Written by Dylan Wickremasinghe
Historically it is evident that travel companies bought into the convenience and peace of mind offered by water being readily available in the form of single-use plastic bottles. However, the issue that arises with the usage of such bottles has become more alarmingly clear. Approximately 7000 metric tons of plastic products are produced annually in Sri Lanka. Waste generation is a particularly tricky segment in the travel and tourism industry.
House of Travels & Tourism (H.O.T), one of the leading Destination Management Companies (DMC) in Sri Lanka has recently joined the fight against plastic pollution as it continues to heat up by saying no to the usage of plastic bottles. H.O.T aims at reducing plastic pollution, by encouraging the reduction of the use of single-use plastics, supporting responsible disposal, and promoting recycling initiatives. H.O.T group acknowledges the fact the products and services provided by the group also contribute to the plastic pollution problem, which is why as tour operators the group has addressed this from the industry side by switching to providing guests with glass water bottles instead of plastic single-use bottles with the vision of being a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution throughout Sri Lanka.
H.O.T is now committed to reducing single-use plastic water bottles and items in their operations and on their tours, as well as encouraging their travelers to also be a part of this solution. From travelers to field staff, H.O.T constantly provides direction and creates awareness so that people can understand the need to reduce waste.
Getting to the heart of the travel industry’s waste problem is an exercise across all parts of the supply chain. Involving in-house staff and guides, and teaching them how to talk about waste and sustainability can create ripple effects once travelers return home. From tour executives and tour guides to travelers themselves, H.O.T has made great strides in contributing toward waste reduction. There’s certainly still work to be done, but the enthusiasm for decreasing waste in the travel and tourism industry is showing promising results.
