tourismvision

HALF PRICE FULL VALUE TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY

2010-06-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

50% OFF whole suite plus free webinar series
The world of tourism is changing rapidly and no more so than the mass march to sustainability.

Energy sustainability, water sustainability, carbon emissions sustainability, cultural, social and environmental sustainability – all will have major effects on all of our tourism businesses and careers over the coming years, at every level.

And, more and more, our very economic sustainability and survival depends on how well we manage the impacts of all the other sustainability issues.

How to ensure this survival and create a sustainable future?

Keep up with the times, the developments and the potential effects…
For today’s view of the future read this year’s Sustainable Tourism Report.

And keep fresh and up to date with developments and current opinions with the regular Sustainable Tourism Report Webinars where industry leaders provide you their informed views. FREE

Regular monthly Sustainable Tourism Report webinars are now FREE for all purchasers of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite.

The Sustainable Tourism Report Suite includes: Sustainable Tourism Ministers Briefing, Sustainable Tourism Report, Sustainable Tourism Marketing Guide, Tourism & Carbon Markets – in total 212 pages that will give you the information required to survive and prosper in our move to a sustainable world.
Individually priced or as a package for: UK£550, US$990, €660

Buy now save up to UK£275, US£495, €330

Apply now for further information, executive summary, contents guide and this weeks special 50% off offer.

Email valere@tourism-vision.com

Previous Sustainable Tourism Report Purchasers include:

Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Rezidor Hotel Group, Northern Ireland Tourist Board, University of Brighton, Tourism Ireland, The Nature Conservancy, Cleaner Climate, Virgin Group, Micato Safaris, Hilton Hotels Corp, Visit Britain, Canada Tourism, Tourism Innovation Group, Dublin Institute of Technology, Sabre Holdings, EplerWood Consultancy, Nichols Tourism Group, The Adventure Company, Exclusively Canada, University of Wales, University of Guelph, Sustainable Side of the Street, IFC, Discover Ltd, Griffith University, Australia, Yukon Tourist Board, Ipswich College, Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, The Tourism Company, Citizen Development Corps, University of Hertfordshire, Disney Corp, Anglia Ruskin University, Kidderminster College, Olive Green Group, Six Senses Group, and many, many more.

Sustainable Tourism: The Real Thing

2010-05-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

SEE TV interviews:
RITA KURBONBEKOVA SERENA HOTEL MANAGER
SHAGARF MULLO-ABDOL TAJIK TOUR OPERATOR
LOCHIN FAIZULLOEV VICE-MINISTER OF TOURISM
AHMAD SHUKRAN AFGHAN TOUR OPERATOR

ROOF OF THE WORLD FESTIVAL

I’m in a flyblown Central Asian mountainside café, looking at the flourishing beehives on the incline opposite and listening to the furious roar of the ice-fed river swirling and gushing outside.

Neatly lined up on the café’s glass shelves are thin plastic secondhand 2 litre water bottles full of an amber liquid and on sale for 50 Somoni ($11) a go. What’s in the bottles? Honey apparently. Each bent and buckled bottle holds 2kg of honey from those bees opposite. Pure authentic honey 100% sustainably sourced, packaged and delivered.
That’s the thing about Tajikistan: In this poorest of the ex Soviet republics, sustainability is not a mantra of the middle classes – it’s a financial, cultural and social imperative.

If you or your clients want eco-luxury tell them to go to Switzerland or the Maldives. If they’re prepared to pay with money, pain, bruises and sleepless nights for heartbreaking beauty and true authenticity then Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains are for them.

Pain and bruises? Yes, the journey to our stop in the café involved a full day drive along a dangerous track perched high on the Tajik side of the sensational Panj river gorge (the border between the Tajik part of Badakhstan and the Afghan bit). All day we’d bumped along uncomfortably in our 4wd, negotiating the occasional landslide and frequent ford, collecting bruises, but also grabbing memories of fabulous soaring sights, and gut-wrenching views of the people on both sides living truly grueling spartan lives.

After such tough days, you feel you truly deserve a comfortable, not to say luxurious, night. This is very rarely to be had in Tajikistan. That is not to say that good accommodation doesn’t exist, it simply depends on your interpretation of the term ‘good’.

If you or your clients call ‘good accommodation’ slick service, impeccable hygiene, downy comfortable beds, European-style fusion food and quality bathrooms – they will be disappointed.

If, on the other hand ‘good’ to them means a warm and heartfelt welcome, the generous sharing of cripplingly limited resources and a pride in their hosts’ culture and environment – in other words true hospitality – they will be more than satisfied.
The sad fact, or, perhaps the great opportunity is that tourism infrastructure in the Pamirs and Badakhstan, in truth, doesn’t yet exist.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has earmarked tourism as a cross-border development opportunity and is now working to create methods for Tajik and Afghanistani SMEs in the area to take advantage of it but there is a very long way to go indeed.

A very big prize is on offer. The AKDN’s chosen venue, the Wakhan Corridor, originally created by the British as a buffer between its Indian (now Pakistan) interests and China, is a stunningly beautiful wilderness. On the one side of the river Afghanistan and on the other, Tajikistan – divided in 1925, kept separate and patrolled vigorously, latterly by the KGB, until 2006. The AKDN sees the potential for this area for tourism, economic development and, perhaps, harmony and is working to realize this.

At the moment, then, intrepid tourists can benefit from a real travel experience to a ‘Virgin’ mountain destination. They will be able to see at close quarters the sights of the Central Asian Silk Route - the confluence of East and West – where millions of travelers went before them taking commodities, ideas, cultures religions and armies to change our history. They will be able to feel the majesty of the scenery and the quietness at the 4,000m+ mountain passes. They will be able to share the lives of the local people.

But not for long, in a short time the area will develop its own (hopefully sustainable) tourism structure and one more set of values will travel through the mountains – tourism!

Authenticity is a big buzzword in today’s tourism industry, frequently used but rarely achieved. The truth is that it is a stage in development, not often the end product. What destinations usually provide is a form of cultural and environmental commoditization – in other words a sanitized version of the real thing.

Tajikistan, the Pamir Mountains and the Wakhan Corridor are the Real Thing, may they remain so for as long as possible…

Valere Tjolle

Valere Tjolle edits Tourism Vision for travelmole and the annual Sustainable Tourism Report Suite

VOLCANIC ASH – Sustainable Tourism Help or Hindrance?

2010-04-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Image from Huffington Post

Forgetting about the monumental Two billion dollar ballsup – the ASH travel trauma may be able to help the sustainable tourism movement

“Planet Strikes Back” cried eTurboNews, maybe that’s going a bit far but they certainly have a point. The Icelandic ash cloud has cost the industry at least US$2bn or €1.5bn so far and there are still thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded. And airplanes well out of their patterns, so all the bills, and the full costs have yet to come to roost.

It’s no wonder that big industry chiefs are either numb or apoplectic with rage. As Peter Long of TUI said “It was a shambles”

The industry and the politicians have divided into three camps – those that are genuinely damaged, paying the bills and trying to help, those that are trying to make a fast buck out of a crisis, and those who are turning a short term disaster into a sustainable opportunity.

The sad fact is that this charade could have happened nowhere else in the world other than Europe. In the US, for instance, this particular sort of challenge is up to the airlines to manage, the authorities simply inform them of the presence of volcanic ash. It’s up to them to determine their own action.

However, like everything else in tourism, there are losers and winners.
Winners? Yes – and for once there were sustainable tourism winners, for instance:
The ‘Man in Seat 61’ was sitting pretty – the specialist rail travel site had OVER A MILLION HITS in the month
The GREEN TRAVELLER site apparently had at least three times as many hits as usual
Flightless Travel got, apparently, 700% more hits on their site.

Eurostar made an extra 30,000 seats available at £89 one way that’s getting on for £3m of extra revenue. And Deutsche Bahn pulled in a fortune

Thousands of coach companies, too cashed in on this passenger feeding frenzy.
Good Samaritans Lonely Planet gave FREE downloads for 13 x £5 city guide iPhone apps to help stranded tourists– at least 3million of them were downloaded in 3 days.
Plus, of course the hassle further demonstrated the efficacy of land and sea travel so more money was placed in the sector and a couple of really big deals were done indicating what travel and tourism may look like in a few years time:
Deutsche Bahn is to pay £1.5bn for UK coach and train operator Arriva see: STORY and see also our story

And in a small deal with big potential Streetcar, the UK’s biggest car club operator, has been taken over by US rival Zipcar in a $50m deal that will extend its dominance of the booming car-share London market.

The market is moving and within just a few years public organizations like Deutsche Bahn and private organizations like Stagecoach could easily be offering integrated transport solution(air, ship, coach, rail, car, bike) taking full benefits from sustainability.

Consolidation looks closer and closer. Who would bet against a few very big entities offering seamless train/coach/ship/hotel travel and reservations solutions within 5 years?

What a lot of damage a volcano can do… to our preconceptions!

Valere Tjolle

Said Cathy Mack: "
"Glad to say that GREEN TRAVELLER traffic was up ten fold during ash week. Eurostar also carried out some research during this period to see how travellers felt about their rail journeys that week - 84% said they would choose rail over air for their next European journey, see THIS"

Sustainable Tourism Masterclass, Webinars:

2010-04-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

This years Sustainable Tourism Masterclass is to be held on 17th September in London in conjunction with Innovation for Sustainable Development Center. Full details will be announced shortly but the format will be similar to previous successful years events.

To broaden the availability, scope and range of the masterclass, to provide more speakers and presentations, and to make the masterclass information available to benefit more attendees, a series of six 90 x minute webinars are to be run before and after the event.

The masterclass is kept to a maximum of 25 participants to provide in depth understanding and discussions. The package cost includes full information pack, luncheon and supper, and participation in all webinars: £500 (€600) per attendee.

The webinars will be held on 4th June, 2nd July, 6th August, 3rd September, 1st October and 5th November. The webinars are limited to 200 participants to ensure full opportunity to engage in the question and answer sessions. Each webinar costs £10 per person per webinar, £50 per set of 6.

Bookings made for the complete Masterclass & Webinar package by end April will attract a 50% reduction ie £250 (€300) – subject to space being available at the time of booking.

Sustainable Tourism Masterclasses have been held for the last three years and have attracted full houses attendees and top speakers of global repute.

The masterclass offers the opportunity to network in an informal but information-packed day.

Provisional bookings are now being taken for both events upon payment of 50% deposit – remainder payable at the time of confirmation and publication of masterclass and webinar programme.

Given the current high profile of sustainability, both masterclass and webinars are likely to be popular and early booking is recommended.

"I look at these MasterClass Webinars and marvel at the time and money I did not have to spend to harvest the wisdom of so many international movers and shakers - The great thing about the MasterClass Webinar series is how it makes available to the world the accumulated experience of leading thinkers and thinking leaders.” Lelei LeLaulu, co-chair, Innovation for Sustainable Development Center

To book contact valere@travelmole.com

Last years masterclass stories:

Converging World Boss For Masterclass: SEE HERE
Hear Top Speakers at Masterclass: SEE HERE
Caribbean Tourism Carbon Guru: SEE HERE

PASSIONATE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM? DO SOMETHING PRACTICAL TODAY – TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT...VESTAS

Valere Tjolle – Publisher and Editor - Travelmole VISION on Sustainable Tourism
The global sustainable tourism trade & professional medium and... Totem’s Sustainable Tourism Report Suite 2010... Co-founder of the Vision-Destinet European Sustainable Tourism Awards

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INNOVATIVE TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT

2010-02-14T23:48:00.000-08:00

This excerpt - a fascinating, sustainable tourism attraction & hospitality concept operating in South Africa – is one of large range of case studies in this year’s Sustainable Tourism Report – get a free executive summary, contents and special offer – email valere@travelmole.com

Noordhoek Farm Village looks like an old, traditional farm at the foot of the mighty Chapman’s Peak, close to the sea in a mid-market suburb of Cape Town. But it is much more. In fact, some very clever and accomplished people have all arrived here at one point in time to create something very special – an almost sustainable, almost self-sufficient, almost zero-waste destination AND successful, AND useful, tourism attraction

This is how it works:
Franck Dangereux was voted best chef in South Africa from 1999 - 2005. In 2006 Franck was voted 28th Best Chef in the World and his book "FEAST" won a global award. In August 2006 Franck opened the Foodbarn Restaurant at Noordhoek with his business partner Pete de Bruin. A sensible move, Franck lives down the road so he can save on his carbon footprint and his energy by working close to home.

Franck, naturally, as befits a great chef, also likes to work with the very best and freshest of ingredients. The excellent soil and sun and air of Noordhoek produces wonderful fruit and veg – good idea then to have a garden centre/nursery on the farm – hey presto - Greenways Nursery was established! Farm to fork 10 metres or a maximum of three minutes.

But, food and hospitality throw up a great deal of waste. Enter Mary Murphy, environmental activist and educator. Apart from many other talents, Mary specializes in worms. Yes worms. She was best known for her earthworm farm at Cape Town's Mount Nelson Hotel, which has been successfully reducing one ton of waste every month for the past four years. Mary was persuaded to open ‘Full Cycle’ at Noordhoek.

FullCycle has now set up a large vermicomposting centre at Noordhoek . The food waste from the restaurants at the Noordhoek Farm Village is collected daily and fed to the worms. The 'waste' is collected by bicycle and trailer, and the vermicompost and vermitea are used in the gardens at the Noordhoek Farm Village, other ‘rubbish’ is recycled into usable and beautiful artifacts.

Which are in turn sold through the retail shops lining the compound. Of course, all this activity attracts like minded people, so, before you know it, you’ve got a Café Roux, offering al fresco dining and drinking, music and laughter and more people coming to enjoy the fun. Locals and tourists, families and friends.

One thing leads to another and, of course, a village needs a pub, so what more sensible option than for ‘The Toad’ to open up on the farm. The Toad in the Village, a country pub and restaurant, opened in December 2008. In winter both the ground and upper floors boast large roaring open wood fires and in summer the outside beer garden and upper deck between the trees give it an ‘every season’ feel.

All these people visiting for a great occasion need other things too – shopping and relaxing, perhaps? There is a full range of shops and services to fulfil many relaxing needs.

Shops around the village green include an old-fashioned trading post, a health and beauty salon, a funky designer’s, a local craft shop and an art gallery specialising in local artists. Continuing the good food theme, a fine wine boutique and an internationally acclaimed bakery and delicatessen provide more outlets for local South African agriculture and viniculture.

Noordhoek is almost synonymous with horses, horse-riding and all things equine so it is common to see horses ambling down the village lane, and a popular activity is a horse ride along the white sands of Noordhoek beach. In the Old Post House Building is a tack and leather shop- stocking a range of local leatherware, gifts and a range of horse riding gear.

Noordhoek is bordered by Table Mountain National Park and surrounded by a conservancy so a structural plan protecting low-density zoning was passed in the late 1970’s. Even the paddocks are protected to ensure the equine nature will always remain. “It’s all too much, you’ll just have to come and live here” Says Pam Goulding who runs the estate agency on the farm.

Noordhoek Farm Village is the result of a great deal of vision, planning and years of hard work and commitment by the developer Jeremy Wiley, who knew that a serious and sustainable tourist attraction could be built around good food and recycling. Who would have believed that 10 years ago?

Another piece of the jigsaw has just been put in place – the Noordhoek Hotel - a delightful boutique hotel built around a luxuriously scented garden – where mien host is the affable, incredibly committed, knowledgeable and professional Colin White.
With all this and a commitment to ecological building and low energy operation,

Noordhoek Farm village is a true sustainable tourism destination for the 10’s, offering vision, education a substantial contribution to the local economy and, above all, a commitment to a functioning ideal.

Valere Tjolle

Full Suite of 4 2010 Sustainable Tourism Reports will be available shortly For anyone interested in sustainable tourism these are must-have reports. They will: Inform your planning * Inform your investing * Inform your colleagues * Maximise your ROI * Help you create winning sustainable strategies. Get a free executive summary, contents and special offer – email valere@travelmole.com

Namibia Breaks the Mould of African Wildlife Conservation and Tourism

2010-02-02T04:12:00.000-08:00

Welcoming Lena

It’s been a hard day. The 4wd has smashed into an ex river course and broken a tyre so it had to be changed in the baking sun/torrential rain. We’re late, so no time to stop even for a drink before we have to engage the Defender’s 4 wheel drive and scramble up a muddy vertical incline to the tented camp. A welcome soft drink, cold towel, and welcome from the manager - my kind driver departs, leaving me to a briefing from the assistant manager/pilot – nice guy from Kerala.

The briefing involves: “We’ve got a few black scorpions and occasionally see puff adders” – “So no armed guard to see me to my room and frighten the lions like last night, at your other camp then!” – “No but you’re our only guest tonight so we don’t want to lose you” – “Only me?” – “Only you!” “How many staff?” “thirty-four”. Wow.

Time to wash and change, admire the view from the veranda (stunning vast, deep, long basalt rock-strewn valley made green by the recent rain) and explore the room/tent (style and utility combined – toiletries, tea, big shower, comfy bed, large verandah – no scorpions or snakes).

Dinner for one; small table right in the middle of the restaurant with a view. Set for two? Local custom? No, the manager, Lena, sits down beside me. “They want to know what you want to eat” she says – “Do I have to choose” – “No, we’ll have everything on the menu, I want to try it ALL!”

I realized that Lena was a larger than life character. This is confirmed when she shows me her feet “Size 10, you know, because I didn’t wear shoes until I was 12 years old – none of us did – plastic bags sometimes, but not shoes – and we didn’t have money either”

So what’s the story? Lena’s grandparents had been moved from South Africa to make way for a military camp. She’d spent her early life as a goatherd, actually bored out of her wits, she was constantly getting into trouble. And when her community was one of the first to apply to organize a conservancy, with a tourist lodge - Lena had applied for a job as manager. “I could do it” she said. But her brother had got the job, because he had precedence, and she’d gone to another lodge to work, very hard, because now she had something to prove.

When her brother had fouled up (“due to them having given him money,” she said – “it was new to us, we didn’t have money before”) Lena had got the job and here she was.

“But you’re a real professional, Lena!” “Yeah, they train us, they even sent me to the Kansas City Ramada to work – all those cream cakes I’d never seen before – I was a skinny little thing when I went there, look at me now! I did everything, marketing, front of house, chef, washer-up, reservations, reception, chambermaid, waiting, concierge – everything. You can’t manage staff until you can do their jobs yourself, can you?”

“Wilderness Safaris /) and the Conservancies change people’s lives, you know”

I’m in Namibia and this was a typical conversation, not just at the award-winning Damaraland Camp on the country’s first conservancy – Torra, but everywhere. The country is riding high on the success of the unique conservancy programme which allows local communities take charge of their local wildlife. The programme delivers financial benefits, a sense of ownership and pride to the communities; a burgeoning wildlife population to the country, the tourists and the environment; and major commercial opportunities to SMEs like Wilderness Safaris. Plus, of course, a successful formula for the knotty mix of tourism and conservation that is an exportable, transferable commodity.

I wasn’t surprised the next early morning to be shown round the conservancy by one of the brightest, youngest and most accomplished wildlife guides I’ve ever met. Raymond explained that he was training an assistant, Anthony – and they both managed to give me a morning to remember. We tracked desert elephants and found them again and again added to a vast variety of other wildlife that the pair knowledgeably identified in the remarkable terrain.

Later, in Windhoek, I talked to Rob Moffat of Wilderness, a passionate advocate of both Namibia and the conservancy system. “It really works, you know” he said “We plough back everything we can and we get total commitment. At the end of the day it boils down to ownership and involvement”

So far Namibia is a real success story. The conservancy system is working so well that, spurred on by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (http://www.met.gov.na/) the Millennium Challenge Corporation is in the process of investing over $300m in the country including a hefty $60m in tourism.

And for some very good reasons…

Namibia was the first African country to incorporate protection of the environment into its constitution. The Government of Namibia has reinforced this by giving its communities the opportunity and rights to manage their wildlife through communal conservancies. In existence for over 20 years, the Community Based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) Programme is a successful multi-faceted approach to rural development and conservation. Covering a massive 16% of the country over 130,000 square kilometers of prime wildlife habitat, the conservancy movement has grown dramatically over the past decade with 59 communities (with over 230,000 members) already registered and a further 30 in the pipeline.

Economic benefits to communities have increased tangibly since the start of the CBNRM programme, from less than N$600,000 in 1998 to N$41.9 million (US$ 5.7 million) in 2008. Most of this growth has come from tourism. As tourism to the normal destinations in Namibia have grown, there has been a parallel growth in the level of interest demonstrated by tour operators, lodge investors and independent tourists in the remote wildlands of Namibia, much of which are now covered by communal conservancies. Many of these conservancies contain spectacular scenery, rich cultures and burgeoning wildlife populations including elephant, rhino and lion, all of which make them highly attractive to the tourism sector.

Within the Communal Conservancy Tourism Sector, there are now 29 formal joint-venture lodges and campsites (like the relationship between Torra and Wilderness Safaris) that work in collaboration with the host communities to achieve both conservation and development objectives at the local level. And there’s another 15 on the way. At the moment joint ventures conservancies represent 856 beds, 789 full-time jobs and over 250 seasonal positions. More than N$ 145 million (US$ 19 million) has been invested in tourism in communal conservancies in this way by the private sector since 1998.

In this way, tourism contributes direct cash payments to conservancies, salaries for employees, staff training, and related benefits such as payments of cash and in-kind contributions (equipment, donated services, etc.) to village development committees, local schools, etc. These are new or additional activities which give many households access to cash and other benefits that they never had before, and that would not have been possible prior this innovative conservancy legislation in 1996. This has directly translated into conservation benefits with poaching being almost totally eliminated, communities setting aside land for exclusive use of wildlife and resulting expanding populations of all wildlife even including animals such as elephant, lion and black rhino.

And there are many less tangible social benefits like greater confidence and empowerment, on-the-job training, travel opportunities, improved governance, accountability and transparency.

Namibia’s got some of the most sensational scenery and wildife in the world, and it’s being turned to real community advantage by a potent cocktail of enabling legislation, private sector involvement, and massive, educated, donor funding and technical assistance.

The proof of the pudding? A dramatically enhanced wildlife count, strong and stewarded cultural values, a prosperous and growing tourism economy, satisfied visitors, a profitable private sector but most importantly enthusiastic, educated and committed people like Lena, Raymond and Anthony – the necessary seed corn for a truly sustainable tourism industry.

Valere Tjolle

Beautiful Warm, Sunny, Sexy, Sassy City Wants a Relationship not Footballers Wives One Night Stands

2010-01-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Art and CultureTeam at Manenberg getting set for World Cup Benefits

What comes to your mind when you think of Cape Town? A fabulous warm winter sun destination with glorious beaches, stunning scenery, great shopping, superb food, colourful music and wild nightlife – but tempered with the edgy threat of violence, robbery and mugging perhaps?

South Africa’s beautiful, feisty and independent ‘Mother City’, (ruled by the Democratic Alliance rather than the ANC) is on a fast-track roller coaster route to racial empowerment after the 46-year bottling-up process of Apartheid.

And now, not only has this tourism destination par excellence won the prestigious Virgin Responsible Tourism Destination Award, but also it is to be a principal host of the – mass participation - 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mutually exclusive goals, you may presume.

When I interviewed Sindiswa Nhlumayo, Deputy Director General of South Africa Tourism last year, I was very impressed with her clear articulation of the SA policy to focus tourism and the world cup for local economic empowerment SEE VIDEO

So it was worth a trip to South Africa to see how all this principle is applied in practice:

Everybody in Cape Town talks and, in particular they like to talk about sport – cricket if you’re coloured, rugby if you’re white and soccer if you’re black – generalizations of course because you can talk about sport (or politics or anything else) to anybody. Try curbing their friendliness and passion. The enthusiasm is catching.

And they all love to talk about the stadium. Greenpoint by name, and perhaps green by nature, the superb 70,000-seat stadium has the usual long list of energy-efficient, water-conservation and waste management technologies and systems. But, most important are the efforts that have been made by the City to make environmental, social and economic sustainability an integral part of each action informing responsible operational thinking at every level.

For instance, the stadium has minimal car parking places which means that spectators will have to arrive by local taxi (benefitting local business) or walk 30 or so minutes along the specially-created Fan Walk. Apart from being of benefit to spectators to get fresh air, it should also be advantageous to local traders’ financial health and spin economic benefits widely.

All of the green issues have obviously been considered and discussed very widely indeed. Although the UNEP Green Passport has not been printed, the locally-instituted Green Goal initiative has just issued an in depth 45 page progress report covering everything from Community Based Organisations to venue-specific training sites. Lorraine Gerrans, SEE VIDEO Cape Town’s manager of the project told me last week that no effort has been spared to make sure the event leaves a positive legacy for the region’s people.SEE WEBSITE AND ANOTHER WEBSITE

Will tourism benefit, or be damaged by the one-off world cup event? Well, the fact is that June is off season in Cape Town and, after a terrible high season (maybe 20%+ down) the football event visitors will certainly provide much needed top-up revenue.

And Cape Town Tourism has taken quite enormous steps to make its tourism truly sustainable. Sadly it is unusual to talk to destination marketing organizations who really understand the opportunities inherent in sustainable tourism, but, if Marisah Smith, marketing officer of Cape Town Tourism is an example, Cape Town really talks the talk AND walks the walk.

Of course they should. Yes, Cape Town won the responsible tourism prize in 2009
SEE AWARDS But it has been practicing the process for at least 7 years since the Cape Town Declaration in 2002 SEE CAPE TOWN DECLARATION

And key to the process is the recognition of tourism’s power as a method of economic development. In this respect, it certainly helps to have a minister of tourism who has power and responsibility for both areas. Lianne Burton, CapeTown's destination marketing manager told me that it is really beneficial to be part of a powerful department headed by Mansoor Mohamed, who is the City’s Executive Director for Economic, Social Development and Tourism. A particular added advantage is that Mansoor is passionate and knowledgeable about the environment.

What does all this mean in practice? These sorts of policies should spawn diverse, profitable, innovative and sustainable tourism enterprises that reap the benefits of tourism, educate and financially empower the population bottom-up and create a beneficial, truly sustainable industry.

A couple of Cape Town examples:
Noordhoek Farm Village, the brainchild of Jeremy Wiley is close to the Atlantic by the statuesque Chapman’s Peak Parkway SEE Noordhoek Village

The village -in effect a traditional farm homestead - encompasses two superb restaurants, a gastropub, a world - class bakery and deli, a riding stable (for beach treks), a luxury boutique hotel, a number of shops and a tourism information centre. There is a market garden to provide fresh food and a recycling centre to get rid of the consequent waste. Local people, domestic, regional and international tourists are thereby able to enjoy a truly local offer that compromises not one jot on quality or service.They really GET IT - adding another quality to the sustainability mix - QUALITY.

At the other end of the scale Manenberg is a 70,000 resident Cape Town township that was created by the apartheid government for low income coloured families in the Cape Flats. Manenberg is the scene of another emerging destination – the Manenberg Waterfront bordering on a large inland lake, created by the local silica mine. The area is rich in flora and fauna, especially birds. The Waterfront Development currently includes an Arts and Culture Centre as well as opportunities for a trade and craft market, residents who live alongside the Waterfront are developing campsites, walks and recreation facilities. SEE Proudly Manenberg

So, the message is big events and tourism can benefit residents of destinations at all levels, whether you’re rich or poor, white or black or coloured. Cape Town is doing it.

The only clouds on the horizon… will the Greenpoint Stadium prove to be a nearly billion dollar white elephant? …will truly local traders actually get to sell their wares to the FIFA – controlled fans?…Will the open borders (part of the SA/FIFA proposal) let in trafficked children, prostitutes and criminals?... will the water (or the beer!) run out?

The City of Cape Town and its public/private partnership tourism organization is truly inspirational. Their tough attitude is characterized in a recent local press spat after Lianne Burton, marketing manager emphasized the need for quality rather than quantity of tourists.

Let’s hope that the 2010 World Cup truly puts this beautiful, warm, sexy, sassy city on the map and really showcases its sustainable tourism achievements. It’s not hard to fall in love with Cape Town and its engaging inhabitants – the challenge for Cape Town is to morph a brief and passionate affair into a fulfilling long term relationship.

Valere Tjolle

Full Suite of 4 2010 Sustainable Tourism Reports will be available shortly For anyone interested in sustainable tourism these are must-have reports. They will: Inform your planning * Inform your investing * Inform your colleagues * Maximise your ROI * Help you create winning sustainable strategies

Contact valere@travelmole.com

Airline Ambassadors Act to Stop Child Trafficking

2009-11-30T10:18:00.000-08:00

It all began in Cambodia. Three AAI people were walking down the dirt road of a small village near Siem Riep, when they saw her. A tiny girl standing on a dirt floor under a house on stilts – she had no CLOTHES, no HAIR, and no NAME.

This was a “Karaoke Baby”, the result of a mother trapped into prostitution that took place behind the Karaoke Bars that lined the village streets. She was clearly malnourished and had been trying to draw clothes on her body with a red marking pen she had found.

Deb Quigley, Airline Ambassador mission leader for the trip, handed her a balloon. The group asked others in the neighborhood about the little girl. They assured them she had no NAME and foraged as she could for food...the villagers called her NO HAIR, as someone had shaved her head to keep lice away. Her mother sometimes came back and wanted to give the child away to anyone who would take her….so far no one had, and little No Name just stood there in the dirt, under the house, waiting for her fate.

The group could have walked away, but when they looked back and she waved her hand slightly …their hearts melted. They took that innocent little girl into their arms and brought her to the New Hope Clinic for evaluation. Although she was malnourished, and full of lice, she was not beyond hope. The AAI contact there Kerry Huntley, agreed to care for the child, (as she is for 6 others) with a house mother and provide her with food, clothing, and education and through Airline Ambassadors, she will be sponsored. Kelly gave her a name – Somnang which means “New Hope”.

What would have happened if they had walked away? Somnang, like thousands of others like her, would have either died or been abducted into a life of slavery and prostitution.

In Cambodia you learn about the global scourge of Child Trafficking, and that it is now affecting 1.2 Million children a year…many of whom are being bought and sold like merchandise and flown on airplanes across borders to lives of modern day slavery.

The cabin crew of all airlines can play a vital role in identifying potential trafficking. The following month an AAI humanitarian team of 12 talked about this on their mission to the Dominican Republic. They brought gifts of clothing, shoes and food to Ninos de Christo orphanage and reflected at how these children were being protected from the dangers of life on the streets.

Aware of the danger, an AAI team noticed suspicious behavior on two departing flights.

Upon informing the flight attendants (Delta and jetBlue) Airline Ambassadors team members relayed the 800 # to call and alert ground authorities with Immigration- Customs- Enforcement. (ICE). In both cases traffickers were abducted, and an AAI team had relayed vital information that may have saved lives. Flight attendants are asking for more information and are ready to help.

Airline Ambassadors is now embarking on a major campaign via a program for Child Welfare to focus on Prevention of trafficking, Protection of children, and Prosecution of illicit traffickers by providing an industry wide education campaign for airlines and flight crews.

Stay tuned for more information on the AAI “Blue Lightning Campaign” call US 866-ANGEL-86 if you would like to help.

Valere Tjolle

Why Not Let Tourism Concern Die?

2009-11-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

Tourism Concern has been on the financial ropes for years. They’ve never managed to get any reasonable core funding to support their activities. Their membership (the only sustainable revenue they have) is stagnating. Their project funding is drying up. Their latest accounts show that they had just £16,616 of assets, £8,400 down from last year. They’re doing a half-price fire sale. It’s pretty easy to do the maths, isn’t it?

In this penury, they are still questioning, and putting the brakes on, successful concepts like ‘All Inclusives’, Burma Tourism, Tsunami reconstruction, Voluntourism, low wages etc etc.

And they pick fights with big, powerful organizations like Hilton, TUI and anybody else, big, that gets in their way. In brief, Tourism Concern is an annoying boil on the heel of mass tourism development.

In the words of one person commenting on a recent travelmole story: “Maybe, if Tourism Concern spent less of their time pursuing their one-sided, politically motivated, and ill-informed campaign against travel to Burma, then they might not find themselves in such a financial pickle. Perhaps Lonely Planet will help out”

In another life, perhaps.

So why don’t we let them die?

And, by ‘we’ I don’t mean the behemoths and bigwigs of the industry. I mean ‘us’, the millions of people who work at every level of the business, selling holidays, operating holidays, carrying holidaymakers, entertaining holidaymakers.

Because WE, and our night’s sleep, need them more than anyone else.

Where is there another independent, qualified, experienced, connected, investigative, fiery agency that will tell us what happens in destinations - warts ‘n all?
We want to organize holidays with a clean conscience, to give our clients experiences of a lifetime and we want to go home at night and sleep, in the knowledge that nobody is being deprived, humiliated, dispossessed and impoverished because of our work. Don’t we?

How can we do that without Tourism Concern finding fault in destinations, investigating the issues and screaming about them?

Yes, of course, there are other agencies that do the same sort of work. The Travel Foundation has developed absolutely fantastic projects and is gradually making the tourism industry more sustainable.

But it’s not an aggressive, unreconstructed bunch like Tourism Concern. After all it’s sponsored by the well-meaning ‘Great and Good’ of the travel industry so it can’t forget its manners like Tourism Concern can, and weigh in with an aggressive press release, TV or radio broadcast when it feels like it.

And, with all this colourful campaigning, it’s easy to forget the steady work that Tourism Concern has done over the last 20 years.

Did you remember that Tourism Concern material is used by 75% of our secondary schools?
Did you remember that it was Tourism Concern that started the CSR movement in the travel industry with its seminal work ‘Corporate Futures: Consultation on good practice; social responsibility in the tourism industry’.
Did you remember that Tourism Concern maintains the Best Travel Library Anywhere – FREE

But at its heart Tourism Concern is a passionate, no holds barred, erudite, articulate campaigning organization, independently delivering the travel industry’s conscience.
And no-one that gets their pay in the travel industry can operate without their conscience, can they? However annoying it may be.

A donation or membership fee of a few quid, dollars or Euros will help them stay alive. It’s worth it for a night’s sleep, isn’t it?

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Gothenburg Sustainable Tourism – Good Egg?

2009-11-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

Because a Farmer’s Wife and Daughter Calls the Tune

Anyway, here I was in Gothenburg after the heavy duty ETC Symposium on ‘Tourism Moving to the Green Economy’ SEE

Very impressive – highlights for me were Geoffrey Lipman’s opening UNWTO presentation which actually said it all, Erika Harms of the UN Foundation for Sustainable Development breaking the news to me about the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria getting teeth of its own , and the girl from the international railway unions, Margrethe Sagevik

But the top number 1 heartwarming meeting was with the Swedish Minister of Tourism and Economics (and Deputy Prime Minister), Maud Eriksson, who was prepared to give me half an hour of her valuable time to tell me just how (50% more money in the tourism budget) and why (it’s commonsense) Sweden was supporting sustainable tourism SEE INTERVIEW

Now, Maud is a farmer’s wife and daughter, sensible, committed, middle-ground, well known and well liked in Sweden. Her last initiative was the household service act whereby you can engage a plumber and pay no tax for it. Neat, made the black economy white in one stroke AND got a lot of work for a lot of people. Plus, I’ve got a good kitchen cloth with Maud’s smiling face on it (saying “At Your Household Service” just to show how fond the Swedes are of her.

So, how’s all this sustainable tourism playing out in Gothenburg, I thought? Do the minister’s words actually trickle down, is this a programme with some integrity or yet another dose of marketing greenwash? I had half a day, so let’s walk and see.

But first, after all that talk, and before the walk, I need to enjoy a heavy-duty sustaining breakfast. I’m staying at the Liseborg Heden hotel, which was one of the very first to get a top grade green certification, so I’m assuming that breakfast would be great in both senses of the word.

It was. An incredible variety of organic speciality breads. Superb free-range eggs and meat. Transendental yoghurts, cheeses and cream cheeses. Great big bowls of jams and superb honey. Teas and coffees that smelled and tasted like they really should. Breakfast certainly passed the taste-test. I carried my full belly into the hotel’s herb garden to talk to the hotel’s chefs Monika and Johan. Do they really know what they’re doing and why, I thought…

SEE the mouth-watering interview with Johan and Monika

Then I walked…

OK, Sweden’s second city (500,000 inhabitants) is a very appealing city AND the September sun was shining, but I did notice that the streets had very little litter of any sort. No paper, no wrappings, no beggars, very little dirt. You can feel that the people are friendly and they take a pride in their environment. It’s palpable.

Walking down the wide main street with its elegant buildings was a delight. And, I didn’t have to walk to be guilt free. Gothenburg has the world’s largest biogas fuelled fleet of busses, a very efficient tram service and, with a sensational 450km of cycle tracks.

Then I got to a real breath of fresh air – the city centre rose garden. Trägårdsföreningen Horticultural Society Gardens, by the side of the central canal are a truly delightful experience, with magnificent rose gardens and an elegant 1878 re-construction of London’s Crystal Palace which could challenge the Eden Centre. For a quiet, dreamy, scent filled walk making full use of Gothenburg’s proximity to the Gulf Stream, you could get no better and a real demonstration of the environment in full action.

Local environment – local foods? I vaguely remembered that Sweden was the most committed nation to sustainable food. Gothenburg has 600 municipal restaurants and school kitchens that serve 11 million ecological meals a year. So, a visit to the market was on the cards before lunch. The local fish market is said to be the oldest in Sweden and the produce market has an enormous variety of local food – cheese, eggs, pickled herrings, the lot. More to the point, all the stallholders know and understand the issues and make the most of them.

Lunch (traditional Swedish food – naturally herring, then stew) - and listen to the chef Mats Nordstrom VIEW VIDEO:

Then the shopping walk. Great coffee shops selling locally-made pastries, and a stroll through the variety of local shops (in the city centre, would you believe?) including the design shop where you can buy the kitchen cloth with Maud’s picture on it. Good Swedish humour; and a good Swedish coffee to end the day.

Sustainable?

Economically, the Swedes know that it costs money and it makes money so they’ve invested another hefty 50% of their budget in sustainable tourism that’s 50m SKr.

Environmentally, you just need to see the country and talk to the inhabitants and know that they’re serious about looking after their built and natural environment.

Socially and Culturally, try the local food, buy the local design and artisan work. In Sweden, it’s important. Initiatives like THIS

Climate Change, OK with the Gulf Stream breaking up, Gothenburg may well be more affected than other cities. But the Swedes take it seriously and stoically. Largest production of biogas, low energy building initiatives, 400 recycling stations, stations for dangerous goods. And they gave the 2007 Goteborg Award for sustainable development to Al Gore.

It’s a bit of a no-brainer, Sweden has to have their act together, after all they’ve put their hat on the green peg and Stockholm is going to be Europe’s first ‘Green’ Capital in 2010. But you can’t but admire the commitment the whole population has to the green lifestyle, can you?

Valere Tjolle

Spain Sustainable Tourism – The Parson’s Egg?

2009-11-18T05:58:00.000-08:00

Juan Luis and Belem at Casa de Diaz

Good in parts …Or why the Camino de Santiago could deliver tourism benefits for another thousand years, even though sustainable tourism destination marketing, delivery and training is rubbish.

I met Dolores Ordonez earlier this year at the Gothenburg Tourism Symposium. She was so enthusiastic about sustainable tourism in Majorca SEE VIDEO, I followed up with an interview with Spanish General Director of Tourism, Antonio Bernabe Garcia. The ministry official confirmed that Spain had granted an extra 500m Euros for sustainable tourism development SEE VIDEO. Why not find out for myself, I thought?

The world-famous Camino de Santiago is a gift from God for sustainable tourism in Spain. Nothing could be more sustainable or could deliver direct local benefits than a good pilgrimage, and the Camino is in the world’s top 10. Nowhere other than Jerusalem and Rome have more credibility in Christendom, and only the Hadj actually delivers more pilgrims.

Routes of up to 1200km stretch out like a spider’s web from Santiago de Compostela bringing pilgrims and their spend in from all over Europe. From Poland to Portugal, they walk, bike, or drive to Santiago to get their Compostela (certificate of accomplishment). Hotels, shops, restaurants, guides benefit all along the routes and in Santiago itself.

Earliest records date the beginnings of the route to the 8th century, so that’s over 1,000 years of almost uninterrupted tourism. Although there have been times when the route has lost popularity now isn’t one of them. Last year, over 150,000 pilgrims were recorded. Next year is a year of Xacobeo (happens every time 25th July – St James Day – falls on a Sunday) so it’s a big festival year and a big increase again. Added to which the Vatican has announced its own programme of inclusive pilgrimages to Santiago. The future for the Camino could hardly be more rosy.

My first stop, naturally, the Spanish Tourist Office in London. Although the staff were charming, polite and very happy to try to get something organised, the words “Sustainable Tourism” simply produced a nice smile and no actual hard information.
Anyway, they did organise the trip with the Galician Tourist Board. Standard middle-aged fare was booked. Small hotels on a dinner bed and breakfast basis, bags moved from hotel to hotel every night. Not the heavy duty mass participant Camino, but one organised for a less demanding taster.

The hotel we booked for the first night in Madrid was excellent – Chic and Basic Mayerling described it perfectly. By the time we got there, though, we were in desperate need of a large helping of hospitality – my companion had been pick-pocketed on the metro and had lost the lot. The hotel couldn’t have been more helpful, thoughtful and kind.

And the Madrid police were equally helpful. They rang within an hour to say that the (empty) purse had been found. All this meant we missed the train to Sarria, the starting point for our walk. Never mind, after some 51 telephone calls and a dozen pieces of misinformation, another route had been identified, phew.

Why so many calls and so much misinformation? Because, apparently there isn’t one Spanish tourism information point in the country’s capital city, but one for each autonomous community – over 16 of them! So, try organising a trip by rail from Madrid to Leon (Leon) and then by coach to Lugo (Galicia). Seems simple? 51 calls later not so simple.

Although the bus time information was incorrect, the arrival at Casa de Diaz was as fortuitous and as hospitable as it could be. The hotel was fabulous, quirky and welcoming to the extreme with a meal being specially cooked for two at 11pm, with an accompanying commentary by Juan Luis Lopez Diaz – the owner, prompted by his chef, waitress, pa, chambermaid - Belem. See pic.

Hands-on hosting continued the following day with a Juan Luis & Belem personally escorted trip to Samos monastery with special VIP guiding from the busy, genial Nokia-toting Abbot, Father Jose Luis and his committed knowledgeable young assistant, Mar Vasquez.

We got all we needed to know about sustainable tourism, history, Benedictines and the Camino in an enthusiasm-packed hour. Samos is a major staging point on the pilgrimage, offering true hospitality, board and lodge to as many as want it (up to 200 a night in clean mixed dormitories). Efficiently, kindly and non-judgementally.

After lunch, the walk, stunning scenery, chestnut and mushroom laden woods, and the rain, started - to certainly the worst night stop on the route – O Foilebar. Place to dry wet clothes? No. Nice hot bath or shower? No. Good dinner? No. More depressing rain? Yes.

So, a sad, wet start to the day ensued and another long walk in the rain (it’s always long when it’s raining). To a superb Casa Rectoral owned and run by vet Cesar Ouro and his wife Marisa who certainly knew their meat and greet! Thoughtfully-designed renovation, warm and comfortable with every attention to sustainability, best bathroom ever. Great dinner of local chicken, delicious rice, baked apple and lots of information, followed by the best breakfast of Iberico ham, pressed orange juice, local bread, jam and cheese, great coffee.

Long trog in more rain to a posh granite historic mansion with a massive stone staircase near Castanedo; Pazo de Sedor - quality room, quality food, beautiful interior.

Another rainy walk to O Muino de Pena possibly the star of our Camino, Javier Rey had two distinct advantages, training in top hotels and good command of English. The quirky hotel is a watermill so can supply its own power and is very sustainably managed.

See VIDEO interview Javier and his hotel. The long walk to Santiago was well worth it. Magnificent city, fabulous Cathedral, superb hotel – Costa Vella . AND the sun came out. It’s very infrequent that one stays in a truly remarkable hotel. If so this is it – listen to Jose Antonio Linares and see the future of tourism: SEE VIDEO

The Camino de Santiago is a truly enormous opportunity for Spain’s sustainable tourism. It offers the sort of tourism that is now much in demand. The pilgrimage can deliver health in many forms to its participants – spiritual, physical and mental included. It can change the way tourists look at their environmental, cultural and social background. Key issues are the blend of faiths (or none) using the trail, and cultural interaction for singles, couples and families of all ages and social classes, religions, complexions, countries and tongues. Even single women feel safe and protected.

And tourist trails and pilgrimages are established, and very sustainable, tourism concepts. At their best, they offer trail tourism providers a cohesive product, co-operative marketing, training and marketing development. They can increase duration of stay and spread tourism income. They can offer real rural economic development opportunities. Or not. Essentially it’s down to people, training and motivation.

The people and the product we met, saw and used were like the Parson’s Egg – good in parts, but when they were good they were very, very good.

The stars of the show were Juan Luis & Belem offering heartfelt hospitality, Fr Jose Luis and Mar Vasquez at Samos who offer the complete sustainable tourism package, and the small hoteliers delivering their dream for your consumption. In particular Jose Antonio Linares in Santiago who will go a very long way indeed.

All this is let down by training. For example - the fact is that it rains a lot in Galicia and people walk the trail. Why no drying facilities for wet clothes? These issues sort out the sheep from the lambs – in Santiago the CostaVella has its own umbrellas printed with its logo.
The more important negative is marketing. The trail we took ‘Bono Iacobus’ is managed by Turgalicia (http://www.turgalicia.es) and operated by Viajes Viloria, a big local agency. Who knows how they do their costings but from my investigations hotels get paid about 60-70 Euros/room a night and Viloria charge up to 800 Euros for two people for 5 nights. OK bags need to be transported, but nonetheless a 100% +mark up is hardly a good example of a private/public partnership. The Bono Iacobus would be infinitely better served by a co-operative of the participating hotels, they could certainly accumulate sufficient money and expertise to get their Bono directly marketed on the web. At all of the trail hotels, we were the only clients. Very sad.

Spain really needs to brush up its sustainable act. The country has a wonderful tourism product that can deliver great benefits to all. They certainly understand this at the top level of government and in big time mass tourism destinations. Spain is a tourism economy, after all – it should understand.

But sustainability has not yet become understood throughout the system, particularly at the destination marketing and the delivery level.

The Camino will carry on delivering its message and go from strength to strength, but so far the talk about ‘Green Spain’ refers to the colour of the countryside rather than the tourism economy.

Valere Tjolle

Kazakhstan’s Yellow Brick Road to Sustainable Tourism

2009-11-06T06:32:00.000-08:00

Will Kazakhstan avoid the mass tourism trap with a heady mix of new airports, gambling and ecotourism?

The enormous and oil-rich Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan isn’t sparing a penny in its drive to become THE major regional tourism hub. With Russia, China and India all just 4 hours away by jet, big, rich and eager markets lie very close to this massive, sparsely-populated, land-locked state.

The world’s 9^th largest country, bigger than Western Europe, has a population smaller than Holland’s, but a deep and colourful heritage in keeping with its size and unique position between East and West.

The Kazakhs are deeply protective of their history, culture and environment and very keen on taking the sustainable tourism path to protect it. However, mass tourism’s big bucks are terribly attractive to a country that’s only been open for business for less than 20 years.

From the flat, bare steppe to the Altay mountains, the country’s geography could hardly be more diverse incorporating tremendous sea-size lakes, year-round snow-capped peaks, even a canyon said to be more spectacular that Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

The country’s culture is no less impressive. It is said that the horse was first habituated here and every Kazakh reveres the animal, enjoying a splendid variety of unique equestrian games. And, because of Kazakhstan’s unique position at the extreme west of Central Asia, bordered by superpowers Russia and China, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and on the Silk Road trade route, the country’s history is complex and colourful to say the least.

There is also an extraordinarily wide variety of food and drink. The apple was originally discovered in this area, fat fruity grapes are grown and it was here also that the tulip was originally found. Markets are full to bursting with an enormous range of unusual fruits and vegetables, jams, honeys and meats.

So, Kazakhstan has a cornucopia of undeveloped ecotourism opportunities. Although there is hardly a sophisticated tourism infrastructure, the potential for a wide variety of value-added niche activities, including farm and home stays, horse trekking, walking and mountain climbing, nature trails, botanic holidays, ski-trekking, winter sports and many other activities abound. Packaged into sustainable offers, these sorts of holidays would deliver economic benefits directly into rural areas. Locals and tourists alike could also share in Kazakhstan’s cultural and social wealth.

But low impact tourism does not deliver quick-fix high impact, high profile financial benefits whereas massive developments do.

So Kazakhstan is trying to catch both big prizes, hoping that they are not mutually exclusive. The scale of its developments reflect the bigness of the country, the size of its ambitions and the enormous opportunities that are available.

Knowing that such opportunities are fleeting, Kazakhstan is moving rapidly to grasp proffered partnerships and gain a regional first mover advantage.

Just the top four current mega-resort developments Illustrate the scale envisaged – these alone will provide well over 100,000 beds, translating into over 5-10 million tourists a year:

In 2011, the Asian winter games is scheduled to be held in Almaty see: The high grade winter sports destinations of Medeu and Shymbaluk are superbly located ex Soviet resorts that are undergoing complete refurbishment to provide a showcase for Kazakh tourism. New venues being built here include a multipurpose Sports Palace which will seat up to 15,000 spectators, a ski jump complex, a biathlon stadium, and an athlete village. And, of course, thousands of new hotel beds in every grade. The Kazakh state has reportedly allocated up to US$1bn for redevelopment.

Kendirli Resort on the Caspian Sea - It must be a good place, the president has a villa there! Upscale beach tourism, first phase involves 20,000 beds.

Burabay Resort on lake Burabay is another revamped soviet-style holiday resort that is being dramatically upgraded and expanded with the assistance of a major Swiss developer another 20,000+ beds.

OZ – a second Las Vegas in Kazakhstan. Imagine a major international airport with two runways, a scaled-up Epcot with seven of the world’s iconic cities (Venice, San Francisco etc), a top notch racetrack plus up to 1,000 restaurants, 80,000 hotel beds, a tourism school and 275,000 residences all fuelled by 25 casinos. Even if these projections are well off – it certainly will be big!

See exclusive interview with the US-based developer, Mark Advent CLICK HERE

“Cinderella” rural tourism is still highly undeveloped and very small-scale in Kazakhstan. Although the Kazakhs have a deep tradition of hospitality, this has not yet translated into an ecotourism industry although it should have very opportunity to do so if given the appropriate support.

Eco-tourism.kz has had a tiny amount of financial support from Exxon Mobil, the oil company . The organisation’s 80 or 90 homestays provide its major income and activity but as they frequently don’t have running water and are largely unaware of western tourists’ needs (eg non-meat breakfasts), the industry still has a long way to go.

Ecotourism therefore provides a dramatic contrast to the burgeoning mass tourism industry development. The challenge is that sustainable tourism could be drowned out and die through lack of finance and interest.

The hope is that mass tourism will provide the stimulus for ecotourism growth or at least an opportunity for small private sector Kazakh companies and individuals to benefit from inbound tourists’ spend.

As it is, the level of mass tourism envisaged holds every danger of commodifying Kazakh culture and developing a major industry with little or no benefit for the local population.

The underlying problem of mass tourism development can be a destructive cocktail of horribly low paid employment, environmental degradation, social disintegration, prostitution, crime and massive financial leakages to tax havens. We’ve seen it all before.

The passing glance at Kazakh ecotourism needs to be formalised into a cohesive arrangement so that locally-beneficial projects can feed off the mass tourism arrivals as is now the case in many big destination projects pioneered by the Travel Foundation . Even then you can be sure that Tourism Concern , if it survives, will keep its beady eye on developments.

The key is political pressure from within Kazakhstan and in source markets for true value added high yield tourism to develop the sustainable economic and social benefits that are available.

Valere Tjolle

Sarkozy Snub for UNWTO

2009-10-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

French and Kazakhstani presidents operated a tightly choreographed diplomatic move yesterday at the UN World Tourism Assembly in a game of Sarkozy Says.

What would the president of the world's most important tourism destination say to the assembled masses of tourism ministers gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan? Speculation was rife.
Security had been ratcheted up a couple of notches at the Independence Palace where the event was being held.

President Sarkozy was in Astana to conclude 12billion euros' worth of deals with his opposite number, president Nursultan Nazarbayev, and a short visit to the tourism assembly was scheduled. In the Palace of Independence, members of the French tourism delegation, headed by Jacques Augustin, were keeping their cards close to their chest - but a few well-chosen presidential words were expected. After all, France is clearly the world's most important and respected tourism destination, and proud of it.

The 700-odd delegates were in their seats early, waiting expectantly for the visit from the two presidents as the doors were flung open and the 20-strong cortege marched in.
Walking quickly and purposefully to the centre of the room, in front of the podium, as the delegates led by their Secretary General applauded - the group paused. Hands were seen to be raised from the centre of the group in semblance of waves... and the group turned on their heels and departed.

Why? What? How? Who? Was there a hidden message? Did actions speak louder than words? Was this a Sarkozy Snub especially created for the world tourism industry? Had the two presidents been practicing a military twostep, or was it a Mazurka?

Silence reigned. The ever-urbane and articulate UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai commented "So this is what it must be like to be a tourism destination" and the meeting got back to its business of organising world tourism.

NEW TOURISM REPORT IS OUT – DON’T MISS OUT ON GOLD STANDARD OPPORTUNITIES

2009-09-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

If you want to get through this recession stronger – this is how: Whether you’re just interested in sustainability, just started getting green gains, or green through and through – this report offers you opportunities you simply won’t refuse.

This month’s Sustainable Tourism Report will be published on 2 October. It outlines up-to-the-minute commercial and business opportunities for tour operators, travel agents, airlines, rail and shipping companies, hotels and destinations.

Said Valere Tjolle, report editor “This last month has been world shaking for the travel and tourism business and the future is even more challenging. Massive opportunities abound and more are on the way. For those who can spot the opportunities, it’s like a gold rush – and everybody in the business can benefit”

This month’s report runs to 30 pages, updates the 10 main challenges, outlines major developments and offers some 24 major opportunities. There is also a video podcast. The report draws on all the major published sources, including research for articles published in www.tourism-vision.com and www.travelmole.com. The updates will also put current news into context.

MAKE SURE YOU KEEP UP TO DATE EVERY MONTH WITH THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES – TRY A MONTH NOW

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Sustainable Tourism Report Update is designed to benefit:
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1965 and All That

2008-07-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

I’m trying to remember my customers in 1965. Not their names, it’s too long ago for that. But what they were like.

Why? You may ask. Because 1965 is a lot like 2008 in the sense that there was a new kid on the block - the Inclusive Tour. The Costa Brava, Majorca, Benidorm, Lido di Jesolo, Rimini, Greek Islands, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, they all started around that time. And the people that bought inclusive tours (from the UK about a million, would you believe) were the early adopters.

Now, of course, the inclusive tour is on its way out (I believe) and sustainable tourism is on its way in (I believe). So, who are the first million trendsetters? And how will they be attracted?

I guess the first million will be same ordinary people (they were quite ordinary) that bought the inclusive tour in 1965. Their choosing and purchasing methods have changed, but they are the same early adopters that they were then.. So I’m trying to remember what they’re like.

This is what I think…

First we’re now talking about a generation and a bit down the line. More or less, you’re talking about my kids and their mates. So that makes it a bit easier. I know a bit about them.

But what will motivate them to choose the sustainable option? Where will they look for it? And who are the first million early adopters?

Like it says in the book “Find their needs, fulfil them and you’ll succeed”. So what are their needs?

Need Number 1 is financial, which translates to an affordable price.
Need Number 2 is value. The first inclusive tours were very good value, before we get a million sustainable holidaymakers, value needs to be demonstrable. There’s no point in believing that today’s audience is more motivated than yesterday’s by good works. They are not. They need good, down to earth value. Technically, this translates into high load factors, high occupancy levels and efficient transportation. Flakiness simply will not do!
Need Number 3 is USP, when our early adopters come back from their holiday, they need to get one over on the late adopters, so they need a form of words and a method of communication that they can use. “You look brown and healthy” “Just come back from our holiday in Majorca” was pretty good. The sustainable USPs needs to be better.

One thing I learnt then that’s helped (when I don’t forget it) is that whoever you are and whatever you’re offering, those early adopters have got a full shopping list already. Today’s list includes:

The kids
The mortgage
The job
The car and transportation
Food and clothes
All today’s gizmos – Wiii, mobile phone, digital camera
The holiday

Remember that the holiday is NOT their no1

Finally how to get that low cost, high value, great USP packaged and in front of them? We’ll talk about that next time.

Actually, 2008 doesn’t feel like 1965. We were all so much more optimistic then. To me, 2008 feels just like 1973, doom gloom and despondency. It felt quite horrible at the time. I particularly remember kerosene (airplane fuel) rising from 16c to 48c in a year. In hindsight, it was the beginning of success…

You Gotta Laugh, We’re Facing Armageddon and I’m Talking Tourism

2008-07-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

So...

• We (the world) have just a biblical 40 day supply of wheat stocked.
• The price of (healthy) soya beans went up 50% last week.
• Rice is now rationed in many countries and definitely “not for export”.
• Water is looking more and more precious.
• The world’s population is set to go up by 3bn (ie 50%) in the next 20 years.
• The message from the 2,500 scientists of the IPCC InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change is that “The overwhelming majority of scientists agree that atmospheric concentrations of GreenHouse Gases in 2005 exceeded by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years…the net effect of human activities has been one of warming.”
• Due to global warming, there will certainly be less land to live in.
• Inflation, that destroyer of assets, is looking us in the eye.
• Banks and big businesses are looking more and more shaky.
• House prices are tumbling down the chimneys and negative equity is a real option.

SHOCKED AND AWED?

Those are the facts that have kindly been retailed by our media.

They also say that, on the brighter side…

Russia, China and India, developing apace, will join us, all precariously balanced at the peak of consumerism . Yes, within 20 years 2.1bn residents of developing countries will be earning over $10,000 a year – there are just some 350m today.

The majority of the Millennium Development goals will be hit in Asia (that means far less poor, uneducated people). But not, of course, in Africa.

Millions (possibly billions of people, including me) are joining social networks like Facebook and living second lives on Second Life.

I’m old and biased, and I’ve seen it all before, so I know that behind all those bits of frightening, uplifting and fascinating news, there’s quite another another message. More of that later.

I’m concentrating on tourism, because it’s what I know and it’s what I do. It’s where I can make a difference.

My schtick is empowerment. Empowerment through tourism? You gotta be joking! Hold that thought.

What’s empowerment then? In my view empowerment means having a realistic appreciation of your strengths and weaknesses and taking charge of your own life, yourself and not handing over your power to anyone else,, any set of ideas or anything that’s not you. In other words taking responsibility yourself for you.

Or taking responsibility myself for me, in my case. That’s me told.

Tourism is an economic, cultural and environmental activity that hasn’t many barriers to entry. In other words almost anyone can work in it and be successful at it if they do it OK.

You can make something, grow it or buy it and sell it to tourists, you can show tourists around, you can even jump in at the deep end and rent out a room in your home for a night or two. And you need little or no training. Actually.

The tourism activity depends on the quality, integrity and authenticity of your culture and your environment, so anybody working in tourism sooner or later has to take responsibility for their surroundings.

And tourism depends on you too.

So, to be a success at tourism, you need to take responsibility for yourself, your culture and your environment. The economic benefits will follow.

Seems pretty empowering to me.

And the wild media stories?

When someone shouts at you too loud to look one way, they usually don’t want you to look somewhere else. Where the real game is going on.

So, why the big noise about global warming, population increase, floods, disasters, famine and thirst? And Iran?

When they all shouted loudly about terrorism, it became an excuse to disempower us, to remove some of our rights. The more they shouted “Look here” the more the guys in the other room were drafting legislation.

You can almost feel the screw turning a little can’t you?

Just laugh, and talk about tourism…

What are Tourist Boards For?

2008-07-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

“What are tourist boards for?” He asked. The girl replied “They’re a service to the traveller and they’re judged by how many tourists they bring to a destination”.

It’s a natural mistake, isn’t it?

Who pays the tourist board, and what do they want for their money?

The local population pay for the tourist board, they want a tourist trade, but they’d be just as happy with the money the tourist brings – without the tourists.

Sustainable tourism BEGINS in the destination.

In a perfect, sustainable, world the tourist board agrees the number and type of tourists that the destination requires, when and where they require them. It then manages this requirement on behalf of the destination.

Locals, after all, not tourists, own the tourism product (the local environment, roads, property, culture). Tourists buy into it for a very short period of time.

Whatever the UN WTO says, or the WTTC, or anybody who has an interest in moving people around for a profit.

It’s ONLY the destination that can be truly sustainable. We may be world citizens, but primarily, we’re ALL local citizens.

I’ve been in Amsterdam, working for a unique floating hotel for a few days and trying to get something interesting and sustainable set up.

More later…

Sustainable Tourism and Zimbabwe

2008-06-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe I shouldn’t listen to the news in the morning. It’s depressing. Zimbabwe non-elections, oil prices up, cost of living up, strikes for more pay. At least it’s warm for Wimbledon.

But all the first things are important and they will affect our lives if we don’t do something, so my depression has got to be changed into action pretty bloody smartly.

More Expensive Travel

The oil price is still shooting up on its way past a crucifying $150 a barrel due to demand and informed speculation. The growth of biofuels to cap the oil price and provide a more sustainable fuel is hampered because hungry people want to grow food instead.

More Expensive Food

The demand for agricultural land, informed speculation and increasing appetites have increased food prices and its scarcity. In many countries there are bans on the export of rice, which has doubled in price in a year. We have only 40 days left of now very expensive wheat stocks.

Bigger Appetites

The developing world is developing its populations, its wealth and its appetites for food and travel and accommodation. By 2030, world population is expected to increase by 50%, to 9bn people. By when, those in developing countries who earn more than $10,000 pa will increase from 300m to 2.1bn. If the Millennium Development Goals are hit, world poverty will be eradicated.

Have They Missed The Boat?

Unfortunately, as more and more people want more and more food and travel and accommodation, it’s more and more expensive, and less and less easy to provide. Industrially-generated climate change challenges harvests through droughts and floods. Our water use is profligate to say the least. There are limited supplies of fossil fuels and more farm animals will mean more methane, more global warming, more environmental degradation, worse harvests.

Mother Earth simply looks like it’s reaching its limit to nurture.

How Does Sustainable Tourism Fit In?

Well-organised sustainable tourism can develop markets for local produce and develop local incomes through tourism. This can make food production and transportation more efficient, cost-effective and accessible.

Sensitive sustainable tourism protects and nurtures our tourism product - our environmental, cultural, economic and social heritage

And Zimbabwe?

Above all, tourism is practical hands-on information transfer. It may seem hedonistic, and a luxury, but it seamlessly tells us what we need to know about our destinations and what other nationalities think.

Without the intermediaries – newspapers, TV, radio, the pub, the restaurant, and the bloody internet. All of it is someone else telling us what to think and how to think. Whereas tourism is us informing ourselves.

Left at home, we’d still be eating pasta out of a tin, we’d still be eschewing “Mucky Foreign Food”, we’d still think that foreigners were wops and eyties and smelt of garlic. I’d hazard a guess that without foreign travel we wouldn’t be in the European Union or any of the other regional and global co-operations.

Travel gives us the opportunity to find out for ourselves, to crash the myths that others are pushing at us. Once we’ve done it, and seen for ourselves, we’re never the same again.

And why sustainable tourism? Because in truly sustainable tourism, you’re much, much closer to your hosts in every way – economically, culturally, and practically.

Who’s been to the Victoria Falls? What do you remember about Zimbabwe? Does this inform your view, or does it not?

New Green Buccaneers: Girl Goes Global by Ship Brother Builds Website

2008-06-17T03:27:00.000-07:00

In August 2007 Kate Andrews left England on a cargo-ship to volunteer in Central America. Ten months later and she is now in the middle of the Pacific Ocean having sailed from Mexico to Australia, recently getting sidetracked on the idyllic island of Tonga. Kate has set out to prove that there is a whole world of possibilities out there for people who choose to travel without flying:

"I’ve done some things that most people only dream of, from sailing across the Equator with a glass of fake champagne, to showering in a rain storm and barbecuing steaks off the back of the yacht while drifting through the Doldrums. I’ve seen more flying fish and dolphins
than you can shake a stick at (this was hindered only by the fact that I didn’t have a stick to hand), but most importantly, I survived. All this excitement, however, was on the good days..."

Back home, her brother Jamie has been busy building a website to help inspire others to follow in Kate's footsteps and embark on a low carbon travel adventure.
http://www.loco2travel.com

Read about Kate's latest escapades:
http://www.loco2travel.com/blog

As well as showcasing long-distance adventures, the website also advises young people on how to get to festivals in Europe without flying.

Top Speakers Booked For VISION Autumn Masterclass

2008-06-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

Top Speakers Booked For VISION Autumn Masterclass

Book and pay by end June for 40% "Earlybird" Discount

Top speakers have been booked for VISION’S 1 day “Intensive Masterclass on Sustainable Tourism Marketing” at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, London on 17 September.

The speakers list so far includes James Whittingham: Group Environment Manager TUI plc, Dr Murray Simpson: Oxford University Centre for the Environment, Jonathan Mitchell, Head of Tourism at the Overseas Development Institute, Valere Tjolle: Editor, VISION on Sustainable Tourism Others TBA

Participants in the full day masterclass, will hear, and participate in presentations from international experts in marketing and sustainable tourism.

The masterclass is directed at senior executives in the travel and tourism industry, ministers, top level government officials and advisors from tourist ministries, hotels, spas, resorts, tour operators, visitor attractions and destination management and marketing organisations.

Participants will expect to take away a broad understanding of the unique marketing opportunities that sustainability brings including the “Quadruple Bottom Line”.

Masterclass modules will include:
- Quadruple Bottom Line Opportunities, Sustainable Tourism’s Role
- Tour Operators & Airlines Agenda for Change
- Carbon Neutral Destinations
- Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation – the Future
- Alternative Marketing for Sustainable Tourism

The cost for the whole day, including lunch, supper and specially-prepared dossiers, will be UK£500 per person. The masterclass is limited to 25 participants and consideration will be given to providing full or part bursaries to MA and MSc Tourism and CSR students.

Said Valere Tjolle “Sustainable Tourism is a rapidly developing and crucial element of the modern global tourism industry. In this era of climate change and MDG’s it is also totally necessary. The purpose of this masterclass is to enable industry leaders to understand, operate and gain the substantial benefits from the unique marketing opportunities that sustainable tourism presents.”

VISION on Sustainable Tourism subscribers can benefit from an exclusive 40% discount if booked and paid by 30 June.

Further information from: valere@travelmole.com

Tourism Titles

2008-04-08T03:16:00.000-07:00

It was the ProPoor Tourism conundrum that got me thinking about energy, sustainable tourism, what it’s all about and the meaning of life generally.

Like the irresistible force v the immovable object, the ProPoor tourism problem seems to be irreconcilable with real life. It goes like this – beautiful third world countries have frequently got wrecked economies and lots of poor, starving, sick, jobless people.

Solution 1 (operated up until quite recently, and in specific situations even now) “Give ‘em a string of beads and they’ll be happy. We’ll fly in thousands of high paying tourists to enjoy their paradise for a couple of weeks. And we’ll make a lot of dosh. (The tour operator in my genes recognises that one!)

Solution 2 (from the now reconstructed goody-goody politicians/global tourism industry) “Let’s fly in a team of consultants to help the locals draw up and operate a TMP (Tourism Master Plan). Then they can get the benefits of tourism directly. This will provide equal opportunities for women and minorities, democracy and institution building, stronger and more honest government and poverty eradication. Plus we get to zap some of those pesky Millennium Development Goals in time for world opinion.

Here’s where the force/object situation comes in:

Immovable object = destination (a long way away from the 1st world)
Irresistible force = airplane taking the tourists there (spewing out all kinds of noxious Green House Gases all the way).

So, what to do? Stop air tourism? Carry on and mess up the environment? Stick our heads in the sand and deny its happening? Or toss the paradigm away and start on another one?

There is another way of looking at it all - the energy way. The fact is, it all boils down to ENERGY, our stewardship of it, that is, and its misuse.

Currently, our primary concern is the burning of fossil fuels to create energy. This is a double whammy, we use up our limited resources, and we spew Green House Gases (CO2, Methane, Hydrocarbons, Flourocarbons etc) into the atmosphere, making the Earth a nice chemical overcoat so as to create global warming. We really don’t want to change our lifestyles, so we carry on doing it – we like being warm and comfortable eh?. We burn petrol to drive ourselves around, oil/gas/coal to heat ourselves up/cool ourselves down and kerosene to fly ourselves around. And we eat so much meat to energise our bodies that vast amounts of methane are farted into the atmosphere by our food-animals. By these standards, the 3% or so of total emissions delivered by the airlines fade a little into insignificance.

The truth is that we’re just profligate (those few of us who have enough to be profligate with). We are simply feckless in our use of energy. We have respect for very few forms of the energy we over consume.

We over indulge. We consume energy like it’s going out of fashion. We over eat. We over use our electrical appliances, we over use our cars, we over heat and over cool ourselves, we over travel. Why? Because it’s all (relatively) cheap. Cheap food, cheap travel, cheap heat, light and entertainment. Cheap, that is, if you live in the first world. Expensive if you live on a dollar a day. And, partly because energy is cheap and plentiful, we have little respect for it. We waste it.

All that process of waste, of course, applies to money too. “Thought we were talking about energy!” What is money, after all, but energy-tokens? Think about it! And look at the global financial disaster we’re now facing due to our over expenditure of energy tokens.

So the real problem is everywhere - it isn’t the individual activity – it’s our overall attitude. A holistic problem.

It always seems simple to address individual activities so we can find scapegoats to attack. The energy industry is littered with them. Coal mines, nuclear fission, oil magnates – they’re all holding us to ransom. Now, it’s the energy users, in particular the airline industry, that are being targeted.

But our overweaning desire to consume is the real culprit. And the problem that’s facing us is the effect that the over consumption of energy (in all its forms) is imminently creating.

Given that the fairest method of curtailing our energy use (personal carbon rationing) is politically unacceptable. To avoid disaster (or to put it off till we forget that it’s around) we are going to have to change our attitudes to consumption – not, necessarily what we consume.

In the very same way that an organisation needs efficiency, so do we. Simply, we need to consume less, waste less and respect more – in every department of our lives. We need to take a holistic approach.

So, think about it. The next time you’re sitting in your hothouse house tucking in to the usual daily meat feast, with the telly, the fan, and the audio centre on full blast, the computer and the rest of the TV’s on standby – think about it. By becoming more efficient, you could be saving up your carbon for a really worthwhile experience. Which, because you’ve had to think about it and save for it, you’ll treat with a little respect.

How does this effect all the different types of tourism that are generally going in this direction - ProPoor Tourism? Sustainable Tourism? Responsible Tourism? EcoTourism? Etc etc.

A holistic problem needs to be dealt with holistically to provide a holistic opportunity.

Holistic tourism? Don’t think so.

Valere