Travel with a Purpose with Saul Blanco Sosa
03/28/23 • 35 min
Let's talk about sustainable tourism preservation with inspiring industry expert Saul Blanco Sosa. He's from Guatemala and lives near the famous Mayan city of Tikal. He is currently the Director of Sustainable Travel Programme at Preferred by Nature, and has been advocating sustainability in the travel sector since 1994.
This conversation is about how travel can help people learn and make the world a better place. We talk about doing business in a responsible way, including the power of auditing, how to avoid "box-ticking," and what a sustainable hotel might look like. We look at ways for businesses to deal with problems like food waste, the exploitation of children, and the use of renewable energy. We talk about how important tourism certification is and how important it is to recognize the role of indigenous people.
Saul started traveling in a way that was good for the environment when he was 18 and learning how to be a tour guide at Tikkal National Park. When he realized that sustainable travel was a way to show the world how different countries are, he became very interested in it. He says how important it is to be a good ambassador and show tourists from all over the world their culture. This conversation shows that travel can be a great way to learn, but it must also be done in a responsible way. He then cites examples of how travel can have bad effects, like making problems worse in sensitive areas, and how to deal with this. He shares how tourism can be both a chance for growth and a way to hurt communities. He says that we can't stop tourism completely, so we should focus on making the interactions between locals and tourists more meaningful. We also talk about how important tourism certification is and how important it is to recognize the role of indigenous people.
Lastly, Saul talks about how important it is to slow down when traveling and take the time to get to know a place and its people. This will help you make memories that will last and have a positive effect on the people who live there.
------
Time Stamps
02:51 Exploring the Roots of Sustainable Travel
06:07 The Impact of Travel on Society
09:45 The Value of Auditing for Sustainability: A Discussion
12:27 Sustainable Practices in the Hotel Industry
14:00 Indicators of a Truly Responsible Company
17:16 Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room: How to Tackle Challenges Collectively
20:22 Sustainable Tourism Initiatives: A Discussion on Food Waste in Argentina
23: Sustainable Food Practices: Social Fridges, Supply Chains, and Reuse of Food Waste
25:00 The Role of Certification in Sustainable Development
27:40 The Need to Innovate in the Travel Sector
29:12 Exploring the Financial and Sustainability Benefits of Renewable Energy
32:15 Sustainable and Responsible Travel
---
Subscribe to Saving Tomorrow’s Planet Podcast
Let's talk about sustainable tourism preservation with inspiring industry expert Saul Blanco Sosa. He's from Guatemala and lives near the famous Mayan city of Tikal. He is currently the Director of Sustainable Travel Programme at Preferred by Nature, and has been advocating sustainability in the travel sector since 1994.
This conversation is about how travel can help people learn and make the world a better place. We talk about doing business in a responsible way, including the power of auditing, how to avoid "box-ticking," and what a sustainable hotel might look like. We look at ways for businesses to deal with problems like food waste, the exploitation of children, and the use of renewable energy. We talk about how important tourism certification is and how important it is to recognize the role of indigenous people.
Saul started traveling in a way that was good for the environment when he was 18 and learning how to be a tour guide at Tikkal National Park. When he realized that sustainable travel was a way to show the world how different countries are, he became very interested in it. He says how important it is to be a good ambassador and show tourists from all over the world their culture. This conversation shows that travel can be a great way to learn, but it must also be done in a responsible way. He then cites examples of how travel can have bad effects, like making problems worse in sensitive areas, and how to deal with this. He shares how tourism can be both a chance for growth and a way to hurt communities. He says that we can't stop tourism completely, so we should focus on making the interactions between locals and tourists more meaningful. We also talk about how important tourism certification is and how important it is to recognize the role of indigenous people.
Lastly, Saul talks about how important it is to slow down when traveling and take the time to get to know a place and its people. This will help you make memories that will last and have a positive effect on the people who live there.
------
Time Stamps
02:51 Exploring the Roots of Sustainable Travel
06:07 The Impact of Travel on Society
09:45 The Value of Auditing for Sustainability: A Discussion
12:27 Sustainable Practices in the Hotel Industry
14:00 Indicators of a Truly Responsible Company
17:16 Acknowledging the Elephant in the Room: How to Tackle Challenges Collectively
20:22 Sustainable Tourism Initiatives: A Discussion on Food Waste in Argentina
23: Sustainable Food Practices: Social Fridges, Supply Chains, and Reuse of Food Waste
25:00 The Role of Certification in Sustainable Development
27:40 The Need to Innovate in the Travel Sector
29:12 Exploring the Financial and Sustainability Benefits of Renewable Energy
32:15 Sustainable and Responsible Travel
---
Subscribe to Saving Tomorrow’s Planet Podcast
Previous Episode
AG Saño, The Dolphin Guy: How Art Can Inspire Change
AG is a passionate photographer, artist, and environmental activist from the Philippines. He has been doing large-scale murals around the world for the last 14 years. His subjects focus on climate justice, indigenous people, and marine environments. In 1999, he joined the first-ever humpback whale migration research in the Philippines and spent months at sea taking photos. Through his photographs, they were able to catalog the whales and compare them with Japanese and Russian researchers. AG explained that they can identify the individual whales through the underside of their tails, which are then cataloged and used to track the whales and determine who they are.
He explains that whales travel to the Philippines and that the locals have been telling stories about them for generations. The discovery was made due to the observations of the local fisher folks, who noticed a loud, singing sound coming from the sea. This discovery is important in order to establish marine protected zones for humpback whales, as this was previously unknown.
This conversation also discusses the impact of art activism on younger generations and encourages listeners to take the first step in saving the planet.
Time Stamps
12:08 Conversation on Marine Mammal Murals and the Inspiration Behind Them
19:57 Exploring the Power of Art as a Form of Activism
21:43 Achieving an Extraordinary Goal of Painting 1000 Murals
23:59 Taking the First Step Towards Achieving Your Dreams
27:08 Conversation on Sustaining a Living Through Environmental Activism
30:49 The Profound Impact of AG’s Activism Through Art
34:09 The Value of Mentoring and Coaching
37:38 Proposal for Painting a Dolphin in Outer Space
39:03 Segregate at Home and Plant a Tree on Your Birthday
–
Connect with AG: https://www.instagram.com/whaleboy2000/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savingtomorrowsplanet/
Subscribe to Saving Tomorrow’s Planet Podcast
Next Episode
Protecting Our Oceans: Sustainable Personal Brand Care with Czar Carbonell of Magwai
In this episode of Saving Tomorrow's Planet, we have an exclusive chat with Czar Carbonell, the visionary CEO and co-founder of Magwai, a leading sustainable personal care brand based in the beautiful Philippines. Find out how a devastating typhoon that hit Czar's home 15 years ago sparked her interest in climate change and trash management, which led her to start Magwai.
Magwai is well-known for its reef-safe sunscreen and shampoo bars made without plastic, which is changing the beauty business. Find out why traditional sunscreens with chemicals are bad for reefs even in small amounts, causing coral bleaching and permanent damage to marine life.
In this interesting conversation, Czar talks about how brands can use their power to change customer behavior for the better. Even though climate change is still the main cause of coral bleaching, it's important to know how harmful sunscreens are to our seas. Come with us as we look at how sustainability, beauty, and protecting the world all fit together.
Tune in to Saving Tomorrow's Planet now to learn from Czar Carbonell's amazing journey and Magwai's innovative approach to sustainable personal care. Plus, find out what you can do to help protect our seas for future generations. Hit that play button, and let's start this exciting change together!
Timestamps
02:46 Sustainability Awakening: A Conversation with Czar Carbonell
07:39 Exploring the Impact of Sunscreen on Coral Reefs
14:27 Sustainable Alternatives in Personal Care and Cost-Effective Pricing Strategies
17:53 Value Perception in Sustainable Packaging Solutions
19:16 Optimizing Reef-Safe Sunscreen Product to Address Consumer Pain Points
–
Know more about Magwai: https://store.magwai.com.ph/
Follow Magwai on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magwaiph/
Follow Saving Tomorrow's Planet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savingtomorrowsplanet/
Subscribe to Saving Tomorrow’s Planet Podcast
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/saving-tomorrows-planet-119611/travel-with-a-purpose-with-saul-blanco-sosa-28998789"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to travel with a purpose with saul blanco sosa on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy