Travel Companies Signal Sustainability Focus With Scientists on Staff

These shifts in hospitality and tourism offerings are increasingly essential as conscious consumerism becomes mainstream and addressing the climate crisis becomes essential for preservation of the industry.

By JoAnna Haugen | Published 2 months ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Nanuku Resort Fiji

When travel companies gather employees together, the typical roles are present: the CEO, an operations manager, sales and marketing folks, product designers, and customer service representatives. Increasingly, there’s one more person on the team who hasn’t been present in the past: A scientist.

Attention on the climate and biodiversity crises has accelerated significantly across industries and businesses in recent years, and tourism is no exception. While it’s been said that every job today is a climate job, academically trained scientists bring a unique set of skills to the tourism industry — including the ability to analyze data, review and spot scientific trends, conduct hands-on research; and advise on best practices for mitigating, adapting to and even communicating potentially complex scientific information.

The tourism industry is seeking to rapidly decarbonize, especially in the aviation sector, and these skills can help companies execute carbon-emission reduction plans and sustainability strategies backed with data. The addition of a climate or environmental scientist on staff is naturally aligned for companies prioritizing sustainability at the core of their business practices. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that scientists hired to work for travel companies are often placed specifically in sustainability-focused positions.

Such is the case for environmental scientist Waseroma Sigavou, who recently assumed the Sustainability Officer position at Nanuku Resort Fiji: “Science helps us understand our environment and our impact on it,” he said.

Over the past five years, Sigavou’s work has focused on marine conservation and sustainability through the creation of conservation programs and activities in hospitality-related positions — including assisting with coral identification and propagation through Corals for Conservation, running a hawksbill turtle conservation program, and helping organize a clam-farming initiative. All of these experiences prepare him for what Nanuku Resort Fiji seeks in a sustainability-focused position for its Batiwai Project — which features initiatives meant to improve the local marine ecosystem, minimize the property’s environmental footprint, and enhance the livelihood of resort staff and local communities, all while protecting the natural setting and surroundings.

“When I hear the word ‘sustainability,’ I think of the ways to maintain and protect the environment in its three aspects — which include the marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, and their relation to the location of the resort,” Sigavou told Sustainable Brands® (SB).

Beyond sustainability-specific roles, however, scientists working in a tourism context can offer a science-based perspective and guidance on all aspects of the business — from product development to supply chain procurement to content development.

At Australia-based Intrepid Travel, for example, Dr. Susanne Etti puts her doctorate degree in natural science to use as the company’s Global Environmental Impact Manager. In her role, she is responsible for climate change performance, reporting and implementing a sustainability-minded culture within Intrepid. She has been involved in a wide variety of climate and sustainability initiatives, including helping Intrepid commit to verified science-based climate targets and adding carbon labels to tours.

“In the product team, (Dr. Etti) has led the creation of tools that allow us to measure the carbon output of our products,” Erica Kritikides, Intrepid’s General Manager for Global Product, told SB. In turn, this “has helped in our efforts to reduce that impact through strategic product design — such as replacing flights within itineraries with comfortable, land-based alternatives like trains where feasible.”

These shifts in hospitality and tourism offerings are not simply nice to have, but increasingly essential as conscious consumerism becomes mainstream and addressing the climate crisis becomes essential for preservation of the industry.

“(People) should know (sustainability) is very important right now,” Sigavou said. “With our growing numbers and an increase in development, we should always be ready to protect and restore our unique biodiversity and cultural heritage with regard to knowledge.”

And, as the team at Intrepid has discovered, it also signals to both internal and external stakeholders that sustainability and the climate are always top of mind.

“I think the major benefit in having an in-house climate scientist like Dr. Etti is the cultural shift it creates within an organization,” Kritikides said. “Having a dedicated role at Intrepid makes it clear to both our staff and to our customers that climate change is something that we are serious about and want to take direct and well-informed action on.”

JoAnna Haugen

Founder
Rooted

JoAnna Haugen is a writer, speaker and solutions advocate who has worked in the travel and tourism industry for her entire career. She is also the founder of Rooted — a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact and storytelling. A returned US Peace Corps volunteer, international election observer and intrepid traveler, JoAnna helps tourism professionals decolonize travel and support sustainability using strategic communication skills.

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