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Fair Travel - Responsible Tourism Experiences & Consulting

responsible travel consulting company based in Sweden

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The Original Swedish Responsible Travel Consultancy

I work in tourism. I declare a climate emergency.

January 22, 2020 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

I work in tourism. I declare a climate emergency.

So there I was, on the train from Stockholm Central Station, heading towards Arlanda Airport for a flight to the Azores, when I read the blogpost from Jeremy Smith, Tourism, Climate Change (and why I feel like a fraud). I was on my way to the Azores to participate on a panel, with the title, Slow Travel and Changing Consumer Demands. I was to fly from Stockholm via Lisbon to Terceira Island and back, to speak and have an opinion on a subject, which I myself was the exact opposite of.

In the end I was to spend less than 48 hours in Terceira…Yes, I felt like a fraud too and a hypocrite. Especially since I had contemplated this a few times over before eventually deciding on going there in the end.

I work in tourism and I love to travel, while I’m also very passionate about sustainability. The simple way of looking at this is to say that it is a contradiction. How can anything be sustainable if it involves flying? The easy and short answer is that nothing can ever be considered sustainable when it involves some sort of emission of greenhouse gases. But from a holistic perspective on sustainability in tourism and travel, there is more sustainable tourism and there’s less sustainable tourism. Not all trips are bad, while a majority of trips certainly aren’t good. But this isn’t about justifying my own trips and love for travel. But I do love to travel and I won’t stop doing it.

Maybe it is the Viking blood flowing through my veins, that constantly want to explore new places, meeting new cultures, admiring new landscapes and animals? I identify myself with it and it is a big part of me. I can’t stop doing what I love and what I’m passionate about. But this isn’t a justification. I can still make a difference and I can make a change for the better, because even though I love travel and I’m passionate about it, I love my kids even more, and it is their future that I’m mostly passionate and care about.

I work in tourism. I declare a climate emergency.

In my line of work as an advisor and consultant on sustainable tourism development I’m spending a good deal of my work outside of the office, which requires me to travel. Thankfully most of my travel is within Sweden and the Nordic region, whereby train travel is many times a good and the best option, but not always.

I do my part to be as sustainable as possible. When it comes to everyday life where I ride my bike as much as possible, I’m careful with everyday purchases, choosing suppliers for services like renewable energy, I recycle thoroughly, do the composting and I cut out meat several years ago, I’m being a “pragmatic vegan”, being conscious about purchases of clothing and other gear. But I fly. I take more flights than the average person in Sweden does and this is my main challenge and obstacle, which makes me a bit of a hypocrite, which I’m very honest on.

The beauty of having the privilege to speak and educate the youth of today means that you’re constantly scrutinized and questioned. This is what you tell us, but what about yourself…What do you do? I fly too much and it is something that is eating at me, and I share this in class. My flying comes from work and I don’t really want to fly in my spare time as I associate it with work. My challenge isn’t cutting down on leisure flights, it’s related to flying through work. I try to tell myself that there might be some justification in flying, when I can actually do something good with it, such as educating, influencing and raising awareness in a room of students, travel and tourism professionals and consumers, to make better choices and to teach them on holistic sustainable tourism.

It’s about making something good of your travels and the emissions that you cause, but it’s not a justification and a free pass for binge-flying. I have to do more to reduce my number of flights and the emissions they cause. I work in tourism. I declare a climate emergency.

I accept the current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030 to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of warming.

This is my Climate Emergency Plan for 2020,

  • I will continue to take flights for work when needed, but I will reduce these, with the aim of reduction to at least 25% less flights in 2020.
  • I will continue to offset all flights for work, which I’ve done since the start of Fair Travel, but where I aim to double offset these flights in 2020.
  • I will travel by train as much as possible through work when time permits and it is a possibility.
  • I will try to conduct more presentations and educational assignments through online video tools in order to avoid unnecessary flights.
  • I will continue to educate and raise awareness on climate change and advocate for sustainable tourism that has a positive effect, in lectures, keynotes, interviews and talks.
  • I will encourage my industry contacts to also declare and publish their Climate Emergency Plans, starting now…

If you’re reading this, and you work in tourism, please visit Tourism Declares. Over the course of 2020 we’re aiming to encourage and enable as many travel businesses, organisations and individuals as possible to declare a climate emergency, develop and publish their Climate Emergency Plans.

Filed Under: Announcements, News, Responsible Tourism comment Tagged With: Climate, environment, sustainable tourism development, Tourism Declares Climate Emergency

Closing down for Summer

July 1, 2019 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Summer in Sweden
It’s Summer in Sweden and we’re off for a leave!

Summer is here people and it is time for a rest! Fair Travel will be closed from July 8th and I will report back to duty on August 12th.

Activities will kick off at full speed again in August with another very busy season with lectures, educational stuff, a few speaking gigs and a very exciting new project, to sustainably assess and develop a regional tourism destination here in Sweden!

Have a blessed Summer y’all and I’ll see you all again in August!

Jeppe

Filed Under: Announcements, News, Responsible Tourism comment

Jeppe speaks at European Ecotourism Conference

September 14, 2018 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Jeppe shared the challenges and opportunities in Swedish ecotourism!

The 5th European Ecotourism Conference was organized in Tbilisi, Georgia between September 10th-14th and Jeppe was one of the invited Keynote Speakers. Jeppe represented the Swedish Nature and Ecotourism Association, and shared the history, challenges, lessons learned and opportunities from quality-assuring Swedish ecotourism through Natures Best Sweden.

The presentation was much appreciated and well-visited, with lots of questions surrounding our experience on the topic. It is obvious that certifications of ecotourism and sustainable tourism is a hot topic around the world and endless to say also in Europe.

Jeppe referred to the latest research on the topic (Research for TRAN Committee – European Tourism Labelling by European Parliament Think Tank) in his presentation, where the report addresses the multitude of available certifications as an actual threat, and where the European Commission (EC) recommends to promote GSTC recognition of standards and accreditation of certification schemes.

As the Georgian Ecotourism Association is in the process of possibly developing a new national certification on ecotourism, Jeppe was asked the question what his recommendations would be,

“Don’t reinvent the wheel and go against what the latest research has shown. Don’t start from scratch. Make use of the experiences learned from organizations like ours. Let us work together to instead further develop existing systems and “translate” it into your requirements and needs, and of course, to develop it in line with at least the minimum standards set by the GSTC. We need better certifications, not more!”

Photo credit: Georgian Ecotourism Association

Filed Under: Announcements, News, Responsible Tourism comment Tagged With: conference, ecotourism, keynote speaker

It’s time to close down for Summer!

July 5, 2018 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Fair Travel is closing down for the Summer!

Due to the inactivity in the market and because the need for a rest, Fair Travel will be closed from July 9th and report back to duty on August 13th. During this time things will be at a standstill but let me assure you that I’ll be back in full force with full energy!

Also worth to share is the fact that I’ve passed the exam of the PM4SD course, thus now holding a certificate in project management for sustainable development. So, bring on the sustainable tourism projects!

The PM4SD training courses have been developed to, certify competences in sustainable tourism management, to manage sustainable tourism project successfully, to transform project into concrete actions, to plan destination with sustainability, to enhance professional careers and to become a certified Project Manager for Sustainable Tourism!

Have a blessed Summer y’all!

Filed Under: Announcements, News, Responsible Tourism comment Tagged With: PM4SD, project, sustainable tourism

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Fair Travel offers a unique combination of consultancy and inspirational travel experiences. Based in Sweden, we collaborate with tourism companies and organisations around the world to help them grow through acting responsibly.

We also guide tours to countries all over the world with companies we represent, which means our consultancy work is grounded in real experience of what is happening in the real world, rather than theory cooked up in the office.

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My recent posts

  • I work in tourism. I declare a climate emergency.
  • Closing down for Summer
  • Jeppe speaks at European Ecotourism Conference
  • It’s time to close down for Summer!
  • Jeppe debate the future of Swedish Tourism at Almedalen
  • Fair Travel to train and educate the future of Swedish ecotourism
  • GSTC announce Fair Travel as official Training Partner in the Nordics
  • GSTC appoint Jeppe Klockareson as Country Representative in Sweden

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