Tides changing in UK consumer attitudes

Janet Silvera, Hospitality Jamaica Coordinator

As travel becomes known as a villain, it is becoming 'cool to care', resulting in 48 per cent of United Kingdom shoppers now factoring ethical issues into their purchasing decisions, Hospitality Jamaica has been told.

Addressing delegates at the staging of the 10th Annual Sustainable Tourism Conference in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos recently, sustainability manager of Virgin, Eileen Donnelly, said there was a cultural shift and change in consumer attitudes, and UK green travellers had become a "rapidly expanding minority".

"They are estimated to be 3.4 per cent of the total holiday market by 2011, with a value of around 1.2 billion pounds," she told the gathering, adding that the world's environmental problems are becoming impossible to ignore.

Earth in imminent peril

Blaring headlines stating that the Earth today stands in imminent peril, while aircraft soar undermining the fight against global warning are just some of the articles that the green traveller, who tend to have a higher social grade (AB1), is being exposed to.

With the forced change, the face of tour operations is also changing, and many European companies have agreed that there is a need for a common approach and greater recognition of the issues.

"All major UK tour operators now have responsible tourism policies and staff dedicated to improving sustainability," said Donnelly.

She said that Virgin Holidays is focusing on destination sustainability, specifically aimed "at improving lives", while fulfilling the needs of its customers' desires in a more responsible way.

"We were the first airline to offer carbon offsets for sale on-board aircraft," she told the delegates, adding that her company was also the first to conduct commercial trial of biofuel in jet engines, "Our drive is to improve sustainability across the business - everything from onboard recycling to ethical sourced in-flight meals."

On that basis, she argued that the Caribbean region had a real opportunity to lead the world by capitalising on the new trends, but it will take combined effort, investment and promotion. "All stakeholders will need to play their part."