COP this: Good news in travel & tourism November 2021
Share it as you would a festive and colourful cheese and charcuterie platter.
It’s “GT”. And go! (Click/touch a menu item to go straight to it.)
- “GT” Experiences
- “GT” Insights
- Good news from friends (including jobs)
- After COP26, “Good Tourism” holds the line on impartiality
- Glasgow Declaration creators ‘not interested’ in co-operation: Lipman
- Let’s not cry “Wolf!” on climate
- Friends indeed
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“GT” Travel Experiences: Informed inspiration for travellers
The “Good Tourism” Blog’s young sibling The “GT” Travel Blog publishes informed inspiration and top tips for travellers from tourism insiders. Here is the latest:
Impressions of eastern Nepal & the gem that is Ilam
“Leaving the comforts of my home has always been not only exciting but also somewhat comforting to me … Taking family vacations as a child to explore different parts of Nepal really helped me understand and appreciate my country’s diverse cultures and landscapes.” _ Aayusha Prasain, CEO of the Community Homestay Network, Nepal in “Impressions of eastern Nepal & the gem that is Ilam”.
“GT” Insights: Informed perspectives on the industry
The “Good Tourism” Blog publishes informed opinions on the issues facing our industry, everyone’s business. “GT” Insights are diverse perspectives written by, for, and about the travel & tourism sector. Here are the latest from the month that was:
Smart clusters: How tourism destinations can organise for a better future
How can travel & tourism stakeholders work and play better together within destinations-as-communities to ensure optimal outcomes? Professor Emeritus K Michael Haywood suggests that stakeholders form local clusters in “Smart clusters: How tourism destinations can organise for a better future”.
Science, mahout traditions may help save Asian elephants from extinction in Laos
Asian elephants are at risk of extinction in the wild and in captivity. This is why conservation-oriented captive breeding programs are important to the species. Wildlife biologist Anabel Lopez Perez and Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund explain in “Science, mahout traditions may help save Asian elephants from extinction in Laos”.
Zambia’s untapped tourism potential & its prospects for a green economy
Zimbabwean scholar Shamiso Nyajeka makes a strong pitch for the development of a responsible, sustainable, and economically-inclusive travel & tourism industry in Zambia, where deep poverty persists despite a lucrative mining tradition, in “Zambia’s untapped tourism potential & its prospects for a green economy”.
55 ways tourism can be friendlier to the environment: An ‘Eco-Guide’
ASSET‑H&C has published the free Eco-Guide for Hospitality Businesses and Schools, which lays out 55 tips for reducing tourism’s negative effects on the environment. Sophie Hartman, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thảo, and Võ Thị Quế Chi describe the why, the how, and a few of the what in “55 ways tourism can be friendlier to the environment”.
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Good news from friends
Good news in travel & tourism from the wonderful organisations that make “GT” possible. Here is some of what happened this month in the “Good Tourism” network, including human capital news (jobs, training, etc.):
SUNx’ 7‑point climate action plan for tourism is more ambitious than the Glasgow Declaration
Geoffrey Lipman of The SUNx Program lays out his 7‑point “Code Red Plan For Our Kids” that he thinks is more ambitious than the heavily marketed Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism — not just “blah blah blah” — in “CODE RED: SUNx’ 7‑point climate action plan for tourism is more ambitious than the Glasgow Declaration”.
‘Lao Green Travel Zone’ draft plan released
The Lao National Chamber of Commerce & Industry presents the “Lao Green Travel Zone” concept in a draft plan that integrates Lao Airlines’ “Project Sandbox” proposal. The draft has had input from Chamber members, including tourism stakeholders, and the Lao Insurance Association. PDF from We Are Lao.
Changes at the top of WTACH
There are changes at the top of The World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage as Nigel Fell takes on the role of president & CEO. Former CEO Chris Flynn assumes the position of executive chair.
US consumers have never been more keen to travel internationally
Worldwide Travel Alliance has produced a snapshot of US travel & tourism outbound sentiment that indicates that a “record number” plan to travel internationally in the next six months. LinkedIn post.
Off Season Adventures adds Kenya
Lindsay Booth of Off Season Adventures is excited to announce a new destination: Kenya. “We are working closely with our partner, Wilderness Zones, to develop unique itineraries,” she reports.
What’s new at CABI Tourism Cases
New tourism-related case studies in November from the inter-governmental organisation CABI (subscription required to access):
- WWF + Eco resort = Oasis (Italy)
- From rural space to model of ecological management (Jamaica)
- Younger elephants in tourist camps are more likely to stress weave (Thailand)
- With great historical sites comes great responsibility (Catalonia, Spain)
- Using volunteers to find needles in haystacks (USA)
- Park rangers stay safe with body cameras (USA)
- Pulling together politics, private companies and investors (Mozambique)
- ‘We’re all responsible for protecting the environment’ (Germany).
Planet Happiness shortlisted for innovation award
Planet Happiness was shortlisted for the 2021 Tourism Innovation Global Summit Awards … LinkedIn post. While they didn’t take out the award, the nomination will have served as a validation of sorts.
‘eXist’, SUNx’ monthly newsletter is out now
“In this edition you will find our view of COP26, the Glasgow Declaration and what to do next by joining for free our Climate Friendly Travel Registry.” eXist, the Climate Friendly Travel Bulletin.
Emergency veterinary care continues to treat unemployed elephants
“COVID-19 continues to limit global travel, leaving captive elephants throughout much of Asia without a source of tourist income to support their ongoing care, including veterinary care,” Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund of Work for Wild Life said. Catch up with “News from the Field ~ Thailand” (PDF).
Human capital: policy, vacancies, education, training
Job vacancies listed here may be filled already if they are from earlier in the month. To learn of vacancies in a more timely manner, subscribe to the “GT” newsletter.
Adaptation, innovation critical to stay on mission in a crisis
During COVID-19, ASSET‑H&C members have “adapted and innovated to better support vulnerable youth”. Learn how La Boulangerie Française in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam pooled expertise to enhance students’ e‑learning experience. Facebook post.
Jobs open at HCTC in Mae Sot, Thailand
ASSET‑H&C member, the Hospitality and Catering Training Center (HCTC) in Mae Sot, Thailand is seeking a senior education coordinator and a social business manager (both links go to LinkedIn posts).
Entrepreneurship consulting opportunity in Vietnam
ASSET‑H&C is seeking a consultant to help create a bakery-related “micro enterprise incubator mechanism that addresses the specific needs of disadvantaged youth graduating from a hospitality or catering vocational training centre in Vietnam”. LinkedIn post for links to more info.
Comparative socioeconomics consulting gig in Cambodia
ASSET‑H&C partner Apprentis d’Auteuil is seeking a consultant to “conduct a comparative study of the socio-economic models of different Social Enterprises specialised in Training and Professional Integration in Cambodia”. LinkedIn post for links to more info.
CABI seeks case studies on work-integrated learning & animals in tourism
CABI Tourism Cases is calling for subject-specific case studies: Best practice examples of “Work Integrated Learning (WIL)” offered to students, and real-world examples of how to engage with animals through tourism. Find links to more information.
Sala Baï graduates mentor new students during lockdown
ASSET‑H&C members continue to innovate to better support vulnerable youth. For example, during COVID-19 lockdowns in Siem Reap, Cambodia the Sala Baï Hotel & Restaurant School employed seven recent graduates to mentor new students and ease them into school life. Facebook post.
ASSET‑H&C annual seminar & green skills workshop
“It was wonderful to catch up with all members and embark on a two-day-and-a-half virtual journey full of sharing and learning,” Sophie Hartman said, describing the ASSET‑H&C annual seminar that started on November 10. The seminar ended with a workshop for trainers on the “green skills” trainees need.
Back to the top of “Good news from friends” ^
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, 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 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 enjoy: a 85 x 85 “Good Partner” button; input into “GT’s” curated list of worthy charitable causes “Friends indeed”; and the outstanding opportunity every week to contribute positive news items to the “GT” newsletter.
After COP26, “Good Tourism” holds the line on impartiality
This rant by your correspondent appeared in the November 14, 2021 edition of the “GT” e‑newsletter (subscribe to the “GT” newsletter for free here):
On the back of COP26 in Glasgow, Euronews has pledged to “prioritise editorial coverage of organisations that have signed the ‘Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism’”. With all due respect to the eminent tourism industry figures who seem to think that media bias of this sort is a good idea — including the CEO of a major NGO who wrote that Euronews’ pledge “deserves huge recognition” and is “how we align the system and catalyse change” — they are misguided.
In my humble opinion, Euronews’ partiality is a BAD IDEA. It is just another example of a media organisation dividing us, picking favourites, and pushing an agenda. (Y’know, like Fox News and MSNBC in the US. Look at how that sociopolitical tribalism is working out.) It is Euronews’ prerogative, though.
Unfortunately, impartial media outlets find it difficult to build an audience. It seems that many people, including highly-intelligent folk, want their media to parrot their priors. And search engine and social media algorithms possibly struggle to know what to do with impartial channels; to whom to recommend them.
It’s a good thing then that The “Good Tourism” Blog exists. My commitment to you, dear reader, is that “GT” will rarely turn away a sincerely-held perspective from a travel & tourism stakeholder, regardless of my views. As publisher and sole employee of “GT” I have the freedom to do as my conscience directs, which is to bring diverse perspectives together under one media brand. And I’m willing to live a low-cost and, dare I say, low-carbon lifestyle to pursue the “GT” project indefinitely. That’s MY prerogative.
Radical, eh? So subversive! 😉 Believe it or not some people think so. 😐
Who would take a holiday during an emergency?
On anthropogenic climate change, my personal view, as I hope I’ve made clear before, is that it’s real and that it’s going to cause problems eventually, if it hasn’t already. Therefore I congratulate all the organisations that have signed the ‘Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism’ and invite them to share their GHG emissions-busting best practices and breakthroughs with “GT”.
But I don’t agree with the climate crisis and emergency rhetoric used by some in our industry, including at the very highest levels. Urgency or priority? Sure. Emergency or crisis? No. (There’s nuance to my view here too which pertains to directing development efforts towards helping those in crisis now; for whom our declarations do nothing to rescue them from their present emergencies.)
Nevertheless, because I am committed to “GT’s” impartiality, and I try my best not to be a hypocrite, I have published the views of those who do use alarmist language.
Speaking of hypocrisy, I fear that by declaring “climate emergency”, travel & tourism stakeholders align themselves with the arrogant sniff of tone-deaf elites who ride private jets to climate conferences; the politicians, lobbyists, CEOs, and celebrities who would have us do as they say not as they do.
Have these travel & tourism stakeholders, our friends and colleagues, thought it through? Have they not asked the obvious question: “Who would take a holiday during an emergency?”
One would think that those who would declare a climate emergency would refrain from such frivolous behaviour as go on vacation; that they would halt unnecessary travel and all but the most local tourism.
But no. They and their customers do continue travelling, of course. For conferences. For kicks. During the “climate emergency” that they’ve declared. And even on aeroplanes, which are part of the problem …
… *oh, the awkwardness* … *oh, the shame*
Never awkward. No shame. Y’see if they have uttered the correct confession from bended knee and have made an acceptable symbolic sacrifice, then they are free to go in peace with a clear conscience … Amen.
Say words. Make pledges. Have virtue. Will travel. COP that.
Glasgow Declaration creators ‘not interested’ in co-operation: Lipman
This appeared in the November 21, 2021 edition of the “GT” e‑newsletter (subscribe to the “GT” newsletter for free here):
Geoffrey Lipman, co-founder and chief of “GT” Partner the SUNx Program, has been turned away by “some of the most active organisers” of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
In reply to November 14’s “GT” newsletter, Lipman wrote that he had received a “very clear ‘not interested’ message” when, in his capacity as head of SUNx, he reached out to the leading declarers. This despite “much talk of co-operation and alignment from the Glasgow Declaration creators”.
“There is no place for ‘my way or the highway’ thinking,” according to the former president of WTTC and former senior official at UNWTO and IATA.
See below Prof Lipman’s full e‑mail message (sans the pleasantries, hyperlinks added, and with his permission), which I have very lightly copy-edited. (“GT” welcomes the perspective of the other side.)
*** Start of message ***
I really like your latest “GT” newsletter, and your honesty in taking on issues which most people shy away from. Let me add our perspective at SUNx:
There is a climate crisis but it’s owned by sovereign states. Travel & tourism, like other socioeconomic sectors, has a role to play but just as a stakeholder on the planet.
The Race to Zero is a good and clever marketing approach but not yet a good enough action agenda because it doesn’t stop all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It’s carbon (75% of GHG). And it’s net, so you can go on polluting while offsets “technically compensate”. BUT they allow (even legitimise) business-as-usual polluting. This is why we signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. We said that it was a good first step but indicated at the time that we must go further faster.
So we have called for a DASH-2-ZERO, that being a Net Zero Carbon 2030 target, instead of 2050, and a ZERO GHG 2050 target. We base this view on the latest Code Red science from the IPCC, the recent intensifying weather-based disasters, and the justified activism of youth who are all our futures. (I thought ‘DASH’ was a rather neat acronym: D = Declare, A = Act, S = Support, H = Hope.)
We have also offered our Climate Friendly Travel Registry (which is directly linked to the UN Global Climate Action Portal) to all Glasgow Declaration signatories free-of-charge this year, our range of free SDG 17 Partners Resilience & Transformation support services, and our Climate Friendly Travel badge that signifies high ambition.
In simple terms, to borrow language from the Climate World, we want to help build a serious Travel & Tourism High Ambition Cluster.
Let me add one other important dimension that normally I would not raise publicly, but you have emboldened me with your openness.
There is much talk of co-operation and alignment from the Glasgow Declaration creators. And we fully support that with some 30 SDG 17 partnerships for shared action across the travel & tourism sector.
But, sadly, when we reached out to some of the most active organisers to co-operate, we got a very clear “not interested” message.
There is no place for “my way or the highway” thinking to address a planetary crisis.
So this is a good place to reiterate our offer of free access to our Climate Friendly Travel Registry, SDG 17 Partners Support, and help from our cluster of Strong Climate Champions who have all had a year’s training through the CFT Diploma we launched with ITS Malta last year.
*** End of message ***
Let’s not cry “Wolf!” on climate
This editorialising by yours truly appeared in the November 28, 2021 edition of the “GT” e‑newsletter (subscribe to the “GT” newsletter for free here):
Following on from his revelation last week that the creators of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism turned away his offer of collaboration, Geoffrey Lipman of “GT” Partner SUNx Malta has taken out a sponsored post to lay out a seven-point “Code Red Action Plan for Our Kids”.
Prof Lipman claims that the SUNx plan is more ambitious than the Glasgow Declaration. What do you think?
My view is that SUNx’ framework is more comprehensive than both the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and Tourism Declares Climate Emergency. This should come as no surprise given that Lipman has been building on the foundations laid by Maurice Strong some 30 years ago.
Furthermore, SUNx’ plan acknowledges the role human ingenuity will have to play in 4) We need a Kennedy-style “moon-shot” for zero GHG aviation 2050. This, to me, is a key point, but not just for zero-GHG aviation, which may be a while yet. Whatever happens on Earth, our long-term survival as a species will entail abandoning it, our solar system, and even our galaxy. Terraforming/offsetting tech will be useful.
However, as Geoffrey knows (because I have hardly kept quiet about it), I do think crisis / emergency / code red rhetoric is counterproductive. It is akin to cries of “Wolf!”; not by a mischievous boy, but by those lucky to have the resources to mitigate, avoid, or adapt to emergency events (climate-related or not).
Everyone else, meanwhile, including the world’s most vulnerable, are left in a continuous stressful state of alertness and/or helplessness … until, as in Aesop’s fable, they decide to ignore the cries.
Tourism is everyone’s business. Travel is everyone’s pleasure.
Freedom of movement is a basic human right. And the 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” and “GT” Travel 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.
Friends indeed
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Stay healthy, smile, have a good week … And when you travel, remember:
It’s not ‘no’. It’s ‘know’.
Featured image (top of post): “Good news in travel & tourism” wraps up a month of “Good Tourism” & “GT” Travel news, insights, tips, and advice. Share it as you would a cheese and charcuterie platter. Photo by Anto Meneghini (CC0) via Unsplash.
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