The logo of the Fringe Travel network

With the milestone of the 2010 World Travel Market (WTM) now fading into memory, many who attended or were involved to some degree are left asking a single question: Where did 2010 go? Time has absolutely flown by since last year’s event. It’s been a busy and, for most, positive year, so if there’s one thing that I’ll take away from last week’s proceedings, it’s that feeling of general optimism. There’s reason to be cautious, of course, but on the whole there’s plenty of creative sparks being struck and the signs of fires starting to catch.

Finding Good Value on the Periphery

I didn’t attend the WTM this year, although several of my WHL Group colleagues did. I was, however, involved in several of the large number of peripheral events that have sprung up around the travel industry juggernaut that takes up annual November residence in London’s gigantic ExCeL Centre. As someone involved in responsible travel, I felt it was a natural choice for me. Although I understand that many of big travel companies signalled interest in sustainability this year, I still find the more casual environments of the smaller events to be a more rewarding and more interesting place to talk to people.

The Heart of the Fringe

Top of my list for this sort of interaction was the WTM Fringe Travel Networking event, a night organised by the team at Tripbod. It provides a space for people active in responsible travel to come together and socialise outside the main WTM event. Having attended this event last year, I was keen to head back to see how much things had changed.

The answer was not a great a deal – not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. The friendly, welcoming atmosphere was the same. The willingness to allow people to speak and introduce their ideas was the same. The undercurrents of energy and creativity were the same. In short, everything was similar, only bigger, brighter and better.

The casual environments of the smaller events on the periphery of the WTM made them more rewarding and more interesting place to talk to people

For starters, the venue was larger, with more room for people to mingle. There were more attendees – I met several very interesting people with exciting ideas that were completely new to me. There was a greater interest from the mainstream travel industry; Expedia, which sent several representatives, sponsored the event. Technology also played a bigger role in the proceedings, as the evening was livecast via the Web to viewers around the world. I had to dodge the webcam several times as it made its circuit of the room.

A WHL Group Get-together

Later in the week I attended a WHL Group event organised to bring together staff, local partners and industry friends attending the WTM. As a guy who spends a lot of his time hiding in a darkened room and writing code, I enjoyed the opportunity to put some faces to names that had only previously existed to me as email addresses. Many of the numerous whl.travel partners were in attendance and it was truly a pleasure to chat with the people who work hard to produce the content which flows through The Travel Word.

The undercurrents of energy and creativity at the events on the periphery of the WTM were just as strong at the 2010 WTM Fringe Networking event as they were in 2009

Also in attendance were the teams heading up the various WHL Group businesses, including Urban Adventures, Green Path Transfers, Gunyah, Lime&Tonic and WHL Consulting. Again, it was great to be able to discuss things in person. The internet is a great communication tool and most of what I do on a daily basis couldn’t happen without it. But, at the end of the day, it’s no substitute for a good, old-fashioned conversation.

That would be the second thing I’d take from my week on the fringe – the importance of speaking to people. Travel is a business, sure, but that business is always a means to an end. And that end is the experience of discovery, of communication and of sharing something, even if it’s just a drink or a joke.

I understand what WTM is about, but I’ll always prefer the smaller events. So look for me on the fringe again next year.

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.

At the WTM, countries organize themselves by region and set up exhibits where business representatives can network. Estonia's exhibit emphasized the country's nature tourism. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Ord

Drawing a Big Crowd

To put the WTM into context: it’s a major draw at every level. On the first day of the event this year, 6,665 senior industry buyers were in attendance; unaudited figures suggest this is a 21% increase on last year. Immediately following, the fourth UNWTO Minister’s Summit on Tuesday saw a 41% increase in ministers and aides present.

Fittingly, the WHL Group was represented by a team from across the network, including whl.travel, Urban Adventures, WHL Consulting, Green Path Transfers, Lime and Tonic, and Gunyah. In addition, over 20 of the whl.travel local connections were present (from Ecuador to Uzbekistan). What we all discovered was that the message has certainly spread about our development. The network has grown to cover over 100 countries around the world, making it one of the largest global networks of its kind.

As an example of the WHL Group’s strength, Urban Adventures has expanded to cover over 60 destinations in the last year. Klaudija Janzelj, Sales Manager for Urban Adventures, valued the event stating, “We received very positive feedback from distributors as our product is fresh, innovative and different. There is a lot of responsible travel occurring outside urban centres so we are filling this gap.”

In attendance from the WHL Group at the WTM 2010 were (left to right) Naut Kusters (Amsterdam local partner), Hugh Yarborough (Quito local partner), Len Cordiner (CEO of the WHL Group)

Responsible Tourism

The WTM is a great opportunity for talking and networking. It was particularly interesting that BBC World chose to sponsor the World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD, which falls in the middle of the WTM) and hosted several presentations about responsible tourism. Now in its third year in association with UNWTO, the day marks a conscientious industry decision to address pressing issue. “Responsible tourism is now at the top of the corporate agenda and it is essential that it becomes an integral part of the future industry,” said Fiona Jeffrey, Chairman of the WTM.

Anda Cirule, the WHL Group’s regional director for Europe and the Middle East also noted that “The responsible tourism event proved extremely useful for productive discussions with companies from the industry.”

Of course, the industry included our own local partners. We were glad to meet key people like one of whl.travel’s newest additions from Barcelona, Spain. “It definitely helped us a lot at BCN Travel,” remarked a company representative. “We were glad to meet with key people from whl.travel from other countries. Many interesting thoughts and future plans were discussed. We wish meetings like those would be organized more often for all members of the WHL Group to work closer, share ideas and improve our strategies.”

The WTM 2010 was a great chance for local partners to meet one another and WHL Group staff. Here, left to right, are Negina Mukhtarova (Samarkand local partner), Seif Saudi (Jordan local partner), Hripsime Badalyan (Armenia local partner) and Anda Cirule (WHL Group Regional Director for Europe and the Middle East)

Online Takes Off

Alongside the consistent messages about responsible tourism, the 2010 event focused heavily on developments in online travel and technology. As an online network this was very pertinent to the WHL Group.

One of the key findings was that Google’s dominance in online travel will be increasingly challenged by mobile technology. Devices such as the iPhone and the development of location-based applications are already revolutionising the travel industry, with smartphone penetration expected to reach 92 per cent in Europe by 2014.

These shifts in traveller behaviour illustrate that innovation will be an essential requirement for everyone involved in the travel industry in the coming years. The importance of mobile technology continues to grow, a theme continuously stressed during the WTM.

As well as the recurrent message of responsible tourism, consideration was given to the recent years of economic downturn and their effect on the industry. Crucially, the final day of the WTM focused on how small-to-medium-size businesses can escape the crisis, something of special value to the WHL Group, which labours to support and allow local partners to survive and flourish at an international level.

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.