The one thing I'd change is... by Élise Bouhélier, Project Manager at Turizem Bohinj, Slovenia

Should sustainable tourism be the standard rather than the exception? Is it still a niche sector when its core aims should permeate the entire industry?

Élise Bouhélier, Project Manager at Turizem Bohinj, Slovenia thinks sustainability should in fact be the bare minimum, and that it’s just ‘step one’ to a more responsible industry.

I asked Élise what is the one thing she'd like to change given the climate and nature emergencies, here is her reply:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/581fc9_354542a31f064f44a566007e04dcc194/720p/mp4/file.mp4

"The one thing I'd change in travel would be that people stop seeing sustainable tourism as a niche part of the industry. It's not supposed to be a special option.

“Travellers shouldn’t have to pick or a specific category of trip just to cater for the needs of eco-minded travellers in the context of the climate crisis. Sustainability is meant to be the standard of every part of any sector, including travel.

“Every trip, every destination, every tourism business should be sustainable. And that shouldn't be a flashy selling point or a distinctive feature that makes any of them stand out, because it's just the bare minimum we should expect.

“And the thing is that sustainability is not even the end goal. It's really just step one.”

🙏. Élise

This post is part of a series of interviews I'm filming with people across the travel and tourism industry, where I ask them to answer in less than 60 seconds, "What's the one thing you'd change in travel, given the climate and nature emergencies?"