January/February 2009
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Cover Story  Industries in TransitionThe Alberta Tourism and Oil sands Industries While the Tourism Industry and the oil sands Industry may seem to have nothing in common, both are currently implementing changes to encourage their respective industries to become more sustainable and reduce their respective environmental footprints. While travelers are becoming more conscious of the impact they make, they are also making sure businesses are being environmentally accountable. This behaviour is also seen as the Businesses in the oil sands of Northern Alberta face an increase in pressure from the public to improve the balance between their environmental impact and how it impacts the economy. While the term ‘sustainability’ has become a complex term that can be applied to almost every facet of our lives, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) has taken steps to define it. Sustainable Tourism actively fosters appreciation and stewardship of the natural, cultural and historic resources and special places by local residents, the tourism industry, governments, and visitors. As with natural resource development, tourism provides considerable economic benefits. However, also like natural resource development, rapid expansion of the tourism industry can also be responsible for adverse environmental and socio-cultural impacts. As one of the largest and fastest growing industries, the Tourism sector has become an increasing factor as a source of income employment and wealth. Thus, the promotion of sustainable tourism developments is essential for maximizing its socio-economic benefits while minimizing the environmental impact. Since surveys rarely ask either travelers or businesses specifically about ecotourism, precise statistics are difficult to determine. In a U.K. survey, 87% of travelers said their holiday should not damage the environment; 39% said they were prepared to pay 5% extra for ethical guarantees. Due to a lack of statistics, creating metrics around ‘sustainable’ tourism initiatives will be difficult. As part of this development, The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) acknowledges that there is a need for education on sustainability and as a result created Canada’s Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism. This action by the TIAC has also been mirrored by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). In June 2008, CAPP commissioned a public-opinion poll. The results indicated that almost half of Canadians do not think energy companies have done a good job of balancing the environment and the economy. Bruce March, chief executive officer of Imperial Oil, said in a statement that the poll tells the industry “that we need to do better. We have received a clear message: the economic and security benefits of the oil sands cannot come at the expense of the environment. We are encouraged to find Canadians believe, as we do, that responsible development of the oil sands is possible.” In 2008 Greenpeace launched a tongue-in-cheek website touting the tourism potential of the Alberta oil sands. The site (travellingalberta.com) ended up bringing together the oil sands with tourism as Alberta’s official tourism page (travelalberta.com) is very similar in name. This action was initiated in response to the province’s $25-million campaign to improve the environmental image of Alberta’s energy industry. “I’m a bit disappointed mostly on behalf of those who work so hard in this industry, but I also would say it’s not an accurate representation of this province” Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation Cindy Ady. "The Edmonton Tourism Industry is keen on developing a strategy that actively encourages green initiatives which reduce ecological impacts," says Ken Fiske, Vice-President of Economic Development and Tourism with Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. It is no longer just enough to use recycled paper, but requires changes in thinking and marketing. Stronger positioning within this market is one of the priorities for this year continues Fiske. One example of this thinking starts with the Shaw Conference Centre’s green meetings initiative called Simple Steps, as a great foundation for green growth. As with any transition period both the Oilsands Industry and the Toursim Industry will face challenges in tackling their respective environmental footprints. However, in the long run, both the socio- and environmental benefits will far outweigh the current challenges of greening our growth.
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