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The BiosphereSustainable.com website is now available, which allows people to learn about the good practices and sustainable efforts of companies and destinations around the world, showing how they contribute to the fulfilment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
85 companies from Thompson Okanagan that are part of the Biosphere Community can now showcase their sustainability efforts through the new website, which acts as a portal to make more responsible consumption decisions by showing entities and places around the world committed to sustainability and providing information about responsible tourism practices.
Through the Biosphere system – an independent, objective, impartial, and transparent verification methodology – an external auditing team of professionals checks and validates the sustainable efforts implemented by each entity, based on the indicators, criteria, objectives, and sustainability goals of the United Nations, within the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With this new website, Biosphere manages to bring together all the verified information on the good practices of the member entities of its community and presents them on its profile in an adapted language, with clear and accessible explanations and distinctions that anyone can understand. Thus, through this portal, consumers around the world can quickly and easily find out how companies and destinations contribute to improving local life in their environment, their economy, employment, education, the well-being of ecosystems, and a whole range of sustainability issues.
The website is very intuitive to use and is suitable for all types of mobile devices. It allows you to search and filter for places and companies committed to and certified in sustainability, from accommodation and restaurants to shops all kinds. You can even find out about the sustainable efforts of destinations and companies within, committed to being more sustainable.ADVERTISEMENTThe portal is adapted for those with general knowledge in sustainability, so that anyone can easily understand how the companies and destinations work their good practices; transparently showing information that has been previously checked and verified in the Biosphere system, in relation to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
This new website, which is available in 7 languages, is the solution for those who want to make more ethical and sustainable choices about consumption. With more informed and aware societies, we make it easier for each person’s consumption decisions to reflect their values, achieving a real involvement on the part of society to act more responsibly and adopt more sustainable models.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is nominated as North America’s Responsible Tourism Award 2022 by World Travel Awards.

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At a critical time for economies and the ocean, The Nature Conservancy, the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association and the United Nations Environment Programme joined forces to create, for the first time in the Caribbean, a guide to coral reef restoration designed specifically for the tourism sector.
Healthy coral reefs are essential for the Caribbean tourism industry, which drives local economies and supports hundreds of thousands of livelihoods throughout the region. A Guide to Coral Reef Restoration for the Tourism Sector presents coral restoration best practices backed by scientific research, practitioner experience and stakeholder input. It addresses barriers that, up until now, have hindered the Caribbean tourism sector from substantively engaging in efforts to conserve the very marine environments that draw millions of visitors to the region each year. It also reveals key opportunities for the industry during a critical time – when developing sustainable tourism practices not only helps to reverse years of degradation of Caribbean reefs, but also helps tourism-dependent businesses to survive and prosper after the economic fallout of COVID-19.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), along with the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) – which CHTA founded in 1997 to assess the tourism industry’s readiness, needs and willingness to play a more proactive role in managing, protecting and improving coral reefs throughout the Caribbean – teamed up on the groundbreaking collaboration. The guide was developed following months of surveys and discussions with Caribbean tourism industry stakeholders.
“TNC, UNEP, CHTA and CAST developed these new guidelines because we recognized that the tourism sector has an excellent opportunity to amplify coral conservation,” says Ximena Escovar-Fadul, TNC’s Senior Associate, Ocean Planning and Mapping. “In response to the coral reef crisis, there has been a shift on the part of tourism businesses and consumers toward more sustainable travel options. Beyond this ‘do no harm’ mindset, there is an increasing interest in travel activities that can proactively help nature. For example, travelers want to know how they can offset their carbon emissions or take part in restoring the environments that bring them joy when visiting a destination, like coral reefs.”
Coral reefs support economic stability and human well-being across the globe, but the link between these ecosystems and communities is especially significant, and facing grave risk, in the Caribbean today. Half of all livelihoods in the region depend on marine resources. To create the tourism-centered coral restoration guide, it was fundamental to collect input from people whose businesses or income depend on healthy coral reefs. Interviews, surveys and focus groups were conducted with stakeholders across more than 20 Caribbean countries and territories, incorporating multiple tourism sub-sectors to capture a wide array of perspectives – including transportation and accommodations, food and beverage, ocean and beach recreation, and others.ADVERTISEMENT“Coral reefs and the important ecosystem services they provide are critical for economies and communities throughout the wider Caribbean. They generate more than US$8 billion per year for the tourism industry, but they are under serious threat. It is estimated that over half of the live coral in the region has been lost in the last 50 years,” explains Ileana Lopez, Regional Coordinator – Biodiversity and Ecosystems, UNEP’s office for Latin America and the Caribbean. “The restoration of degraded coral reef ecosystems is only possible when political and financial support, scientific innovation and active participation of local stakeholders is combined.”
In recent years, TNC and its partners have pioneered research to reveal the important connection between tourism and our ocean resources – and to elevate the ways in which effective conservation can ensure this relationship is productive and sustainable into the future. A groundbreaking study led by TNC revealed that reef-associated tourism in the Caribbean generates US$8 billion per year – nearly 25% of all tourism expenditure – from over 11 million visitors. TNC’s Mapping Ocean Wealth project, which quantified the tourism value of the world’s reefs to mobilize investments in conservation, was recognized as a “world-changing tourism initiative” by winning the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Innovation Award. Building on this momentum, TNC and the CHTA forged a partnership to work with tourism leaders throughout the Caribbean in their efforts to ensure a healthy and thriving ocean.
“Our growing alliance with the tourism sector is key to our mission in the Caribbean,” says Dr. Rob Brumbaugh, Executive Director of TNC’s Caribbean Division. “Because tourism in the region depends on a thriving natural world, there is a strong economic incentive to support conservation. But, beyond that, one thing we learned when creating these new guidelines is that many tourism leaders simply want to ‘give back’ to nature and know that consumers do as well. So, the industry can be a powerful ally in our work and, in fact, has great capacity to accelerate coral conservation. Tourism businesses often have facilities near reef sites that can host restoration projects; nature enthusiasts on staff, like dive instructors, who can serve as ‘conservation ambassadors’; communications tools, like airport signage, that reach millions of people; and relationships with local governments and communities that can garner support for sustainable ocean use.”
CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig believes now is a particularly important time for tourism to play a vital role in ocean conservation. She explains, “Tourism in the Caribbean, and around the world, suffered a devastating downturn with the pandemic. But as the industry regains its footing, there is a key window of opportunity to attract a wider group of consumers and protect the resources tourism depends on by offering sustainable travel options and engaging in meaningful conservation. This is where guidance from our conservation partners becomes pivotal. Many tourism businesses are adopting a sustainable approach and would like to actively contribute to coral conservation, but they don’t have the technical expertise. Or they completed a pilot reef restoration project but lack the capacity to scale up the work. As we continue to share scientific research and best practices, and to address the conservation challenges facing the tourism sector, CHTA and CAST aim to transform travel in the Caribbean, so it not only exists in harmony with our natural world but also benefits it.”
CAST Chairman Jamaican hotelier Kyle Mais; CAST founding co-Chairman and Chairman of Grupo Puntacana in the Dominican Republic, Frank Rainieri; and Jake Kheel, Vice President of Fundación Grupo Puntacana, a nonprofit entity of Grupo Puntacana and regional pioneer in coral restoration, agreed that coral restoration is rapidly evolving and needs an “all hands on deck” approach to scale up the much-needed recovery of the Caribbean’s coral reefs. They support A Guide to Coral Reef Restoration for the Tourism Sector as a crucial tool that shares experiences and best practices to empower the tourism industry to participate more actively in reef conservation and expand the region’s ability to restore coral reefs.

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Prince Harry has taken part in a TV skit to promote his new eco-travel campaign, which encourages people to travel sustainably.
The Duke of Sussex announced the campaign on a New Zealand TV station, and it is part of his eco-travel non-profit organisation Travalyst, which the royal founded in September 2019.
He took part in a pre-recorded skit with actors Rhys Darby and Dave Fane, in which he was given a positive rating by New Zealand for turning off the tap while brushing his teeth, but had points deducted for dropping litter on the beach.
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Harry, who is dressed in a grey t-shirt bearing the words GIRL DAD, jogging bottoms and a cap, and wearing wireless earbuds, is ambushed by a “rating agent” who claims the duke left a lolly wrapper behind during his official tour with the Duchess of Sussex in 2018.
Harry is at first given three stars out of five, and then three and a half – as stamps on his arm – for only using one towel and for buying local honey.ADVERTISEMENTPrince Harry told Te Ao Maori News: “For our campaign, we are encouraging people to flip the script. We are always being asked for our feedback on our trips and experiences, but what would happen if our holiday rated us?
“It’s an important question to ask, and we want all of you to help us answer it.”
The Travalyst website contains a survey to “find out how your holiday would rate you” and tips encouraging people to travel sustainably – including by shopping local, looking after nature and wildlife, and staying at sustainable accommodation.
He said the campaign was inspired by Maori culture, to which he feels a “deep connection”.
“The Maori culture inherently understands sustainable practices and taking better care of our life-giving land, which are critical lessons we can all learn,” he said.
Travalyst already works with travel brands including Google and Skyscanner to display emissions data, allowing people to choose flights that will have less of an impact on the environment.
Te Ao with Moana presenter Moana Maniapoto said she thought it was a “scam” when she was first contacted by the prince’s representatives to have him on the show.
“I thought it was a scammer, truly, but no, it all checked out,” Ms Maniapoto said. “Prince Harry wanted the worldwide launch out of Aotearoa and on this programme.”
more information at www.travalyst.org

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Following the recent news that Virgin Galactic is delaying its commercial spaceflight service to the Q1 2023;
Francesca Gregory, Analyst in the Thematic Team at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:
“From the moment that Richard Branson flew his own spacecraft to the edge of space, it seemed that Virgin Galactic’s position as a leader in the space tourism industry was assured. However, there are fears that the company has lost momentum, with delays occurring to Virgin Galactic’s commercial spaceflight services. Worse still, it has bitten off more than it can chew.
“Virgin Galactic has been struggling to solve the rapid reusability problem, as it endeavors to cut the turnaround time of its spaceplane’s flights. Solving this conundrum will be critical to the long-term success of its sub-orbital tourism business. Although ticket sales remain strong, with a price tag of $450,000 per person, a hit with the billionare crowd was always the easy part. Virgin Galactic risks severely limiting its potential with the rest of the market.
“It is not just a case of bridging the gulf between a statement space flight and an economically viable space tourism business. Late last month, SpaceX and Axiom Space made history by undertaking the first all-private mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The 10-day trip was an example of the emerging space tourism experiences that could compete with Virgin Galactic’s business. If Virgin Galactic does manage to cut its turnaround time and work through the backlog of ticket holders, a 90-minute flight may not be enough to compete with the other companies increasingly invading its space.”ADVERTISEMENT

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Many travellers now require higher levels of transparency from companies in terms of their environmental performance finding that almost 75% of global consumers agreed that the introduction of sustainability labels on products should be mandatory. The leading data and analytics company notes that these badges help tourism companies to boost transparency, offer responsible alternatives to travelers, and demonstrate positive environmental performance.
Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The adoption of badges that denote high performance concerning environmental benchmarks makes companies’ sustainability claims seem more trustworthy, which will increase demand for their products and services. GlobalData’s 2021 Consumer Survey revealed that 57% of global respondents stated that they are ‘often’ or ‘always’ influenced by products or services that are trustworthy.
“Eco badges will help win the loyalty of responsible travelers in the short-term and improve brand positioning in the long-term. As a result, an increasing number of travel and tourism companies are attempting to prove their sustainability efforts through the acquisition or creation of eco badges and accreditation.”
Booking.com is an eco-badge pioneer. In 2021, Booking.com announced the launch of its Travel Sustainable badge, a global sustainability measure. Its framework is broken down into specific sustainability practices that properties can implement, including everything from eliminating single-use plastic toiletries to running on 100% renewable energy sources.
Hollister adds: “By creating its own framework and methodology for its sustainability measure, Booking.com has demonstrated the time and resources it has invested in this initiative to provide travelers with sustainable alternatives. It is operating proactively to ensure it is not lagging behind the competition in terms of environmental performance.ADVERTISEMENT“Whether through the creation of independent eco badges or by adopting labels awarded by external accreditation providers, travel and tourism companies need to be working towards gaining these badges of quality that enhance transparency, increase revenue, and promote sustainability.”

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