B Tourism: Revolutionizing Tourism with University's in Florida

WEBVTT
00:00:06.786 --> 00:00:12.413
So the challenge in marketing now is how can you change people's behavior a little bit more quickly?
00:00:12.413 --> 00:00:15.877
Because if you don't change quickly, then it's going to be too late.
00:00:33.179 --> 00:00:34.682
Welcome to Responsibly Different, brought to you by Campfire Consulting.
00:00:34.682 --> 00:00:40.774
In this space, we kindle the stories, insights and dialogues at the heart of conscious consumerism and impactful business practices.
00:00:40.774 --> 00:00:47.485
Each episode is a journey into the essence of making decisions and investments that nurture positive change.
00:00:47.485 --> 00:00:58.064
Join our impact strategist, brittany Angelo, as she dives into the narratives of leaders and visionaries who are reshaping what it means to live and work with intention and purpose.
00:00:59.866 --> 00:01:15.855
As part of this podcast series, Campfire collaborated with the B Tourism Network to bring to you all our listeners, some exciting conversations exploring the forefront of responsible travel and sustainability, in collaboration with industry leaders and innovators in the travel sector.
00:01:15.855 --> 00:01:17.706
Curious about bee tourism?
00:01:17.706 --> 00:01:26.263
Well, here's Madison Dom of Legacy Vacation Resorts talking a bit more about what the group does and how they connect through the Bee Tourism Network.
00:01:26.263 --> 00:01:32.686
If you're curious to learn more about bee tourism or this series, head to the show notes to find some links.
00:01:33.989 --> 00:01:49.225
The goal of bee tourism is to connect individuals and communities, so we really would like to partner with more bee locals so we can highlight and bring up those in the community, whether they're bee corps or not.
00:01:49.225 --> 00:01:56.906
They can be 1% of the planet members or just people who are caring about their impact.
00:01:56.906 --> 00:02:06.272
But really being able to connect communities globally, that will help extend our reach.
00:02:09.961 --> 00:02:27.840
Currently, we are being faced with a global challenge such as climate change and over tourism, and there is a large role that responsible tourism can play in addressing both of these issues while using the UN Sustainable Development Goals both of these issues while using the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:36.881
I am excited to have both Brooke Hansen from the University of Southern Florida and Dr Alan Fall from the University of Central Florida on the podcast today to discuss exactly this.
00:02:36.881 --> 00:02:53.747
Our conversations delve into the human aspects of sustainability, highlighting essential topics such as improving employee wages and benefits, adapting working hours and making travel more accessible for people with physical and mental disabilities.
00:02:53.747 --> 00:03:04.189
Brooke and Alan's combined experiences offer invaluable insights into how these developments can create a more equitable and inclusive tourism industry.
00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:14.123
This dialogue truly emphasizes the transformative power of responsible tourism in enhancing both environmental sustainability and social well-being.
00:03:14.123 --> 00:03:20.502
After my conversation with them, I see why Brooke has the title of Queen of Sustainable Tourism.
00:03:21.264 --> 00:03:22.527
I hope you enjoy this episode.
00:03:22.527 --> 00:03:28.241
Welcome everybody to another episode of Responsibly Different.
00:03:28.241 --> 00:03:35.683
I am so excited to have Brooke and Alan joining me for another part of this Be Tourism series.
00:03:35.683 --> 00:03:38.510
Welcome, brooke and Alan, thanks for joining us.
00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:40.163
Hi Brittany, hi Brooke.
00:03:40.163 --> 00:03:41.729
My name is Alan Farr.
00:03:41.729 --> 00:03:54.055
I'm the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Visit Orlando Endowed Chair of Tourism Marketing at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which is part of the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
00:03:55.028 --> 00:03:56.641
Nice to see you, brooke Hanson.
00:03:56.641 --> 00:04:06.801
I'm in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Mooma College of Business at the University of South Florida and I'm an Associate Professor of Instruction.
00:04:06.801 --> 00:04:08.264
Pleased to be here.
00:04:08.746 --> 00:04:27.675
So, before we dive in, I just want to quickly state that I'm so excited to kind of be talking to both of you about the experience that you both are holding from the university side of teaching about tourism and how it all connects to this larger movement.
00:04:27.675 --> 00:05:01.803
So let's get started by kind of getting to know each of you, and I think it's important to state that currently we're being faced with this global challenge, such as climate change and over tourism, and there's a large role that responsible tourism can play in addressing these issues, while we also focus on the sustainable development goals, and I'm excited to have both of you, brooke and Alan, on the podcast today to discuss exactly this.
00:05:01.803 --> 00:05:16.851
So, brooke, as somebody with an extensive experience in sustainable tourism and destination stewardship, could you share with us some of the key principles or strategies that you use for promoting responsible tourism within destinations?
00:05:16.851 --> 00:05:18.120
Absolutely.
00:05:18.281 --> 00:05:20.846
And the first one is collaboration.
00:05:20.846 --> 00:05:23.089
We need all hands on deck.
00:05:23.089 --> 00:05:26.314
It's not just our university partners, of course.
00:05:26.314 --> 00:05:39.872
I think we're critical because I am one, but it's collaboration with industry, with stakeholders, with communities, and of course that's SDG number 17, collaboration for the goals.
00:05:39.872 --> 00:05:42.865
That will be the first key element.
00:05:42.865 --> 00:05:46.557
The second one is to really assess what you have.
00:05:46.557 --> 00:05:57.250
It's quite likely that tourism and hospitality in your communities is already engaging in sustainable practices, but they just haven't thought about it that way.
00:05:57.250 --> 00:06:01.262
Maybe they have their staff volunteer at community events.
00:06:01.262 --> 00:06:03.288
That's sustainable tourism.
00:06:03.288 --> 00:06:07.504
So we don't want to start off on the foot that no one's doing anything.
00:06:07.504 --> 00:06:12.884
We really want to celebrate what people are doing and then help them move forward.
00:06:12.884 --> 00:06:18.841
And the third part of that pay attention to the themes that are happening globally.
00:06:18.841 --> 00:06:29.764
We see a major transition right now from destination marketing organizations to destination management and stewardship organizations.
00:06:29.764 --> 00:06:33.913
So all of those three elements, I think are really key.
00:06:35.341 --> 00:06:36.225
Very interesting.
00:06:36.225 --> 00:06:38.312
Thanks for kind of giving us that overview.
00:06:38.312 --> 00:06:44.865
And, alan, I'm curious with your experience in tourism marketing and hospitality management.
00:06:44.865 --> 00:06:52.435
How do you see the role of marketing in promoting responsible tourism practices and encouraging travelers to make sustainable choices?
00:06:53.682 --> 00:06:58.384
Yeah, and thanks for the invitation, brittany, can I say I agree with everything that Brooks just said.
00:06:58.384 --> 00:07:19.173
Say is collaboration should be number one in the whole agenda, because the I think when you first come into the tourism industry you don't realize how big it is and you really don't realize how complicated it is, because it's an industry which is made up of multiple smaller component parts.
00:07:19.173 --> 00:07:31.795
So to me, collaboration is key because nobody can do it on their own and ultimately it's masses of individuals' behavior, which is a little bit of a standard term.
00:07:31.795 --> 00:07:34.745
It will move the needle.
00:07:34.745 --> 00:07:38.009
So it's individual actions that will move the needle.
00:07:38.540 --> 00:07:43.872
And I think the thing about marketing marketing is really trying to induce behavioral change.
00:07:43.872 --> 00:07:47.408
So essentially it comes from the world of consumption.
00:07:47.408 --> 00:07:57.314
But if you just think back over the years, the first sort of sustainable message I think I ever got was do you really need to use these towels every day?
00:07:57.314 --> 00:08:01.466
You know, let's go back about 20 years, but it was a simple message.
00:08:01.466 --> 00:08:02.925
Now it's common.
00:08:02.925 --> 00:08:08.605
Now the problem is it's taken a long, long time for it to be common practice.
00:08:08.605 --> 00:08:14.944
So the challenge in marketing now is how can you change people's behavior a little bit more quickly?
00:08:14.944 --> 00:08:18.461
Because if you don't change quickly, then it's going to be too late.
00:08:18.461 --> 00:08:31.023
So, whether it's cosmetics, whether it's the food you eat, the recognition of the supply chain, are you going on?
00:08:31.023 --> 00:08:32.511
Tours which are friendly to employees, friendly to animals, etc.
00:08:32.511 --> 00:08:33.879
All these things, they're sort of becoming common practice.
00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:45.033
The job of marketing is really to make these things happen a little bit more quickly, because the challenge we all face is the fact that things are getting more difficult year on year.
00:08:45.033 --> 00:08:54.590
And I think you touched upon over-tourism, brittany, in your introduction, and one of the things that was on the news today was problems in Miami.
00:08:54.590 --> 00:08:58.730
Now, you wouldn't think Miami climate change.
00:08:58.730 --> 00:09:09.729
Well, yes, miami has many climate change challenges, but actually the problems identified today, which is to do with spring break uh, crowds from last year.
00:09:09.729 --> 00:09:27.913
So on the surface it's over tourism, but actually it comes down to individual behavior of many, many people and that the behavior was inappropriate, so that a lot of the things that Miami Beach is doing this year is to try and change the behavior of individuals, to be more responsible.
00:09:27.913 --> 00:09:32.250
By being more responsible, you protect, you preserve, you conserve, etc.
00:09:32.250 --> 00:09:34.500
The destination, the experience.
00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:41.953
So marketing can do a lot to move things along, but actually it comes down to individuals being responsible for their actions.
00:09:42.620 --> 00:09:47.280
What an important kind of connection that you just made, and timely too.
00:09:47.280 --> 00:09:47.942
Obviously.
00:09:47.942 --> 00:09:53.344
Yeah, it's interesting how marketing plays into all of this, so thank you for sharing that.
00:09:53.344 --> 00:09:59.645
So, brooke, I would love to kind of talk a little bit about University of Southern Florida now, so your time with USF.
00:09:59.645 --> 00:10:12.591
I'm interested in understanding what are some of the most impactful initiatives or projects that you've worked on that have promoted sustainability and tourism, and how are the students in your classroom kind of involved in that work?
00:10:12.921 --> 00:10:17.793
It's interesting because my students, of course, have all been travelers.
00:10:17.793 --> 00:10:22.871
Almost everybody has, whether it's locally, regionally or further afield.
00:10:22.871 --> 00:10:39.291
It's locally, regionally or further afield and many of them never thought about the impact that they have, with tourism being really the largest industry in the world, and if we can get travelers to change their behaviors we can really gain some ground on sustainability.
00:10:39.291 --> 00:10:44.833
So I'm always thinking about how to engage students in my classes here.
00:10:44.833 --> 00:10:52.710
I teach sustainable tourism, I teach ecotourism, I teach sustainable reporting and hospitality.
00:10:52.710 --> 00:11:05.811
But I think the best course that I taught where I was really able to leverage the students for community impact was an honors class that I developed called Destination Stewardship.
00:11:05.811 --> 00:11:18.734
We did a hands-on project with Keep Pinellas Beautiful, doing outreach to hotels, restaurants and tour operators, teaching them how to be more sustainable, and the students led the efforts.
00:11:18.734 --> 00:11:22.586
They created a workshop with educational materials.
00:11:22.586 --> 00:11:26.193
They contacted the hotels and restaurants to show up.
00:11:26.193 --> 00:11:28.302
They ran the event.
00:11:28.302 --> 00:11:48.004
They had it certified as a sustainability event and, as a result of that class and what those students did, we had a hospitality company attend and now they're committed to having all 54 of their Florida hotels put into the Florida Green Lodging Certification Program.
00:11:48.004 --> 00:12:02.303
So from that class and from those students, 54 more hotels in Florida are going to be more sustainable, and the students were so proud of that and felt they really made a difference in the industry.
00:12:02.303 --> 00:12:16.732
In addition to learning more about their own behaviors as travelers and making sure they're bringing their refillable bottle, to make sure they're bringing their bamboo flatware so they never have to use a plastic fork ever again.
00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.123
It's those small changes.
00:12:19.123 --> 00:12:23.669
As Alan was saying, a lot of this is individual practices.
00:12:23.669 --> 00:12:28.402
Bring your refillable water bottle, Bring your utensils.
00:12:28.402 --> 00:12:31.409
I don't care if you're going down the street or you're going to France.
00:12:31.409 --> 00:12:32.820
Bring them with you.
00:12:32.820 --> 00:12:38.890
Don't ever use plastic utensils or heavens, a plastic straw.
00:12:38.890 --> 00:12:41.534
That is blasphemy in my world.
00:12:41.534 --> 00:12:44.145
I can give you a paper straw.
00:12:44.145 --> 00:12:45.570
I can give you a metal straw.
00:12:45.570 --> 00:12:48.985
I have straws made out of reeds from Estonia.
00:12:48.985 --> 00:12:52.072
We don't ever have to use a plastic straw.
00:12:52.072 --> 00:13:00.664
It's such low hanging fruit and the students are really excited to be part of this global movement creating change in tourism.
00:13:01.145 --> 00:13:09.606
Wow, I'm like I'm listening to you say all this and I'm like tourism Wow, I'm like, I'm listening to you say all this and I'm like, yeah, a lot of that is some low hanging fruit.
00:13:09.606 --> 00:13:15.346
But it is funny how, when, when so many people are packing for their trips, they they're like oh, I'm going on vacation.
00:13:15.346 --> 00:13:23.716
And sometimes we have to change that mindset of I'm going on vacation and how is that different from, like I'm going into the office?
00:13:23.716 --> 00:13:37.645
Because every day that I go into the office, I have my reusable silverware with me and I pack my lunch and I never, ever use a straw One, because my water bottle has a straw already in it.
00:13:37.645 --> 00:13:45.340
But it's like, how can we change the narrative that people are thinking that going into the office is different than going on vacation?
00:13:45.340 --> 00:13:46.003
And you're right.
00:13:46.003 --> 00:13:51.804
Like every time you go on vacation, your so your reusable silverware should be right there in your luggage with everything else.
00:13:51.804 --> 00:13:58.889
So it's, you know it all comes down to preparing and prepping and and, uh, sharing that marketing properly, right?
00:13:59.532 --> 00:14:00.253
and do you know, britney?
00:14:00.253 --> 00:14:04.048
It's been the same problem for well decades with tourism.
00:14:04.048 --> 00:14:14.241
How you behave at home is one thing, how you behave when you're away, always it's not totally different, but it it it's new, it's different, exciting you.
00:14:14.241 --> 00:14:16.486
You haven't got the same sort of boundaries.
00:14:16.486 --> 00:14:21.184
In some sense people just go and that's why the marketing component is so messy.
00:14:21.184 --> 00:14:33.962
It's so important to just, yeah, bring your home behavior to the destination, and I think probably the only time I use plastic straws when they're thrust in front of you by an establishment.
00:14:33.962 --> 00:14:39.740
So it it's sort of the decisions taken away from you, but I think the more.
00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:41.664
I think, brooke, you said a great thing.
00:14:41.664 --> 00:14:43.669
All the students say take it for granted.
00:14:43.669 --> 00:14:57.528
Our job as educators is to keep sort of poking the student so they don't take it for granted and they may not have all the answers, but if we encourage them to ask the questions, they will gradually change over time.
00:14:57.528 --> 00:15:05.283
The challenge is, I kept saying before, it's the speed with which the change occurs which is our real, that's the real barrier.
00:15:05.724 --> 00:15:06.787
Mm-hmm Plus.
00:15:06.787 --> 00:15:09.774
The current generation that we're teaching this is Gen Z.
00:15:09.774 --> 00:15:14.956
It's like they were born with environmental values programmed into them.
00:15:14.956 --> 00:15:23.904
They're going to be the largest group of travelers we've probably ever seen, so we got to hurry up and reach each and every one of them with these messages.
00:15:23.904 --> 00:15:28.076
So then they will really take this generational change with them.
00:15:28.076 --> 00:15:37.581
We do have a name for this phenomenon, where you leave your home and you travel and all of a sudden, what happened to your environmental values?
00:15:37.581 --> 00:15:43.575
We call it vacation brain, and so we're trying to figure out how do we combat vacation brain.
00:15:43.575 --> 00:15:50.196
If you're an environmentalist, if you're concerned about social issues, stick that in your suitcase and bring it with you.
00:15:50.196 --> 00:15:51.457
Do not leave that at home.
00:15:52.184 --> 00:15:55.211
I love that and, brooke, I really.
00:15:55.211 --> 00:16:06.556
I don't want to glaze right over the fact that I think you said 54 new hotels joined this green tourism, green lodging movement.
00:16:06.556 --> 00:16:17.827
So I want to hang on that for a second and say it is very clear to me still just kind of meeting you and getting to know you that you have a very strong voice in the community.
00:16:17.827 --> 00:16:32.716
So I'm interested in understanding how do you use that strong voice to engage and inspire others to adopt responsible travel behaviors, but then also how do you echo that in the classroom and with your students?
00:16:33.424 --> 00:16:40.138
My strategy is go everywhere, talk to everyone, and that's why Alan sees me all the time.
00:16:40.138 --> 00:16:42.451
I'll show up at this conference, that event.
00:16:42.451 --> 00:16:48.269
Go everywhere you can, and that means sometimes going into the belly of the beast.
00:16:48.269 --> 00:16:51.136
That means going to places that aren't the choir.
00:16:51.136 --> 00:16:54.409
Going into the belly of the beast, that means going to places that aren't the choir.
00:16:54.409 --> 00:17:12.738
That may not be receptive to these messages, because we need to make sure that all sectors are hearing this, that we have a global movement happening with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with sustainability already having taken hold in Europe, and we need to get on this train.
00:17:12.738 --> 00:17:14.769
It has already left the station.
00:17:15.310 --> 00:17:17.075
So I go to many different conferences.
00:17:17.075 --> 00:17:27.594
I talk to DMOs, I talk to municipalities and I bring all that back to the classroom and I discuss the benefits and the pathways we can already take.
00:17:27.594 --> 00:17:32.566
I talk about the challenges, ways we can already take.
00:17:32.566 --> 00:17:43.837
I talk about the challenges and I celebrate whatever victories we have in this area, getting the United States and all the DMOs in it and all of our politicians on board with this message, and I'm seeing some really hopeful things.
00:17:43.837 --> 00:17:48.429
I also tune in to the Brand USA board meetings.
00:17:48.429 --> 00:17:53.939
That's our mega DMO or destination marketing organization for the US.
00:17:53.939 --> 00:17:56.750
I've been doing that for a while just to see.
00:17:56.750 --> 00:17:59.076
Are they talking about sustainability?
00:17:59.076 --> 00:18:03.011
And the last meeting I went to they certainly are.
00:18:03.011 --> 00:18:05.917
In fact, they're calling it one of their core values now.
00:18:05.917 --> 00:18:22.817
So I need to be in these spaces and in these places to hear what's going on and then to insert this message and this agenda that we must have sustainable tourism, because tourism is the biggest industry on Earth and if we can make a difference there, we're really getting somewhere.
00:18:24.165 --> 00:18:24.948
And do you know what, brittany?
00:18:24.948 --> 00:18:27.194
In a way, you become an evangelical.
00:18:27.194 --> 00:18:30.692
In a way, you're a sort of crusader for sustainability.
00:18:30.692 --> 00:18:33.609
Because, brooke, I agree with you the amount of times you go to events.
00:18:33.609 --> 00:18:42.578
And, yes, sometimes the conversations are difficult, but that's the nature of the beast, it's just persistence, persistence, persistence.
00:18:42.578 --> 00:18:44.833
And change is coming, there's no doubt about it.
00:18:45.054 --> 00:18:50.308
Yeah, yeah, and I mean I'm talking to some movers and shakers right now that are helping making that change.
00:18:50.308 --> 00:18:56.119
So Alan Brooke started to mention some partnerships that she's forming.
00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:12.317
So I'm wondering what's your perspective on partnerships and specifically, are you thinking of partnerships between academics, industry, government, ngos, and what partnerships are you using to leverage positive change and innovation in this space?
00:19:12.704 --> 00:19:22.020
I think one of the nice things about being in a university, and certainly a public university we're very often, rightly or wrongly, we're viewed as the neutral partner.
00:19:22.020 --> 00:19:26.273
So we don't have a political affiliation, we don't have a corporate affiliation.
00:19:26.273 --> 00:19:31.955
We're those sort of, we're like the middle child of the industry.
00:19:31.955 --> 00:19:38.564
So that puts us in a really good position to collaborate with virtually anyone and everyone.
00:19:38.564 --> 00:19:43.176
Brittany, so the examples you mentioned we collaborate with all those.
00:19:43.176 --> 00:20:01.273
So whether it's city, whether it's county, whether it's state, if it's national, sometimes it's international government, it could be corporations, it could be small enterprises, it can be volunteer groups, we mix with everybody and that's part of the freedom and the nice part about our job.
00:20:01.273 --> 00:20:08.173
Um, I think just two examples that they're non-traditional sustainability examples, but they they complement what brooke was saying.
00:20:08.193 --> 00:20:09.679
We do a lot in the field of human trafficking and modern slavery, which on?
00:20:09.679 --> 00:20:16.346
We do a lot in the field of human trafficking and modern slavery, which, on the surface you're in the oh, what's that got to do with sustainability?
00:20:16.346 --> 00:20:21.175
Well, it's the people component, um, of sustainability.
00:20:21.175 --> 00:20:34.890
We work with the fbi, homeland security, we work with the police services, uh, a whole host of things, and it again it's it's all about changing the behavior of our students so they recognize the signs.
00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:37.616
They are going to be the managers, the leaders of the future.
00:20:37.616 --> 00:20:39.268
So do they understand you?
00:20:39.268 --> 00:20:43.018
And it's not a particularly pleasant subject, it's the dark side.
00:20:43.018 --> 00:20:45.490
But do you understand what goes on?
00:20:45.490 --> 00:20:47.013
Do you understand the signs?
00:20:47.013 --> 00:20:48.436
Do you know how to behave?
00:20:48.436 --> 00:20:50.992
If you spot something, how do you report it?
00:20:50.992 --> 00:20:58.909
So you know they're not difficult things, but you're just nudging the students on and I must say they're very, very, very receptive.
00:20:59.711 --> 00:21:01.935
We have a similar thing with accessible travel.
00:21:01.935 --> 00:21:03.807
So we're quite big on accessible travel.
00:21:03.807 --> 00:21:05.332
We've mentioned this book before.
00:21:05.332 --> 00:21:10.355
Visit tampa bay do a really good job how they promote their accessibility.
00:21:10.355 --> 00:21:16.252
So how do you promote a destination to people with physical and neurological disabilities?
00:21:16.252 --> 00:21:27.172
And again, that takes a whole army of people because some of the challenges are actually pretty severe in making places that weren't necessarily built for this type of market.
00:21:27.172 --> 00:21:28.355
You know it's real.
00:21:28.355 --> 00:21:33.528
So you have to deal with everybody and I think it's what makes our job enjoyable.
00:21:33.528 --> 00:21:34.390
It's challenging.
00:21:34.390 --> 00:21:35.933
It's very, very time consuming.
00:21:35.933 --> 00:21:41.816
You know, when brooke talks, brooke has a huge amount of effort behind the scenes to to succeed like she does.
00:21:41.816 --> 00:21:55.519
It takes a long, long time, but it I think it's just finding the people in the community that they don't always agree with you but they understand something needs to be done and they're willing to just move the dial slightly to move the agenda forward.
00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:59.935
So when you find people like that, collectively things can move.
00:21:59.935 --> 00:22:04.007
So in our world everything is collaboration every day.
00:22:04.508 --> 00:22:14.352
And Brittany Alan brings up a really good point here, and I think it's one of the most common misconceptions I encounter when I talk to people about sustainable tourism.
00:22:14.352 --> 00:22:25.628
Because it's oh that's, you know, saving trees and hanging up my towel and, you know, maybe putting a low flow showerhead in or something like that, and those are great environmental ideas.
00:22:25.628 --> 00:22:34.749
But sustainable tourism is the triple bottom line of people, planet and prosperity, and the people part is huge.
00:22:34.749 --> 00:22:43.095
As Alan mentioned, it means accessibility, it means fighting human trafficking, it means respecting culture where you travel.
00:22:43.095 --> 00:22:55.392
So I spend a lot of time in my classes talking about this, because if we can't have cultural respect when we go to other people's homes, we don't have sustainable tourism.
00:22:55.392 --> 00:22:56.855
So that's part of it too.
00:22:58.965 --> 00:22:59.406
Thank you.
00:22:59.406 --> 00:23:09.817
Yeah, no, I think you both bring up some really awesome points and things that we haven't talked about yet, so keep the interesting facts flowing.
00:23:10.768 --> 00:23:19.707
And I wanted to bring up something else that Alan alluded to, and that was how do we engage all of these different partners, especially our business partners?
00:23:19.707 --> 00:23:22.053
We have so many different businesses and tourism.
00:23:22.053 --> 00:23:28.031
Sometimes, when you go knocking on the door and you open with sustainability, they throw their hands up.
00:23:28.031 --> 00:23:29.515
I don't have time for that.
00:23:29.515 --> 00:23:30.737
I can't afford that.
00:23:30.737 --> 00:23:45.979
So I like to lead with a hook, and my hook is that all the latest studies that we have Expedia, booking, et cetera, et cetera tell us that 90% of consumers want more sustainable options in travel.
00:23:45.979 --> 00:23:49.333
So if you're not doing it, you're going to get left behind.
00:23:49.333 --> 00:23:50.436
Then they pay attention.
00:23:50.436 --> 00:24:06.599
I don't like to always lead with the business case for sustainable tourism, but it is so strong we can absolutely lead with the business case and then we can fill in with the tools and platforms that can help businesses on this journey.
00:24:06.599 --> 00:24:17.959
They can do things that cost nothing lots of low hanging fruit here and then continue on their journey and make bigger investments into sustainable tourism.
00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:24.234
Yeah, no, I think you're spot on and leading with the business case works for some people.
00:24:24.234 --> 00:24:35.479
So it's always just like gauging who you're talking to and what their personality is and then hitting them with whatever it is that's going to hit their heart, to make them change.
00:24:35.479 --> 00:24:36.299
So I hear you.
00:24:36.704 --> 00:24:40.294
And Brittany, can I add, because the business case is really, really important.
00:24:40.294 --> 00:24:50.138
If you're in the United States, if you're in Europe and some other parts, and it's just, it's not saying one's right, one's wrong, but it's knowing how to get the message through.
00:24:50.138 --> 00:24:51.901
In Europe and Asia it's much easier to talk about sustainability, they, but it's knowing how to get the message through.
00:24:51.901 --> 00:24:54.087
In europe and asia, it's much easier to talk about sustainability.
00:24:54.087 --> 00:24:57.106
They believe it's just the right thing to do, which is great.
00:24:57.106 --> 00:25:00.782
They don't always do it perfectly, it must be said, but they, they believe in it.
00:25:01.003 --> 00:25:08.388
Here it's got to be about the business case, it's all about the business case, it's all about the quarterly, it's all about the quarterly results.
00:25:08.388 --> 00:25:09.371
Okay, okay.
00:25:09.371 --> 00:25:10.973
So you know that's a cultural dynamic.
00:25:10.973 --> 00:25:13.278
So to me there's no point moaning about it.
00:25:13.278 --> 00:25:18.988
It's how do you frame your agenda that it addresses the quarterly results?
00:25:18.988 --> 00:25:21.954
How does it address the business proposition?
00:25:21.954 --> 00:25:29.444
And if you do that, not always but a lot of the time people will respond because you have to make the connection.
00:25:29.444 --> 00:25:31.573
You have to make the connection to them.
00:25:32.025 --> 00:25:38.558
So, Alan, I want to dig a little bit deeper into, maybe specifically for hotels and how they educate their guests.
00:25:38.558 --> 00:25:51.520
So I'm curious, what have you been seeing from from hotels and from accommodation providers that they're integrating this idea of sustainable practices into their operations?
00:25:51.520 --> 00:26:07.739
And I guess I'm specifically kind of looking to understand, like, how is the hotel still meeting the needs that they're trying to meet while also educating their guests and giving their guests the experience that maybe they're expecting?
00:26:08.164 --> 00:26:13.130
Yeah, let me give you a really, really easy example, but I think it's a good example.
00:26:13.130 --> 00:26:15.737
So it's an easy example, but it's a good example, I think.
00:26:15.737 --> 00:26:22.979
And it comes down to when you're and again it's the vacation mindset that Brooke touched upon.
00:26:22.979 --> 00:26:31.010
If you're staying in a hotel for a week, do you really need that room cleaned every single day?
00:26:31.010 --> 00:26:33.472
How often do I clean?
00:26:33.512 --> 00:26:34.453
My wife's not listening.
00:26:34.453 --> 00:26:36.355
How often do I clean?
00:26:36.355 --> 00:26:40.238
You don't clean your home every single day.
00:26:40.238 --> 00:26:44.922
Your bed is not immaculate every single day, it just isn't.
00:26:44.922 --> 00:26:56.499
So I think a lot of hotels they started this really before COVID, but the COVID pandemic really changed the dynamic because of a lack of staff or lack of staff or they couldn't afford staff or whatever.
00:26:56.499 --> 00:27:07.180
So now very often hotels will say well, alan, mr and Mrs Fowler, if you only want your hotel room clean once in seven days, that's fine.
00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:08.530
Here's your meal voucher.
00:27:08.530 --> 00:27:13.328
Oh, go and eat at the green restaurant down the road where you won't be using your straw, etc.
00:27:13.328 --> 00:27:24.436
So you're saving the hotel a lot of money having your room clean just once out of seven nights, you're going somewhere respectable and responsible, etc.
00:27:24.436 --> 00:27:26.386
And so everybody's happy.
00:27:26.707 --> 00:27:29.111
It's, it's the win win, win, win, win cliche.
00:27:29.111 --> 00:27:31.015
But it's so simple.
00:27:31.015 --> 00:27:39.397
And if you just think over the years, did it not occur to anyone to actually ask people do you need your hotel room cleaned?
00:27:39.397 --> 00:27:41.848
Every single nobody asked the question.
00:27:41.848 --> 00:27:45.316
You just did it, okay.
00:27:45.316 --> 00:27:48.589
So it's little things like that that just make a difference.
00:27:48.589 --> 00:27:54.671
And I think over time you actually go to hotels now and you turn oh, you don't wait to be out.
00:27:54.671 --> 00:27:55.574
Oh don't bother.
00:27:55.574 --> 00:27:55.994
Don't bother.
00:27:55.994 --> 00:27:59.529
You know it's fine, my room's fine, just save your resource.
00:27:59.529 --> 00:28:02.035
Yeah, it becomes sort of second nature.
00:28:02.035 --> 00:28:05.669
So it's a small example, but it's those sort of things.
00:28:05.669 --> 00:28:09.438
When you scale them up, they make a a big, big difference.
00:28:10.019 --> 00:28:14.991
Yeah, and I guess this is also kind of making me wonder, like you feeling guilty now, Britton.
00:28:15.721 --> 00:28:30.968
I'm definitely feeling guilty, alan, yes, but I mean I guess I'm thinking about the employer and the employee relationship here and I'm wondering also like to not be so stressed about cleaning every single?
00:28:30.968 --> 00:28:41.886
Like to stay on your example, I'm thinking from the cleaning perspective at the hotel for the employees to not have to clean every single room every single day.
00:28:41.886 --> 00:28:46.923
I bet that also gives them a little bit of relief and maybe not so much stress on the job.
00:28:46.923 --> 00:28:55.647
And if you're not so stressed on the job, you show up and you're a happier employee, and I'm sure that that, like to some degree also pertains to sustainability.
00:28:57.557 --> 00:29:06.022
Yeah, I think one of the catches to this is a lot of staff will maybe view this as or does that mean I'm not getting a tip?
00:29:06.022 --> 00:29:10.686
Because obviously we're in a tip culture which you know you have to work with that.
00:29:10.686 --> 00:29:15.484
So, personally, if I do this, if I see it, I'll give them $10.
00:29:15.484 --> 00:29:16.688
It's $10.
00:29:16.688 --> 00:29:17.779
Don't clean my room.
00:29:17.779 --> 00:29:21.664
You know it's a smallish amount, but it just.
00:29:21.664 --> 00:29:25.612
It means you're acknowledging and respecting that.
00:29:25.612 --> 00:29:36.434
Yeah, there may be a knock-on effect for this sort of thing, but, but the primary reason really is, like a lot of hotel companies, they can't find the staff britney, so they've got a huge staff shortage.
00:29:36.434 --> 00:29:41.686
So this actually helps them, but then again, it's a huge help to the environment as well.
00:29:41.686 --> 00:29:43.480
So it's how you frame it.
00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:54.906
You you know Brooks excellent at this it's just hitting that point so the receiver understands the message in a way that it addresses or solves problems for them.
00:29:55.127 --> 00:30:18.463
And there's another thing happening in hotels which really helps to solidify this culture of sustainability and that's the formation of green teams, this notion that you know it's not you, the employee, and your boss or supervisor, but you're all part of a green team that might include housekeeping, mid-level management and the CEO.
00:30:18.463 --> 00:30:26.846
You're all part of the green team and it helps people feel like they're part of something larger than the task at hand.
00:30:26.846 --> 00:30:40.367
And that really helps with retention, because if people do have, you know, a somewhat repetitive job in the hospitality industry, it sure helps if you think you're making a difference with that.
00:30:40.367 --> 00:30:53.691
So by not cleaning that room or by helping that customer recycle their plastic bottle or their can, those little actions can make people feel like they're being part of something.
00:30:53.691 --> 00:31:06.730
And that's what we're trying to change in the hospitality industry and transform the nature of work and the meaning of it to be more about teams and cultures and working towards something larger.
00:31:06.730 --> 00:31:17.016
So there's a lot more at foot here with the hotels in terms of building that kind of a sense of camaraderie, really.
00:31:17.798 --> 00:31:40.439
And in the hospitality industry, the partners I work with who are committed to sustainability, they're doing educational events and everybody's there, from housekeeping to middle management to CEOs, because you have to have all hands on deck when it comes to sustainability for purchasing, procurement, housekeeping, food, waste management.
00:31:40.439 --> 00:31:42.585
Everybody has to be part of this.
00:31:42.585 --> 00:31:44.289
So it's not like upper management's going to do sustainability.
00:31:44.289 --> 00:31:45.815
No, management is going to do sustainability.
00:31:45.815 --> 00:31:49.803
No, everyone's going to do it and that's going to help build that culture.
00:31:50.414 --> 00:31:56.375
A really good example in this area is the Four Seasons, so that's probably the top rated hotel in the Orlando area.
00:31:56.375 --> 00:32:05.205
They're brilliant for that, absolutely brilliant, and it brings, whether you're senior management or the janitor, everybody's together.
00:32:05.586 --> 00:32:13.896
So, really, really they do it excellently.
00:32:13.896 --> 00:32:21.019
That makes me think of so not connected to hospitality, but maybe kind of is that famous story about NASA when somebody went and asked the janitor at NASA, like what's your job here?
00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:28.285
And the janitor was like, well, I'm going to put a man on the moon, and it's like everybody at NASA had the same mission and they were working together.
00:32:28.285 --> 00:32:45.682
And it's that same collaboration approach to this idea of sustainability and education around it, because if there's one person on staff who maybe passes a guest in the hallway and throws their trash on the ground, well then that guest is going to see that one action and only remember that.
00:32:45.682 --> 00:32:48.086
So it's how we're all collaborating together.
00:32:48.086 --> 00:32:49.328
So super cool.
00:32:49.328 --> 00:32:53.766
Okay, I want to change gears a little bit here and talk about B-Tourism.
00:32:53.766 --> 00:32:59.749
I know that you both have a very deep commitment to the movement of B-Tourism.
00:32:59.749 --> 00:33:03.377
So, brooke, I'm going to start with you on this question.
00:33:03.377 --> 00:33:11.575
I'm wondering if you can explain what be tourism entails and maybe how it's different from other conventional tourism approaches.
00:33:12.256 --> 00:33:32.434
Yeah, be tourism is a fantastic collaborative of tourism partners from all over the world and it formed right about when the pandemic was coming at us, right about when the pandemic was coming at us, and it turned very quickly into an amazing resource where people were sharing best practices of how are you getting by, what are you doing.
00:33:32.994 --> 00:34:12.289
But what I love about it is I can tune into any meeting and I'm meeting people from South Africa, nicaragua, australia, and I can learn about what's happening in other parts of the world and we've shared so much information and so many different examples, like how to put an indigenous land acknowledgement in your hotel lobby, how to give that nod to culture of the land upon which your hotel or your restaurant sits, restaurant sets, and so we got to hear about examples from Australia, because they've done a great job with the land acknowledgements before conferences and in their tourism sites as well.
00:34:12.289 --> 00:34:21.940
So just sharing that global knowledge has been amazing and also sharing tools like the Bee Impact Assessment Tool that comes with B Corp.
00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:29.621
That's incredible and it's a free tool, so we get to share those best practices that come from the B Corp movements.
00:34:30.983 --> 00:34:34.117
And can I just add Brittany I just tried to what Brooke said a lot of it.
00:34:34.117 --> 00:34:40.009
I think it develops a really strong progressive mindset in people.
00:34:40.009 --> 00:34:51.217
So you just got a slightly different lens on the world of business and it's really powerful and really popular, increasing in popularity with the Gen Z, no doubt about it.
00:34:51.217 --> 00:34:59.434
So it's got a bit of an entrepreneurial flavor to it as well, and our students are then about yours, brooke, but year on year everyone wants to be an entrepreneur.
00:34:59.434 --> 00:35:01.543
That wasn't the case five or six years ago.
00:35:02.175 --> 00:35:26.789
And just to share another vignette about bee tourism we're not only building community and sharing best practices, but I learned some amazing things from this group and the time that we had Embu River Camp come into bee tourism and talk about how they are the first fully electrified safari in the Maasai Mar and Kenya was amazing.
00:35:26.789 --> 00:35:44.219
And then learning how Loik and William and the other partners at Embu did that on a shoestring Everyone told them you don't have enough money to electrify your fleet, you can't be completely zero waste, you won't be able to get your carbon to net zero.
00:35:44.219 --> 00:35:46.626
And they figured out a way.
00:35:46.626 --> 00:35:48.438
They literally like, did it themselves.
00:35:48.438 --> 00:35:58.726
They took the old safari vehicles, took the engines out and electrified it and they became the first net zero, fully electrified safari in Kenya.
00:35:58.726 --> 00:36:01.056
Their story was so amazing.
00:36:01.498 --> 00:36:05.565
That is my final exam question for my sustainable tourism class.
00:36:05.565 --> 00:36:16.286
They've watched that B-tourism piece that Loic presented from Embu River Camps and they have to write about why this is a best practice model for sustainable tourism.
00:36:16.286 --> 00:36:21.485
So I get to use it pedagogically in addition to all the other benefits of B-tourism.
00:36:23.317 --> 00:36:46.949
Yeah, I feel like hearing about all the different parties and companies that are involved in B tourism and learning about all the different members, I'm like I don't want to go, to say, this country anymore, but I want to go and visit that tour operator because they're just doing things so different and so innovative and I think Embu is a great example.
00:36:46.949 --> 00:37:07.065
It's like and it's not that I never wanted to go to Kenya, I do, I want to go everywhere, but I now want to go to Kenya to see Embu and see their operation and it's so fascinating how learning about these different tour operations, how that is changing where I want to travel, it's a really cool mindset, mind switch, I guess I'll say.
00:37:07.815 --> 00:37:08.175
And Brittany.
00:37:08.175 --> 00:37:16.599
A really good example of that is and it's the classic case of do you think of the place first or do you think of the organization and a really good one that's changing.
00:37:16.599 --> 00:37:19.125
That is called Intrepid Travel.
00:37:19.125 --> 00:37:28.001
It's a big call and they're really, really, essentially they're doing what Brooke is explaining and it's like well, well, let's just have a with them where?
00:37:28.021 --> 00:37:28.664
do they go then?
00:37:28.744 --> 00:37:32.175
because wherever they go, they must be doing it properly.
00:37:32.175 --> 00:37:41.322
So it it switches you thinking of the place to an entity or an organization or individuals who you know are going to be responsible in what they do.
00:37:41.322 --> 00:37:43.938
So that's essentially what their brand is all about.
00:37:43.938 --> 00:37:48.465
But you're trusting them to do it properly, and then you go to these amazing places.
00:37:48.847 --> 00:38:00.706
And we have a growing number of B Corps around the world in the tourism and hospitality industries and luckily B Corps is kind of keeping track for us and that's Lauren and she'll let us know what the meeting is.
00:38:00.746 --> 00:38:02.722
Oh, okay, we have 150 now.
00:38:02.822 --> 00:38:09.286
Okay, now we have this many and just like sometimes people travel to go to different UNESCO sites.
00:38:09.286 --> 00:38:20.635
People can also travel the B routes of the world and follow B Corp as the movement grows, because we know B Corp is going to be aligned with our sustainability values.
00:38:20.635 --> 00:38:31.822
It's a very vigorous sustainability reporting and certification system and I usually talk about it with my students and with industry partners as a tiered approach.
00:38:31.822 --> 00:38:51.143
You want to go on the pathway to sustainability, maybe start with some low hanging fruit, maybe do an ocean friendly certification and get rid of your straws and then become intrigued and further engage with this journey that you're on and if you want to really go all the way and be top notch, be a B Corp.
00:38:51.143 --> 00:38:53.376
That's kind of how I explain it to people.
00:38:53.376 --> 00:39:09.380
To me it very much is one of the pinnacles that we can reach in sustainability and with the free tools like the B Impact Assessment Tool and with leaders like Ben and Jerry's in Patagonia and all the other great bee corps in the world.
00:39:09.380 --> 00:39:12.268
There's no reason not to strive for these heights.
00:39:13.775 --> 00:39:33.405
I just thought of something, and I'm going to have to email Lauren and tell her this, but I feel like the next job that Bee Tourism creates for their nonprofit should be a B Corp travel agent and they should be responsible for just helping people plan trips specifically with B Corps.
00:39:33.405 --> 00:39:37.608
I feel like myself as somebody super passionate about this movement.
00:39:37.608 --> 00:39:39.414
I totally needed an educator.
00:39:39.414 --> 00:39:43.146
When planning my honeymoon, so I'll tell Lauren to get on that.
00:39:43.146 --> 00:39:49.619
Planning my honeymoon so I'll tell Lauren to get on that.
00:39:49.619 --> 00:39:49.940
Cool, okay.
00:39:49.940 --> 00:40:00.878
So, alan, I want to transition back to you, and my question for you is how do you think universities can contribute to the advancement of responsible tourism practices through research, education and community engagement?
00:40:00.878 --> 00:40:09.219
And I'm wondering if you specifically maybe are or see a way for how this can happen within the B Tourism group for the universities.
00:40:09.681 --> 00:40:39.846
Yeah, I actually see it broader than the B Corps because I think that essentially, our mission is to try and educate as many students as possible in terms of responsible behaviour period and I think the more we showcase them good examples, which will be through BECOR we showcase them really good responsible leaders, we introduce them and get them in front of really good projects.
00:40:39.846 --> 00:40:47.295
Like Brooke mentioned earlier, our job is basically to facilitate moving a mass of students, mentioned earlier.
00:40:47.295 --> 00:40:51.224
Our job is basically to facilitate moving a mass of students along a continuum where they're being more receptive to the.
00:40:51.224 --> 00:40:56.483
You know the real challenges out there, be it climatic or human trafficking or or whatever.
00:40:56.483 --> 00:41:04.782
The challenge is just being honest with them, because I think part of the challenge I think it's a big challenge in hospitality and tourism.
00:41:04.782 --> 00:41:15.987
Sometimes it looks very glossy, it's very sexy, it's very fun and all this it is, it is all those things, but actually it's a deeply serious industry behind the scenes as well.
00:41:15.987 --> 00:41:17.438
It can do a lot of good.
00:41:17.438 --> 00:41:19.925
If it's not done properly, it can do a lot of bad.
00:41:19.925 --> 00:41:27.929
So our job is really just to open the students eyes open, open the doors to opportunities and they will learn and take it forward.
00:41:29.036 --> 00:41:34.594
And I think the really good thing that Brooks mentioned as well is, you know, the generation is changing.
00:41:34.594 --> 00:41:46.958
There's absolutely no doubt about that, and I get I got two teenagers that they tell me when I'm wrong and they're very, very quick to point out when I'm wrong, but that's good.
00:41:46.958 --> 00:41:50.987
So you know the message, the message is coming across.
00:41:50.987 --> 00:41:58.795
So our job is really never to give up and again, it's what Brooke mentioned, it's just day in, day out You're trying to communicate a message.
00:41:58.795 --> 00:42:00.119
We can't preach.
00:42:00.119 --> 00:42:01.625
If you preach they don't listen.
00:42:02.034 --> 00:42:12.864
It's got to be integrated into our study, integrated into our projects and really finding, you know, I was just saying that last week actually, we had John Rivers from the Four Rivers.
00:42:12.864 --> 00:42:16.623
It's a sort of barbecue chain down here.
00:42:16.623 --> 00:42:32.306
The food is just amazing, but absolutely committed to the sort of farm-to-table concept and students love that because they see it as very entrepreneurial, they can see it as things they can do that in their own concepts, moving forward.
00:42:32.306 --> 00:42:39.807
So we're really we're here to open people's minds and open doors for the opportunities.
00:42:39.807 --> 00:42:40.608
That's really our job.
00:42:40.608 --> 00:42:48.277
We're these huge facilitators with, you know, thousands of students we're these huge facilitators with.
00:42:48.338 --> 00:42:56.559
you know, thousands of students and, if you think about it, all the students we teach, they've all been travelers, but they never had the framework to think about the impact of that.
00:42:56.559 --> 00:42:57.822
Why is that?
00:42:57.822 --> 00:43:02.581
Where do we teach people how to be travelers and how to be global citizens?
00:43:02.581 --> 00:43:03.525
We don't.
00:43:03.525 --> 00:43:06.076
We should be teaching it from kindergarten on.
00:43:06.076 --> 00:43:10.344
We should have high school classes on how to be a responsible traveler.
00:43:10.344 --> 00:43:25.239
So it's really sad that we have to wait till they get to college or university to have these courses to help them understand this global industry and their part in it and how to be a good global citizen and a responsible traveler.
00:43:25.621 --> 00:43:35.661
So we're kind of making up for some lost time where we didn't teach anyone how to do this, and we can involve students from every major in our discipline.
00:43:35.661 --> 00:43:39.568
We need the marketing people, we need the psychologists.
00:43:39.568 --> 00:43:45.407
We need the anthropologists to help us understand how to respectfully interact with other cultures.
00:43:45.407 --> 00:43:56.954
We need the biologists, because we got to understand what microplastics are doing in our environment when they're left behind in the tourism industry and they infect our waters and our landscapes.
00:43:56.954 --> 00:44:05.934
We need all hands on deck from every major in hospitality and tourism to move forward with our sustainability agenda.
00:44:05.934 --> 00:44:11.467
So that's a really exciting part of what we can do in our university programs.
00:44:11.467 --> 00:44:18.108
And, of course, I'm biased and I think sustainable tourism should be required in all academic programs.
00:44:18.108 --> 00:44:22.126
Unfortunately, it's usually like an elective down at the bottom.
00:44:22.126 --> 00:44:24.503
I'm hoping to change that in our industry.
00:44:24.503 --> 00:44:27.019
Like an elective down at the bottom, I'm hoping to change that in our industry.
00:44:27.019 --> 00:44:31.251
That should be one of the core courses that is taught in every hospitality and tourism program.
00:44:31.251 --> 00:44:32.735
So we're working on that.
00:44:34.898 --> 00:44:38.425
Yeah, wow, I wish you well on that journey.
00:44:38.425 --> 00:44:45.085
And I agree, I do think that I mean sustainability should be rooted in every major, but, yes, definitely in this one.
00:44:45.085 --> 00:44:50.034
I mean sustainability should be rooted in every major, but, yes, definitely in this one.
00:44:50.034 --> 00:44:54.597
Okay, well, I'm thinking.
00:44:54.597 --> 00:45:03.199
My last question that I'm going to ask the two of you is around what advice would you offer to aspiring professionals or students that are interested in pursuing careers in sustainable tourism and hospitality management?
00:45:03.199 --> 00:45:08.268
And, alan, I'll start with you if you feel motivated to answer this.
00:45:09.070 --> 00:45:29.746
No, no, I think I've been in hospitality and tourism for a long, long time and I genuinely believe that the future is really, really positive and I think the opportunities for young students now they're way, way, way more than when I started.
00:45:29.746 --> 00:45:47.090
And I think the best advice is turn off the media, turn off the national media and just focus on really good products, really good experiences and think of sustainability in its broadest sense.
00:45:47.090 --> 00:45:50.380
So the the people, planet, prosperity that brooke mentioned earlier.
00:45:50.380 --> 00:46:03.498
I totally subscribe to that and I think if, if students just take on a simple message, they can really move that, move the dial a big, big way, because it's not going to be my generation.
00:46:03.498 --> 00:46:06.425
We, we've caused a lot of the problems.
00:46:06.425 --> 00:46:15.822
It's, it's the next generation and I think if they think if you're entrepreneurial, innovating, exciting, they'll do it, they'll, they'll do it.
00:46:15.822 --> 00:46:28.010
There's no doubt about the biggest challenge for them is scaling it up, because all these problems are, you know, orlando has 70 plus million visitors a year, which is that's a lot of people.
00:46:28.010 --> 00:46:40.451
So, yes, somehow the energy has got to change the behavior of those 70 million, not just 70, who stay in a green, eco lodge down the road.
00:46:40.451 --> 00:46:46.255
So that's their challenge, road.
00:46:46.255 --> 00:46:50.634
So that's their challenge, but I I'm very confident that the energy is definitely there and the opportunities for innovation in the industry are really there.
00:46:50.653 --> 00:47:03.954
Britney and I've mentioned the fort rivers just an example, because they were here last week really really impressive um, you know, farm farm to table sort of scenario and the students they're hooked, absolutely hooked.
00:47:03.954 --> 00:47:05.632
So I think the future's bright, the future's bright, the future's green and I think one of the students they hooked, absolutely hooked.
00:47:05.632 --> 00:47:07.027
So I think the future is bright, the future is bright, the future is green.
00:47:08.088 --> 00:47:12.719
And, I think, one of the best things that we can communicate to our university students.
00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:20.262
There are so many jobs and so many niches of this as we evolve more into sustainability.
00:47:20.262 --> 00:47:25.516
We have companies now that are doing the zero waste certifications for events.
00:47:25.516 --> 00:47:30.824
We have companies that are specializing in virtualization technologies for sustainable tourism.
00:47:30.824 --> 00:47:35.451
There's something for everyone as we move further into this field.
00:47:36.916 --> 00:47:46.391
I wanted to thank both of you so much for giving me your time and taking a moment to share everything that you're working on, because I do think that your message is extremely important and helpful.
00:47:46.391 --> 00:47:47.052
So thank you.
00:47:47.472 --> 00:47:52.748
Well, we thank you for having us on, because it's really important to to get this information out there.
00:47:52.768 --> 00:47:56.739
Yeah, Any means to get the message out is really positive.
00:47:57.621 --> 00:47:59.784
Exactly so, thank you.
00:48:00.465 --> 00:48:00.827
Brittany.
00:48:00.827 --> 00:48:18.423
Thank you for the invitation, brooke always happy to see you.
00:48:18.483 --> 00:48:24.467
We'll see you again soon, hopefully For insights and strategies that elevate your brand story in a meaningful way.
00:48:24.467 --> 00:48:27.469
Visit us at campfireconsulting.
00:48:27.469 --> 00:48:34.052
Don't forget to subscribe, rate and share, as every interaction helps spread the warmth of responsible living.
00:48:34.052 --> 00:48:45.298
Until next time, keep the fire of curiosity alive and embrace the power of being responsibly different.