OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY ON THE OCCASION OF WTD
World Tourism Day has been celebrated every 27 September since 1980. With tourism being one of the most important economic sectors in the world, the UNWTO considers it an indispensable pillar for the development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The disruption caused in the tourism sector by COVID-19 was seen as a reminder of the importance of redefining it.
Therefore, last year's theme for World Tourism Day 2022 was "Rethinking Tourism". This 2023, UNWTO has declared "Tourism and green investment" as the theme for World Tourism Day, advocating the need to create new and innovative solutions towards tourism sustainability.
This vision totally resonates with us. Tricolage was born in 2020 out of this need to contribute to positive change. We believe in tourism as a force for good, and every day we do our bit to make the world a little better. We believe in a world where happiness can be experienced through sustainable journeys.
Today, we take the occasion of World Tourism Day to look back on our journey and share with you what we have achieved so far, and what we want to accomplish in the future.
TRICOLAGE'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OVER THE LAST YEAR
We achieved the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Certification
Our journey to achieve this prestigious recognition from the Global Sustainable Travel Council was not an easy one, but we are very proud to be the first tour operator to have succeeded in Japan in December 2022. Today, we can help others along the way, supporting them to increase their commitment to sustainable development. Also, it remains a major goal for us to best apply the criteria set by the GSTC and to maintain this certification over the years! You can find more details about it here.
We created a sustainable stay plan for Hotel Keyforest
In January 2023, as part of our consulting service, we created a plan for the Hotel Keyforest, located in Hokuto, that enables guests to realise a sustainable travel experience throughout their entire journey. We also developed the Hotel Keyforest website focusing on sustainability. For this contribution to sustainable tourism, we were featured in many Japanese media, such as the SDGs magazine, Project Design and theJapan Tourism Agency's Project Report p82.
We joined as a signatory of the Glasgow declaration
To go one step further, in May 2023, we became signatories of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism to accelerate climate action. With that, we committed to measure and reduce carbon emissions, integrate social and environmental concerns, report publicly on our sustainability performance, encourage travellers to travel responsibly and influence stakeholders and suppliers for the benefit of the environment and destinations.
We hosted several training sessions on Sustainable Tourism
From May 2022 to January 2023, we trained Ube city in Yamaguchi prefecture on using Sustainable Tourism as a tool to help revitalise regional communities together with local stakeholders. We did this by providing seminars, running workshops, and designing sustainable travel contents to help integrate sustainability into their tourism policies. Likewise, we supported Sustainable Tourism development in Nikko (Tochigi prefecture) by hosting the seminar and workshops from October 2022 to January 2023. We also proposed and hosted GSTC training for 50 tour operators in Japan to support the development of sustainable tourism in our country, and we proactively shared insights to the participants even after the training (such as interviews and online seminars).
We advocated for Sustainable Tourism in events and seminars
We hosted tourism events and have been speakers at others’, always promoting Sustainable Tourism. One example of this is the GSTC webinar in which we explained our process for achieving certification, or our participation in the Osaka Industrial Creation Center event in August about Sustainable Tourism in the Osaka region.
We designed travel itineraries focusing on sustainable tourism
The luxury travel itineraries we craft for inbound travellers are not only environmentally friendly, but also benefit local communities culturally, social and economically. To this end, we promote less-known regions and help to revitalise their local economy. We partner with knowledgeable local guides to share the history and culture of their regions, so the travellers can enjoy a meaningful experience. Working with local stakeholders, we are able to offer authentic experiences to our travellers. We are also committed to offering environmentally friendly travel options, including accommodation and transport.
We visited many destinations to meet local stakeholders
In order to develop Sustainable Tourism, we have visited many destinations ourselves over the past months, such as: Tanba Sasayama in Hyogo, Ube in Yamaguchi, Noto, Kanazawa, Hakusan, Kaga in Ishikawa, Amami island in Kagoshima, Yanbaru in Okinawa, Ine in Kyoto, Hokuto and Mt.Fuji in Yamanashi, Hakuba in Nagano, Fukuyama in Hiroshima, Yoshino in Nara, Koyasan in Wakayama, Hachijo island in Tokyo. If you want to see an example, here we tell you how was our experience in Ishikawa.
We are now preparing a 2023 sustainability report
Because we want to inform you about our sustainability performance and want to keep learning and improving!
TRICOLAGE KEEPS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
With all the road we have already travelled and everything we have achieved so far, we want to keep moving forward, setting ourselves new goals and opening the way for Sustainable Tourism in Japan.
Travelling is synonymous with unforgettable experiences that are uniquely yours, as well as relaxing and getting away from the comfort of everyday life. We travel for ourselves but also for those who come after us. This is what leads us to carefully pamper the environment and the people who live there, their wellbeing and their traditions.
World Tourism Day is an excellent occasion to remember this commitment, but for us, every day is like this, we keep it always in mind and we work for it. At Tricolage we will do our utmost to further develop sustainable tourism in the future.
If you want to know more about us, follow us on social media or contact us directly!