Combating Climate Change As A Tourism Company

Join this roundtable discussion and learn how your tourism company can help combat climate change from four experts who have been doing this work for many years.

In this chat, we’ll talk about how your company can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adopt environmentally friendly policies as it has the potential to play a key role in combating climate change. Hear from our expert panel of leaders about the work they are doing to reduce their overall carbon footprint in the tours they sell or with the clients they work with.

Just a few things this roundtable will cover:

• How carbon offsetting works; including recommended ways to do so & how to vet different available programs
• How to educate your travelers without causing guilt
• Where to start? 2-3 steps your company can do now to reduce your carbon footprint

Watch Combating Climate Change As A Tourism Company

Meet the panelists

Court Whelan

Court received his bachelor’s, master's, and PhD degrees in both Ecotourism and Entomology. Throughout his graduate school career, Court also ran an ecotourism company through which he planned and led more than 60 expeditions to nature destinations on all seven continents.

Today, Court continues to guide the world’s best nature expeditions with Natural Habitat Adventures and World Wildlife Fund, while also heading up Nat Hab’s sustainability efforts, elevating it to become one of the most sustainable and eco-conscious travel enterprises in the world. From ensuring complete carbon neutrality to guiding the world’s first zero-waste adventure, saving the world via travel is at the center of Court’s career, as well as day-to-day purview.

Paloma Zapata

As CEO of Sustainable Travel International Paloma leads the organization's global efforts to maximize tourism's contribution to conservation and development in order to protect destinations, preserve natural environments, and improve community well-being. With over 15 years of experience in sustainable tourism and economic development, Paloma has designed and implemented impactful initiatives and projects in 25 nations across the globe. Her work has ranged from addressing the shortcomings of the current tourism supply to deriving sustainable development strategies and formulating policies.

Currently, Paloma manages the organization’s Climate Rangers program to engage the tourism industry in carbon mitigation and climate action. She is also leading the organization’s efforts to define a Carbon Neutral Destination model for island nations to follow.

Dr. Gregory Miller

Gregory Miller is the Executive Director of the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST). Gregory is a responsible tourism advocate and trained environmental scientist who believes in working globally, acting locally, and protecting our precious natural and cultural resources. He joined CREST in 2019, bringing to the organization a global track record of results in sustainable travel and recreation, biodiversity conservation, and policy development.

Prior to working with CREST, Gregory has served as Vice President, Andes/Southern Cone Region at The Nature Conservancy, President of the American Hiking Society, and as Latin America and Caribbean Environmental Advisor for the US Agency for International Development. He is a co-founder of the Future of Tourism Coalition, Outdoor Alliance, National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, and is a certified trainer for Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics principles. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship with the American Association for the Advancement of Science to influence science-based decision-making at the federal level.

Alicia Caton

Alicia is the Marketing & Communications Director for Chile Nativo Travel and the leader of the company's sustainable development plan. Moving from the United States to Puerto Natales in 2018, Alicia now calls Patagonia her home.

She believes that no matter where we are from or where we are in this world, we must advocate for the preservation & growth of local communities and the great outdoors in order to maintain a better quality of life for all generations.”