Breaking habits is one of the major challenges facing travel and tourism as it aims to cut out plastic pollution, say experts.
However, changes brought about during the pandemic mean that consumers are more likely to accept new concepts while they are on holiday.
That was the view of a panel of sustainability and industry leaders talking about a joint report by the World Travel & Tourism Council and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Called Rethinking Single Use Plastic Products in Travel & Tourism, it provides practical and strategic recommendations for businesses and policymakers.
Jo Hendrickx, co-founder of Travel Without Plastics, said: “Habit is a huge thing – one of the biggest challenges, hoteliers tell us.”
She said many staff have been in their roles for 25-30 years so it is “quite difficult” to make changes – so training is key.
Her company also encourages staff from different hotel departments to help each other identify ways to reduce plastics, because they can see things differently.
“Once those habits and changes can be overcome and driven by staff, they’re much more likely to succeed,” added Hendrickx.
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She said travellers are now more used to seeing change and having to accept change, because of the pandemic, and so they are questioning some of the practices that have been common for long time.
Megan Morikawa, global director of sustainability at Iberostar Group, agreed that once consumers see a fresh approach, they are accepting and positive about the move.
“Once you see a room or hotel experience without single-use plastics, without single-use amenities, without cups wrapped in plastic packaging, it is hard to ‘unsee’ it…you wonder if this is really necessary,” she said.
She said Iberostar’s Wave of Change initiative saw the hotel chain reach its aim of cutting out single-use plastics by 2020. It is now working towards sending no waste to landfill by 2025.
Andreas Vermoehlen, Tui’s manager for sustainability and circular economy sustainable development, said his company set a target in 2018 of removing 250 million pieces of plastic by 2020, and it in fact reached 257 million.
He said single-use plastics may seem more cost-efficient in the short term but investing in alternatives paid off in the longer term.