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.
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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.”
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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.
Published Aug 8, 2024 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST