strategy also allows to support local economy.
• Activities should turn to heritage and natural sites discovery, in a sustainable way.
• Meals and local products must be favored.
• Transfers must be limited or done via ecological means of transport.

The ATR label (Act for a Responsible Tourism), which aims at raising awareness among the general public and companies by highlighting thematic trips around nature and heritage, can also provide help to professionals. For example, the organization can facilitate setting up small groups trips making use of local service providers and limiting the on-site impact.

MICE: What interest for sustainable tourism?

The interest is growing for business travelers!

In numbers: a survey conducted by Easyvoyage indicates that 66% of French people think that it is essential to turn to a responsible tourism. 50% of them favor eco-friendly trips and 25% value ethic and respect for individuals.

Companies are concerned about the messages delivered during their events and via the event’s organization itself. The goal is to point out their attachment to the protection of the environment, local economies, cultures and sustainable development.

It is thus in the event organizers’ best interest to take this dimension into consideration while designing their events. Participants are expecting that choices in terms of establishments, transportation and activities are done in respect with these issues.

Communicating about these aspects is indeed essential since 21% of travelers think that the ecological dimension relies on individuals’ behaviors… So do communicate about your decisions and their impacts!

These values are more and more favored by employees and partners. They even became unavoidable and give a bright future to this new way of “thinking” and “living” professional events.

Do not forget that this dimension could be integrated into companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and become a selection criterion for MICE professionals in tender processes; indeed, professionals are more and more invited to take into account these criteria in their projects.

Seen abroad:

A « Green Seminar » label was created in order to offer to business customers concerned about environment, venues located in the countryside, on the seaside or even in the mountains, providing ecofriendly recycling systems, solar power…

In Belgium, the “Green Meeting” label was given to green establishments offering a food & beverage service based on local products, quiet rooms, nature-based and non-polluting activities …