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 through tourism. Besides offering tours for educational purposes, Ecomarine Malta actively collects scientific data for use in marine biology research. Patrizia emphasizes the potential of tourism to work for conservation and discusses the significance of shared knowledge for increased awareness and purposeful travel. She believes that education and collaboration can make a significant impact on environmental conservation.

00:16 Meet Patrizia Patti: Marine Biologist and Founder of Ecomarine Malta

00:54 The Intersection of Marine Biology and Tourism

01:32 Patrizia's Journey and the Birth of Ecomarine Malta

02:24 The Importance of Marine Education and Awareness

04:05 Ecomarine Malta's Sustainable Marine Tours

06:41 The Role of Ecomarine Malta in Conservation and Tourism

09:55 The Impact of Ecomarine Malta's Tours

16:39 The State of Malta's Marine Environment

19:06 The Role of Tourism in Marine Conservation

20:39 Patrizia's Optimism for the Future of the Environment

22:32 The Power of Meaningful Travel

24:00 Conclusion and Invitation to Join Ecomarine Malta

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 recently in Bali, I was keen to learn more about the work of Eco Tourism Bali to learn how they were progressing towards their goals.

And if you’d like to learn more about Eco Tourism Bali then please do visit: https://www.ecotourismbali.com

And you can join Suzy, Eco Tourism Bali and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

That’s our show for this week. Thanks so much for your company and remember, when it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward, is giant stride when we all step together… 

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 and took the opportunity when we met up in Bali recently to record this podcast live and in person.

So there you have it. Huge thanks again to Wira for sharing his insights with us today and if you’d like to learn more about Five Pillars Experiences and see the wonderful work they are doing in local communities, then please do visit: https://fivepillarsexperiences.com/.

And you can join Wira, Five Pillars Experiences and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

That’s our show for this week. Thanks so much for your company and remember, when it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward, is giant stride when we all step together… 

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 Sunx Malta Programme, Professor Geoffrey Lipman.

Professor Lipman has operated in the highest capacity at global travel organisations such as IATA, WTTC and the UNWTO.  In addition to his position at SunX Malta, he is currently the President of the ICTP and the Green Growth Travelism Institute (GGTI), as well as a Visiting Professor at Hasselt University, Belgium & the Victoria University Australia

I caught up with Geoffrey on World Tourism Day this year to learn why Climate Friendly Travel is so vital right now and also to discuss some of the key challenges the movement is facing right now.

If you’d like to find out more about how you can get involved in Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Programme, then please visit climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected]

When it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward is giant stride, when we all step together…

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 typical Nepalese rural setting. 

Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge is a member of some select groups of the world’s most special regenerative tourism experiences including;  Secret Retreats, Rare, Earthchangers and Kiwano.

The owners and staff believe in tourism with a conscience and are pioneers of regenerative tourism in Nepal’s hills and to validate their claims, they are independently verified by Yardstick UK. Additionally, they are certified by GSTC affiliate Travellife with Gold Standard Audits in 2017 and 2019. 
In this episode, Marcus shares their vision, journey and future direction for the Lodge.

If you’d like to learn more about Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge then please do visit: https://tigermountainpokhara.com.

And you can join Marcus, Tiger Mountain Lodge and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

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-how to Sri Lanka, and addressing the rapidly growing market demands for ethical travel destinations, the company developed their UNA concept, a bamboo eco-hotel, designed in collaboration with award-winning design firm Atelier Nomadic.

The mission for UNA is that it will act as a turning point for bamboo construction in Sri Lanka, showcasing the value of locally grown bamboos, and igniting the bamboo movement on the island.

In this episode Aoife talks to me about the origins of Una, the plans for growth and why bamboo is one of the most ecological and wonderful materials which nature has bestowed on us.

If you’d like to learn more about Una Bambu, and perhaps even get involved, then please do visit: https://unabambu.com.

And you can join Aoife, Una Bambu and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

That’s our show for this week. Thanks so much for your company and remember, when it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward, is giant stride when we all step together… 

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 this episode I wanted to learn more from Murray about how Natural Selection foster multiple partnerships with other local organisations to be a force for good in the communities they operate in. 

And if you’d like to learn more about Natural Selection, their ethos and indeed see the experiences they provide for yourself, then please do visit https://naturalselection.travel and also https://www.naturalselectionfoundation.org

You can join Murray, Natural Selection and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

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 that there are far more travellers and indeed properties without high end budgets yet dedicated to more eco options.

After a full tour of the property and a wonderful 2 night stay, I sat down with Distant Relatives’ CEO, Mwanase, to learn more about the property, their ethos and their journey.

As you can probably tell, I was absolutely in love with what they have created here in this beautiful part of Kenya and I will absolutely return one day.

If you’d like to learn more about Distant Relatives, then I would encourage you to visithttps://www.kilifibackpackers.com

And you can join Mwanase, Distant Relatives and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

That’s our show for this week. Thanks so much for your company and remember, when it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward, is giant stride when we all step together… 

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 hydroponic farm prepared on biogas, rain showers overlooking nature and so much more.

In this episode recorded recently in Kenya, I speak to Mary about how Emboo River Camp came to be one of the most respected and lauded sustainability projects in Kenya and more specifically, how they have achieved so much in such a relatively short space of time. 

 And if you’d like to learn more about Emboo River, then please do visit https://www.emboo.camp

You can join Mary, Emboo River and hundreds more like-minded people and organisations by joining Climate Friendly Travel and indeed become an ambassador by signing up to join The SunX Registry at , climatefriendly.travel or email us at [email protected] 

That’s our show for this week. Thanks so much for your company and remember, when it comes to Climate Friendly Travel, every small step forward, is giant stride when we all step together…