Welcome to ECoNETT: The Issues

Involving Staff, Customers and Communities in Environmental Issues

It is important to provide equality of access for all peoples to economic development opportunities and environmental protection. This will ensure that all members of a community can take advantage of Travel & Tourism.

Objectives: to protect and incorporate the interests of communities in developments and to ensure that the environmental lessons learnt by staff, customers and communities are put into practice at home

Companies can protect and incorporate the interests of the local community by initiating programmes to:

take into account the opinions of all sectors of the community in the management of tourism developments; this can be facilitated by a local tourism forum or by formal meetings between staff and community members
provide economic outlets for local tradespeople
discuss development plans and opportunities with local communities
open company recycling, water or waste disposal facilities to the local community
tell communities about the risks and environmental benefits of the business
ensure that all members of the community, including women, indigenous people, the young and the old have access to employment and promotional opportunities within the company
improve the local environment by staff sponsored clean-ups etc

Travel & Tourism has the potential for educating communities, customers, staff, and raising public awareness. Companies should thus:

train all staff, from top management to temporary employees, in environmental issues
provide specialist training to staff in key positions
tell customers about company environmental initiatives, both to inspire product loyalty and to ensure that the environmental messages learnt on holiday are put into practice at home
work with local schools and colleges to integrate environmental issues into primary and vocational education
encourage or sponsor training for community members to enable them to participate in the environment and development process
involve employees' families in environmental activities and events
offer training opportunities to other businesses in the area

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