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1. The WTM Responsible Tourism Events on video
2. Nominate for the Africa Responsible Tourism Awards
3. Managing Tourism in Barcelona
4. Airbnb good or bad?
5. new edition Progress in Responsible Tourism published
6. Ten Years of Responsible Tourism at WTM
7. Overtourism: "Whose destination is it?"
8. World Responsible Tourism Awards
9. Africa and Arabian Travel Market Responsible Tourism Programmes
10. London: Symposium – Tourism and Social Justice
1. The WTM Responsible Tourism Events on video
All of the panels were videoed at World Travel market this year as were two of the conversations on the Responsible Tourism stand - the ones where there were lively discussions about how to improve the interactions between hosts and guests, between communities and tourists, for mutual benefit. The links to the videos can be found on the WTM RT 2016 legacy page
2. Nominate for the Africa Responsible Tourism Awards
Deadline 15th January for nominations. This year's categories: Best accommodation for social inclusion; Best for engaging people & culture; Best for habitat and species conservation;
Best for partnership for poverty reduction; Best responsible event; Best responsible tourism campaign; Best tour operator for impact in urban areas. Put your business forward and encourage others, the judges can only select from those who enter.
3. Managing Tourism in Barcelona
The city government in Barcelona has shifted the priority from promotion to management and they are doing groundbreaking work on managing tourism in destinations. If you want to read about what can be done then read Managing Tourism in Barcelona in Progress inResponsible Tourism, it is the product of a recent research visit. If you teach tourism the article provides access to a wealth of material for case study work with students.
4. Airbnb good or bad?
The management of the positive and negative impacts of this disruptor will have to be undertaken at the local destination level. A host of issues arises including safety, contract compliance, taxation, negative and positive social impacts. Read more Airbnb was discussed on a panel at WTM. Airbnb has also introduced some new measures to address discrimination on its online platform.
5. new edition Progress in Responsible Tourism published
The first part of the 2016 -17 edition of Progress in Responsible Tourism was published at WTM in London. A journal of record it reports developments in the year and now carries far more material from the industry. To read about progress in achieving RT - including the Irish and World Awards, articles on industry and consumer research, the SDGs, child protection and volunteering, modern slavery, hotels and tour operating and animal welfare - or to submit something for the May Part II, download a copy here.
6. Ten Years of Responsible Tourism at WTM
This year Responsible Tourism was interrogated by Aaron Heslehurst in the roundtable interview on World Responsible Tourism Day - watch the video.
7. Overtourism: "Whose destination is it?
Overtourism is emerging as the sustainability issue challenging the industry to be more responsible as we bump up against the social and environmental limits to growth in our finite world. "Overtourism” first used on twitter as #overtourism back in August 2012 it’s likely to become commonplace over the next few years. more The "rebellions" by locals who experience the negative impacts of tourism in destinations raise the uncomfortable question: Whose destination is it? Of course, RT is about using tourism to make better places for people to live in first; and second, better places to visit.
8. World Responsible Tourism Awards
The World Responsible Tourism Awards were presented at World Travel Market this month. There were joint overall winners:
Lemon Tree Hotels are recognised for creating a socially inclusive work environment, employing people with disabilities and those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently, 25% of its staff 'opportunity deprived Indians' and they hope to increase this to 49% in the next 5 years. The judges are delighted to see a large major successful corporate with progressive employment practices at the heart of the business.
Tren Ecuador has reversed the traditional approach of heritage and luxury train travel. They instead have created shared value with 23 station-cafes, 14 artisanal squares, 13 local museums, 2 lodges, 9 folklore and historical recreation groups and several community-based tourism operations - all included as part of a tourist's journey. The result is a family of associated enterprises which creates 5000 livelihoods for people in local communities along the tracks.
The Awards ceremony including interviews with the Gold winners. The winners Gold & Silver. The Judges' Reasons
9. Africa and Arabian Travel Market Responsible Tourism Programmes
The programmes for the Responsible Tourism panels for WTM Africa and Arabian Travel Market are available on-line.
10. Symposium – Tourism and Social Justice
Tourism is amazingly complex, with the many sectors of the industry using natural, social and cultural resources as the reasons for travel and entertainment of the relatively rich. In a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever widening, how does this play out in tourism destinations? The symposium considers issues of equity and fairness in urban and rural destinations and in developed and developing countries. more
Better Tourism Africa
Responsible Traveller, South Africa
Encounter Africa
Responsible Tourism News is a newsletter of record carrying the 10 most important Responsible Tourism stories of the 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.
Harold Goodwin’s Responsible Tourism Blog
Harold Goodwin blogs regularly on the WTM Responsible Tourism Blog
Twitter: @goodwinhj & @WTM_WRTD #responsibletourism
