The term ‘Eco-luxury’ refers to the ‘production process’ of economic activities that simultaneously promote a sustainable economy and high quality standards. We have already outlined the general concept of sustainability. When we speak of ‘high quality’ in the tourism sector, we refer to constantly-evolving projects that aim at improving customer services, accommodation, architectural style and catering and offer special activities and ‘extras’ such as spas, transportation, shops, libraries and so on in order to provide luxury and ensure high levels of satisfaction.
We are not thinking of ‘luxury’ as a ‘superfluous’ or merely expensive commodity but use the term more in the sense of the original Latin word luxus, once used to indicate an object that was more beautiful or precious than others and would stimulate admiration and appreciation.
Many people do not approve of using the word ‘luxury’ in matters relating to the environment, ecology and sustainability. They prefer the word ‘quality’, but the quality inherent in a product or service relates more to the standardization and procedural transformation required to create it.
A fast-food chain, for example, is organised according to stringent quality standards but we would certainly not define it as a luxury product.
The term ‘eco-luxury’ is used to distinguish authentically high-quality products from those based on obsolete and non-sustainable models.
Elite tourism is also responsible for much destruction but can also be seen as being an avant-garde sector as it is rather more elastic and more sensitive and can serve the needs of its clientele more rapidly.
Tourism is increasingly conceived as a destructive activity, which can easily ruin the wealth and asset of many countries: i.e. natural environment and indigenous traditions.
We are far too often attracted by fast-moving projects that in the short/medium term can damage the model of development.
Nowadays all sectors of industry are visualizing a gradual sustainable process of transformation and conversion.
In the tourism sector there has been a growth of experimental enterprises in recent years thanks to the work of a small group of enlightened entrepreneurs and these new activities are introducing innovative methods and approaches.
They are mainly developing in those countries where nature is the main tourist attraction as in Africa, where a number of companies are also exporting new models of development to other continents such as Asia and Oceania.
Paradoxically, however - and this is one of LCL World’s strongest ambitions - we need to import sustainable tourism into the more highly industrialised and richer areas.
These are the countries where tourism first developed and where people have money to spend on travelling. We might think of Europe, the gradual development of modern tourism over the last century and the constant deterioration of the Mediterranean coasts in Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Italy and France. In these countries there is an obvious lack of planning for the development of differentiated tourism in protected areas, a lack of funds and natural parks and reserves are constantly threatened.
It is here that we find the existence of non-innovative tourism projects, involving companies not qualified to intervene in environmentally sustainable terms, the lack of sustainability certification and a general indifference towards the ideas of daring innovators. Unfortunately, in these countries tourism is still seen and promoted as a resource to exploit local territories, which risk becoming deprived of their original beauty and wealth.
Companies affiliated with LCL World are concentrating efforts on the fundamental aspects of environmental sustainability. These organizations consider the following prerequisites as fundamental:
To be ‘small’ from the structural point of view and thus avoid massive ‘invasions’ of host environments.
To offer luxury products with the highest quality standards.
To develop environmental and social sustainability.
To be partners in the management of reserves and parks and local communities
To be promoters of tourism and environmental sustainability
To inform guests about sustainable activities and allow them to observe the results of efforts made in this direction.
To ‘export’ similar projects to other areas of their region or to other countries in cooperation with governments, agencies, park commissions, natural reserves or business partners.
To promote sustainability in collaboration with schools, universities, etc.
It is foreseen that governments and local authorities will place increasing importance on sustainable development, and not only in relation to tourism. Moreover, this will occur as a result of a growing awareness of and interest in environmental issues. However, an increase in the number of protected areas will entail an increased need for economical resources. For this reason we shall have to balance the appropriation of public funds with investment by private enterprises and partnerships which can guarantee the continuity and existence of such projects.
