“Live well – travel green!” Convention – Holiday enjoyment with quality of life and environment

During the Vienna Travel Exhibition 2009 (Wiener Ferienmesse 2009), the “Live well – travel green!” convention took place in the Vienna Exhibition Center. It was hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture and the Institute for Integrative Tourism and Development “respect”. Representatives from national and international tour operators, tourism specialists, as well as mobility experts took part in the discussions about the characteristics and possibilities of the implementation of green travel opportunities.

Prof. Lund-Durlacher held a lecture on positioning strategies for green travel in which she also thoroughly introduced the green consumer. Ecological awareness is ever present; however it is understood and presented in different ways. A new consumer type has emerged through LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) that has a background in sustainability and values a conscientious and ethical life. These “conscientious consumers” travel a lot and travel by train and bus more often than the average traveler. However, one can say that the level of information about ecological and socially responsible tourism as well as the level of information about sustainable travel offers are low, which in turn poses a hindrance for sustainable travel. Many travelers trust tourism eco labels and certification schemes, however these schemes are not well-known. Taking this into consideration, it is necessary to anchor sustainability and ethical responsibility in businesses, products and services. In addition to the need for comprehensive information and explanations on green travel offers, there is also a need to develop innovative travel products that are ecological and quality oriented. Spreading the word about such offers is crucial to their success, and cross marketing plays an important role in this. Last but not least, the Internet is a great means of spreading information (for example “green web”, relevant blogs and communities).

For further information please have look at the presentation provided here (PDF | German).

Contact
Dagmar Lund-Durlacher, MODUL University Vienna, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Am Kahlenberg 1, 1190 Wien, Austria
dagmar.lund-durlacher@modul.ac.at | www.modul.ac.at