This African Gospel Church - a structure like many in the townships - is in the Langa Township in the Flats outside Cape Town

So what are you to do? Are there reasonably priced accommodation options anywhere in South Africa? How can one find exciting and responsible travel options beyond the pomp of a month of games? And, as we’ve written about already, is there any way of ensuring that some of the money spent will be fairly distributed, so that the inflated profits benefit as wide a cross-section of people as possible, not just the already rich and powerful?

Opportunism and Exploitation

We’ve seen a growing number of articles decrying the avarice of accommodation owners in South Africa as they set special room rates to laughably outrageous levels. “Research this week on Hotels.com UK website showed that the four-star, centrally located Cape Town Lodge Hotel, which from May 28 to June 5 charges £68 per room per night, is raising its rate on June 11, when the tournament gets under way, to £395,” reported Travelmole in mid-December 2009. “Hotel rates always rise during big sporting events: during the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Sydney (2000) they were three times the usual level. But the increases in South Africa almost match those made during the Beijing Olympics, when hoteliers were accused of exploitation.”

The lion is one of the Big Five found in Kruger National Park, the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

“The World Cup has brought out the worst in some sectors of the tourism industry both in South Africa and abroad, but it seems that this is a phenomenon that follows every big event of this sort,” added Martin Hatchuel, the South African travel writer who publishes www.thistourismweek.co.za. “I have had quite a bit of contact with people in Australia who tell me that Sydney suffered a decline in tourism in the three years following its Olympics – and the reason most people seemed to have for avoiding the city as a destination was ‘greed.’ So South Africa is not alone.”

Given the price gouging and apparent absence of reasonable oversight, one real fear is that not only will little of any profits actually reach the local level, but that any backlash suffered as a result of unfair market practices will hurt locals the most.

Finding a Fair Room

One way of helping to make a small difference – and help redress some of the possible imbalances – is to book accommodation and tours with locally run, small-scale lodges and tour operators, especially those committed to bringing opportunity to the townships. This is not only in keeping with FIFA’s social development policy of providing support to community-based organisations, it also provides alternative lodging options in World Cup host cities where exploitative pricing is now evident.

In fact, continued Hatchuel, “It seems to me that the people who are being most sensible about this World Cup are those who own the smaller accommodation establishments and other small tourism businesses.”

To help the price-daunted World Cup fan, below is a list of off-the-beaten-track lodging options on offer through whl.travel, in some cases the only online booking service available for these properties. While other hotels are charging outlandish rates, these B&Bs promise not to bamboozle their customers. Their rates will be higher than usual, but still most definitely a bargain, especially considering the unbeatable cultural experience of life in a South African township (especially during the World Cup) and the assurance that the money spent is actually reaching the people.

Cape Town

• Kopanong
• Liziwe’s Guest House
• Majoro’s B&B
• Malebo’s Bed and Breakfast
• Ma Neo’s
• Ndibovayo Bed and Breakfast
• Radebe’s B&B
• Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast

Mossel Bay (on the Garden Route, midway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth)

• Polani’s Xhosa Homestay
• Yonwaba Sesotho Homestay

Meeting the People

Whether or not alternative accommodation is key, meeting the people and experiencing the country should be. In a previous blog post, we’ve already proposed community or nature tours and activities in or near the World Cup host cities. What follows is a more targeted list to help zero in.

Traditional Xhosa dancers in South Africa perform for guests at a Mossel Bay township's first non-alcoholic shabeen and day-care centre

Cape Town
whl.travel offers access to a variety of community-based cultural and volunteer experiences, including:

• half-day, full-day and three-day township tours, and
• extended (28-day) volunteer adventures involving cheetahs, lions, monkeys, surfing and outreach to children.

Nelspruit
Nelspruit is quite close to Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route, as well as within several hour’s drive of the Mpumalanga Highlands.

All three are superb destinations with a broad offering of nature-oriented and outdoor activities, like river rafting, geckoiing, mountain biking, zip-line flying, rock abseiling, mountain boarding and following an aerial cable trail over a forest.

Animal enthusiasts will find satisfaction in visits to the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre for abandoned, injured and poisoned wildlife or to an elephant sanctuary.

Geckoiing is the use of a small raft steered using webbed gloves. It is one of the best ways to have fun with family and friends.

Port Elizabeth and the Garden Route
In Port Elizabeth, both a Shebeen Tour and a Real City Tour bring travellers to the heart of township life, while the Addo Tour spends a day at the famous Addo Elephant National Park.

Further west, along the Garden Route, a Meet the People Tour out of Mossel Bay is an absolute must, although a coastal cliff hike, game drive in Fynbos or horseback ride through a private game preserve are also a treat.

The Day After It’s Over

Not long after Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, declared “This World Cup belongs to Africa!” on the day of the World Cup 2010 draw, Nelson Mandela, appearing via video link, closed a short speech by saying that “The people of Africa have learned the lessons of patience and endurance in their long struggle for freedom. May the reward brought by the World Cup prove that the long wait for its arrival on African soil has been worth it.”

It’s time to wonder if the reward, so promising in principle, is still out of reach in practice because of misguided expectations about who is coming to the World Cup, how much they can afford and how widely they will travel after it’s all over.

“I think that the organisers of the World Cup and the tourism authorities in South Africa have missed – or failed to communicate – one important piece of intelligence: the demographics of the average soccer traveller,” said Hatchuel. “I have a suspicion that most of them will be males in the 24-32 year bracket, and if that’s the case, I expect they’ll be sticking to the host cities, and looking for the parties rather than travelling round the country.”

If that does turn out to be true, then it’s even more important that the mindful minority shows genuine interest in more than just sport and partying, both during the World Cup and after it’s over. South Africa can’t afford to suffer as Sydney did for its greed.

Teamworkz Consulting accepting its accolades as Franchisee of the Year 2008-2009 at the whl.travel Asia Pacific regional conference. Left to right are: Rob Shortland, whl.travel Asia Pacific Regional Director; Anne Done, Lee Sheridan and Mouk of Teamworkz; Len Cordiner, CEO of WHL Group

“An amazing effort,” comment Rob Shortland, whl.travel Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. “Amazing especially when you consider they also won two of the three category awards (service and web marketing). They really worked hard for this over the last 12-18 months and it shows in their results, as well as in the growth of their business. A great job and well done.”

Reward and Recognition

The whl.travel Reward and Recognition (R&R) program is designed to encourage, recognize and reward franchise partners who show improvement in their pursuit of excellence in areas deemed important to the growth and wellbeing of the network, all in the spirit of friendly competition. The 2008-2009 program focused on three categories: sustainability (improvements in the quality and quantity of product with Caring for the Destination ratings); service standards (the ability of each franchisee to hit and surpass the 95% success level for responding to client queries within 24 hours, and to keep published rates current); and Web marketing. There were quarterly awards in each category, category leaders for the year and top honours given to the Franchisee of the Year.

Teamworkz Consulting basically dominated the rankings. While Vientiane sat atop the leader board, the next three positions were filled by Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Phuket (Thailand), and seven of the top eight spots included Koh Samui and Chiang Mai (both in Thailand) – all operated by Teamworkz. Only the whl.travel local partner in Vanuatu – the 2007-2008 whl.travel Franchisee of the Year – broke the run with its fifth-place finish tying with Luang Prabang as winner of the service category of the year. All 10 live sites in Laos and Thailand under Teamworkz management swept the Web marketing category for the year, while one local operator in Marmaris-Datça, Turkey (10th overall), was category leader for the year in sustainability, 87% of its accommodations and tours meriting a Caring for the Destination ranking.

“As much as I would like to take all the credit,” said Lee Sheridan, managing director of Teamworkz, “I have to admit that my team of Mouk, Anne, Vong, Phansee and Thouni have done all the hard work. A big thanks to them!! They are the ones who consistently demonstrate the power of the local connection.”

The R&R program rules will change in 2009-2010 based on important feedback from the local partners. The goal however remains the same: to ‘encourage, recognize and reward’. After all, “Who cares if we win or not again?” said John Nicholls, owner and operator of Vanuatu Hotels. “This R&R competition has greater rewards for all of us in the whl.travel organisation than a single franchisee winning a prize. It is an essential motivator for all of us to improve.”

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As a primary force in the Greater Mekong region, where whl.travel network coverage may soon know no equal, Teamworkz Consulting is the local connection in Laos (the Champasak, Luang Prabang [read more here], Vang Vieng and Vientiane destination sites are live, while Luang Mantha and Xieng Khouane are under construction) and Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Sukhothai).

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The group comes together at the end of several long days of work

Held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 1-4 July, and attended by representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, the Phillipines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as new strategic partners, the conference addressed all the most burning issues of the ever-expanding WHL network, including the Caring for the Destination program, the recent launch of Urban Adventures, the work of WHL Consulting and the many different services available to WHL franchise partners as part of their professional development.

As full as the days were of industry analysis, discussion and workshops, there was still also plenty of time for play. On the days before and after the meetings, conferencees jumped at the chance to go on Urban Adventures that plunged them deeper into their surroundings. Some enjoyed a cyclo/walking tour of Saigon, while others went to discover the Mekong Delta, seeing, smelling, touching and tasting life in this unique region.

An Urban Adventures cyclo tour of Saigon really puts you in touch with the city around you

Dinners too were delicious opportunities for all to come together, especially on the final night, enlivened by traditional music and song (this link is to a sound file).

Here is what some of those who attended had to say:

“I feel I know WHL more now and very proud to be part of your team. I have been in the travel industry for  a long time but I must admit that I have learnt a lot during the two days conference and I believe that all the new friendships that I have made during the event will last a lifetime.”
– Khirul Zainie, whl.travel partner from Brunei

Traditional Vietnamese music holds the attention of all at the conference's final dinner

“I absolutely agree that those few days during the conference in Saigon meant a lot to me too. The sessions were very informative, the workshops were quite interactive, all other activities and gatherings were equally memorable and the hosts were very cordial and caring. The farewell dinner, like Khirul said, gave me some of best moments of my life.”
– Navin Shrestha, whl.travel partner from Nepal (Kathmandu and Pokhara)

“It was nice to meet the core WHL team and fellow MPOs to get a better understanding on the WHL business model. I’ve been to many international tourism gathering but the one developed by WHL is really making people get closer to each other. To become a WHL family.”
– Ng Sebastian, whl.travel partner from Indonesia (Komodo and the Lesser Sunda Islands)

“I’d just like to say thank you and what a great time we had at the conference. It was not only fantastic to meet all of you and finally put a face to your name, but also to learn more about WHL and the fantastic efforts every individual member, MPO and partners are putting in. The organisation, meals and team-building activities were a real highlight. But overall, the conference was so beneficial to me personally and I look forward to the next.”
– Anne Done, whl.travel partner from Laos (Champasak, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Vientiane)

In a word: success. The conference brought everyone together and will now be translated into the further growth and improvement of whl.travel, especially in the Asia and Pacific regions.

The Floriano Falls at Foz do Iguassu

‘They’, of course, are the small piece of heaven in Foz do Iguassu (also written Foz do Iguaçu), the fourth largest city in the Paraná state of Brazil. And no, we don’t mean the city’s Buddhist Temple or the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab mosque (the largest outside the Middle East), but, rather, a spectacular natural wonder and the area’s number one attraction: the massive and thundering Iguassu Falls. Once you’ve laid your eyes on these awe-inspiring cascades, you’ll certainly understand why.

Iguassu Falls and National Park

Iguassu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the widest waterfalls in the world, with a total of 275 spillways spread out along 2.7 kilometres of the Iguaçu River and with a flow equal to three times that of Niagara Falls in the USA. All that water powers the world’s largest hydroelectric generator built into the Itaipu Dam. A guided tour of the Brazilian falls includes a walk along a path that runs into the river canyon and extends to the lower base of the Devil’s Throat, a vast and towering U-shaped cataract on the border between Argentina and Brazil.

Cataracts speedboats take you close to the action at the Iguassu Falls

The falls may be the area’s primary drawing card, but in the surrounding Iguassu National Park, travellers will be equally amazed by rich and subtropical vegetation, as well as wildlife including jaguars, ocelots, howler monkeys and giant anteaters. Organised tours of the park, like the one along the Black Well Trail, take in some of its most memorable sights.

Buddhist Temple

While the Iguassu Falls are ideal for adventurers and nature-lovers, they are not the only reason to visit Foz do Iguassu!

If you’re searching for serenity and an escape from the crowds, look no further than the city’s Buddhist Temple, one of the least-visited places and an ideal location for contemplation. The temple’s positively charged atmosphere greets visitors with over 100 statues of bodhisattvas, or those working towards Enlightenment, their hands extended forward in a gesture of welcome. Each conveys something spiritual about life, mainly health, joy and luck. Other statues of dragons, elephants and a large reclining Buddha also adorn the 42-hectare garden-filled grounds.

Statues confer positive energy to the grounds of the Buddhist Temple visible in the background

The main temple itself – covering 2,500 square metres – is the largest in Brazil. The local Chinese communities of the tri-border area built it, and all of the temple’s interior statues were shipped from China. The balcony of the temple is a very favourable lookout point with views of Acaray Island, the Paraná River, Bridge of Friendship, parts of Foz do Iguassu and the centre of Ciudad Del Este, Paraguay. For an equally splendid vista, stand beside the seven-metre-high golden seated Buddha, Mi La Pu-san, who appears to be laughing and delights all who gaze upon him.

The temple is a central point of prayer and meditation for Buddhists in Foz do Iguassu and the surrounding region. ‘ORBI’ is written above the entrance, meaning ‘place of heaven’. Given how few tourists visit the temple, it truly is a refuge.

The temple is located in the California Garden on Aluízio Ferreira de Souza St 99 and is open Thursday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 10:00 to 15:00.

For more information about Foz do Iguassu, including accommodations, tours, activities and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: the team from Falls Vision Receptivo at www.iguassu-hotels.com.br.

That probably comes across as terribly impolitic or obnoxiously cavalier. Is it really a good thing that a massive economic contraction has led to thousands of lost jobs and punishing reductions in foreign currency flows to countries that rely heavily on income from tourism? Well, put in those terms, of course it isn’t. But I also believe this is an unfair representation and that, ultimately, other gauges – those harder to quantify – will show that the worldwide slowdown benefited us all.

A Fair Assertion?

Now I’m not an economist and have no intention of dredging up figures that support my assertion. I happily leave that to others, just as I leave to those who disagree the search for contradicting numbers. I prefer to think about the people on the ground who fill far more space than a trivialising decimal point.

Notwithstanding my dismissal of statistics as vexingly premise-driven, I readily accept a different bias: a social one. My observations are based on more than 20 years of travel, most of them directly involving professional activity in tourism as a tour operator, guide, project manager, consultant, trainer and travel writer. Which is to say, as someone who has endeavoured always to step into the local stew, not just comment on it from a safe distance.

More significantly, almost all of my travel, dating back to my first foreign forays, has been what today might be called ‘responsible’ – experiential, sensitive to the unique qualities of a place, conscious of culture, environmentally friendly etc. As a tour operator and guide I ran bicycle tours; as a project manager and consultant I worked with civil society networks and community-based organisations; as a travel writer my focus has always been on promoting what I consider the ethical way forward in tourism.

Vulgar Travel

Although my practice and advocacy of responsible travel occurred naturally, it was also in part a rejection of mass tourism – resort tourism, sun-and-sand tourism, package tourism – the evolution of which was in response to (but certainly also further spurred by) the vulgarisation of travel.

Basically, what initially drove mass-market tour traffic was largely economics; when independent travel was very expensive, packaged options brought the price within reach of more people. These days, however, given the robustness of the budget travel trade, I believe that package tours have simply become the purview of the vulgar – people who go somewhere just to say they’ve been. Checklist travellers more inclined to complain about how much a place wasn’t like home than about how much they learned about themselves and their homes by immersing themselves in something different.

As markets adapted to these crude needs by building secure slices of ‘home’ on foreign soils, hiring ‘home’ employees as familiar faces overseas and sometimes training local labour to bridge the divide, the impact on host communities was evident, especially in the developing world. Local cultures were sidelined, core traditional values shifted as locals longed for incongruous things and, worst of all, habits incompatible with local practices and laws were adopted. Although far from being the only reason for cultural dilution (or perhaps pollution), mass tourism certainly has been a major one.

Thinking About Today

Back to today and the crushing blow to tourism dealt by the global financial crisis: Tourism all across the globe really is suffering. There are fewer travellers of all kinds – frugal to regal – which has been hard on the local labour force and markets. But one area suffering particularly hard is the mass market. And, frankly, if as a result there are fewer ill-conceived resorts, fewer coaches terrorising local beauty spots, fewer inconsiderate travellers burdening host countries, I say all the better.

To be clear: I don’t mean to suggest that travel should be denied to anyone. I don’t long for the day when exorbitant costs will be an insurmountable obstacle to special adventures by anyone but the rich or profligate. On the contrary, I know for a fact that a slower, gentler kind of travel favouring intimate and unique experiences founded on human connections is very affordable.

I also know from personal experience that as new travel priorities take root, countries reliant on tourism will buy into them. In response to changing user demands, governments will shift funds and priorities to them; with or without government, entrepreneurs will seize on the new trends; both skilled and unskilled locals will follow the new opportunities. Only this time, I’d like to think that instead of a week at a pool in a fenced-in full-service resort, travellers will see greater merit in small-scale, affordable, culturally enriching, nature-sensitive, community-based travel that demonstrates care for a destination.

World markets have been shaken, but in tourism I think the dirty laundry’s falling from the line. Let it lie where it lands. What remains – clean, colourful, ethical, equitable and even sustainable and profitable – will matter more in the long run to hosts, visitors and the planet.

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On Thursday 4 June, four leading global advocates of responsible tourism spoke and listened at a free public webinar (Web-based seminar) about the present and future of their fast-expanding industry. It was the first in a series of regular online gatherings that will tackle the crosscutting issues and universal appeal of responsible tourism as it applies to a broad range of constituencies in all sectors. Beginning at the next session, local advocates and practitioners of travel and tourism who share a belief in a responsible way forward will be invited to share their thoughts and respond to listener questions.

Cosponsored by Your Safe Planet, Make Travel Fair and whl.travel, with the vital participation of Planeta, the webinar series was initiated to capture and add energy to the momentum from Responsible Tourism Week 2009 – an online discussion launched by Planeta and held the week of May 18-22 that focussed on responsible tourism around the world.

Featured Speakers

At this first webinar, Ron Mader, Founder of Planeta, dicussed how social media can engage the global community in responsible tourism, especially communications tools like Twitter.

Len Cordiner, CEO of whl.travel, looked at how we should to change our approach to responsible tourism. He voiced particular concern that responsible tourism is basically the industry talking to itself, that that main stakeholders – people like travellers and even accommodation/tour providers themselves – have been left out of the equation.

Valere Tjolle, Editor of VISON on Sustainable Tourism examined what else should change, in particular the need to have a political background to tourism and the sustainability agenda. “It’s not about telling travellers how good we are,” he said, “it’s about telling travellers what we can do for them and I think that’s where we’ve missed a trick sometimes in responsible tourism.”

Lessons Learned

All in all, as identified by Mader, “One of the common threads in the discussion was the disconnect between top-down and bottom-up strategies. … This type of silo thinking is a primary obstacle for engaging the travellers and locals. My question – are there ways to connect the dots, bring the ‘experts’ and the ‘clients’ together? … Most donors, academics, officials don’t want to participate in public events. Reflecting on this, it seems to be a matter of control. The experts don’t want to give it up! But if we manage to view responsible tourism in a more holistic manner, then giving up control generates strength. It’s a matter of looking at one another at team players, not as competitors.”

Stephen Chapman, Founder of Make Travel Fair, agreed: “The desire to retain control of a movement and knowledge is a real inhibitor to any sort of progress. This is why diverse groups coming together through these webinars, beginning to exchange ideas and thinking is so crucial.”

Next Session

Doing just what it should – using new media to reach out to new stakeholders and new markets – the webinar series next brings together speakers from Wanderlust magazine, Lonely Planet and Bradt Guides to discuss responsible tourism in publishing. Scheduled for 18 June at 1pm GMT, please register to join us at the next session.

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To listen to and share the proceedings of the completed webinar, a full recording, a chat transcript and written summary are all available online.

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After your listen, please share with us:

•    your thoughts (constructive and deconstructuve)

•    the topics/themes you would like us to address in coming sessions

•    the names and/or qualifications of guest presenters you would like us to invite to coming sessions.

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Getting water is a fundamental part of both village life and the sustainable tourism experience in Senegal

Until recently, ‘sustainable tourism’ in Senegal was a label used by local tour operators only as a means to attract responsible travellers to the country.  After the 2007 presidential election, however, a green political party was formed with Haїdar El Ali, a well-known figure in environmental protection and activism, as its leader. Haїdar, who has worked closely with nature for years, understands that tourism and the environment are linked. He tirelessly conveys this message to governmental authorities, which has led to changes in the way the Ministry of Tourism and the tourism boards develop tourism projects, as well as the way Senegal is promoted abroad.

Haїdar El Ali is the founder and director of Océanium, a scuba-diving club in Dakar.  Started in 1984, the Océanium’s main activities have revolved around protection of the marine environment of Dakar and the surrounding areas. Then the club noticed that the problems were as bad on land as they were under the sea and expanded its activities to include protecting both land and marine environments in West Africa. The three-pronged approach to all projects involves the education of local communities in rural Senegal, discussions of the importance of protecting the environment and lobbying government, scientists, environmental activists and the media about the danger pressures on natural resources.

Of the many Océanium undertakings, one that stands out is the Bamboung project, which, with the support and hard work of the local community, can claim two big achievements. First is the creation of the Bamboung Marine Protected Area, located in the Sine Saloum Delta near the “Bolong” of Bamboung. It was established in 2003 in response to the threat of overfishing. After just two years, scientists reported 23 new species of fish and an increase in the number of predators feeding in the protected area.

An eagle-eye view of the Keur Bamboung ecolodge

The second achievement is the Keur Bamboung ecolodge, situated on a riverbank in the centre of the Saloum Delta. The eight huts make it possible to share the beauty of the area with tourists, but also to help the long-term self-sustainability of the Marine Protected Area. At the lodge, respect for the environment is paramount; the locals who help run the lodge therefore only use renewable energy sources and local produce.

Independent of the Bamboung project, but eager to emulate its success, is the village of Thioffior, more than 200km east of Dakar in the Ndiaffate rural community of the Kaolack region of central Senegal. Although the project is still in its infancy, anyone wishing to live like locals should go to Thioffior village, where lodging is at present in the locals’ houses. The villagers have created their unique haven and welcome visitors to it, as they have seen how the resulting income can help their community.  On the immediate agenda is construction of much-needed village facilities, such as schools and medical facilities, with long-term plans to build an ecolodge.

The children of Thioffior village are a fundamental part of its welcome

While this is all well and good in theory, how can travelers practically get involved? First and foremost, when booking accommodation in Senegal, allow time for a stay at either the Keur Bamboung ecolodge or Thioffior village. At Keur Bamboung, one  third of income goes towards the caretaking costs of the marine protected area, another third goes to the rural community of Toubacouta for the construction of schools and medical facilities and the last third covers the lodge’s operating and maintenance costs. Similarly, at Thioffior village, income is turned to community development needs, as well as saving for the ecolodge.

Other ways of contributing to both Thioffior village and Océanium projects include long-stay (plan for a week at least) volunteer work (there are even more options described here), during which visitors help the locals build village facilities. If the time commitment is a challenge, financial donations are always welcome. Spreading the word is also useful. Join the Océanium community on Facebook or Dailymotion.

“I think you will be seeing a lot more of whl.travel in the media over the coming months,” said Len Cordiner, CEO of whl.travel. Boy is he right.

Building Community
One area in which whl.travel has been active is building a sense of community with other websites with which we share common strengths, especially the increasingly popular approach of working directly with locals.

Screen shot of the Make Travel Fair website

These sites include Make Travel Fair (see more here and below), Your Safe Planet, Tourdust (see more below), Mindfultourist (see more here), Leap Local, Tribewanted, Go Philanthropic and more.

Through these new partners, whl.travel has been reaching new ears. For example, in early April, the founder of Tourdust included a nice mention of whl.travel in the Guardian (a British newspaper).

Similarly, Stephen Chapman, the editor of Make Travel Fair and also a whl.travel collaborator, posted a very positive article about whl.travel based on his experience so far.

Screen shot of Armenian news site with picture of Zachary Rozga speaking at USAID CAPS conference

Sharing Expertise
Zachary Rozga, CEO of WHL Consulting and former Executive Director of whl.travel’s Africa regional office, presented at a workshop of the USAID-funded Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) project. The event brought together representatives from the Armenian tourism and information technology sectors. Mr Rozga travelled to Yerevan, Armenia, as the CAPS international expert in IT solutions for the tourism sector. He was the main speaker of the “IT Solutions for Tourism Industry” discussion.

“With IT having a growing impact on the way global travel is managed, operated and promoted, and with global tourism arrival numbers expected to decline in 2009 due to the financial crisis, the need to be technologically advanced to improve cost-effectiveness and productivity is as important as ever,” he said.

If you read Armenian, check out more at here and here.

Media Hits
Both the whl.travel team and its local marketplace operators have been working to bring to light some of the good work in which they are involved. Media is beginning to take notice and share the news with a growing base of interested users. Below are two examples.

* Lee Sheridan of Teamworkz, MPO from Laos and Thailand, was recently interviewed on Radio Australia about his expanding whl.travel presence in Laos. Download the podcast for Program Part 1 of the 03/04/2009 show. Around 19 minutes into the program is where Lee talks.

* Nepal’s Himalayan Times ran news of the recent launch of whl.travel’s Kathmandu website, the first of two planned travel portals in that country.

Screen shot of the Mindful Tourist website

Thanks MT for acknowledging that our efforts are as genuine as the passion our local operators feel for the home destinations. In return for your kind words, whl.travel would like to give a broad and smiling nod to the fresh and entertainingly cheeky voice the MT brings to the space we share.

Shadia Garrison created the Mindful Tourist blog in order to bring to her daily life two things she loves: socially conscious travel and humour.

She believes that travel is an important means by which to connect with other people and that it can lead to peace, love, unicorns and rainbows. Through the blog Shadia has been able to reach out to others who feel the same way she does. One day, she would like to run a nonprofit, socially conscious tourism enterprise, like a lodge that provides both needed services to members of the local population and also meaningful experiences to tourists. In characteristically bold language, she asks that ‘if you know of anything like this or are willing to fund something like this, give her a ring!’

The MT maintains that socially conscious tourism is an umbrella term that encompasses parts of ecotourism, cultural tourism and sustainable tourism. A few tenets the MT associates with socially conscious tourism include:
1. Learn about and embrace the culture around you.
2. Contribute to the local economy.
3. Steer clear of eco-unfriendly activities.
4. Become a temporary member of the community.
5. Leave the place in better shape than you found it.

For more MT definitions, go here.

‘Remember, we’re all in this together – all people and the whole earth, reminds the MT. ‘If you remember that and act accordingly, you’re well on your way to being a socially conscious traveler.’

Our approach to sustainability in tourism is a holistic one. We don’t believe that you can develop one thing and neglect others. For example, you can’t create a beach paradise with a two-month-long tourism season and forget the lives of the original year-round inhabitants. We think such projects destroy historic, human and natural resources. As ‘holistics’ we do not concentrate only on accommodation, restaurants or transportation services; we place first emphasis on socio-economic features, looking at the local economic activities of the past, present and future.

We have noticed that on the Datça Peninsula, most people have lost important sources of income over the last 40 years without recourse to alternatives. This has resulted in (more) depression and alcoholism, especially among men, who, to afford pills and booze, have started selling land to foreigners and real-estate brokers. The effect will be the departure of the original people and their replacement by foreigners.

In our eyes this is negative, uneven development, the kind in which we do not want to participate. We have seen this type of ‘development’ at mass-tourist places all around the world. 
By contrast, a more holistic approach includes the local people in their historical habitat and incorporates all features that are beautiful and interesting for travellers.

Big tourism-developers could have practiced the holistic approach for many decades, but simply ignored it. Their notion of ‘looking forward’ was limited to the direction of the sea. Today, their tour buses arrive at beach resorts more often than not through a sprawl of slum dwellings, where everything natural has been destroyed. The resorts, areas once home to the colourful fishing boats of the original community, are now where white tourists on yellow beaches try to get red as quickly as possible.

Let’s get rid of these destructive mass-tourism practices. It’s high time to make tourism projects in the holistic and sustainable way. We owe it to the original people, the rightful owners of the land, and to our children!

A Responsible Approach

The following is one example of our approach – and the chain reaction of projects it has prompted.

Travellers attracted by sustainable tourism also tend to like ecological food and drinks, so we decided to motivate the farmers of the Datça Peninsula with their organic agriculture and even to encourage cooperative efforts to obtain the eco-certifications that are currently too expensive for single peasants (self-sufficient farmers). We have also observed local customs on the brink of vanishing, like the baking of typical round homemade bread. We therefore motivate local women to bake for restaurants and accommodations in the region. We do this through our ‘Village Bread Baking Project’.

Participating travellers spend one day with a peasant family, gathering firewood from the forest, preparing dough, talking with their hands and feet, exchanging pictures, maybe buying almonds and olive oil from the village women (earning them valuable income). The visitors pay for this project: one part of the money goes to the peasant family, another into the cash holdings of the village elder to be used for restoration of the house ovens.

This easy project demonstrates many things: preservation of local custom (bread baking) by turning a peasant product into a marketable one; income-generating opportunities for women; tourism-motivated production and consumption of a healthy product from the region. The beneficial results are also many: the improved wellbeing of the villagers; the survival of the villages themselves; satisfying opportunities for eco-travellers and peasants alike; and, of course, the preservation and revival of typical traditional practices.

As another example, we think that in our destination wine culture and cattle herding should be revived. Local wine production creates jobs, and better and cheaper wine than locals buy now. Plus, travellers love this local nectar with their dinner. Herding and cattle were very important sources of income until 2000, when something happened that still needs to be studied. We hope herdsmen and their families will return to the beautiful hills of Cnidos, because cattle breeding has advantages for the locals, for nature and for the traveller. Cattle generate dairy, meat and jobs, and help with the natural balance between land and those who live off it, including increasing biodiversity by keeping the maquis at bay. We also think almost everybody loves the romantic picture of herdsmen with their flocks in the hills. Travellers might even wish to sleep in the herdsmen cottages, experiencing a traditional life of homemade furniture, blankets, tablecloths, rugs, oil lamps, sickles and so on. This would motivate the farmers to continue to make these items, which tourists can purchase.

No matter what we look at, we see opportunities. In transport, why not encourage travellers to walk or bike the land or surf along its coasts. Why not design B&Bs for them or overnight stops in a tent camp, a pension or a village home? We’d like to see travellers hiking with donkeys along the old patikas (footpaths) from village to village, hoping for a sighting of the last jackal, wildcat or mountain goat. Believe it or not, we also like to drive cars or motorcycles through the exciting winding roads of ‘our’ peninsula. And sometimes we want to jet-ski over the high waves of the Turkish Côte d’Azur. That’s OK! But why not pay for the pollution with a ‘tree tax’ that helps reforest areas where once forest fires raged?

Just as we have discovered here on the Datça Peninsula, we believe that every destination has sustainable options through which the local people can combine tourism activities with their traditional economy. By thinking in a ‘holistic’ way, you also will find chains of sustainable projects.

To put it simply: Every house can be an accommodation and, by extending the vegetable garden, every family can feed its guests. Services built and run by the local community will increase regional income and keep people from leaving their homes.

Somewhere along the line we have all heard of the Maldives, renowned for their turquoise waters and year-round idyllic weather. With over 1,000 islets and 26 atolls, the Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean about 700km southwest of Sri Lanka.

A classic and gentle snorkeller-whale shark encounter

Beauty through purity is one of the things that make the Maldives a premium romantic location targeted by honeymooners. However, unlike the typical visitor, why not jump at the occasion to see the country from a completely different perspective: supporting protection of its underwater world. Enhance your understanding of the atolls and reef islands that offer some of the world’s most exquisite diving by getting involved in a whale shark protection programme.

Putting Protections in Place

Whale shark encounters happen throughout the year around the atolls of the Maldives, chiefly on the outer reef of the South Ari atoll, a whale shark hot spot very popular with snorkellers, who converge there on a daily basis. What most are not aware of though is that in recent years the sharks of the Maldives have been deliberately killed to fuel the high demand for fins and meat in the Asian market. This has been happening illegally around the atoll and legally outside it. Fortunately, to stop this from occurring in Maldivian water, the Maldives has made its first contribution to the marine ecosystem by developing a protected area for whale sharks. This initiative is backed by the government, diving professionals, representatives of the local community and biologists.

The dorsal fin of a whale shark almost completely cut from its body

Visitors to the marine protected area will be governed by guidelines that regulate traffic, especially limits on maximum boat speeds and the number of boats and humans per shark. The government of Maldives endorsed these guidelines in June 2008 and the local community has been brought to understand how important it is to preserve the whale shark. Beyond respect for the survival of the species, everyone realises that without them, locals and dive centres will lose a major source of income.

Known as the top predators of the marine ecosystem, sharks have been around for 400 million years and play a very important role in marine life. Predators though they may be, they are still just another animal, challenged by the normal life cycle, which for sharks includes limited reproductive opportunities, slow growth and late maturation. All these factors, in addition to the huge pressure fishing exerts on them, contribute to their fast-declining population.

A December 2008 meeting about the Marine Protected Area

The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) was established in 2006 to protect the whale sharks. One of the main tasks of this programme is to look into the population and behaviour of whale sharks in the Maldives. This is managed through an international genetic analysis and tagging project as well as through photo-identification and prey surveys.

What Can You Do?

How can you get involved in protecting whale sharks? First of all, get close to where the project is being run: the Conrad Resort and Spa on Rangali Island in South Ari. The hotel organises two one-day trips per week for guests eager to participate in the photo-identification process of all sharks encountered. In addition, the MWSRP is about to start a round of research trips (April through June, as well as one in December) and on the lookout for research volunteers. One of the perks of this task is free diving with these endangered giants of the sea.

The Conrad guest research trip found the MWSRP's 100th shark

If you can’t join an expedition, the best way to help is by asking your tour operator for a briefing on the whale shark encounter guidelines, not buying any shark products and making a donation in cash or equipment to the MWSRP. Moreover, while you are in the Maldives, make a visit to Digurah Island, a typical Maldivian island where you can purchase genuine local crafts, and Dangethi Island’s cultural centre.

Finally, spread the word about the Maldives’ efforts: its marine protected area, the research being undertaken by the MWSRP and a ban on shark fishing including the export, import and sale of shark products.

For more information about the Maldives, including accommodations, tours, activities, all your travel needs and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Afrah, Shanoon and the team from Canopus Maldives at www.maldiveshotels.mv.

This is an abridged version of a longer article, found here.

“Karma works for Kim!” said the email from Pam Logan, the founder of Kham Aid Foundation, a small non-profit I had nominated in the Geotourism Challenge contest in December 2007. Pam congratulated me for winning a trip “anywhere in the world.”

Treasure Beach at the aptly named Treasure Beach Hotel

My initial reaction was “Huh?” I’d assumed the contest was to pick the best sustainable-tourism NGO; how come I was the winner? I’d gone with fellow volunteers on an art-conservation trip led by Pam in September 2007 to Kham, on the eastern Tibetan plateau. After our trip Pam asked if we would write about it on Ashoka’s Changemakers website.

Hugely impressed, I was happy to sing their praises. I wrote a few hurried but heartfelt paragraphs on the website, without paying much attention to contest details.

I was really pleased to win in a worthy cause, but the magnitude of the prize dawned on me when I surfed the whl.travel portal, which leads to so many wonderfully offbeat destinations and great choices of accommodation that deciding where to go was really hard.

I thought it should be somewhere that I would never have dreamt of going; also someplace warm since I could only take leave around Christmas, but not just a sunny resort.

The author at her anywhere-in-the-world location of choice!

Then Usain Bolt won the 100m at the Beijing Olympics and Jamaica popped onto my radar. Shortly after, I was put in touch with Andrew Sharpe of Authentic Caribbean Holidays, the whl.travel local partner in Jamaica. My only request was not to be put in a gated international-chain hotel. My boyfriend Tom requested beach proximity.

Andrew suggested a few options off the beaten path in the less-touristed south. I settled on the locally run Treasure Beach Hotel …and it yielded some memories to treasure.

We landed in Kingston on Christmas Day. Yah man! Reggae blasted from gigantic boom boxes at roadside bars on the four-hour drive to the south coast. Despite the public holiday, Andrew met us at the airport with driver/guide Roland Desulme and came with us all the way to the hotel.

Spread across a lush hillside, with azure ocean views from its terrace, the Treasure Beach was surprisingly quiet. A few steps down from the pool was the actual Treasure Beach, a curve of coral-strewn sand and strong surf. Right in front of “our” beach the sun sank spectacularly into the sea, where local families swam alongside the tourists. The place was low-rise, laid-back and hassle-free.

Across the street was a tiny bar called Kim’s Place, named after the owner’s older daughter. The jolly owner’s younger kids played around the bar and a guy came by to strum his guitar. I was glad we were staying in a neighbourhood where it was easy to chat with local folks, not cocooned in an “all-inclusive” resort.

The two Kims at Kim's Place, with the owner in the background

Roland, our very cool, bearded and braided guide, drove us to some South Coast historical places and natural attractions. At the 260-year-old Appleton Rum Estate, amid vast sugar-cane plantations, we saw how molasses was turned into rum. We swam at the idyllic YS Falls and admired dramatic views at Lover’s Leap, a restaurant atop a 1,700-foot cliff. We lunched on the veranda of Bloomfield Great House, an elegant colonial legacy in the highland town of Mandeville. And touring a scenic coffee farm in the Blue Mountains outside Kingston, we learned that 80% of Jamaica’s Arabica typica beans is exported to Japan.

Enjoying a local treat at the cow-skin soup shack

I enjoyed these well-run “must-see” sights, but it was just as, if not more, interesting simply cruising through the countryside, past rustic hamlets, vegetable fields, lots of colourful bars (how can we forget the seafood and music place called Little Ochi in a little village reachable only by a very rutted road!), as many churches of every denomination, and showy mansions built by “returnees” who’d made their money abroad.

“You seeing the real Jamaica, yah man,” Roland said.

—–

For more information about Jamaica, including accommodations, tours, activities, all your travel needs and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Andrew Sharpe and the team from Authentic Caribbean Holidays at www.jamaica-island-hotels.com.

The nomination phase for the 2009 round of the Geotourism Challenge opens on 29 January 2009. Why not sing the praises of your favourite tourism-related organisation? You never know what karma will bring.

If you thought visiting Brazil in summer was all about crowded beaches and hordes of tourists, think again! The tiny island of Fernando de Noronha, 340km off the northeast coast of Brazil is a peaceful gem waiting to be discovered. With the government limiting the number of visitors to 420 people at any one time in order to preserve the pristine environment, you’ll find unspoiled beaches, secluded bays, stunning sunsets and spectacular marine life.

Another awesome sunset from Forte Nossa Senhora Dos Remédios on Fernando de Noronha

A lot has been said about Fernando de Noronha’s sunsets, as it’s the only place in Brazil where you can see the sun swallowed by the sea. However, what many don’t know is that another phenomenon, just as beautiful, takes place right after it, on the other side of the island… the moon rising! Ask locals for the moon rising time and go to the viewpoint at “Buraco da Raquel” (Raquel’s Hole), the only place to watch this incredible sight. To get there take a bus or a taxi to the Shark`s Museum or Port Santo Antonio, the last stop of the bus line (bus – BRL3.50 / buggy – BRL10.00).

Fernando de Noronha’s pristine waters are a haven for divers and marine enthusiasts. However, if you miss your close encounter with a shark whilst diving, head to “Anpesca” (Noronha’s Fishing Association). Every afternoon just before sunset, fishing boats dock in Anpesca’s pier to clean their catches. You can imagine the agitation! Around the edge of the rocks are lemon sharks, sandpaper sharks, butter rays and other big fish fighting for the leftovers. The sharks sometimes actually run ashore in their frenzy, making for great pictures. Take a bus or a taxi to the Shark`s Museum or Port Santo Antonio (bus – BRL3.50 / buggy – BRL10.00), and try to arrive before 7pm for a closer view.

What a reward: the view of Dolphins Bay after a pleasant hike

One of the most sought after trips on Fernando de Noronha is the trail to Baía dos Golfinhos (Dolphins’ Bay). The conventional outing starts at 5am to see the dolphins entering the bay after their long night hunting in the outer sea. However, if you’re not a morning person, don’t worry; the dolphins play in the bay until around noon. You can even go without a guide as the trail is clean and well signposted.

Fernando de Noronha has some great restaurant options, such as Zé Maria Inn’s, Maravilha Inn’s, and Teju-Açú Inn’s. However, there is also a little-divulged restaurant called Palhoça da Colina (‘Hill’s Shanty’). With capacity for only 10 people and only one table and no chairs, this unknown hideaway is a local favourite, open by appointment only. Customers are invited to sit on cushions around the table and savour the delicious seafood options. The view from the restaurant is beautiful and the atmosphere pleasant and cosy. Reserve through your pousada, or visit their website.

A meal being prepared at Palhoça da Colina

Whilst there are no direct international flights, getting to Fernando de Noronha is fairly straightforward by plane, with regular one-hour flights operated by Varig Airlines and Trip Airlines departing from Recife and Natal on Brazil’s northeast coast. All flights on arrival circle the island to align with the runway. Passengers sitting on the plane’s left side get panoramic views of the archipelago – a great opportunity to take incredible pictures.

For more information about Fernando de Noronha, including accommodations, tours, activities and lots of insider tips, contact your local whl.travel connection: Pedro Capelossi and the team from Trip Noronha at www.noronha.travel. Trip Noronha works tirelessly with locals and tourists to ensure the ongoing preservation of the island’s untouched natural environment.

On 11 January 2009 the New York Times (NYT) published a piece entitled The 44 Places to Go in 2009. The introduction suggests that they are the new year’s ‘most compelling destinations’ and they’re presented in an order of preference ‘recommended’ by the NYT. At the article’s request, readers also voted on their favourites and, with the click of a button, the preferences can be shuffled to reflect readers’ recommendations too.

Reader comments on the article covered fairly predictable ground, lamenting omitted destinations (“Nothing in China? I am a bit surprised.” “Not a single Canadian destination?”), suggesting new ones (“Visit Poland!” “Tanzania? Kenya”?), criticising those on the list (“Dallas? You’ve got to be kidding!” “Beirut? Get real.”), questioning the division into sub-categories (“How is Greece not a cultural option?” “Can someone explain to me how $600 a night in South Africa is ‘frugal’?”) and even challenging the validity and sustainability of the topic (“Honestly, how many working people will be able to afford big vacations this year?” “Do the authors and publishers of travel pieces like this bear responsibility for the environmental damage wrought by those who go?”)

One of my personal favourites is this one: “Please add the category that shows where the jobs are that allow people to spend money to travel. In my world, most of these trips are the equivalent of more than a couple of month’s rent. Call it ‘employo-tourism.’ ”

I won’t add my own very long list of criticisms of the choices offered or of people’s responses. Well, OK, I can’t resist just one: Just how could Buffalo (New York) be the number three people’s recommended destination for 2009? I have nothing against the place, but, really, more appealing than the entire country of South Africa? Please.

Actually, I have another one: Like many of the people who commented, I find the presentation of the list to be incredibly disingenuous. While I can imagine the day when whl.travel will publish its own lists, I will endeavor to be more transparent about our selection criteria and more clear about our original pool being solely our suite of offered destinations.

Then again, I wonder if these lists serve any real purpose or if (as I sometimes suspect) they are really just a commercial obligation put forth as an opinion. Have you ever made a travel choice as a function of such a list (I haven’t)? And, in the end, is it fair for one set of apple destinations to be compared to the orange set and the peach set and the pineapple set? How can you ever measure the comparative merits of ‘A Pennsylvania Farm’ over all of India?

(On an related-but-different note, I find very encouraging how well whl.travel has anticipated this (dubiously accurate) New York Times overview. If you subtract the 10 American and 10 major European destinations (markets into which we have not yet pushed), of the remaining 24, whl.travel has active partners in or near 14 of them, including (in order of NYT preference) Beirut, Qatar (coming), Dakar, Phuket, Marrakech, the Aegean Sea (see Greece and Turkey), Penang (see other destinations in Malaysia), Florianopolis, Boracay, South Africa, India, Madagascar, Tasmania (see other destinations in Australia) and Zambia.)