Category Archives: News

Every year, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), collaborating with leading tourism organizations, including Sustainable Travel International, publishes what’s come to be known, shorthand, as “Trends & Statistics.” This report is a compilation of facts, quotations, data, and resources designed to advance the practice of responsible travel worldwide. Because the United Nations named 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, we modeled this year’s content on the five “pillars” the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) created for the international year. Those pillars, or ways in which sustainable tourism facilitates a destination’s development, are:

• Inclusive and sustainable economic growth
• Social inclusiveness, employment, and poverty reduction
• Resource efficiency, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation and mitigation
• Cultural values, diversity, and heritage
• Mutual understanding, peace, and security

This year’s “Trends & Statistics” approaches these challenges one UNWTO pillar, or key sustainable development tool, at a time. And it does so via four sub-categories: what the experts say about the tool, followed by how consumers, businesses, and destinations themselves make use of it.

Download the report here

This is an excerpt from an article first published by Rick Shea on the Sustainable Travel International website.

Discover Dominica Authority has announced two voluntourism packages for people interested in assisting with the recovery and rebuilding efforts following the passage of Hurricane Maria. Packages are available with Cobra Tours for restoration of one of Dominica’s premier tourist attraction sites – The Indian River. Meanwhile, Cool Breeze Tours also offers packages to clear segment 10 of the Caribbean’s first long distance walking trail – the Waitukubuli National Trail.

The Indian River Package is for five nights in either standard or superior accommodation and includes transportation to and from the site and three meals daily. Packages start at US$600 per person. A 40% discount is offered for monthly stays and a 15% group discount is available for bookings of 10 or more rooms. Interested persons can contact Cobra Tours and Yacht Services at [email protected] or [email protected]; telephone numbers 1 767 245 6332, 1 767 614 4874, and 1 767 245 6382.

The Waitukubuli National Trail package is suited for groups and individuals who can assist with clearing segment of the trail. Specific skills needed include use of chainsaws, cutlass and other garden tools. Packages include accommodation, breakfast and take away lunch and dinner. Special group rates are available. Guests will be accompanied by experienced guides. For more information on this package, contact Cool Breeze Tours at [email protected] or [email protected] or 1 767 245 1776.

For regular updates on the restoration of Dominica’s tourism sector, visit the Dominica Update Blog

Over the past weeks, Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) and the Ministry of Tourism and Urban Renewal together with other private and public sector stakeholders and partners have been working tirelessly to assess the readiness of Dominica to receive visitors.

While rebuilding Dominica’s tourism product will take time, it is important to keep potential visitors and stakeholders abreast of the progress. As such, Discover Dominica Authority has launched a new blog site, http://dominicaupdate.com, to provide regular updates on key visitor related products and services.

Updates to be included on the site range from accommodations, access, things to do, volunteering and voluntourism, as well as information of the relief efforts and responses to frequently asked questions. According to Director of Tourism Colin Piper, “This web page is another way that DDA is striving to keep its public informed about the realistic situation in Dominica post Hurricane Maria.”

There has been significant progress in the rebuilding process over the past two months since the passage of Hurricane Maria. According to a release by telecommunications provider FLOW, mobile phone service has been restored to approximately 80% of the population.

FLOW’s voice and internet service has also been restored to 70% the major business customers and 80% of government offices and departments. DIGICEL is reporting restoration of mobile phone service to ninety –five communities island wide. Restoration of water continues across various parts of the island and electricity restoration continues throughout the capital city Roseau and town of Portsmouth.

To date, eighteen (18) properties have indicated they have resumed or will resume accommodation services by December 1, 2017. Some amenities available at these properties will be limited but most have the ability to provide regular water and electricity.

The properties are Atlantique View Resort, Bay View Port Residence, Caribbean Seaview Apartments, Classique International, Coffeeriver Cottages, Emerald View Apartments, Hibiscus Valley Inn, Le Petit Paradis, Picard Beach Cottages, Picard Family Guest House, Pointe Baptiste Guest House, Portsmouth Beach Hotel, Rejens Hotel, St. James Bed & Breakfast, Suite Pepper Cottage, Sunset Bay Club, Tamarind Tree Hotel & Restaurant, and 3 Rivers Eco Lodge & Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge.

A safari camp, a five star hotel and nature reserve, a European capital city, and three different rural tourism projects have been announced as the winners of the 2017 WTM Responsible Tourism Awards. For over a decade the World Responsible Tourism Awards have been presented at World Travel Market in London each November. However, this year marks the first time that they have also been organised by WTM, who take over from responsibletravel.com.

For the first time, each winner is being recognised as a ‘Leader in Demonstrating Responsible Tourism Impact’, to mark the fact that 2017 is the UN International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. For the first time, therefore, the awards have focussed not just on which companies, organisations and destinations are running the most inspiring projects, but on which could show the measurable impact of their work. The six winners are as follows:

Chobe Game Lodge in Botswana won the Best for Carbon Reduction category. The lodge has a youth development programme that has trained nearly 200 young people; a profit share scheme for staff; and a women’s empowerment programme that means now 65% of all staff are female – they even have an all-female team of professionally qualified guides.

The Best for Accommodation category was won by Grootbos, a luxury hotel set in its own private nature reserve in South Africa. Grootbos is now in the fourth year of measuring, collecting and collating sustainability data, while reducing their use of mains power by 10% in the last reporting year, and installing a solar installation that powers Grootbos Garden Lodge and the Grootbos Foundation.

The Best Community Initiative award went to Sapa O’Chau, a female ethnic minority-owned enterprise in Vietnam employing 50 staff, two thirds of whom are female and 90% of whom come from an ethnic minority. Their vision is to provide all local young people with a high school education, all members of the community with an opportunity to obtain a sustainable career, and to engage with others to create meaningful social change.

The city of Ljubljana won the Best Communication award. In 2016 the Slovenian capital city adopted a Sustainable Urban Strategy, which enables hotels and restaurants to source locally through its Green Supply Chains online portal, while the DMO is working to encourage the use of public transport and to spread tourists beyond the city. At a time when many European cities are facing backlashes against tourism from angry residents, a 2016 survey in Ljubljana showed that 92% of residents believe tourism has a positive effect on the city.

South Africa’s Transfrontier Parks Destinations (TFPD) was chosen by the judges as the Best Tour Operator. Founded in 2004 to support economically poor rural communities through commercialising community-owned lodges, it now works with 50 villages and has created 147 permanent jobs in rural areas, which in turn support around 955 dependents. TFPD also works to help its member lodges develop a supply chain network of independent micro-enterprises and ensure their viability by providing regular business for them. This has generated R6.4M (£350,000) for such microenterprises since 2004.

Indian tour operator Village Ways won the Best for Poverty Reduction award for its work developing a network of walking trails and community owned guest houses though rural India. The company has created 19 village owned-and-run guest-houses, securing employment from 261 families in those villages.

The complete list of 12 finalists is: Chobe Game Lodge, Crystal Creek Meadows, Grootbos, Green Tourism Business Scheme, Kumarakom, Ol Pejeta, Marine Dynamics, Sapa, Slovenia, Transfrontier Parks Destinations, TUI Cruises and Village Ways.

WTM Executive Director Simon Press opened wednesday’s World Responsible Tourism Day by reminding the audience that the focus this year has been on two key topics – overtourism and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. “Responsible tourism should be the backbone of this industry,” says Simon Press. “However overtourism is destroying the very environment and failing to give back”, adding that the winners of the WTm responsible tourism awards epitomise what is possible when responsible tourism is made central to company’s ethos. The day’s sessions began with with a panel session looking at What contribution does tourism really make to sustainable development?

While acknowledging that there were several individual examples of excellent businesses and organisations in the world, and more than ever before, Harold Goodwin, WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor, was not optimistic overall. “As a whole the industry is still doing very little, many are in denial,” he said. “Destinations have an overtourism problem but they just want more growth.”

His criticism was reinforced by Adama Bah from ICRT West Africa. “Governments still count in terms of numbers and not in terms of benefit for communities,” he said. “They only think in terms of volume, how many tourists are they bringing in?”

Bah also said that the idea of development as some form of charity had to stop. “The Santa Claus mentality must stop,” said Adama Bah. “People must stop coming to developing countries looking to see how they can help. Rather destinations must be able to take control of their own future.” He said he wanted the UNWTO to work with more than just governments, and to work with private sector and communities, ensuring market access for local communities is key.”

“Destinations have an overtourism problem but they just want more growth” Harold Goodwin

This session was followed by the World Responsible Tourism Awards, this year organised for the first time by WTM after 11 years being developed by responsibletravel.com. There were six winners across the following categories: Grootbos won Best for Accommodation; Chobe Game Lodge won Best for Carbon Reduction; Ljubljana won Best for Communication, Sapa O’Chau won Best Community Initiative, Village Ways won Best for Poverty Reduction and Transfrontier Parks Destinations won Best Tour Operator.

The other finalists were also recognised, with the session’s host Tanya Beckett stating Chair of the Judges Harold Goodwin had insisted it was important to emphasise that the margin between those who were the final winners, and the other finalists was only small. The remaining finalists were Crystal Creek Meadows, Green Tourism Business Scheme, Kumarakom, Ol Pejeta, Marine Dynamics and TUI Cruises.

The afternoon saw a session looking at the significance of the launch earlier in 2017 of the Berlin Declaration on Transforming Tourism, which argues that it is not possible to transform our world without transforming tourism. “We need unambiguous structural change”, said Andy Rutherford, Director, Fresh Eyes – People to People Travel, explaining that the transforming tourism agenda puts citizens at heart of a participatory democratic process defined by local level consultation, and where tourism has a role to play, but not where it dominates.” He added that full transparency was needed so that guests and anyone else can see exactly where the money goes.

“Accessible tourism is a necessity, a human right, and also an opportunity,” said Carlos Vogeler, UNWTO Executive Director for Member Relations, during a session asking Can tourism be made accessible for all? “Destinations should see this as a huge chance to connect to many more guests,” he added.

His words were supported by Ade Adepitan MBE, a Paralympian and TV presenter, who said: “Most of us will have some sort of special need at some point in our lives. Yet there are still places where I am seen as inconvenience.” Adepitan said that while it is acknowledged that everyone has a right to travel, it often seems to him that people with disabilities are further penalised for having a disability. “If you aren’t rich it can be almost impossible to travel,” he said. “Why should we we have to pay extra to be able to access?” He concluded that people need to realise it is possible for anywhere to do it, citing the example of the 2,000 year old Colosseum in Rome has even installed a lift to make it possible for people in wheelchairs to experience it. Magnus Berland, the Accessibility Director, Scandic Hotels, said the industry needs to move to a Design for All mindset, where all the rooms in the hotel were accessible to all people, rather than just a small number of rooms depending upon what regulations require.

Tuesday’s Responsible Tourism programme started with a session exploring how travel can responsibly support some of the most excluded members of society – the homeless and those who live in slums. Andrew Derlien is Marketing and Fundraising Director of Reality Gives, the NGO partner to award winning Indian company Reality Tours, which runs tours to Dharavi in Mumbai. The tours are structured to be as respectful as possible, with no photography allowed. They also ensure that 80% of their profits are reinvested into the local community. Jayni Gudka is the Director of Unseen Tours, who employ homeless people as guides to the streets of London. She explained that their tours aim to show a “different perspective of London through the lens of homelessness’” with the guides weaving their own experiences of living on the streets into their narratives. However, she asserted that these tours do not treat homelessness as an object to be viewed, but rather are designed to empower people who have experienced homelessness to run the tours themselves and present their perspectives of living in the capital.

“Dealing with plastic waste in our oceans is not an optional extra,” Ian Rowlands

The next seminar looked at the problem of plastic waste accumulating in the world’s oceans. “Dealing with plastic waste in our oceans is not an optional extra,” explained Ian Rowlands, the director of Incredible Oceans, which seeks to use humanity’s love of whales, dolphins and other marine animals to inspire people to grapple with the rapidly escalating crisis of plastic circulating in the world’s marine environments. He said that society needs to stop using plastic, and should start with individuals making their own commitments and stopping using four every day plastic objects – plastic coffee cups and lids, single use water bottles, plastic bags, and plastic straws. Mike Webster, CEO WasteAid UK, said the tourism industry should support efforts to repurpose waste in destinations into practical materials, which had the twin benefits of both environmental impact and providing economic benefits. Dave Shanks introduced the innovative Water to Go bottle and filter, which his company has created using technology developed initially by Nasa. As a result they have created a bottle that will replace any non-salt water from anywhere in the world instantly drinkable, removing the need for plastic water bottles instantly, and can be used 400 times. Already some travel companies are using branded versions of these to replace the water bottles they give out to their clients. The session was finished by travel PR company’s Brighter Group’s director of Responsible Tourism, Trudi Pearce. She told the story of Belize, a country with the second largest reef in the world, and where 25% of the economy is reliant on tourism. Under the message that “When the reef is better, we are all better”, she explained how Brighter Group was moving beyond the standard PR relationships with a destination to help Belize address the problems that plastics are causing their environment and economy.

In a session exploring what should be done about orphanage tourism, Sallie Grayson, Programme Director of responsible volunteer organisation peopleandplaces, said that “Good intentions are not enough,” because however hard one tried to supply volunteers to orphanages as responsibly as possible, the end result was simply to fuel demand. She explained that as a result her company only works with programmes that are designed to keep children in their families. “We have to spread the word about how bad orphanage tourism is, emphasised WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor Professor Harold Goodwin. “We have to stop it.” For companies seeking to learn more about this rapidly developing issue and to avoid the risks that it poses, Emanuelle Werner from Friends International outlined a series of resources that her organisation has produced, some for travellers others for organisations, designed to raise awareness about the issue and provide guidelines as to how to avoid making the problems worse.

“The elephant in the room remains the aviation sector” Libby Owen Edmunds

In a session on Human RIghts: Trafficking and Modern Slavery, Alexandros Paraskevas from the University of West London said his research has shown that by a conservative estimate, there are 115,000 slaves working in the European hospitality industry. “Trafficking is much more than just people brought over on overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean,” he explained, “It’s more than sexual abuse in rooms, or construction workers being exploited.” He gave two examples to show what he meant. The first was of a travel agency run by human traffickers, who had placed a trafficked woman in the hotel to work as a receptionist, who for six months would register every guest who arrived independently as having being sent from their travel agency, just so they would get the commission. His other example was of a woman planted by traffickers into a hotel accountancy department so she could access people’s bank details and private information, which the traffickers would then use for blackmail and other financial crimes. While the scale of the problem is only recently being acknowledged by the industry, solutions are being developed, with Nishma Jethwa from the Shiva Foundation telling the audience of the work her organisation is doing to develop an industry first set of resources for the hotel sector.

“responsible tourism is a political issue,” John Swarbrooke

There were also two sessions reflecting on progress (or lack of) in responsible tourism and asking what more needed to be done. In the first, which looked back at how responsible tourism has developed over the past 15 years, John Swarbrooke, Professor of Tourism at the University of Plymouth said that it was important to realise that responsible tourism is a political issue. “I keep hearing how we need good management, when what we really need is good political decisions, that then enable the management,” he said, adding that it was important for people to understand that responsible tourism is not just about how we manage the impacts of tourism in developing countries. “Overtourism happens mostly in European cities,” he added, “which shows that responsible tourism is an issue that affects us all.”

In a session looking at what the priorities for Responsible Tourism should be for the next five years, the panel was each asked what were the top three issues needing addressing. Their answers were: Climate Change, Local Economic Benefits, Waste, Destination Management, Resource Efficiency, Tourism Safety and Inclusive Tourism. Director at Classic Collection Holidays, Martin Brackenbury, said that in a year where certain islands in the Caribbean – in particular Dominica – have been devastated by extreme weather events, the industry had to ensure it does whatever possible to support such countries rebuild and develop resilience in the years to come. Focussing on the acknowledge biggest issue, tourism’s impact on climate change, sustainable tourism specialist Libby Owen Edmunds referenced a recent ITP report into hotel carbon emissions, which states that the accommodation sector needs reduce its absolute emissions by 90% by 2050. However, added Edmunds: “The elephant in the room remains the aviation sector,” which she said is responsible for 80% of emissions related to tourism.