A welcoming poster at the World Travel Market 2010. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Ord

This year, responsible tourism made its way from a niche-market corner into the mainstream. The BBC World sponsored the World Responsible Tourism Programme (WRTP), which included a series of seminars on some of the major topics within tourism and sustainability. The Programme culminated with World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday November 10, when the much-anticipated 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards were handed out.

Conservation Through Tourism

The WRTP kicked off on the Tuesday with a seminar about responsible tourism initiatives that are making a contribution to the conservation of the bio-diverse ecosystems in their regions. Guest speaker Andrés Ordóñez León, General Manager of Kapawi Ecolodge in Ecuador, told an incredible story about how his ecolodge has been an organising force in protecting the surrounding Amazon forest from logging and oil companies. It was an intelligent presentation about a successful conservation initiative that has also been instrumental in preserving local culture and providing sustainable livelihoods for the local community.

The Debate over Green Certification

The seminar series continued with a comprehensive debate that addressed how tourism operators use ethical labels such as ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ for communication and marketing purposes. The seminar covered green certification schemes, their proponents and their critics.

A view of the World Travel Market in 2010. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Ord

Representatives from three successful certification schemes made the case for green certification. Nikki White of Travelife sees green certification as “a start for change” and “a carrot rather than a stick,” giving businesses a positive incentive to work toward meeting sustainability criteria. Brad Cox, Director of Communications at Green Globe Certification, explained his company’s services as “offering a sustainability road map” for tourism businesses. Andrea Nicholas, Managing Director of Green Tourism Business Scheme, discussed her programme’s sustainability criteria for accommodation in the UK.

On the more critical side was debate moderator Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism at Leeds Metropolitan University. He and the audience raised tough questions about green certification systems: Are they viable as business models or do they tend to rely on outside funding that eventually runs out? Can incentive-based certification really take the place of legal regulation? What about carbon emissions from air travel? Does that not threaten the whole idea of tourism sustainability? Or can carbon offsets neutralise the damage? Are international standards an important goal for green certification of tourism?

These are all important questions for tourism businesses looking for ways to hold themselves accountable for their impact and to communicate their commitment to the global market.

The Egypt stand in the Africa section of the World Travel Market 2010. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Ord

Tourism Businesses and Climate Change

The major events of the WRTP were held on Wednesday, the official World Responsible Tourism Day. In the afternoon, BBC World News televised a panel discussion about tourism businesses and climate change in which the industry’s heavy use of water and fossil fuels was addressed. BBC journalist Stephen Sackur talked to key figures such as Steven Farrant, Director of International Tourism Partnership, about the issues. Again, the audience contributed questions to the discussion, one of the most memorable being “What are each of you doing, at home on a personal level, to reduce your carbon emissions?”

Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010

A highlight of the WRTP was the announcement of the Responsible Tourism Award winners for 2010, also on Wednesday. The awards, which began in 2005, are an initiative between online travel directory responsibletravel.com and Virgin Holidays. The overall winner this year was a small luxury resort in Indonesia called Nihiwatu, which impressed judges with its progress in alleviating poverty in its community. Other awards were given for, among others, Best Personal Contribution, Best Destination, Best in a Mountain Environment, Best Tour Operator for Local Economies, Best Responsible Cruise or Ferry Operator, Best Volunteering Organisation, Best Accommodation for the Environment, Best in a Marine Environment, and Best for Poverty Reduction.

whl.travel's Luke Ford (centre) takes a moment at the WTM with Mr Kim (left) and Ms Lee of Holiday Planners, the whl.travel local connection for South Korea

WHL Group, parent company of whl.travel, was also in attendance, sharing the messages of whl.travel, Urban Adventures and WHL Consulting, all of which were received positively. With a growing network around the world in more than 90 countries, whl.travel was there with 15-plus whl.travel local connections.

“I’m so glad I can visit such an important travel event like WTM and see the friendly faces of whl.travel local partners from around the world,” enthused Carmelita Xavier, the whl.travel local connection for the Caribbean island of St. Lucia and director of Solar Tours & Travel. “We’re one big family and I feel part of something quite amazing!”

It wasn’t just Carmelita smiling; St. Lucia’s Minister for Tourism, Senator the Honorable Allen M. Chastanet, was there as well, showing his support for the work of Solar Travel and their commitment to responsible tourism on the island.

Mr Neil Forrester (centre), the whl.travel local connection for Antigua and Barbuda meets with Klaudija Janzelj (whl.travel) and Stephen Chapman (WHL Consulting)

Another whl.travel local connection, Nigina Muhtarova of Afsona Travel, local partner for Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan, had this to say: “Working online with each other is great, but coming to WTM and being able to meet everyone in person really means a lot. It gives us the chance to share ideas and get to know one another in a social setting as well!” With almost all continents covered by at least one whl.travel partner, the WTM really was like a mini global gathering.

It was great to see that WTM is having such a positive influence on the tourism industry, a chance to stress the importance of responsible tourism through the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day and the various activities that surround the now globally recognized date of 12 November.

Dorine Naeye of DN Travel & Events, based in Antwerp, Belgium, has been visiting WTM since its inception and commented that “Of all the years I’ve been visiting WTM, it’s great to see them making an effort to promote responsible tourism. They’re really trying hard and now I see them reaching a greater audience with the message.”

On the Tuesday, the WTM also organized a roundtable discussion on the state of travel philanthropy, with a range of speakers including Dr. Dawid de Villiers, Chairman of the UNWTO World Committee on Tourism Ethics; and Fiona Jeffery, Chairman of WTM and Managing Director of Just a Drop Foundation.

It is evident that a major change is occurring within the industry. Responsible tourism is shifting from a niche to a mainstream industry priority, and whl.travel has been there all along with a unique model connecting travellers with local travel experts eager to help provide authentic, personal and ethical access to their home destinations, the kind of travel more and more people are yearning for.

A lot of good people with a lot of good things to say at the Fringe RT Network event @ WTM 2009

The prevailing attitude that I encountered throughout the night was one of positivity. Positivity about new product launches, positivity about potential joint ventures and positivity about the sector as a whole. I only heard the recession being discussed once all evening. It wasn’t that people were deliberately avoiding the topic – when it was brought up it was treated seriously – but every person I spoke to came across as optimistic and was proactively developing solutions to deal with the economy’s curve balls.

There was also a great deal of positivity about the increased attention being paid to responsibility in travel by the wider tourism sector. Since the RT Network’s inception back in 2007, the concept of sustainable travel has gone from having a single presentation at the main World Travel Market event to being a leading crosscutting theme returned to throughout the week. In fact, responsible tourism is now pretty much the WTM’s primary focus all day on Wednesday 12 November, better known as the WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, “the only global day of action of its kind” and one supported by the UNWTO and leading industry associations. Still, many of the Fringe attendees expressed their preference for the Fringe event over its giant sibling – the bubbling intimacy of the Fringe’s basement venue was more comfortable for most than the cavernous interior of the ExCeL centre.

One of the best parts of the experience for me was putting faces to names. While the Internet is a fantastic communication tool and it allows people from all over the world to come together and keep in touch, you really can’t beat a good face-to-face chat with someone. I particularly enjoyed speaking with Stuart Grant, director of Geo.me; Thomas Armitt, founder of West Africa Discovery; and Vishwaraj Gyawali of Social Tours. Special mention must also go to Sally Broom and the rest of the team at Tripbod, who organised the whole event and brought so many people together.

It really was a refreshing experience to meet a large group of people with genuine passion for the industry in which they work. It’s also reassuring to know that such high levels of creativity are being channelled into innovation and activity, particularly during a difficult year. The Fringe event has been going from strength to strength and if what I saw on Monday was anything to go by, it will continue to do so. Thanks again to Sally and to everyone else who turned out. I’m already looking forward to next year!

For your convenience we have included as much information as we have about who is to be found and how they can be contacted.

Please feel free to track any of them down. They will answer as many questions as possible about whl.travel and its incredible expansion from a regional World Bank project to a global engine bridging the divide between independent, responsible visitors and local, ethical travel hosts.

The three whl.travel representatives, as well as several local partners, will also be present at the Fringe RT Network event on Monday night.

The three whl.travel representatives are:

* Klaudija Janzelj, Executive Director of the Europe-Middle East regional office
* Luke Ford, Project Manager of the Europe-Middle East regional office (faithfully @gunyahtravel on Twitter)
* Stephen Chapman, Manager of Membership Advantage Plus for WHL Consulting (also founder of Make Travel Fair, notably @maketravelfair on Twitter)

Our local partners are:

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Past Experiences

It was a great event last year. In fact I travelled into London especially for this event and didn’t attend WTM. For me this may become increasingly what happens as this year even more small events like this are cropping up on the fringes of WTM. There was a great mix of people [at the Fringe RT Network event] last year and the atmosphere was relaxed and perfect for chatting over a few drinks.

It’s always great to have opportunities to connect in this sort of setting, particularly these days when we can spend so much time interacting online with people all around the world.

Stephen Chapman - Founder of Make Travel Fair

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Making Connections

I remember meeting Gerhard Buttner [an international development, sustainability and ecotourism expert] last year and talking at length with him. He’d recently arrived in the UK after doing a lot of work with Ron Mader of Planeta in Mexico. It was great to hear directly about some of the great work being done in Mexico. The Fringe event always serves as a great space to reconnect with a lot people I don’t see throughout the year but have known for a while.

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Looking Ahead

I think as always there will be lots of discussion about new initiatives happening. Hopefully there will be some new faces attending so that sharing experiences and finding new ways to work together dominate the evening. Any networking evening is a fantastic opportunity and if you’re in London, involved in the travel industry – particularly at the grassroots level – then you’d need a pretty good reason not to attend this event. It’s free! What better venue to hold an event like this than a central London bar… for the informal atmosphere as well as the real ales!

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Many thanks to Stephen for taking the time to answer my questions. If you’d like to meet Stephen or me and will be in London on Monday 9 November, be sure to drop by the Pavilion End Bar from 6:30pm onward.  Remember to register your interest in attending via the Fringe Network page on Ning or Facebook. You can follow me live via Twitter @whltravelBlog on the night. Keep an eye out for the #rtnet hashtag cropping up on multiple streams.

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Monday November 9 marks the beginning of the 2009 World Travel Market, one of the travel industry’s most important annual events. While many people from around the world will be descending throughout the week on London’s ExCeL centre to meet, greet and do business, an increasing number will also be making a beeline to the Fringe RT Network Event – 6:30pm to 11pm in the Pavilion End Bar, close to the heart of the city – to meet, engage and inspire.

The Fringe Responsible Travel Network Event @ WTM, pictured here from a previous year, is a chance to connect and reconnect with people passionate about responsible travel

Developed by a group of like-minded individuals keen to bring together people with a passion for locally focussed responsible tourism that protects and enhances destinations for the benefit of host communities as well as visitors, the Fringe Network event was first held in 2007. In the two years since, attendees have met regularly, both in person and online, to discuss the challenges they face, share their experiences and promote the progress being made by the sector as a whole.

“It becomes ever more important that grassroots organisations and initiatives around the world continue to exert their independence, innovate and come together to network,” observed Stephen Chapman, founder of Make Travel Fair after the 2008 event.

Keeping Good Company

For the third year in a row, the Fringe evening is organised by the team at Tripbod (active in past years as YourSafePlanet). This year, however, whl.travel is proud to be a media partner, along with Make Travel Fair and Social Tours. The event sponsors are Intrepid, Rough Guides, The Blue Yonder and Travel to Care.

Despite inclusion of a speed-networking event that follows the speed-dating model, the evening is expected to be as relaxed and informal as in past years, an ideal environment in which to make new connections and reconnect with old ones.

This is my first time attending a Fringe – or indeed any – event of this kind, so I’m excited to be bringing a fresh perspective to the proceedings. I’m also hoping to convey some of the enthusiasm and optimism expressed by attendees on the night and, in advance, will be delivering some insights from Fringe veterans about what to expect. On 9 November you can follow me live via Twitter @whltravelBlog or keep up with what are sure to be multiple streams through the #rtnet hashtag.

Of course, if you’re in London on 9 November, I’d highly recommend coming along to meet some friendly faces. Register your interest via the Fringe Network page on Ning or Facebook. Alternatively, stay tuned here for updates.

If there’s a particular topic you’d like to see discussed or would be interested in hearing about, drop me a line and I’ll do my best to make sure I cover it on the night. If you’d like to contact the organisers directly, begin at the Tripbod website.

The Old News: In 2002, a Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (held in anticipation of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development) brought together 280 tourism-industry representatives from 20 countries.

They issued a joint declaration defining the role and potential of responsible tourism. The terms they set and the path they began to pave were early steps of a more and more urgent effort to steer worldwide tourism down an ethical and sustainable course.

The New News: Now consumers and host communities are placing more and more pressure on tourism-industry companies and organisations to behave responsibly.

As a demonstration of strides already made to anticipate and meet these demands, the World Travel Mart (WTM) launched, with the support of the UN World Tourism Organization and industry leaders, a World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD), “the only global day of action of its kind.”

Mark your calendars: November 12, 2008.

“The day is vital -– for business, for profitability and for our planet. It means taking care of a world that we seek to promote. Preserving our heritage and cultures and taking into account the views and needs of local communities,” declares the WTM WRTD Web site. “WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is our chance to speak out as one voice, demonstrating that responsible tourism is the ONLY means of securing our future.”

Four guiding objectives will guide industry practitioners throughout the day:

• spurring change by educating the tourism industry and travelling public about responsible behaviour
• exploring destination-specific sustainability and highlighting best practices
• debating key related environmental issues as a step in propelling the agenda
• harnessing the influence of World Travel Market as a forum through which to advance responsible tourism.