World Environment Day: India’s Travel Industry Is Putting The Pedal To The Metal On Sustainability

“RARE began its journey in 2003 with small owner-run hotels. While at that time it seemed natural that small rural destinations, offbeat forts, palace hotels and wildlife lodges hired locally and skilled them in operations, by 2010 it was evident that done right it was a great value creation for the destination and community. Furthermore, buying locally, using local crafts and traditions, and using vernacular design in building a hotel or lodge contributed livelihoods and skills training directly to the community while impacting the local economy and helping mitigate migration into cities for jobs. Today, this is one of the key points of any hotel’s sustainability journey,” she shares. In her motley crew of hotels are sustainable properties like Diphlu River Lodge in Kaziranga and Kanha Jungle Lodge, which have environment and cultural/ecological conservation at their core.

In the past two decades, how far has India come in terms of offering and choosing sustainable travel experiences? Rudra takes a beat and says, “I am returning from a short vacation in the hills. When you look at Shimla and the neighbouring areas and, the number of hotels and, the mess tourism continues to create, the mindless waste that continues to be dumped along hillsides, one is prone to think that awareness towards sustainable travel is a very long way off. But rethink this as a lifestyle choice as people are thinking about living sustainable choices – you will see small changes like switching to glass bottles and RO water in many hotels, the boom in homestays and smaller hotels; then you know that change is imminent. However, it needs a huge personal impetus and a strong policy across industries. I think we are at the very beginning of the transformation curve.”

Social and Economic Impact

India has also seen a rise in sustainable experience providers, who ensure that the new-age traveller partakes in unique experiences that give back to the community. For example, Grassroutes is an award-winning community-based rural enterprise whose tours are owned, managed, and run by local communities.

“We work with Gram Panchayats, and a village tourism committee has been formed to ensure maximum involvement from all local households. We aim to make tourism a perennial sector in rural India, as it enhances the support from locals keen on having supplementary livelihoods and access to opportunities. While commercial tourism creates a market for the locals in a particular region, the outsiders take control – setting up a motel, resort, kiosk, food stall, etc. In contrast, the locals are left to do the menial jobs. That’s where Grassroutes and its community-based model step in,” shares founder Inir Pinheiro. With this tour company, you can expect offbeat and immersive experiences that take you closer to India’s hinterland. Trips to villages, farming activities, biodiversity tours, local art workshops – there is all this and more. They have seen an increase in the average income of rural households across the 15 villages and more than 500 rural families they work with. They have generated over 8000 -9000 days of employment annually per village.

The Rise Of The Conscious Traveller

The need for sustainability percolates down to the smallest things. One of the easiest ways of moving towards a more eco-conscious future is to start small. This is why there is a proliferation of brands offering sustainable travel accessories made from recycled materials, reusable water bottles, and responsible packing practices. These seemingly small steps contribute to a more significant movement. One such name is Uppercase, a sustainable travel gear brand helmed by Sudip Ghose.

“I started a sustainable travel accessories brand after being in the luggage trade for many years and witnessing the extensive use of plastics in the industry. Hence, we decided to launch our brand and were determined to create luggage using recycled plastics. From the outset, we focused on the environmental impact rather than sales. We understood the challenges ahead, knowing we would need to create demand and educate people about the benefits of using recycled materials,” Ghose shares. Their hard case trolley is designed to withstand the pressure of 628 elephants, and they’ve saved 1.4 million plastic bottles from being relegated to landfills in the past 18 months.

However, in a price-sensitive market like India, the penetration of sustainability is a challenge. However, Ghose remains positive. “If consumers perceive that buying a brand allows them to make a positive environmental impact – if everything else remains the same, including warranty, price, and aesthetics – they will switch brands. And that’s our focus. Currently, sustainability ranks low on consumers’ preference lists. However, we believe investing in continuous education and awareness-building will ultimately lead to a stronger demand for sustainable products. We anticipate this shift will become more pronounced over the next three to five years,” he adds.