The United Nations Environment Programme and Brazil’s ministries of Environment, Sports, Tourism and Social Development have launched a mobile application which promotes greener travel culture – an app that launched with the FIFA World Cup in mind.
The Green Passport initiative is an online mobile app aimed at promoting sustainable tourism during the 2014 World Cup that will happen in Brazil and beyond. The app, which can be downloaded as an application or used online, gives advice to tourists on how to minimize their environmental impact while in Brazil.
“Launched ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the Green Passport campaign hopes to leverage the event’s popularity among millions of fans worldwide to promote a greener and more responsible travel culture; one that promotes attitudes and practices that are respectful of the environment and that support economic and social development at the host destination,” said Achim Steiner, U.N.E.P. executive director.
“With tourism being one of the fastest growing economic sectors globally and substantial expansion predicted, especially for emerging destinations, the main focus of U.N.E.P.’s work is to reverse the negative environmental impacts of a business as usual scenario,” he explained.
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“We want to encourage greater sustainability within the tourism supply chain and relevant sectors. This will translate into sustainable economic growth, better employment opportunities and healthier ecosystems,” Mr. Steiner added.
In addition to responsible tourism tips, the campaign also features the Green Passport Tours – 60 tour options at and around the 12 host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This feature encourages travelers to choose more sustainable practices, such as public transportation and local cultural experiences. Tourists may also recommend establishments engaged in the campaign, using sustainable criteria.
On the campaign website itself, self-assessments can be carried out. The results will indicate how a company can commit to adopt and/or improve sustainability practices.
“The Green Passport campaign brings the world sustainability to the ordinary citizen. The campaign is a new format to promote sustainable tourism, showing that everyone can change their behavior with simple attitudes while travelling,” said Brazil’s Minister of the Environment Izabella Teixeira. – L. Polintan
