by Julia Bainbridge

China today is a country that embodies raw capitalism; nowhere in the world is the travel industry growing faster. At our second World Savers Congress discussion session, Condé Nast Traveler Deputy Editor Dorinda Elliott asked panelists where they think corporate social responsibility lies for the travel industry. Below, some of their thoughts:

* Orvile Schell, Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, tied the obvious problems China faces--"Any tourist who goes to China will see the manifestation of its growth and development, namely the pollution that you can see, smell"--with an international perspective. In his opinion, the United States needs to find a way to engage with China, one polluter to another: "Unless we both get in the game by way of solutions to climate change, there is no game."

* Barbara Finamore, a Beijing-based director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's China Program, has seen growth in the Chinese government's understanding of and concern over environmental issues there. China's state council just enacted a new set of development regulations that apply to all non-residential buildings in China and will have serious implications for the hotel industry. "I do see change," she says. "It has to go faster." Read about the China Clean Energy Project here.

* Albert Ng, the CEO of Wild China, said that most Chinese tour operators believe in the idea of sustainable travel, but they don't know how to do it--they need proper training. "Ultimately, it really depends on the people living in the tourist area: They need education, and that takes time." His company is going to local NGOs to figure out how to best give travelers an educational experience and take them off the beaten path--in a responsible way. 

* Partnership was the name of the game: Panelists said there is tremendous potential for partnership between the private sector, NGOs, and the government--and between the U.S. and China. "We can talk about how hopeful we are, but the place is like a house on fire. The real question is how do you modulate and moderate growth so that they can continue to grow," said Schell. "There will be no answer unless there is some kind of collaboration. Together, we might actually lick the planet clean."