Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 26 Aug, 2010 13:44:42
For tredje året på rad arrangerer JCI Oslo ”Fair Trade Dagen”. Temaet i år er ansvarlig turisme. Hvordan kan reiselivsnæringen bidra til en bedre verden?
Dagen arrangeres 16. september på Oslo Handelskammer i Henrik Ibsensgt 100 fra 14:00 til 19:30. Velkommen!
Fair Trade Dagen er et årlig arrangement i regi av Junior Chamber International (JCI) Oslo hvor vi ønsker å samle aktører i det norske næringslivet, organisasjoner, akademia og media. Formålet er å engasjere, inspirere og lære av hverandre om samfunnsansvar og rettferdig handel.
Temaet for 2010 er ansvarlig turisme. Ansvarlig turisme handler om å bruke reiselivet som verktøy for ”å skape bedre steder for lokalbefolkningen å bo samt for turister å besøke”. Dette kan gjøres ved å bidra til lokal økonomisk vekst og ta miljø- og samfunnsansvar. Ved å implementere ansvarlig turisme prinsipper vil det påvirke til å maksimere positive, samt minimere negative effekter turismen kan føre med seg. Nå mobiliserer vi til handling fra reiselivsindustrien.
Arrangementet er gratis. Les mer på Fair Trade Dagens egne hjemmesider. Ønsker du å være deltaker? Da kan du melde deg på ved å sende en mail til info@fairtradedagen.no Husk å oppgi fullt navn, bedrift og stilling samt kontakt informasjon. Du vil få en bekreftelse på mottatt på påmelding.
Program for dagen:
Åpning ved Lars Kåre Legernes, Adm. Direktør, Oslo Handelskammeret og Helge Sverre Risan, President. JCI Oslo.
Georg Kamfjord, Studierektor, Handelshøyskolen BI Ansvarlig turisme i et globalt perspektiv.
Erlend Lappegard, Styreleder, Inspiratour. Inspiratour Foundation og ansvarlig turisme.
Raj Gyawali, Direktør, Socialtours Nepal. Turismens ringvirkninger i et av verdens fattigste land.
Daouda Niang, Produktutvikler, ASSET Gambia. Rettferdig reiselivshandel i Gambia.
Lena Petersson, CSR/Informasjonsdirektør, Star Tour. Charteroperatørens samfunnsansvar
Arild Molstad, forfatter, globetrotter og rådgiver. Hvordan kan turisme redusere fattigdom og takle klimautfordringene?
Pause med matbit og mingling.
Paneldebatt, deltakere:
Rolf Forsdal, Direktør Reiseliv Utland, HSH Reiseliv
Lena Petersson, CSR/Informasjonsdirektør, Star Tour
Arild Molstad, forfatter, globetrotter og rådgiver
Vigdis Jordal, Hjertebanken og "ansvarlig turist"
Camilla Karstensen, The Body Shop: Ansvarlig turisme omfatter også bekjempelse av menneskehandel. Body Shop sin kampanje i samarbeid med EPCAT for å stoppe menneskehandel av barn og unge.
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 08 Apr, 2010 11:31:08
The Local Travel Movement Launches
Local Travel sets its sights on becoming a key trend in 2010April 7, 2010 – In mid-March, the Local Travel Movement trumpeted a call to people and organisations with a passion for local travel and commitment to local travel values. The promising early reverberations of this new, international, free-to-join movement have already inspired more than 40 organisations to join a growing list of partners at
www.LocalTravelMovement.com.
The Local Travel Movement was initiated by a core coalition of people from companies that believe Local Travel is greater than the sum of its parts. The Local Travel Movement is now already a rallying point through which, by working together, Local Travel companies can help give locals a real voice, engage travellers and develop a stronger ethical dialogue within the travel industry.
Given the diversity of partner companies, the Local Travel Movement is not overly descriptive. Rather than define ‘local travel,’ the Local Travel Movement simply places value on an approach to travel that is mindful of local people, the local environment, local culture and the local economy. It proposes four easy steps to becoming a local traveller:
• connecting with local people before, during and after a trip
• travelling in a manner that is sensitive to the local environment
• respecting local heritage and culture
• spending money locally.
While these actions may seem self-evident, the Local Travel Movement prioritises this conscious and conscientious shift in attention to the direct connection between visitor and local host. For travellers it's a chance to get under a place's skin (and let it under theirs), while also making the most of their travel time and saving money by spending locally. For host communities, it is vital for enforcing the beneficial qualities of tourism, maximising a general awareness of the local culture and minimising 'leakage' from the local economy.
The partners of the Local Travel Movement believe now is the time to embrace, develop, promote and establish Local Travel as the responsible way forward in tourism.
###
For more information and interviews, please contact:
Ethan Gelber, WHL Group (
www.whl-group.com), ethan@whl.travel
Bart van Poll, Spotted by Locals (
www.spottedbylocals.com), bart@spottedbylocals.com
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 26 Mar, 2010 14:32:58On Thursday 25th March 2010, ASSET in partnership with other tourism stakeholders launch a Community Excursion Folder with the view to diversify the product the country is offering and to make tourism more beneficial for the local communities.
The Gambia is a small country in West Africa dominated by charter tourism. Tourists come mainly for the beach and good weather. However there is a demand for product diversification and the launch of this Community Excursion Folder is a step in the right direction.
The launch took place at Cultural Encounters. 30 people attended the launch including tour operators, media and some of the small scale enterprises. The event started with the presentation of the new products by Mr Daouda Niang, General Manager of ASSET. After the presentation Mr Marcel Hendrickx of Kombo Beach Hotel, one of the biggest hotels in The Gambia, concluded his speech by saying “we must all work hand in hand” and contribute to local economic growth. The presentation was followed by a networking gathering.
The Community Excursions folder consists of six different excursions – all local projects which will benefit the local people and communities in The Gambia. The next step forward will be to organize a “Fam trip” for tour operators located in The Gambia in April and jointly work together towards the next season. As for now the folder consists of;
BAFROW: Local Community Involvement Experience. The Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and the Environment (BAFROW) is a Non-Governmental Organization that aims to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the people in the three main areas of health, empowerment and environment. The foundation is set up and run by women. A visit to BAFROW (a community model village) gives the traveler the change to take part in activities together with the women.
BEREFET CULTURAL CAMP: Drumming and Dancing with the Locals. Berefet is a community-based camp famous for its drumming and dancing lessons. Here the travelers will have the opportunity to interact with the locals and learn how to play the drums as well as the different traditional dances in The Gambia. This is a real cultural treatment which ends the day with a performance by the community members and the travelers together.
SOLAR PROJECT TILOO: A Real Solar Cooking Experience. This is a solar cooking and baking experience where the travelers will see how solar energy is working in practice while making their own solar cooked lunch. Travelers will also visit one of the schools where the project supports educational programs on solar energy and its environmental benefits.
LAMIN FISH FARM: “Catch your own lunch!” This excursion gives the traveler the opportunity to select their own vegetables directly from the women farmers at the Women’s Garden in Lamin Village. From there the travelers will go to Lamin Fish Farm and catch their own fish for lunch.
STORYTELLING and PAPER RECYCLING SKILLS PROJECT: “Cultural Encounters” . This is a combination of two projects that include the traditional Gambian storytelling by renowned Jallies in the Gambia. From there the travelers go to Paper Recycling Skills Project where they will make their own recycled paper.
Tie & Dye Experience. This is an opportunity for travellers to create their own fabric and design using natural products and tie & dye methods. This is offered in the hotels by the local artists and tailors. A few days later the travellers can wear their new outfit in a fashion show at the hotels.
All the excursions will be uploaded on ASSET’s webpage and travellers can also book them at Cultural Encounter – ASSET Information Centre.
Daouda Niang - ASSET – www.asset-gambia.com,
Linda Veråsdal - Ethical Travel Portal – www.ethicaltravelportal.com
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 23 Mar, 2010 13:04:56Tuestay 23March, at 12.00 to 15.35 in Parliament, Hilde Magnusson Lydvo and Eva Kristin Hansen, invites to a round-table conference on aid policy and how social entrepreneurship empower African women.
"Social Entrepreneurship empower Africa's women - little is super good" is a round-table conference on how social entrepreneurs in Norway can help to focus on small-scale projects rooted in women's everyday lives.
Entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency is the foundation for women to be able to feed itself in the countryside. It also opens the way to raising awareness about democracy and activism work in the bottom of the pyramid.
The aim is to achieve a dialogue about how concrete long-term sustainable initiatives can help in povertyreduction in Africa. How aid money can be used to enhance this purpose. This seminar focuses on social entrepreneurship as a possible strategy of assistance. Participants will provide input to innovation.
The program of the day is as following:
12:00 Lunch starts, short mingling, all find their place
12.20 Opening and welcome
12:25 Short presentation of participants
12.35 Why is social entrepreneurship in aid important?
Eline Synneva Lorentzen Ingstad, PhD research fellow at the Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Oslo
12.50 How can experiences from the Norwegian women's movement connected to entrepreneurship in partnership with the Norwegian network companies and deliver results? Examples from Uganda. Bitten Schei, Mother Courage
13.05 Posts 5 min on each:
Linda Veråsdal, Responsible Tourism
Mette Moberg, FOCUS, Forum for women and development issues
Mette K. Ofstad, the Labor Party's women's network in Telemark
Jenfrid Stellberg, company Chime
13.30 What is Norway doing to help women in the south out of poverty and ensure social justice?
State Secretary Ingrid Fiskaa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
13.50 clarifying questions to the participants
15.00 Effective philanthropy - how to ensure the highest social returns?
Ingrid Strange, head philanthropic advisory services in Wealth Management AS
15.15 How can the West's purchasing power to create life-giving work of African women? Example from The Gambia.
Vigdis Jordal, Hjertebank
15.30 Summary and way forward v / Eva Kristin Hansen
15.35 End
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 16 Mar, 2010 20:38:09Ethical Travel Portal (ETP) is currently in The Gambia with 18 students from BI Nydalen in Oslo, Norway organised by the student ogranisation BITRA.
Saturday 13th ASSET (Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism), ITTOG (The Institute of Travel and Tourism) and ETP organised a workshop on responsible tourism. The workshop was participated by Norwegian and Gambia students, teachers and representative from ASSET (Daouda Niang) and ETP.
The preparing for the workshop started already two days before when the students visited four ASSET members to learn how they work in terms of responsible tourism and the benefit it gives to the local people and communities. First visit was ASSET - Cultural Encouter where the students got an insight to the work ASSET is doing and the purpose of Cultural Encouter. Next stop was Paper Recycling Skills Project which is turning paper waste to beautiful books where profit goes to the local schools. The last project the first day was Gambia is Good that links local farmers (90% women) to the travel industry. Day after the students went to Tumani Tenda - a community based camp.
The half day workshop started with presentations from the Norwegian and Gambians students. The presentations were about the countries (Norway and The Gambia) and national efforts on implementing responsible and sustainable tourism. After the presentations they were divided into five group where they were asked to use the Gambian Responsible Tourism Policy to assess the mentioned projects and give suggestions for improvements. Many good suggestions came during the presentations - which are all noted and will be forwarded to the respective projects. We also saw the value of this hands-on interactive workshop. They all ended the day with a barbeque on the beach!
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 16 Feb, 2010 16:18:44Another one from Nepal. Our partner socialtours coorganised a Responsible Fringe Meeting on 3rd February 2010. Here is their press release:
03 Feb 2010
The Responsible Fringe Meeting held on 02 Feb 2010 at the Dechenling Garden Restaurant was a grand success. Over 50 individuals, including 17 students and faculty from three leading tourism institutes - SMSH, NCTTM and NATHM - participated in the event organized by socialtours.com travels and Silver Mountain Institute of Hotel Management, and sponsored by Everest Summit Lodges.
The meeting focused on inspiring students from the tourism institutes’ in Kathmandu on responsible travel and also giving them some exposure to what’s happening in the world of Responsible Tourism. This was the first event of its kind to be conducted in Nepal, inline with international events such as this conducted regularly at WTM London and ITB Berlin.
Apart from networking with industry professionals from Nepal and around the world, the ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ also got an opportunity to hear short inspirational words from dignitaries such as
Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong: about the need for everyone to have a commitment to make a small change and giving back to societies
Bharat Basnet, Kantipur Temple Hotel, Nepal: about the need to respect local traditions and culture, which is the best asset we have.
Marcus Cotton, Tiger Mountain, Nepal: about the importance of perseverance, and working with local communities
Marianne Heudge, Travel To Care, Denmark: about the need to be trained, and having the proper education required, plus working towards a goal.
Chandra Ale, Initiative Outdoor, Nepal: about the importance of advanced experiential training to develop leadership skills
Tony Jones, Himalayan Encounters, Nepal: about the importance of just doing your very best.
The students got a unique opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals from Nepal, India, France, Bhutan, Denmark, Germany, United States etc. with a diverse range of industry experience, all with one thing is common – a passion for responsible and sustainable travel.
About the organizers
Socialtours.com travels are Responsible Tourism Award nominated soft adventure specialists based in Nepal. They are Nepal’s only travel company who has started a process of a responsibility audit, and are four time nominees for the prestigious Responsible Tourism Awards in WTM, London
They are a recommended operator by National Geographic Adventure magazine November 2009 for the Great Himalayan Trail, recognized amongst the 25 best new trips in the planet. They are also initiators of the Green Circuit, a circuit combining five responsible tourism operators in the Indian subcontinent, recognized by M Magazine, Delhi to be among the 10 best new experiences to look out for.
t: 4412508, e: info@socialtours.com
Silver Mountain Institute of Hotel Management (SMSH)
SMSH prides itself on giving world class education offering a Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management recognized worldwide, in affiliation with an Educational Institute of American Hotel and Lodging Association (EL Of AH & LA), USA &Bachelor in Hospitality Management from Preston University, USA. SMSH has the finest facilities and infrastructure for its students within the premises for various subjects. The School endows students with the capability to "take the classroom out of the class room" with a hands-on experience of practical training.
t: 4415038 e: info@silvermountain.edu.np
Summit Lodges
Offers the ultimate in luxury treks in the Himalayas amidst the world’s loftiest mountains. The lodges in Kathmandu,Lukla, Monjo, Tashinga, Mende, Pangboche and Kagbeni are all built with a strong awareness for the protection of its environment , local culture and its people.
Each lodge has a traditional style and local hospitality, is in exceptional locations, carefully chosen, away from crowded trails but surrounded by natural and scenic beauty.
t: 4371537 e: nepal@intrek.wlink.com.np
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 15 Feb, 2010 22:51:58Following is an article one of our travellers, Fredrik Pettersen, wrote after he travelled with us to Nepal. Enjoy your reading;
The majestic snow-capped peak of the mountain range Himalayas is seen in the distance. I'm looking down on the small fields covering the hills around Nepal's capital Kathmandu. After 16 hours long flight from Oslo (with a stopover in Zurich, Switzerland and Qatar) the aircraft is approaching Kathmandu.
I travel with Ethical Travel Portal. This is a Norwegian tour operator specializing in trips out of the ordinary. Focus on their tours is learning experiences in responsible tourism. We travel off the beaten track and visit various projects. We meet local grass root operators to learn from them how tourism contributes to positive development for the people in their communities. And not at least it provides a lifetime of memories for us who travel. In Nepal, Ethical Travel Portals local partner is socialtours. This is a travel company that cares about people and nature in Nepal and takes responsibility thereafter. We get an insight in the work they are doing on responsible tourism. Ethical Travel Portal and socialtours base their business on the responsible tourism. We learn about this throughout the whole trip; from problems as plastic bottles to positive establishment like the community library for the local people in Chitwan.
Kathmandu is different and colourful. The traffic is chaotic. Crowded bus - decorated trucks and entire families on the tree that fills a scooter is a common in Kathmandu. The narrow alleys in the city centre are crowded with hopeful sellers with their stalls - as well as rickshaws who desperately offer its services for Western tourists. We cross the two rivers Manohara and Hanumante when the sun is setting. Along the river banks we see settlements consisting of tin sheds which reminds us that we are travelling in one of the world's poorest countries.
It is 05:00am and I enjoy a cup of coffee at a square in Bhaktapur, one of Nepal's largest and historically most important cities. This is definitely of the cultural treasures in Nepal. The streets are dark and wet after the night's rain showers. The city is beginning to wake up. Fresh produce fruits, vegetables and animals are in the process of putting colour on the town. I think of those people who have carried their products all the way to the city - often on their back using a rope that is fastened around the forehead.
Chepang Hill Trail is a good starting point to experience Nepal. There are days, often weeks between each tourist here which allows us an off beaten trekking experience. The profits from travellers are also therefore minimal - it is only an extra source of income.
We are walking in a lush landscape and the path that leads us up to the trip's first "home stay" is steep. Our porters are from one of the small villages on the trek. We hear their story and learn about the porters issues in Nepal. Most Norwegians are raised to "carry there own stuff". But by having a porter the traveller contributes to economic growth in rural Nepal. After passing schools and villages we arrive the village we where we will spend our night. There is no electricity and the locals are isolated from the outside world. The kitchen where they eat and store food acts as a bedroom at night. The dinner is today's highlight. Here the whole family - three generations –is gathered. They cook and serve Phapar Dhindo which is a typical Nepali dish that consists of buckwheat. The local wine made of rise and is served as beverage. We spend time with the family and hear about how it is to run a home stay here and the function of the homestays network in Nepal.
Our breakfast consists of popcorn and tea before continuing our trek. For generations, this track has been the hearth of the small communities along the hillside. The fog is thick as porridge and dark clouds threaten in the distance. The atmosphere is majestic. Day after we meet school children in freshly coated uniforms walk up and down the steep mountain slopes on the way to school. Women and man are carrying their harvest. We are close to Shaktikhor where our trekking ends.
Chitwan National Park is one of the major tourist attractions in Nepal. You can do the ordinary tourist bits, but Chitwan has more to offer than trips to the jungle! We got a responsible insight. Small projects have evolved like the Elephant dung Paper Project where they produce paper from elephant dung and sell the products. Deforestation is a major problem in Nepal. This is a project to prevent the use of trees to make paper by using an alternative method.
Another project is The Biogas Village. Cooking inside with open fire is not good for either your health or the nature. By using biogas as a source energy solves some of the problems. The biogas is developed from elephant and cow dung. This gives a better life for all who are lucky to be part of this project. Tharu Handicraft is a project in which women from the Tharu village have come together to create products of straw, like pot holders and baskets. These are great gifts and you are assured that all money goes directly to the women who create the products.
Back in Kathmandu we meet Bivor Lai Shrestha the leader of OCCED (Organization for the community, child development & Environment) in Nepal. They have several orphanages around in Nepal for children up to 15 years. In Kathmandu and Nepal in general there are a number of orphaned children. The parents of these children are in a situation where they are not able to take care of the children of different reasons or the children are brought in by the police. At this orphanage, we meet excited children and see that they are been taking very good care of.
I am left with many impressions. Travelling with Ethical Travel Portal I saw a different side of Nepal and received an impression how tourism can contribute to positive development for the local population. Nepal is a paradise for photographers - as a photographer it is important to respect the locals and a take no for a no. We had a guide from social tours during the entire trip as willing asked the locals if they could photograph or if it was ok to photograph the place we were. Travel in a country where cultural differences and living standards are so differently from Norway does something to you. It helps to understand and respect people from another culture and gives a good opportunity to make friends for life.
Ansvarlig Turisme: www.ansvarligturisme.org
Ethical Travel Portal: www.ethicaltravelportal.com
socialtours: www.socialtours.com
Text / Photo - Fredrik Pettersen
See some of his photos on Flickr.
Responsible TourismPosted by Linda Veråsdal 17 Dec, 2009 10:10:02
West Africa Discovery is a socially conscious web based organisation born from the founders’ passion for West Africa and Responsible Tourism. The portal aims to raise awareness towards the West African region and to promote Responsible Tourism development through the listing of tours which strive towards fulfilling the criteria outlined in the Cape Town, Kerala and Belize Declaration. Ethical Travel Portal met West Africa Discovery at MBOKA in The Gambia in 2008. Sharing the passion for responsible tourism, West African countries and the belief that there is a need for travellers to be educated and guided to choose the good way of travelling created the platform for our collaboration.
West Africa Discovery is filling a gap in the travel industry to promote and be a voice for the unique treasures that the West African countries contain. Most of the West African countries have been out of the journalists’ priority list of stories they write about. We hardly hear any positive stories or articles from this region. West Africa Discovery is changing that. They provide a stage for west African Responsible Tourism suppliers to promote their services to the European market, and subsequently attract tourists to the West African region. West Africa Discovery is a fantastic portal to promote these countries and their effort of working on responsible tourism initiatives. Visit their web site West Africa Discovery.
