Despite COVID-19, Earth Day Still an ‘Essential’ Milestone for Travel Industry
byDaine泰勒/
Treadright Foundation是旅行公司(TTC)品牌家族之间的非营利组织联合计划,在Instagram上举行了现场问答环节,以庆祝50thanniversary of Earth Day.
The presentation was led by Céline Cousteau, TreadRight’s “Planet” Ambassador and daughter and granddaughter of famed ocean explorers Jean-Michel Cousteau and Jacques Yves Cousteau, respectively, and Shannon Guihan, TreadRight's Chief and Sustainability Officer, who discussed the importance of Earth Day, the current state of the planet, and the actions travelers and industry members need to take going forward.
‘We are all connected’
库斯托说:“显然,涉及很多恐惧,并引起了很多关注,但是旅行将在某个时候恢复。”“我的希望是,当人们再次旅行时,他们会和他们一起上课。一切都连接在这个星球上。”
她补充说,目前的大流行只会进一步引起人们的关注,尽管我们所有人的互动方式都在遥远的距离上。“我们正在通过一种看不见的现象来体验到这一点,即我们在整个星球上相互联系。随心所欲,当您去某个地方时,您会意识到:“我与我旅行的所有人联系在一起。”
她解释说,旅行体验不仅仅在于将游客带到目的地,而且包括所有涉及的其他所有酒店经营者,餐馆,工匠,商人和导游。
库斯托(Cousteau)以前曾担任导游六年,他拥有第一手经验和对影响的知识。“我亲自看到了这一手段,即进入旅游业的整个系统。我只是觉得通过真正通过整个行业来访问世界上所有不同需求,我们可以产生如此多的积极影响。”
No going back
Cousteau also remarked at the progress that had been made in the field of sustainability over the years, and said that while the coronavirus outbreak has derailed many aspects of the industry, we could not let all the progress made fall to the wayside.
“The forward momentum that was with us [pre-COVID] was huge. It was palpable, it was moving, and business leaders were recognizing that it was critical to the resiliency of smart businesses,” said Cousteau. “That cannot be lost, and I think Earth month is one of those movements that brings it to the forefront again.”
Shannon Guihan applauded the organization for the work it’s done in support of travel sustainability, especially the strides they made in gaining business partnerships. While in the past, many companies wondered why they should take on sustainability initiatives, now they are wondering how they can do more.
“To think that it’s just a social movement is to think too short-term. Corporations, entities, enterprises, they’ve all come together to realize this is an all-in type of scenario,” said Guihan.
“One of the benefits of having this kind of partnership is having access to the business side, giving us a much bigger breadth of understanding of what needs to be done in order to really address the issue of sustainability.”
A collective shift
库斯托认为,进一步采取可持续性倡议将需要我们集体意识的重大转变。
“I feel like what’s happening right now is an opportunity for us to shift consciousness on a much deeper level,” said Cousteau. “I think we’re going to start seeing some shifts [in how people view sustainability]. Those that care will continue to care even more so, and among those that sadly do not, I think we will start to see some converts.”
She also added that the current period of travel hiatus could present a unique opportunity for us all to take stock and decide how we will change our sustainability habits, both here and abroad.
“我认为这比以往任何时候都更重要,这对很多人都强调了这一点。这是一个机会,我们对此的处理确实取决于我们。我们要去哪里,到达那里时该怎么办?”
Giving back
“I feel that the travel industry has so much to contribute,” said Cousteau.
“您在团体旅游业中有一个圈养的受众,您可以通过告诉他们他们在一个地方做得很好,可以给他们带来额外的好处,我认为这是我们增加价值的工作。不是货币价值,而是慈善价值。”
她建议未来的旅行者考虑购买礼品卡和预订未来的旅行,以帮助支持在这场危机期间正在挣扎的小型旅行企业(以及一般的小型企业)。
“There’s all of these small businesses that are closed, and right now it’s unknown what their future holds… I’d encourage you to buy gift certificates for your services now, and get your stuff done when you can go back out, and ensure that those small businesses can still exist and survive through this.”
她还推荐了人们可以通过向慈善事业捐款,自愿将自己的时间捐赠给需要它的地方的时间,并向迫切需要的组织和社区捐款,从而beplay银行卡回馈人们回到目的地和自己社区内部和自己的社区。
“It’s a mindset, it’s a consciousness…I know that’s not going to solve the world’s issues on a larger scale, but what is does is make you feel what it’s like to give back, and that’s an addictive feeling that will last even after we can travel again.”
Looking ahead
“A lot of people are saying ‘I’m stuck at home, I’ve got wanderlust, and I want to travel again,’” said Guihan. “I encourage people, when it’s safe to travel, to do so thoughtfully.” And now with the 50thanniversary of Earth Day upon us, there’s no better time to be reminded of that.
“我认为地球日已经成长,我认为现在至关重要。人们被限制在家里的事实可能使他们更加了解正在发生的事情以及我们如何治愈。”库斯托说。
“It’s through your consciousness that you make a difference… be mindful of companies you’re traveling with, where you’re going, and who you’re supporting, and once we’re able to move again, take those sensibilities on the road with you.”