04 Aug Sustainability in tourism: System Change or Behavior Change ?

The need for sustainable tourism and responsible travel is clear and immediate. There is a need to make many changes in the tourism system and we need to do it now.

But – how do we make the greatest impact? In responding to this question, I feel stuck between two scientists that I greatly admire.

Jane Goodall captured my imagination almost 50 years ago when I first read about her a primary school reader. She has been an inspiration ever since and I often quote her:

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. Jane Goodall

Combine this sentiment with the power of big numbers – 7 billion trips every year – and it is easy to see that if we each worked to travel more responsibly, we would make a difference.

But…

In recent years I have come to really admire a couple of scientists that are incredibly effective communicators. One of those people is Ayana Elizabeth Johnson,  a marine biologist, policy expert, writer, and podcaster. In a recent episode of her podcast, How to Save a Planet, she advocates for system change as the way to make the greatest change in one of the greatest environmental challenges we face – climate change. Essentially the point is that worrying about our individual carbon footprints is fine but the real change will come when the system changes. For example – when energy producers change the way they produce energy. The argument is compelling – and I expect it extends to other issues beyond climate change. Policy change is an undervalued tool in system change.

So – what’s the answer: System Change or Behavior Change? It has to be both. To create a truly sustainable tourism system we need both behavior change and system change. Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel.

There’s work to be done….

PS: I want to call out a couple of great podcasts by these legends:

Jane Goodall: Hopecast  The episode “Dr Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: Hope is Taking Action Together” has both Jane and Ayana discussing their individual perspectives on environmental issues. It is a great episode if only to listen for the contrast between these changemakers.

How to save a planet: Check out the episode called “Is your carbon footprint BS ?” It’s a great explorartion of the question – System Change or Behavior Change looking specifically at reducing carbon and GHG.