Couertsy: lowcarbonmne.me

Increasingly, society has become concerned with the impact our actions have on the world we live in and ability of the planet to sustain our continued development. There is a growing awareness within the tourism industry as well as among tourists of the carbon footprints of tourism. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, thus its rapid global expansion comes with a price and we are witnessing environmental, behavioral and socio-cultural impact in many regions.

At the same time, more and more tourists require information about carbon footprints of tourism packages. The same can be said for the tourism industry, such as tour operators, travel agencies, e-business sales operators and in business travel corporations. They increasingly realize they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and calculate the carbon footprint of all of their products and services in a reliable and mainly automated way.

A newly developing branch of tourism

Carbon neutral tourism is a newly developing branch of tourism, appealing to those tourists seeking to minimize the carbon footprint of their travel.

Environmentally conscious tourists are drawn to locations offering natural wild beauty experiences. By taking up the road towards carbon neutrality, Montenegro could become regarded not just as a vacation destination but as an interactive sensory experience. While fostering behavior change and implementing environmentally sustainable business practices could benefit the tourism industry, the environment and conserve biodiversity.

The concept

The concept of low-carbon tourism is of a rather recent date, and the industry is still searching for a model of developing low-carbon tourism in the context of leisure economy, by:

• choosing the direction,
• the path and the methods, and
• the specific measures of developing low carbon tourism.

It means a new way of travel to acquire higher value and travel experience for tourists and more social, economic and environmental benefits for our society by reducing carbon emissions occurring in tourists’ activities (travel and accommodation).

What does “carbon neutral” really mean?

Carbon neutral, 2006 “Word of the Year,” acc.to the New Oxford American Dictionary

What’s MY carbon footprint?   

A carbon footprint is a measure of our impact on the environment and climate change, expressed in tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. A simple online calculator www.calculateco2.me enables tourists to measure the environmental impact of their stay, land/sea transport and flights.

The vision

MONTENEGRO AS A NEW GREEN CARBON NEUTRAL TOURISM DESTINATION AT THE HEART OF EUROPE

With its diverse geography and a cosmopolitan vibe, Montenegro is increasingly attractive destination. Because of its unique geographical location, Montenegro could immensely benefit from this emerging trend.

We seek to develop quality tourism services and products that encourage responsible behavior among all stakeholders, increase awareness and foster understanding and appreciation of the low carbon tourism concept.

Opportunities in low carbon tourism 

Key opportunities in green/sustainable tourism for Montenegro include:

• Strategic marketing and positioning of Montenegro.
• An opportunity to stay competitive on the global tourism market.
• Carbon neutrality offers a new frame for businesses: making positive impacts on environment, society and business.
• Montenegro – green low carbon tourism destination of choice.
• Providing authentic experiences/Improving the customer journey.
• Tourism industry lower impact increased profits.
• Reduce environmental impact from GHG emissions and wastes.
• Overall reduction in resource utilization by tourism sector.
• Increase tourism Sector income (through optimal resource utilization).
• Improved opportunities (new green jobs).