Good news in tourism January 4 – 10, 2021
Because it’s everyone’s business …
Published most Sundays, “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” news catch-up
- Carbon-neutral & net zero travel
- The great outdoors & wildlife tourism
- Odds & ends
It’s “Good Tourism”. And go!
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“Good Tourism” news catch-up (since December 13)
“Tourism and hospitality businesses can make small changes now that will make big differences to their viability and profitability into 2021,” writes Grant Charlesworth in the first “Good Tourism” Insight of the new year. “There is huge potential for small tour operators to thrive over the coming years as travellers look for more meaningful tourism experiences.” Mr Charlesworth shares four tips on how to do just that in “A little luxury: What travellers want post-COVID & how to prepare your tour business”.
While road-tripping across Western Australia in 2020, Erika Jacobson of boutique eco-tour outfit Edgewalkers “reimagined” what travel & tourism might be like in 2021 if all stakeholders were of like mind. Dr Jacobson encourages us to reimagine with her in this fresh “GT” Insight published January 7: “Should it all be ecotourism? Reimagining travel & tourism in 2021”.
Much has been written about including host communities in destination management and tourism development decision-making, but how would one go about measuring contentment, well-being, or even happiness, on an ongoing basis? In a “GT” Insight published December 15, Paul Rogers of “GT” Insight Partner Planet Happiness presents a solution: “Why build well-being into destination resilience and tourism recovery?”
Everyone working in travel & tourism and the hospitality sector should be appropriately valued, paid, and recognised. With fresh research in hand, Sophie Hartman, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thảo, and Võ Thị Quế Chi from the Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering explained how vocational education can contribute to women’s empowerment in hospitality & tourism. It was the final “GT” Insight of 2020.
As the “build back better” buzz continues, social impact and communications specialist Helen Usher of Animondial wants travel & tourism stakeholders to factor animal welfare into their plans. In her “GT” Insight from December 17: “Travel & tourism’s social impact and how to build back better for animals”
In late December 2020, “GT” Destination Partner WeAreLao co-founder Bernie Rosenbloom interrogated Laos’ “Rocky Road to Recovery”.
On the final day of 2020, “GT” published a list of “The five most visited “Good Tourism” posts of 2020 (& all time)”.
The importance of good partnerships
Many commentators would like to see destinations recover from the COVID-19 depression focused on quality rather than quantity.
For example, Thailand’s deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow reckons relying too much on tourism is “unacceptable” and that the tourism industry would never be allowed to recover to previous levels. Good news for some. However, 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 “Good news in tourism” posts and/or e‑news.
Carbon-neutral & net zero travel
Geoffrey Lipman of “GT” Partner SUNx — Strong Universal Network wants 2021 to be the start of a ‘Decade of Climate Friendly Travel’: “But we cannot do this alone, so we are inviting all companies and communities to join our global CFT movement to transition into a green and clean future.”
On December 23, SUNx announced that it would stage the first climate-friendly youth travel summit on April 29, 2021. “The ‘Strong Earth Youth Summit’ (SEYS) will include lectures, workshops, and other educational activities aimed at highlighting the need for a clean and green post-COVID future for the tourism sector, in accordance with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and 2050 Paris Agreement.”
A new chemical catalyst can add hydrogen (H) atoms to waste carbon dioxide (CO2) to create usable hydrocarbons for jet airplanes. The University of Oxford in the UK has developed a new “organic combustion method” to make the catalyst out of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and potassium (K).
Ireland’s Dublin airport has achieved carbon neutrality according to the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme. Meanwhile, in Texas, USA, Dallas Fort Worth Airport plans to reach the higher bar of “net zero” by 2030.
A consortium from Scotland hopes to demonstrate a zero-emission hydrogen-powered train at the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow this November. Deutsche Bahn earlier announced plans to launch its own hydrogen-powered trains in Germany by 2024.
South Korea aims to cut 30% of carbon emissions from railway travel by replacing all diesel locomotives with a new bullet train by 2029. President Moon Jae-in reckons his country will be carbon neutral by 2050.
The Maritime Executive asks: Could updated vanadium redox flow battery (VFRB) technology help shipping decarbonise?
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The great outdoors & wildlife tourism
Beaumont city CVB has joined the Lonestar Coastal Alliance, a multi-stakeholder collaboration to develop and preserve the southeastern shore of Texas, USA. Beaumont CVB supports granting national park status to the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area (LSCNRA) to promote nature and heritage tourism in the area as well as create 3,485 new jobs within 10 years.
Similarly, in Oregon state, a group of organisations is hoping to raise the profile of the Willamette River as a tourist attraction; to promote use of a “water trail” that is recognised by the National Park Service, and to foster economic development.
Cambodia’s Siem Reap province wants to be less reliant on Angkor Wat for tourism. That is good news. However, a proposed theme park near the UNESCO-listed temple complex has alarmed residents and environmental groups.
Meanwhile, the Cambodia Bird Watching Association says the Kingdom offers some of the best habitats and species for avitourism. “Bird-watching tourism brings a unique combination of benefits, including the development of income streams for people living in rural conservation areas.”
In India: “With sanitised safari jeeps, smaller tour batches and a will to bring wildlife tourism back on track, national parks and sanctuaries across the country are getting back on track as they open the gates to local tourists.”
Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India think cheetahs can be reintroduced to Madhya Pradesh state. Kuno National Park would be the best-prepared site with the least investment needed.
Wildlife photographer Durgesh Kumar Singh reckons it’s a perfect time for wildlife tourism to shine in Odisha. He recommends lesser-known places, such as “Bhitarkanika National Park for saltwater crocodiles, the shores of Rushikulya for olive ridley nesting and hatching, Bichitrapur for its mangroves, fishing cats …”
Myanmar’s Mandalay Region Hotels & Tourism Department and the Tourism Entrepreneurs Association plan to revive the tourism industry by developing destinations for those who are “interested in the environment” as well as one-day trips to visit them.
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 necessarily fit into this week’s arbitrary clusters:
An Irish Sea rail tunnel and High Speed 2 (HS2) network changes are among seven transport improvements tabled by the High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) to strengthen connections between the four countries that make up the UK.
The Association of Israeli Inbound Tourism Agencies is hopeful that tourists “deemed safe” will be allowed into Israel from April.
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): “At Sala Baï Hotel and Restaurant School, the students take theatre classes for self-expression and to build confidence. Since females are often discouraged from speaking up in Cambodian society, and their voices are usually marginalised, this is particularly important for girls and young women.” Image by Scott A Woodward. Supplied by ASSET‑H&C for “How can vocational education contribute to women’s empowerment in hospitality & tourism?”
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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! 🙂
