Climate Friendly Travel

Balancing Tourism with Marine Environmental Protection: Conversation with Patrizia Patti, Founder of Ecomarine Malta In this episode of the Climate Friendly Travel Podcast, host Ged Brown discusses with marine biologist, Patrizia Patti, the balance between marine conservancy and tourism. Patti is the founder of Ecomarine Malta, an organization aiming to increase awareness about marine ecosystems t...

Today I’m joined by Suzy Hutomo who is the Chair of Body Shop Indonesia and co-founder of Eco Tourism Bali. With a vision to ensure Bali is viewed as a Preferred Sustainable Tourism Destination, Eco Tourism Bali aims to put Bali as a sustainable tourism destination in the world by 2030 and to contribute on Achieving Climate Neutrality in Travel and Tourism by 2050. After meeting up with Suzy recen...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Wira who is the Founder and Director of Five Pillars Experiences in Bali.  Wira founded Five Pillars in 2015 with the mission to curate inspiring and responsible travel experiences that celebrate the allure of rural communities, diverse cultures, and pristine natural environments in Bali and beyond. I was keen to learn more about the work of Five Pillars from Wira...

Welcome to the Climate Friendly Travel Podcast, where each episode, we speak to the great and the good of the global travel and tourism industry to learn more about what they are doing to ensure that the principles of climate friendly travel are being advanced. I’m Ged Brown, your host for this week’s episode and for this first episode I’m delighted to be joined by the President and Founder of the...

today I’m delighted to be joined by Marcus from Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in Nepal.  Perched 1,000 feet above the Pokhara Valley with a spectacular Himalayan backdrop, Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge provides the essence of tranquillity. Ideal for guests pre- and post-trek, or for those wishing to take day walks exploring local communities, bird-watching, gentle exercise, or just to relax in a typ...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Aoife O’Sullivan from Una Bambu in Sri Lanka. Una Bambu was established by Aoife and her partner Julien in 2019 following an intensive bamboo training with world-renowned developers IBUKU & Bamboo U in Bali, Indonesia, where they trained in receiving the hands-on knowledge required in working with bamboo as a construction material. Eager to bring that know-h...

Today we're joined by Murray McCallum from Natural Selection in Southern Africa. Natural Selection offers remarkable experiences in wild, untouched places and they’re not your typical safari company. They are all about conservation first, proudly protecting Africa’s wild spaces for the future and care deeply about the communities which are the heart and soul of this wonderful continent.  In th...

Today’s episode was recorded live at the fabulous Distant Relatives Ecolodge & Backpackers in Kilifi, Kenya. With numerous awards and accolades to it’s name, I was keen to visit Distant Relatives after meeting up with today’s guest at the Sustainable Africa Tourism Summit recently.   We hear so many examples of high end luxury properties being super sustainable and regenerative and I’m mindful...

Today we're joined by Mary Njoroge from Emboo Camps.   Emboo River is positioned in the heart of Kenya's Maasai Mara and is the perfect spot to explore this spectacular ecosystem and spot all its wildlife.  At Emboo River guests can enjoy unique experiences, including silent safaris in solar powered vehicles, dinner under the stars, delicious meals with organic ingredients from their hydro...

Today we're joined by Greg Bakunzi who is the Founder Red Rocks Rwanda.   Red Rocks Rwanda is an Ecotourism company and a social enterprise that is all about promoting sustainable tourism through community and conservation programs. They bring under-served communities into the tourism supply chain and support community development projects that help people to help themselves through various initia...

Today we're delighted to be joined by Julie Cheetham who is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Weeva in South Africa.   Julie is one of tourism’s leading sustainability consultants with over 20 years of experience in sustainable development and business transformation. Having worked for a range of clients across the hospitality and corporate sectors, in 2021 Julie drew from her diverse in...

Today I’m delighted to be joined once more by Chalana Perera who is the Founder of RETRACE Hospitality in Sri Lanka. In this second episode, I talk to Chalana about the concept of capacity in tourism destinations. Do we know how many tourists we can safely welcome before there is a negative impact on the host community, the environment and the traveller experience.  We also discuss poverty, it’s r...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Chalana Perera who is the Founder of RETRACE Hospitality in Sri Lanka. RETRACE Hospitality is an advisory practice which works together with investors, developers and operators in the hospitality tourism space to bring more regenerative practices into the sector. In this first episode of two, I talk to Chalana about what it means when we talk about regenerative...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Prerna Pasad who is the Founder of Ecoplore in India. Ecoplore is an aggregator of hotels in India which all have one thing in common. They are all built from natural materials such as mud, wood, stone, bamboo or any other natural and locally sourced materials. And they are all wonderfully charming.   In this episode I spoke with Prerna about how she transitione...

Today we have a special episode for you after my visit last week to Kenya where I met up with Kenya’s former Minister for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala.  Najib has served as Kenya’s Minister for Tourism and Wildlife since 2008 and is credited to having led the development and implementation of Wildlife policy in 2020, the National Wildlife Strategy 2030 and the National Tourism Blueprint 2030...

Today I’m joined by Victoria Erasmus who is the Owner Director of Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments located in the heart of Inverness. Victoria is relentless.  We have been privileged to speak to many industry experts, hotel owners and managers over the years but Victoria is something else. In this episode Victoria tells us how they are not yet a finished product but instead working on changing the...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Hylton Lipkin who is the General Manager of Alba Wellness Valley in Vietnam. Set at the foot of the Truong Son Mountains, spanning over 50 hectares of lush gardens and pristine lakes, is Alba Wellness Resort by Fusion. The nature-inspired destination which combines rest, relaxation and the healing qualities of Thanh Tan hot springs to form a quiet respite just 3...

Today I’m joined by Kyle Taylor from Eco Lifestyle Lodge in Barbados. Tucked away on the hills overlooking the dramatic seascape of the Bajan east coast, ECO Lifestyle + Lodge is the realized dream of New York native Kyle & his partner Maryam, who traded the hustle of city life for a slower, more meaningful pace when they moved to Barbados several years ago. With their young family in tow, the...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Debra Branker from Welchman Hall Gully in Barbados. Welchman Hall Gully is a glittering jewel set in the heart of Barbados. One and a half kilometres long and 20 metres deep, this is a mature tropical forest located in a collapsed cave which is now defined as a gully. This pristine, tropical hideaway is the home to wild monkeys, majestic rainforest trees and del...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Joana Saavedra who is the Co-Founder of BamBu Bicycles. Joana and her brother Tiago had always dreamed of working together on an inspiring project. But it never crossed their minds that this opportunity would happen while living and working in China in 2018. There, they became dazzled with bamboo, its astonishing benefits and all the possibilities to build anyth...

Today we're delighted to be joined by Anthony Lark who is the Executive Director of Shinta Mani Hotels . Shinta Mani Hotels aim to deliver holidays that change lives for their guests and in the surrounding communities alike. Each of the hotels are designed by co-owner Bill Bensley whom Architectural Digest calls “a pioneer in sustainable hotel design” and each of their small properties reflects it...

Today we're delighted to be joined by Willem Niemeijer who is the Founder of Yaana Ventures . YAANA Ventures’ story began in the early 90s, which was a pivotal time for Southeast Asia as geopolitical shifts saw the opening of tourism in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam after decades of war and isolation. Willem started Khiri Travel offering travel services for Thailand and Indochina, with the four coun...

Welcome to the Climate Friendly Travel Podcast! Where each episode, we speak to the great and the good of the global travel and tourism industry to learn more about what they are doing to ensure that the principles of climate friendly travel are being advanced. Today I’m delighted to be joined by John Nielsen who is the General Manager of the stunningly beautiful, Fivelements Retreat in Bali. Nest...

Welcome to the Climate Friendly Travel Podcast! Where each episode, we speak to the great and the good of the global travel and tourism industry to learn more about what they are doing to ensure that the principles of climate friendly travel are being advanced. Today I’m delighted to be joined by Bob Garner who is the owner of a holiday rental in Italy called Casa Dei Fichi which has sustainable p...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Melissa Gooding who is the Sustainability & Communications Specialist at the Lamington Group which operates the world’s first fully net zero ho(me)tel. Sustainability has been included throughout room2 Chiswick to enhance and protect the environment we operate in. They have done the hard work with no compromises on quality or comfort, so that the guests whic...