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1.A Manifesto for Responsible Tourism
When Justin Francis and I co-founded Responsible Travel.com we struggled to find businesses to include in the C21st equivalent of Gold Steet. Now with the growth in demand for Responsible Travel opportunities, we have a developing greenwashing problem. Too many businesses, bloggers, journalists and destinations are using the words without being able to say what responsibility os being taken for and what the impacts are. We need more transparency and better-informed travellers, bloggers and journalists to blow the whistle on the greenwashers.
The Responsible Travel Awards were launched in 2004 to identify the leaders in Responsible Tourism and the family of World Responsible Tourism Awards has grown with presentations each year in London, Capet Town and Delhi and form 2020 Sao Paulo. Responsible Tourism is about making tourism better for people and our environment, for people and places. The Responsible Tourism movement needed a manifesto - and one is emerging.
On Monday 29th April Responsible Travel launched the first chapter of their manifesto for change in the tourism industry, The Fork in the Road. They are in the industry, concerned about its future and like all of us in the Responsible Tourism movement convinced that it can be fixed. But it needs to be fixed, we need to take action – business, as usual, is not good enough.More
2. The Aviation Industry is our sector’s Achilles’ heel
As other industries reduce their carbon emissions aviation’s share will increase. In the motor industry, there has been rapid progress in developing more carbon efficient engines and in reducing emissions. Similar pressure needs to be placed on airlines and aeroplane manufacturers. The planes being brought into service now are expected to be flying in 30 years’ time, for sure the regulatory framework will be very different by then. Carbon offsets are like medieval pardons – they will be found wanting. More
Responsible Travel's first Manifesto chapter is on Aviation
3. We are looking for solutions - ways to make tourism better
We are looking for solutions.
If you have suggestions for the WTM programme at any of our four shows in London, Cape Town, Dubai and Sao Paulo please contact harold@haroldgoodwin.info
To nominate or enter the 2019 World RT awards. If you know of great initiatives and solutions and you think they are worthy of an award please encourage them to apply.
4. Africa Responsible Tourism Awards
The Fith African Responsible Tourism Awards were presented at WTM Africa in Cape Town. The overall winner was Grootbos from the Cape in South Africa. It is rare for a business based on a floral attraction to feature in tourism awards. Grootbos emerged as the overall winner because the judges recognised that it could have won in several categories.
Grootbos has won Gold this year in recognition of the substantial growth in its conservation impacts. But there is much more to Grootbos. They deliver across the economic, social and environmental agendas. Golds also went tp !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre, Mduumbu Green Fair Festival, Meetings Africa, Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Dorodo Tours and Safaris and the Two Oceans Aquarium. Full details of Gold, Silver and ones to watch are here
5. Have you pledged your support for the Blood Lions campaign?
The Blood Lions® feature documentary brought the horrors of predator breeding and its associated exploitative practices such as cub petting, canned hunting and the lion bone trade to the world’s attention. And the global campaign then set about working with the legitimate conservation and scientific sectors as well as responsible tourism operators to end these practices.
The Blood Lions Born to Live Wild campaign and pledge, launched in 2016, has been signed by over 140 major tourism operators, representing over 2 000 member organisations from around the world. These operators have committed not to support, promote or sell wildlife interactive or exploitative tourism activities. They also commit to promoting and encouraging responsible tourism worldwide, as well as to endorse Africa as an authentic, wild and rewarding tourism destination. We invite all tourism operators to join us in committing to this global pledge - please visit this site for more information.
In the UK’s Mail on Sunday last weekend “The repulsive industry has been exposed in a year-long investigation by former Tory peer Lord Ashcroft. The investigation, exclusively revealed in The Mail on Sunday today, shows how up to 12,000 lions bred in captivity are destined either to be shot by wealthy hunters or killed in squalid abattoirs so their bones can be exported to the Far East. Wealthy clients are emailed brochures with photographs of captive male lions, so they can choose which one to kill. Prices range from £10,000 to £42,300 and depend on the size and quality of the mane.” More
6. The Plight of Komodo Dragons
Komodo dragons are the last survivors of a group of huge lizards that ranged over much of Australasia. The Indonesian government is considering banning tourists from the island of Komodo amid concern over smuggling. The authorities are considering a temporary closure to plant native vegetation and restock the dragon's food supply. More There are reports of Komodo dragons being sold for as much as Rp500 million ($35,000) each.
7. Botswana Lifts Hunting Ban will it lose tourists?
The US is Botswana’s second-largest international tourism source market. The Remington Research Group for Humane Society International (HSI), polled Americans and revealed that 78% of participants did not support the proposed elephant culling; and 73% believed that if trophy hunting and elephant culls started, Botswana’s image as a leader in wildlife conservation would be harmed. Only 27% of respondents said they would still consider visiting should the ban be lifted. More
8 Re-inventing seaside towns in Britain
The British seaside is often now "perceived as a sort of national embarrassment" and deserves attention, the House of Lords select committee on regenerating seaside towns has found. The geography of coastal towns has meant that many communities feel "at the end of the line", according to the report. But it said this could be overcome by rolling out high-speed broadband. Existing housing should be regenerated and new builds should be of better quality, while improvements to the coastal transport network should also be prioritised, the committee said. More
9. Tourists Flee Glacier Collapse
Tourists visiting the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier in Iceland had to run to safety as a large wave caused by the glacier calving approached the shore.
Watch the video.
10. Queenstown Hotel (NZ) pays the living wage
Mi-pad Queenstown is now seeking official accreditation from the Living Wage Movement in New Zealand for its decision to pay all 16 of its staff at least the ‘living wage’. Manager Joshua Keeble says the 57-room hotel’s commitment to responsible tourism also extends to the welfare of its staff. “We all know that Queenstown’s not a cheap place to live so we’ve made a conscious decision to invest in our team.
“The upside of that is we’re able to recruit and retain amazing staff who receive lots of praise from guests for being friendly, efficient and helpful
“In turn, that means they’re really happy to work here and they’re not having to take on second jobs or work long hours just to make ends meet.”
More Will others follow suit?
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WTM Monthly RT Newsletter
Other Responsible Tourism Newsletters
Outlook India Reports on Responsible Tourism
GreenAir
The Sustainabilist UAE
Better Tourism Africa
Responsible Traveller, South Africa
Encounter Africa
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Responsible Tourism News is a newsletter of record carrying the 10 most important Responsible Tourism stories of the month. 8,000 people subscribe to receive it every month. Please forward to those you think may be interested – you can subscribe using the box on the right. If you wish to contribute a story email harold@haroldgoodwin.info or post it on our RTNews Facebook page.
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Harold Goodwin’s Responsible Tourism Blog
Harold Goodwin blogs regularly on the WTM Responsible Tourism Blog
Twitter: @goodwinhj & @WTM_WRTD #responsibletourism
