Good news in travel & tourism January 2022
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- “Good Tourism” Insights
- “GT” Travel Experiences
- Good news from friends
- Your comments (climate; ‘jouissance’)
- Friends indeed
“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:
Why travel & tourism is wrong to embrace net zero as its climate change response
Sensible and rigorous environmentalism in travel & tourism is desirable, according to Ken Scott. However, the premature pursuit of net zero when the most promising technologies aren’t ready is an unnecessary act of self harm, he argues in “Why travel & tourism is wrong to embrace net zero as its climate change response”.
Seven ‘deeper leverage points’ for travel & tourism’s effective climate action
Academics Johanna Loehr and Susanne Becken offer an executive summary of “Leverage points to address climate change risk in destinations”, their paper that was recently published by Tourism Geographies, in their “GT” Insight “Seven ‘deeper leverage points’ for travel & tourism’s effective climate action”.
‘Jouissance’: The pleasure & pain of ‘ethical donor tourism’ in Africa
Some of the very wealthy among us love to live large in Africa’s magnificent landscape, to observe (and hunt) its iconic wildlife. While there it is good that they give generously, no? Are we missing something? Academics Stasja Koot and Robert Fletcher think so: “‘Jouissance’: The pleasure & pain of ‘ethical donor tourism’ in Africa”
From dystopia, utopia: COVID-19, collapse, and new hope for tourism’s future
Through the lens of science fiction, his own writings, and the musings of contemporary thinkers, futurist Ian Yeoman wonders whether the COVID-19 pandemic represents a turning point for our industry. If so, which path will we take? Dr Yeoman is hopeful: “From dystopia, utopia: COVID-19, collapse, and new hope for tourism’s future”
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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:
Living Laos by riding it
“I would encourage adventurous visitors to consider exploring Laos on two wheels,” writes Chris Mulder, GM of Kingfisher Ecolodge. Mr Mulder explains why hiring a motorbike in Laos is a great idea and shares his top tips. “GT” Destination Partner We Are Lao invited Chris to share this “GT” Travel Experience: “Living Laos by riding it”
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:
Hello 2022: Hello Code Red, Climate Friendly Travel
In 2022, Geoffrey Lipman of “GT” Partner SUNx looks forward to setting up a Strong Climate Friendly Travel Facility. To be launched at COP 27 in Egypt, the Strong CFT Facility will support tourism SMEs and communities in poor countries that signal their sustainability and climate resilience intentions. Read all about that and more in “Hello 2022: Hello Code Red, Climate Friendly Travel”.
‘Paradigm change through the Tiaki Promise’, a CABI case study
“GT” is happy to facilitate introductions between “GT” Partners and “GT” guest authors where there is mutual interest. One such introduction bore fruit this month. “GT” guest author Bronwyn Hutchison has written a tourism case study for “GT” Partner CABI Tourism Cases: “Paradigm change through the Tiaki Promise”.
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A climate of debate
“It’s vital that people speak up and also express unorthodox opinions,” wrote Marcus Bauer before challenging some of Ken Scott’s assumptions in “Why travel & tourism is wrong to embrace net zero”.
Marcus interrogated the link between tourism and poverty alleviation:
“The effect of tourism in general on poverty alleviation is debatable. […] What we have learned during [COVID is that those] who put all their eggs into the tourism basket suffered a lot. Tourism is volatile, and thus can even be a risk factor for poverty.”
And he questioned the extent to which travel & tourism’s negative externalities are priced into rates, fares, fees, and taxes:
“[Y]our statement that costs are unnecessary is ideologic. You must agree that many external costs like global warming, soil degradation, loss of livelihood to name a few, are not reflected in the current pricing.”
Read Marcus’ full comment on the “GT” Insight.
Jim Butcher weighed in with a lengthy comment supporting Mr Scott’s proposition:
“The problem is that many are looking at anthropogenic climate change not as an issue to be addressed through human ingenuity and economic development [but by] reigning in what are generally, as Ken argues, progressive, economically important and liberating desires to travel.”
Ken responded to both Bauer and Butcher. Read what he wrote on the “GT” Insight.
In addition to a brief comment on Ken’s piece, Michael Haywood responded to “Seven ‘deeper leverage points’ for travel & tourism’s effective climate action”, the “GT” Insight by Johanna Loehr and Susanne Becken.
While GDP is likely to “decline materially” from a net-zero transition, “delayed action will increase the risks to the financial sector [and] entire economies”, Haywood wrote.
“Because the pace of change is crucial to financial stability, all financial institutions are paying careful attention to [environmental, social, and governance (ESG)] commitments and are formalising and standardising climate-related financial disclosure to help gauge and rein in risks.”
This, Michael hopes, will help bring about “real transformation”.
“How so?” you ask. Read his full comment on the “GT” Insight.
Ken Scott also commented: “In reading the piece above by Johanna and Susanne and the comments by Michael, it reinforces the arguments for good environmental policies in and around tourism: for example, capacity controls in over-touristed places […]
“However, I still don’t see any scope for “net zero” [which is] like jumping out of an aeroplane hoping to make a parachute on the way down.”
Michael replied. Read his full comment on the “GT” Insight.
Could we all experience real ‘jouissance’?
Michael Haywood also commented on “‘Jouissance’: The pleasure & pain of ‘ethical donor tourism’ in Africa” by Stasja Koot and Robert Fletcher:
“[S]hould we be concerned about ‘ethical donor tourism’ becoming a subject for psychoanalytic discourse? With terminology like ‘philanthrotourism’ and ‘environmentourism’ perhaps this is what comes next as academics keep expanding their understanding of tourism’s ‘pleasure peripheries’ and the fallout that occurs when the boundaries of joy are breached and discomfort rains down on hosts and guests. […]
“There are a multitude of dimensions to ‘ethical donor tourism’. While I side with many of the concerns the authors raise, my only suggestion is that we figure out [how] to find our way to more meritorious versions of integrated value. Then, collectively, we could all experience real ‘jouissance’.”
Read Michael’s full comment on the “GT” Insight.
Tourism is everyone’s business. Travel is everyone’s pleasure.
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