Most people want others to like them, or at least not think too poorly of them. The difference in traveling abroad as an American now that Barak Obama is President vs. George W. Bush is a totally different experience. You are much more likely to hear pro-American statements and I have yet to see anything like this anti-Bush graffiti we saw in Argentina in 2005.
It has become clear to me that the fear of a negative perception by tourists can help initiate environmentally sustainable government policies. One great example is the recent announcement that India has secured $1B from the World Bank to clean up the notoriously polluted Ganges River. This ensures it will remain a natural resource as well as an Indian and international tourist destination.
I would consider many of the efforts we saw this week in Dubai, a city full of contradictions, part of their effort to mitigate a perception as an oil rich city that is totally unaware and uncaring towards serious environmental issues. Some of the more visible efforts were solar powered parking meters, recycling bins – the first we have seen in the Middle East, and advertisements for the brand new 100% electric – zero carbon Metro system.
All of these are of course right next to lush green landscaping which is irrigated with power-intensive desalinated seawater, a building boom (much of which is not green) that is nearly unrivaled in human history and the creation of massive man-made island resorts which are visible from space and are being developed by Nakheel (a division of World Dubai) through the dredging of the sea bottom.
However, with a goal of 10MM tourists per year, even Dubai needs to manage the image it portrays to visitors. And while many of these efforts are small in comparison to the less-environmentally sensitive mega-projects, it proves to me that at some level there is at least awareness of sustainability issues. With the recent recession and financial troubles of World Dubai, this might be the pause that is needed to allow a significant shift to more environmentally sustainable development and policies. In the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy’s 2008 Environmental Performance Index, the UAE ranked 118 of 149 countries*, driven largely by its excessive use of water and emissions of greenhouse gases. Hopefully a country like the UAE with its tremendous resources can be a leader for the rest of the globe to emulate. To that end Amy and I will be meeting with Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Associate Director of Sustainability at Masdar City on Sunday, December 6th. Masdar is the zero-carbon city currently under development in Abu Dhabi. It is a powerful statement by the UAE, and specifically oil rich Abu Dhabi, that they are willing to invest significant resources, $22B to be exact, to develop cutting edge solutions to help transition to a low carbon economy.
The timing of our meeting is appropriate, as many world leaders will be arriving in Copenhagen the next day for the Climate Change Summit. It is expected that a major discussion point will be how to protect the environment without stifling economic growth. Prior to Copenhagen, both India and China announced targets to limit carbon intensity by 20 and 40% respectively, but are not willing to commit to binding emission reduction targets. I believe that tourism should play a critical role in the conversation in Copenhagen as a way to spur economic growth rooted in protecting and preserving the natural environment. Because while a poor ranking on an Environmental Performance Index can be embarrassing, it is often the potential impact to the tourism industry that finally drives action within the government. No government official wants to hurt the tourism industry in counties like the UAE where it is an essential part of the future non-oil economy. Much as the Chinese government took drastic measures during the 2008 Olympics to control air pollution in Beijing when the world’s TV cameras were there, the fear of being labeled as a “dirty” or polluted place by tourists can drive the positive action that is needed.
What do you think? Does the environmental reputation of a destination impact your decision on where to travel and spend your precious dollars?
*The US was ranked 39th, South Africa ranked 97th, China ranked 105th, India ranked 120th
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