Good news in tourism October 11 – 17, 2020
Because we keep going and going and …
Published every Sunday, “Good news in tourism” is the perfect pick-me-up for the start of a new week in travel & tourism … everyone’s business.
This week’s good travel & tourism news menu:
(Click / touch an item to go straight to it.)
- “Good Tourism” (“GT”) news
- COVID ops
- Tourism governance & policy
- Ecotourism
- Climate-friendly travel
- Odds & ends
It’s “Good Tourism”. And go!
“GT” news
Even the most altruistic of tourism organisations is struggling to survive in destinations that have been reliant on tourism money to take care of animals, places, and people. However necessity is a parent of innovation and, as Tourism In Need co-founders — and new “GT” Friends — Robert Powell and Ameer Virani have found out, there are plenty of both in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Be inspired. Read the fresh “GT” Insight “Tourism in crisis, tourism in need, & the hopeful pivots of the purpose-driven”.
With no tourism income now, plan B appears to be working for Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp in Shan state, Myanmar as evidenced by pictures shared by them. Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund of “GT” Insight Partner Work for Wild Life International said: “GHV’s owners, Tin Win Maw and Htun Htun Whynn, established their new [fresh food delivery] business to ensure a flow of income to support their elephants and the community of families who care for them […] Switching gears in this manner is a huge undertaking!” GHV was the subject of Ms Burbank-Hammarlund’s October 2 “GT” Insight “Tourism in crisis: A Myanmar elephant camp & community pivot to plan B”.
“GT” Destination Partner WeAreLao.com reports that the Luxembourg-funded Skills for Tourism Project is providing grants to help preserve the handicrafts of Laos and to boost artisans’ and producers’ potential for income. Thirteen handicraft businesses have qualified for training grants averaging EUR 9,000 (~ USD 10,600) each.
The importance of good partnerships
Many commentators would like to see destinations recover from the COVID-19 depression focused on quality rather than quantity. That would be nice, of course, particularly if host communities want that. However, some or many extant tourism stakeholders will likely go out of business. Don’t let one of those be you.
Seek out good partnerships with those who make you their priority.
“GT” is a good partner. Please verify that with a “GT” Partner and then ask about partnership opportunities. There’s a “GT” partnership opportunity for everyone — big or small; public or private; commercial or not-for-profit — because travel & tourism is everyone’s business. All “GT” Partners not only get a “Good Partner” banner and listing but also the outstanding opportunity every week to contribute positive news & comments to these almost-famous weekly “Good news in tourism” posts.
COVID ops
The not-for-profit Voices of Rural India has turned the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity. They are teaching digital storytelling skills to people in rural India who are worst affected by tourism’s shutdown. The short-term goal is to generate income for the storytellers. Longer-term, they want to connect the storytellers with travellers who’ll visit when the pandemic’s over.
The state government of Sikkim, India commenced a phased reopening of its tourism sector from October 10. During the first phase only domestic tourists and foreign nationals residing in India are allowed in.
In the Philippines’ Cebu province, 52 tourism-related businesses — “resorts, accommodation establishments, restaurants, eco-adventures” — have been allowed to open from October 8 under the “modified general community quarantine”.
The VP and tourism minister from the Andalusian regional government in Spain wants to extend its bono turístico (tourism voucher) scheme to other autonomous communities as well as neighbouring Portugal. Juan Marín wants the voucher to be “open and flexible”; one that “adapts to the needs of the market in a situation like the current one”.
Destinations in the USA’s south are very cautiously welcoming visitors back into their hospitable arms. As they do, debates about how much tourism is too much tourism are starting to be had.
To squeeze the most out of local and neighbouring markets, Durango, Colorado, USA has launched its “Extended Stay” campaign. Visit Durango boss Rachel Brown explained that the campaign targets only people already in the destination. Hoteliers are offering discounts to guests who decide to extend. Soon other stakeholders will too.
Friends indeed
“Friends indeed” are worthy travel & tourism industry fundraisers and charitable causes, including the rangers looking after a forest in Cambodia …
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Tourism governance & policy
The USA’s Pacific island state of Hawaii wants to balance the economic benefits of tourism against its impacts on local services, natural and cultural resources, and residents’ quality of life. To this end the Hawaii Tourism Authority is seeking community input at the county level. Each county and its visitors bureau has created a steering committee made up of representatives of residents, not-for-profits, the tourism industry, and other business sectors.
In India, Goa’s new tourism master plan has nature-based and cultural heritage tourism in the mix to reinvent itself as a destination. Known for its beaches and parties, Goa wants to attract high-end tourists into its hinterland and increase their length of stay. Sea, sun, and sand won’t be ignored as another ‘s’, sustainability, is introduced to better look after beaches. Making Goa a safer destination is also an objective.
Asiatic lions are the star attraction of Ambardi Safari Park in Gujarat state, India. As he lay the foundation stone for new tourism facilities there, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani mentioned other new tourism initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi circuit and a religious tourism circuit.
Manipur state in northeast India is planning “eco-tourism facilities” in all 60 of its constituencies. State tourism director W Ibohal Singh wants residents to set up homestays because he reckons tourists prefer them. A new bus service between Manipur’s capital Imphal and Mandalay, Myanmar is still suspended. It has been since April.
Greece’s deputy tourism minister Manos Konsolas has big plans for the island of Symi. He wants to upgrade its digital infrastructure, accommodation offerings, and sustainable tourism credentials, as well as develop agritourism and food tourism.
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Ecotourism
Combining local feedback with technical maps, Stanford University, USA researchers have recommended that “ecotourism-driven economies” such as Belize focus on activities that “support people’s economic needs while protecting critical ecosystems”. Among the recommendations is an increased focus on domestic tourism.
Ecotourism has the potential to transform Nigeria’s economy, said Dr Joseph Onoja of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation during World Migratory Bird Day. He reckons Nigeria can join Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa in earning millions annually from bird watching.
Some 20% of Malaysia’s island of Penang could become a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve after four years of “tedious submission processes” culminated in a successful submission. Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the gazettement, if successful, would “contribute to the promotion of ecotourism”. Assessment is expected to take about a year.
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Climate-friendly travel
The California, USA-based Ampaire has broken the record for the longest flight by a “commercially relevant” hybrid-electric aircraft; nearly 550 km with a test pilot and flight engineer on board. The Electric EEL — a six-seat Cessna 337 modified with an electric motor in the nose and traditional combustion engine in the rear — offers “fuel and emissions savings up to 50% on shorter regional routes [and] about 30% on longer regional routes”, depending on how heavily it relies on the rear combustion motor.
Also based in California, USA, Pyka is planting its claim on the near future of autonomous electric passenger aircraft with a fixed-wing aircraft kitted out with a high-powered electric motor. Pyka’s Pelican needs less than 50 metres to take off and land. CEO Michael Norcia reckons the drone-like vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) craft that others are building are a decade before their time because of how energy-intensive VTOL is. The autonomous Pelican will first have to prove itself spraying banana plantations in Costa Rica where it can perform the job at half the cost and at zero risk to pilots.
Cassio 1 has made its maiden test flight in France equipped with VoltAero’s hybrid-electric power module installed as a “pusher” prop at the rear of the fuselage.
Marine transportation company Global Energy Ventures has unveiled a new compressed hydrogen transport ship design. The company claims the “H2 Ship” will be able to store up to 2,000 tonnes (23 million m3) of compressed hydrogen for marine transport. Australia’s “National Hydrogen Strategy” positions the element as its “next big export”.
The UK’s first electric passenger ferry is on the water in Plymouth. The vessel’s electric motor, energy storage, fly-by-wire controls, and charging systems must first be tested in a real-world environment to satisfy regulatory bodies before it can carry passengers.
What drives into Vegas must be able to drive out of Vegas. The US state of Nevada is preparing for an “electric tourism boom” as neighbouring California bans the sale of cars that aren’t electric or zero-emission. While the ban does not come into effect until 2035, Nevada still needs to consider charging infrastructure and energy-generating capacity. In 2019, an average of nearly 45,000 vehicles per day crossed state lines from California. Nearly a fifth of all visitors to Las Vegas come from southern California.
Sustainable tourism & responsible travel is everyone’s business
Freedom of movement is a basic human right. And the travel & tourism industry is everyone’s business. “Everyone” includes not only those who earn a living from the travel & tourism industry, but also people who travel, and people who live in places travelled to and through. EVERYONE. Please share “Good news in tourism” with your friends and colleagues. And dive deeper into “Good Tourism” Insights for ideas on how to make sustainable tourism and responsible travel better … for you, for your people, and for your place. For they are your people. And it is your place.
Odds & ends
Bits ‘n pieces that don’t easily fit into this week’s arbitrary clusters:
The bordering municipalities of Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Plužine, Montenegro have formed a tourism partnership supported by the EU; the Tourism, Adrenalin, and Rafting Adventure (TARA) project. As TARA’‘s name suggests, the landscape of this border area is a paradise for active people into trekking, climbing, kayaking, rafting, spelunking … plus those into old-world cultural traditions.
A market survey report prepared for the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a US National Heritage Area, values potential leisure spend at USD 34 billion for the four states that make up the Corridor: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Among the findings were that African American heritage is a “strong motivator” for travel and that local cuisine was the greatest experiential interest.
Stay healthy, smile, have a good week … And when you can travel again, remember:
It’s not ‘no’. It’s ‘know’.
Featured image (top of post): Swarbrick Jetty, Walpole Inlet, Western Australia. Image by David Gillbanks (CC BY 4.0).
Donations, diversity, disclaimers
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Disclaimer 1: It is “GT’s” policy to fully disclose partner/sponsor content. If an item is not disclosed as partner or sponsor-related then it will have caught “GT’s” attention by some other more organic means. Partner with “GT”. You know you want to.
Disclaimer 2: None of the stories linked from this week’s post have been fact-checked by “GT”. All terminology used here is as the linked sources used it according to the knowledge and assumptions they have about it. Please comment below if you know there has been buzzword-washing or blatant nonsense relayed here, but be nice about it. As for “GT” bringing it to your attention for you to set the record straight, you’re welcome! 🙂
