Members of the conservation tourism coalition The Long Run are delighted to launch Impact Statements for guests – clear labels, showing how the cost of each stay benefits people and the environment.
The Long Run offers ‘gold standard’ sustainability recognition to ecolodges that support nature protection, but members have become aware that consumers find it difficult to identify genuinely green certifications due to the sheer volume of greenwash – especially online. 1. At the same time a growing number of travelers want to make conscious choices and are ready to spend more to travel in a sustainable way. 2. These potential guests are actively looking for reassuring information they can trust.
With the launch of the 4C Impact Statements, The Long Run is responding to this increased consumer need for transparency and strong data on environmental issues, along with the desire for greener travel. The Long Run exists to support measurable and holistic nature-based solutions to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss among its members, who are at the forefront of conservation. They are pioneers in sustainability, committed to doing things differently by harnessing the power of their business for the health of the planet and the well-being of people.
Impact Statement launch members include:
Members in the process of creating Impact Statements include:
The 4C Impact Statement is open to all Long Run members on a voluntary basis and many more are in the process of joining. Each breaks down how guests’ money is spent to support a positive impact at each location using graphics and percentages. The Long Run hopes that this transparent approach will help travelers make good, green decisions, safe in the knowledge that their visit will support genuine conservation and community efforts. The statements also show how much money remains at the destination.
The Long Run’s Executive Director, Delphine Malleret-King, comments, “The increasing urgency of the climate crisis and the proliferation of sustainability marketing claims make responsibility and critical transparency both to help travelers make informed choices and to help inform properties’ actions to improve. To see also : DBEDT Press Release: SMALL BUSINESS REGULATORY REVIEW BOARD ELECTS 2021-2022 OFFICERS. impacts. We hope that this is not only a step forward for our members, but inspires the entire travel industry.”
The statement is based around the 4 core values at the heart of every Long Run member:
These are examples of what a guest will receive, based on a visit to Borana Ranch in Kenya and Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa:
The pie chart shows how each guest night fee is spent in %:
More investment in nature and people includes: social development, cultural administration, and conservation work that gets out of bed nightly payment e. This may interest you : A change to Martin County’s rural lifestyle has been proposed until a later date.g. through a conservation levy or 4C fee.
Geographic spend shows % of customers’ money staying in the local area and in the country: Local is the total spend in the immediate community (distance depends on the property). National is the total expenditure in the country of destination. Other is the international expenditure.
How does your stay directly contribute to local projects?
Conservation includes: conservation efforts, species protection, carbon sequestration, and establishment of conservations beyond infrastructure and maintenance for the benefit of guests. On the same subject : EDITORIAL: The danger of treating politics like a sport.
The Community includes: projects that support local development, emancipation, and entrepreneurship (excluding benefits and salaries for employees).
Culture includes: projects that celebrate local skills and cultural expression, support or generate income for neighboring communities, contribute to the preservation or capture of local culture.
Russel Binks, General Manager, and Julie Cheetham, group CEO for Nianova, from Long Run member Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa say they hope the 4C Impact Statement will help them communicate more effectively and stand out in the market:
“We like that The Long Run created and gave guidance on this disclosure, to ensure full transparency and legitimacy of our impact position and carry The Long Run’s objective approval for all the efforts that Tswalu is making to he does better and better. This also helps us communicate our balanced vision to our team and guests. Conservation is not the only imperative, and to see all aspects of the 4Cs considered is exciting.”
Micheal Dyer from the Long Run Borana Conservancy and Lodge member in Kenya hopes that the 4C Impact Statement will influence guest behavior and purchasing habits:
“Today’s guests and future guests globally will be traveling more consciously and their generosity will become progressively more important. Travelers are becoming aware of the good and bad impacts of travel and our guests are alive to the positive impact of their visit both environmentally and socially. The Impact Statement gives guests peace of mind that significant portions of the cost of their visit are building resilience and contributing to our ability to protect wildlife while positively impacting communities. The Long Run adds the layer of credibility and verification that transparently shows how these economic benefits flow and should influence guests’ decisions about where to stay, how long they stay, and enable them to both return and promote the -property as a trusted contributor to local and global conservation philosophy.”
Impact Statements are also a fantastic resource for tour operators and travel designers. Jarrod Kyte from Steppes Travel (A Travel Partner member of The Long Run) says:
“With an increasing number of customers keen to improve the positive impact of their travels, it is essential for tour operators to substantiate their claims that travel can be a force for good. The Long Run Impact Statement provides a platform from which to quantify where customers’ money goes and where the benefits of travel are most palpable. This level of transparency is essential to help the entire value chain measure and improve the positive impact of its operations and in doing so, instill confidence in the market that sustainable travel is both imperative as well as credible.”
What’s the story behind the 4C Impact Statement?
The idea of an Impact Statement for Long Run members was initiated by member Mehdi Rheljari, owner of Kasiiya Papagayo, Costa Rica, who was inspired by several sustainable hotel “accounts” that show how they spend guest money, such as Fogo Island’s (Canada) Economic Nutrition Bill. This concept was then adapted and tested for scalability by members of Long Run Borana Lodge in Kenya and Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa.
So what exactly is a 4C Impact Statement and how does it work?
The 4C Impact Statement shows where the money paid by a guest staying at a specific Long Run member goes and how their visit impacts the entire destination. It emphasizes in particular how their visit contributes to the local economy, the well-being of the people, to the protection of nature, and the celebration of culture. All figures are expressed in percentages (%) based on annual or real quarterly forecasts depending on the property. This means that the 4C Impact Statement shows how the member intends to spend the funds generated through the guest’s stay.
Credibility: Long Run members, including accounting teams, provide The Long Run team with figures, these are discussed to allow The Long Run team to verify the categorization. A random audit will be conducted for The Long Run to conduct an annual random audit to ensure that expenses are categorized as agreed and match members’ annual bills. This allows members to use a Long Run seal for a small fee, which shows that an external entity has reviewed and verified the categorization of expenses.
Why create an Impact Statement for members of the Long Run to give to guests?
For The Long Run to continue to push boundaries, stand out, and demonstrate how to demonstrate impact in a meaningful way, we are introducing a 4C Impact Statement to share with guests.
This will:
1https://globalnews.booking.com/bookingcoms-2021-sustainable-travel-report-affirms-potential-watershed-moment-for-industry-and-consumers/
2https://travelweekly.co.uk/in-depth/comment/comment-consumers-are-willing-to-pay-more-for-sustainable-travel
Borana Ranch
Borana lodge is a GER (highest sustainability rating) member of The Long Run and the ranch is located at the foot of Mt Kenya just north of the equator. Resting on the Laikipia Plateau, an arid landscape lies in the north and ancient indigenous forests stretch as far as the eye can see in the south. This 32,000 acre conservation area is home to both Black and White Rhino and a wide variety of other endangered species.
Tswalu Kalahari
Tswalu Kalahari is a Fellow Member of The Long Run, located in South Africa. The word Tswalu means ‘new beginning’ which reflects Tswalu Kalahari’s vision to restore and conserve its natural environment, and to empower and celebrate its community. The large-scale conservation project protects the region’s unique biodiversity, safeguarding a number of rare and endangered species. Tswalu has created a conservation model supported by ecotourism, so that it can be sustained indefinitely; its holistic approach corrects the mistakes of the past, laying the foundation for long-term ecological and economic viability. Tswalu is now ready to enter a new decade of progress, aspiring to even higher levels of sustainability.
About The Long Run
The Long Run, hosted by Preferred by Nature, is a community of properties, travel partners and experts committed to protecting and regenerating ecosystems for the benefit of all. The organization supports, unites, and inspires members to operate according to a balance of the 4Cs — Conservation, Community, Culture and Commerce. By supporting members on this journey, The Long Run ensures that travel experiences have a positive impact, and that conservation is socially and financially sustainable. Collectively, Long Run members safeguard more than 23 million acres of ecosystems, protect more than 400 endangered species, and improve the lives of 750,000 people.
Naomi McKeeNaomi McKee PRThe Long Run
