PLAYING A ROLE IN CONSERVATION THROUGH TRAVEL
Founder of the TreadRight Foundation says profit and preservation go hand in hand
Those bitten by the travel bug need to help sustain its environment.
That’s the message of Brett Tollman, the founder and director of the TreadRight Foundation, a not-forprofit organization that supports sustainable tourism projects.
Tollman is also president and CEO of the Travel Corporation, an international travel and hotel company with more than 25 brands — most of which donate a portion of their earnings to the foundation.
Profit and preservation go hand in hand, Tollman explains. The travel industry, governments and travellers all have a role to play in conservation, “so that they and future generations can still go and enjoy these amazing places.”
TreadRight’s recent wildlife and heritage initiatives include: protecting African rhinos from poachers, sea turtle conservancy in Costa Rica, partnering with Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark to empower traditional Greek artisans and helping preserve a 10,000-year-old Andean textile tradition in Peru. Their partners include the World Wildlife Fund and Alliance for Artisan Enterprise.
The Star recently spoke to Tollman about the goals and challenges of sustainable tourism.
Why is sustainable tourism important?
We’ve got one planet. We’ve all got some role to play to preserve and protect it. We’ve got nowhere else to go. From a sustainable travel perspective, our population keeps growing globally — over seven billion people. Obviously, our incredible antiquities — whether it’s the Colosseum in Rome or Angkor Wat — are unique. Those of us in the travel industry have an additional responsibility to give back and protect the places and the cultures we take people to. I was born in South Africa, so we feel very passionate about the wildlife there . . . and rhinos, in particular. That species more than any other is under remarkable duress. The number of rhinos being killed in Africa grows each year — now exceeding annual birth rates.
How do you ensure your initiatives meet their sustainability goals?
It’s not easy. One of our core standards is that the money we donate is 95 per cent dedicated to projects, so that we’re not providing funds that go to corporate overhead and HQ costs and so forth. And (our partners) provide regular updates. It’s not easy (to validate) . . . There’s a certain degree of trust . . . We are taking travellers to Perugia, Italy, so they can buy some of the wonderful (traditional) hand-weaving being created (by one of our grants) . . . So, we certainly see that the materials are being made and the people are working. What are the challenges on the wildlife preservation front?
With the money we give to WildAid, for example, we know from the statistics that they have reduced the consumption of shark fin soup in China by 85 per cent — largely on the back of (retired NBA star Yao Ming), this incredible man getting out there and putting pressure on hotel groups and so on. In Africa, we help fund a spotter plane to monitor poaching. But I just read in the paper the other day that a key government tracker sold the codes for tracking devices they put on a number of rhinos, so it’s a horribly frustrating (environment) when you’re up against such corruption and people with such deep pockets . . . (But) we’ve helped Wilderness Safaris relocate rhinos from South Africa and Zimbabwe to Botswana (where they’re better protected). They moved 12 rhinos this year. That’s a wonderful result of our collective efforts.
Can tourism truly be sustainable, given the sector’s economic goals?
There is an ongoing and understandable debate, within and outside of our industry, that travel is not good for the environment. When you look at the airliners and (hotels), and the carbon footprints they have . . . We have to do our part to minimize or mitigate that. When it comes to heritage, many of today’s travellers don’t just want to visit a city and travel through it. They want an immersive trip, to meet local people and experience the culture and heritage. That’s an example of where it’s bene- ficial to help preserve as well as promote. That’s why we are trying to help get people, particularly underprivileged women, into (heritage) industries through our aid for artisans program.