Innovative Technologies in Travel and Tourism

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Innovative Technologies in Travel and Tourism
Towards a More Balanced Triple Bottom Line?

• Ivo Martinac, PhD, Ass. Professor
• Head, Sustainable Building Systems
• School of Energy and Environmental Technology
• Royal Institute of Technology
• Stockholm, Sweden
• BEST EN Think-Tank VII
• Northern Arizona University
• Flagstaff, AZ, June 23, 2007

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• The most merciful thing in the world, I think,
  is the inability of the human mind to correlate
  all its contents.
• We live on a placid island of ignorance in the
  midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not
  meant that we should voyage far.
• The sciences, each straining in its own
  direction, have hitherto harmed us little but
  some day the piecing together of dissociated
  knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of
  reality, and of our frightful position therein,
  that we shall either go mad from the revelation
  or flee from the deadly light into the peace and
  safety of a new dark age.

H.P. Lovecraft (20th century master of weird
fiction), "The Call of Cthulhu"
3

• The latest report (2007) of the International
  Panel on Climate Change confirms for the first
  time in history, beyond reasonable doubt, that
  humanity is actively and noticeably contributing
  to global climate change, and thereby
  (potentially irreversibly) transforming vital
  global systems.

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Degradation of Key Natural Resources/ Assets
Coral Bleaching and Loss of Biodiversity

• http//www.reefpix.org/albums/album62/DSCN1597.jpg

http//www.reefpix.org/albums/album62/DSCN1594.jpg
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Intensifying Strength and Frequency of Storms -
Hurricane Katrina
http//www.atmos.umd.edu/stevenb/hurr/05/katrina/
imageindex.html
http//cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/tropic/archive/montage/
atlantic/2005/KATRINA-track.gif
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Sea Level Rise
Using the Integrated Science IS92 emission
scenarios, projected global mean sea level
increases relative to 1990 were calculated up to
2100. Taking into account the ranges in the
estimate of climate sensitivity and ice melt
parameters, and the full set of IS92 emission
scenarios, the models project an increase in
global mean sea level of between 13 and 94 cm.
http//maps.grida.no/go/graphic/scenarios_of_sea_l
evel_rise
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From http//yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.ns
f/content/VisitorCenterCoastalResidents.html, as
accessed 070610

• Sand Beach in North Beach, MD, pictured here in
  the 1920's, was a popular bathing beach. A
  contemporary picture, taken from the same vantage
  point in 1996,illustrates the effects of
  sea-level encroachment over time.

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• It seems to be gradually dawning on humankind
  that the quality of our lives and (in extremis)
  our survival will depend to a significant extent
  on our ability and willingness to make urgent and
  significant corrections to our lifestyles.
• But it is far from clear how such changes should
  be structured or pursued towards a wholesomely
  sustainable outcome.
• We urgently need to become more innovative about
  how we can accelerate the processes through which
  humankind will realize, understand and
  appropriately deal with complex environmental,
  economic, social and spiritual challenges,
  natural or man-made. This relates to the pursuit
  and effects of travel and tourism as much as it
  concerns any other facet of our lives.

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Tourism and climate change

• Economic impacts of various climate change
  scenarios?
• What is the cost of not responding adequately?
• Impacts on destinations and their assets
  (social/cultural, environmental, economic,
  spiritual)?
• How can/should destinations respond?
• What role do tourism stakeholders have in
  adapting to and responding to global climate
  change (travelling public, host communities, tour
  operators, government, etc.)
• What role do technologies and innovation play in
  managing climate change?
• How can risks be appropriately assessed and
  shared?

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Environmental impacts of air travel

• About 5 of global carbon emissons are currently
  due to air travel and are expected to increase to
  the order of 15 within the next 50 years.
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and water vapour from
  aircraft engines are important greenhouse gases.
  Water vapour contributes to the formation of
  contrails, often visible from the ground, which
  in turn are linked to an increase in the
  formation of cirrus clouds. Both contrails and
  cirrus clouds warm the Earth's surface magnifying
  the global warming effect of aviation. Together,
  NOx and water vapour account for nearly
  two-thirds of aviations impact on the
  atmosphere. Hence any strategy to reduce aircraft
  emissions will need to consider other gases and
  not just CO2.
• The impacts on the global atmosphere from air
  travel will be concentrated over Europe and the
  USA where 70-80 of all flights occur. Hence the
  regional climatic impacts of aircraft emissions
  over these areas are likely to be greater than
  predicted by the IPCC report (which used global
  averages).

Partly from http//www.airportwatch.org.uk/briefi
ngsheets/detail.php?art_id143, as accessed 070619
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In the beginning there was a hydroplane

• The "China Clipper," (Martin M-130) passes over
  the San Francisco waterfront at the start of the
  inaugural commercial flight (November 22, 1935)
  across the Pacific Ocean, to Manila. The aircraft
  completed the trip in six days, with a flying
  time of 59 hours, 48 minutes. Overnight stops
  included Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island, and Guam.
  40-50 long-haul passengers (reclining seats)

www.library.miami.edu/archives/panam/pa070.jpg
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and dreams of distant edens
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The Age of Commercial Jet Air Travel Cheap Oil

• De Havilland Comet
• BOAC, first comercial jet aircraft flight, May
  2, 1952

• http//www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Commercial
  _Aviation/Opening_of_Jet_era/Tran6G1.htm

14
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageCrowded_Netherl
ands_beach_with_mostly_adults.jpeg
Rush to Paradise...
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Dennis Oda, Star Bulletin, starbulletin.com/96/10/
14/news/story2.html
...and Rush Hour in Paradise
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International Tourism Growth
WTO (2005)
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Infinite growth?
From http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/Ne
wImages/images.php3?img_id4231, as accessed
070619
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Innovative air travel anything revolutionary on
the horizon?
Boeing 747-400 (Jumbo Jet)
Airbus 380 fuel consumption ca. 2.9 liters (0.76
gallons) / passenger and 100 kilometers (60
miles).
From http//grants.nih.gov/grants/partners/NexusI
mages/July06/jet.jpg, http//wallpapers.dpics.org/
14__Airbus_A380_Super-Jumbo.htm,
http//news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0
118_050118_airbus.html, as accessed 070619
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• Three return trips LHR-SIN-LHR onboard an Airbus
  380 emit approximately as much CO2 as an average
  full-size car over 2 years of operation.
• An AAdvantage Executive Platinum traveller needs
  to anually emit the CO2-equivalent of 7,7 years
  of driving an average full-size car (100,000
  miles/year or 165 200 km/year) to retain top-tier
  status.

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• Improvements in aircraft and engine technology
  and in air traffic management are not expected to
  offset the projected growth in aircraft
  emissions. That is, we need to slow the growth in
  air travel if we want to reduce the growth in
  aircraft greenhouse gas emissions.
• At the same time, about 1 in 10 jobs worldwide
  are in the travel tourism industry, out of
  which many in destinations that cannot be
  (easily) reached by any other form of transport.
• Should we stop/reduce air travel?

Partly from http//www.airportwatch.org.uk/briefi
ngsheets/detail.php?art_id143, as accessed 070619
21
From http//www.cambridge2000.com/azara_blog/html
/2007/06/20070611_air_travel.html, as accessed
070619

• The Bishop of London has recently stated that
  flying is immoral.
• His colleague, the Right Reverend Tony Footit,
  former Bishop of Lynn and now environmental
  advisor to the Diocese of Norwich, stated that we
  all need to think much more carefully about
  travel
• "I think it is immoral to fly within the United
  Kingdom or Western Europe when it is perfectly
  possible to travel by train. It seems perfectly
  reasonable to fly to the United States or Far
  East but we ought to really ration it and ask if
  the trip is really necessary.

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Should we

• Fly less often (and/or stay longer per trip)?
• Abstain from that cheap little weekend trip to
  Nice?
• Choose closer destinations and alternative means
  of transport?
• Off-set our carbon emissions and placate our
  conscience?
• Develop innovative schemes of emissions
  accounting? (e.g. economic yield/emissions
  generated)?

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• We urgently need to become more innovative about
  the ways we transport, accommodate, feed,
  entertain and cater to multiple other needs of
  travelers, such as to develop products,
  build/modify relevant infrastructure, develop
  business models and practices, and establish
  behaviors that will not threaten the ability of
  subsequent generations to pursue travel and
  tourism as part of their lifestyle.

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• Can technologies help?

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Technology is

• a set of pieces of knowledge, both directly
  practical (related to concrete problems and
  devices) and theoretical (but practically
  applicable, although not necessarily already
  applied), know-how, methods, procedures,
  experience of successes and failures, and also,
  of course, physical devices and equipment
• From Hjalager, A.-M. (2005). The Marriage
  Between Welfare Services and Tourism A Driving
  Force for Innovation? Innovation in Hospitality
  and Tourism. The Haworth Press., as cited from
  Dosi, G. 81982). Technological Paradigms and
  Technological Trajectories. Research Policy 11,
  pp. 147-162.

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Technology is also

• Human innovation in action that involves the
  generation of knowledge and processes to develop
  systems that solve problems and extend human
  capabilities
• The innovation, change, or modification of the
  natural environment to satisfy perceived human
  needs and wants.
• From www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/scitech/2001/re
  sources/glossary.html, as accessed 070619

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• The president of a large country recently stated
  that his country is addicted to oil.
• Could this be because his country, like most
  other in the industrialized world, are addicted
  to technology?
• Are technologies becoming ends to themselves,
  and to what degree is innovation in technology an
  exercise in procastrination?
• As somebody said It is not what you have that
  counts, but what you do with it.

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• Technologies broaden the range of what we can
  do, but are not necessarily designed to operate
  in harmony with boundaries and limitations of the
  systems in which they are applied.

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Innovation

• The application of ideas that are new,
  regardless of whether the new ideas are embodied
  in products, processes or services, or in work
  organisation, management or marketing systems.
• From www.innovation.sa.gov.au/sti/a8_publish/mod
  ules/publish/content.asp, as accessed 070618

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• "Innovation is not absolutely necessary, but
  then neither is survival."
• Andrew Papageorge, GoInnovate! (2005) 

31
From http//www.usoe.k12.ut.us/CURR/Science/core/
6th/sciber6/HEAT/MANMEETS/man.htm,
en.wikipedia.org, http//www.cs.umd.edu/class/spri
ng2001/cmsc838b/Project/Parija_Spacco/old_images/a
valanche.jpg, http//www.the-ultralight-site.com/b
uilding-fires.html, http//mdc.mo.gov/teacher/high
ered/crafts/craft17.htm, as accessed 070619
Fire plow
Bow and drill
Flintstone
32
From http//www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/images/c
ontent/83202main_hist-archive.jpg,
http//eliaus.univ-perp.fr/IMG/jpg/satellite-in-sp
ace-sh.jpg, http//www.nyc24.org/2001/issue06/stor
y05/kidneyphoto.jpg, http//ram.ouvaton.org/articl
e-imprim.php3?id_article179, as accessed 070619
33
From www.solarnavigator.net/virgin_space_travel.h
tm, as accessed 070615
Space tourism?
34
From http//www.unificationfrance.com/IMG/jpg/sco
tty_04.jpg, www.crystalinks.com,http//uk.gizmodo
.com, as accessed 070615

• Beam me up, Scotty!

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Technology and innovation towards more balanced
TBL?
www.conocophillips.ca/NR/rdonlyre
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Why is responsible tourism development still
rather an exception than the rule?

• Fragmentation and vulnerability of many tourism
  businesses (SMTE)
• Lack of
• Vision
• Understanding and appreciation of available
  assets
• Leadership and skilled management
• Political support, will and initiative
• Awareness empowerment at the necessary levels
  (especially at community level)
• Financing
• Information (at all levels)
• Awareness and implementation of available tools
  (incentives/programs/technologies etc)
• Ability to deal with complex (indicator-based)
  feedback (when available) towards TBL
• Expertise and incentive to translate
  local/regional development plans and strategies,
  land-use plans, coastal zone management programs,
  etc. into appropriate TBL-based tourism products
  and businesses
• Institutional, legal, economic, social and
  environmental frameworks
• Voluntary initiatives/agreements
• Skilled workforce
• Prevalence of Short-term thinking, greed,
  corruption

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• Can technologies help?

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TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES
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From http//www.cariboo.bc.ca/news/past01nov26/st
oriesnov26/dynasty.html, http//www.transport2000.
org.uk/news/maintainNewsArticles.asp?NewsArticleID
291,www.whoosh.care4free.net/,
www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_monorail002.htm,
http//ec.europa.eu/research/environment/newsanddo
c/article_2383_en.htm, as accessed 070619
Innovative transport alternatives
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Renewable Transportation Fuels
www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/projects/cooking/
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From http//www.iee.org/OnComms/Sector/Computing/
Article_Display.cfm?ObjectID77273205-F19D-455E-89
02277BC42558DA, http//renaissanceresearch.blogspo
t.com/2007_01_01_archive.html, www.solarsailor.com
/media_aquatankers_070117.htm, as accessed 070619

Innovative transport alternatives
Zeppelin-type cargo lifter
Hybrid electric (solar/wind) powered tanker
Solar powered yacht
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BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES
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• We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our
  dwellings shape our lives.
• Winston Churchill

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Energy consumption in buildings

• Approximately 50 of the energy use in
  buildings is devoted to producing an artificial
  indoor climate through heating, cooling,
  ventilation, and lighting.
• A typical buildings energy bill constitutes
  approximately 25 of the buildings total
  operating costs. Estimates indicate that
  climate-sensitive design using available
  technologies could cut heating and cooling energy
  consumption by 60 and lighting energy
  requirements by at least 50 in U.S. buildings.

FromSUSTAINABLE BUILDING TECHNICAL MANUAL Green
Building Design, Construction, and
Operations Public Technology Inc. US Green
Building Council, 1996(Sponsored by US DOE US
EPA)
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Smart Building Design

• We have the knowledge and cost-efficient
  technologies to design, construct and operate
  buildings that are energy-neutral or that produce
  more energy than they consume.

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Benefits of Energy Efficient Buildings

• Lower Operating and Maintenance Costs and
  Overheads
• Greater Profitability
• Lower Environmental Emissions
• Greater Market Value
• Better Indoor Climate and Air Quality
• Increased Occupant/Guest Comfort, Health and
  Satisfaction
• Increased Worker Productivity
• Decreased Absenteeism
• Better (e.g. Corporate) Image/Profile
• Deferred Investments in Power Generation Lower
  Cost/Risk, Opportunities to Use (e.g. Municipal)
  Funds for other Purposes
• Greater Opportunities for Using Renewable Energy
• Access to Economic/Market Incentives (Tax
  Credits, Rebates, Low-Interest Loans and other
  Financial Schemes)

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Mauna Lani Resort, Hawaii, Rooftop PV System
(100 kW)
http//www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/06431.jpg,
http//www.nrel.gov/data/pix/Jpegs/07113.jpg
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ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
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Distributed Energy Systems

• Micro-Turbines
• Internal Combustion (IC, Reciprocating) Engines
• CHP-Systems
• Fuel-Cells
• Stirling-Engines
• Hybrid Systems

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Renewable Energy Technologies

• Hydroelectric Energy
• Solar Energy
• Solar Thermal
• Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
• Wind Energy
• Energy from Biomass
• Geothermal Energy
• Tidal Energy
• Wave Energy
• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

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Renewable Energy
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http//www.kaheawa.com/gallery.php
30 MW Kaheawa Wind Farm, Maui

• The Kaheawa Wind Power project is a commercial
  scale renewable energy project. It includes the
  development, design, engineering, construction,
  and operations of a 30 MW renewable wind energy
  facility.
• Now in full operation, the project will provide
  approximately 9 on average of the electricity
  supply for Maui.

• The Project is located above McGregor Point in
  the West Maui mountains, in an area locally
  referred to as Kaheawa Pastures. It consists of
  20 wind turbines arranged in a single row, an
  operations maintenance building, a
  communications system, an electrical substation,
  and an interconnection to Maui Electric Companys
  transmission lines. An additional 40 MW plant
  (Auwahi, 20 turbines) is currently planned for a
  remote part of the Ulupalakua Ranch (20 000
  acres) 1 st phase to be completed by 2008.

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ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES
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From http//www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/sust-touri
sm/env-3main.htm, as acessed 070615

• Water resources
• Water, and especially fresh water, is one of the
  most critical natural resources. The tourism
  industry generally overuses water resources for
  hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal
  use of water by tourists. This can result in
  water shortages and degradation of water
  supplies, as well as generating a greater volume
  of waste water.

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Resource consumption in hotels Water
(Bohdanowicz, 2003)
60

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Water Conservation
http//www.toolbase.org/techinv/techDetails.aspx?t
echnologyID190
Low-flow toilets use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of
water per flush compared with about 3.5 gallons
of water used by a standard toilet. Low-flow
shower heads use about 2½ gallons of water per
minute compared to between four and five gallons
per minute used by conventional heads. Low-flow
faucet aerators can cut the water usage of
faucets by as much as 40 from 4 gallons per
minute to 2½.
http//www.nrdc.org/cities/building/smoffice/walkw
ater04.asp
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Greywater Reuse
http//www.southeastwater.com.au/sewl/upload/image
/215_8x21x200315853PM.gif
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Wetlands for wastewater- treatment?
http//www.compris.nl/eco/texel.html
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Resource consumption in hotels Energy, kWh/m2
(Bohdanowicz, 2003)
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How does tourism score? What are the carbon
emissions by tourism for every dollar earned?
How does this compare to other sectors of
industry?
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Resource consumption in hotels Waste
(Bohdanowicz, 2003)
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Rethink, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse!
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Waste Minimization and Management

• Reduction
• Reuse
• Recycling
• Redesign, rethink (supply chain management)
• Waste-to-resource transformation

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Avoid hazardous zones
Choose locations that are sheltered from
hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and
other natural disasters.
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• Information technologies
• Communication technologies
• Etc.

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So, can technologies help?
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Technologies can help

• to decrease resource consumption per unit of
  delivered services/goods
• in generating environmental impacts and then
  dealing with them
• In disseminating relevant information and
  knowledge
• In facilitating the communication between
• stakeholders
• in processing vast amounts of information and
  managing complex systems
• in enhancing in multiple ways the quality of the
  travel experience

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• But they cannot
• Exercise political will or leadership
• Define our value systems or generate our visions
• Go the extra voluntary mile

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From http//www.innovationtools.com/Quotes/Quotes
.asp?offset40, as acessed 070619

• "What's missing isn't the ideas it's the will
  to execute them."
• Seth Godin (2006)

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• We should draw on our power of innovation to do
  something about that

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• The human desire and ability to travel and
  savour the world across magically diminishing
  boundaries needs to be responsibily harmonized
  with the rapidly changing priorities of our
  global village
• which some of us roam,
• and all of us share.

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From http//www.illustration.moonfruit.com (via
www.mind-mapping.co.uk/mind-maps-examples.htm),
as accessed 070619
TBL?