In this episode we talk to Dr Susanne Becken, Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Griffith University, Australia, who discusses various aspects of sustainable travel and its relationship with climate change.

With her roots in Germany, current engagement at Griffith University in Australia, and residing in New Zealand, Becken is a unique voice in sustainable tourism. Her global lifestyle has fostered a deep connection with airlines, fuelling her dedication to enhancing their sustainability. 

Becken has widely published on the topics of sustainable tourism, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, tourist behavior, environmental policy, and risk management. She was a contributing author to the Fourth and the Fifth IPCC Assessment Reports. In the episode, she is particularly vocal about the tangible impacts of climate change, referencing the year’s unprecedented climate anomalies and highlighting the susceptibility of tourism destinations to environmental catastrophes.

The conversation also revolves around the challenges with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and the complexities of transitioning to sustainable aviation. Becken also calls for the implementation of ecological ceilings in tourism to manage carrying capacity and reduce environmental impacts, advocating for a shift from volume-based to value-based tourism models.

If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Red Sea Global’s CEO John Pagano who shared how the giga-project developer is rethinking eco-tourism, enabling true climate-positive travel. Check it out here.

Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air’. Click here to learn more.

Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.

Links & More:

Ecological ceiling - The Doughnut Economy

There’s a buzz about ‘sustainable’ fuels – but they cannot solve aviation’s colossal climate woes - The Conversation 

Vanuatu Sustainable Tourism Strategy - Pacific Farmers 

Can there be ultra long-haul flights in a net zero world? - CNA 

How Red Sea Global’s ambitious eco-tourism model could save the planet - SimpliFlying 

Implications of preferential access to land and clean energy for Sustainable Aviation Fuels - Becken et al. (2023)

Knowledge alone won’t “fix it”: building regenerative literacy - Becken and Coghlan (2022)