This is jaw-dropping stuff, for people (such as me) who’ve travelled a great deal in my 75 years with minimal concern for the environment, until the realisation began to dawn in the 1980s. Have you put it in front of Booking for a response?
I read this bit and wondered if those academics’ names were genuine:
“Many are academics—including Dr. Susanne Becken, Dr. Xavier Font, and Professor Paul Peeters—all whose stuff I’ve been pouring over for my Masters, thank you all!”
And the editor in me says it should be “poring over”, not “pouring”, which is an entirely different verb! A typo, no doubt, or dastardly autocorrect.
I’m going to call myself Dr Dom Peignoir in a future life - as the uninitiated will mistake it for Perignon!
Thank you always for the really depressing accounts of the state of tourism. Actually I do very much appreciate your effort and research. May these, please, have an affect. I’ll take you along on my next bike trip, and you can do a blow by blow, travel low on the food chain. Sadly most of small hotels, in ‘along the way’ towns, anywhere se Asia, isn’t too often thinking sustainability. Though some practices, for economic reasons, do contribute to being less consumptive. Thanx again. Enjoy the getting there.
Dec 13, 2023·edited Dec 13, 2023Liked by Stuart McDonald
Another great blog of critical thinking. Though, when I did my masters I actually got fed up of myself being critical, and wanted to focus on positive purpose, hence Earth Changers. I do think the OTAs can and should do much, much better. But I'm also aware how hard it is for anyone, with no precedents, big data or data standards, consumers not putting money where mouth is, no trajectories acceptable to investors, thus support, or even a knowledgable let alone experienced staff pool, in the sector. So let OTAs develop it at a low level: that's no excuse for greenwash, but I see their role as one of introducing it to the mass market, reaching parts that others can't, and not expecting them to be the be-all and end-all for sustainable tourism, rather enabling specialists to be there for that. So if you want specialist info, go to specalists. The danger is in consumers thinking they are, when they're not, which is a whole holistic type of BS greenwash!
This is jaw-dropping stuff, for people (such as me) who’ve travelled a great deal in my 75 years with minimal concern for the environment, until the realisation began to dawn in the 1980s. Have you put it in front of Booking for a response?
I read this bit and wondered if those academics’ names were genuine:
“Many are academics—including Dr. Susanne Becken, Dr. Xavier Font, and Professor Paul Peeters—all whose stuff I’ve been pouring over for my Masters, thank you all!”
And the editor in me says it should be “poring over”, not “pouring”, which is an entirely different verb! A typo, no doubt, or dastardly autocorrect.
I’m going to call myself Dr Dom Peignoir in a future life - as the uninitiated will mistake it for Perignon!
Outstanding article Stuart. The world needs voices like yours.
Thank you always for the really depressing accounts of the state of tourism. Actually I do very much appreciate your effort and research. May these, please, have an affect. I’ll take you along on my next bike trip, and you can do a blow by blow, travel low on the food chain. Sadly most of small hotels, in ‘along the way’ towns, anywhere se Asia, isn’t too often thinking sustainability. Though some practices, for economic reasons, do contribute to being less consumptive. Thanx again. Enjoy the getting there.
Another great blog of critical thinking. Though, when I did my masters I actually got fed up of myself being critical, and wanted to focus on positive purpose, hence Earth Changers. I do think the OTAs can and should do much, much better. But I'm also aware how hard it is for anyone, with no precedents, big data or data standards, consumers not putting money where mouth is, no trajectories acceptable to investors, thus support, or even a knowledgable let alone experienced staff pool, in the sector. So let OTAs develop it at a low level: that's no excuse for greenwash, but I see their role as one of introducing it to the mass market, reaching parts that others can't, and not expecting them to be the be-all and end-all for sustainable tourism, rather enabling specialists to be there for that. So if you want specialist info, go to specalists. The danger is in consumers thinking they are, when they're not, which is a whole holistic type of BS greenwash!