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Taking Responsibility for Tourism

Harold GoodwinInternational Centre for

Responsible Tourism

Travellers Club, 16 May 2011

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“I am a traveller, You are a visitor.

They are tourists.”

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Old Town Square, Prague

Our holidays their homes

•“Your everyday life is someone else’s adventure”

•Swedish NGO fly-posting in Ljubljana, Summer 1997

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Sir Colin Marshall, British Airways 1994

Tourism and the travel industry

“is essentially the renting out for short-term lets, of other people’s environments, whether that is a coastline, a city, a mountain range or a rainforest. These ‘products’ must be kept fresh and unsullied not just for the next day, but for every tomorrow”

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Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) 2000

… we recognize that in carrying out our work as Tour Operators we have a responsibility to respect other people’s places and ways of life.

We acknowledge that wherever a Tour Operator does business or sends clients it has a potential to do both good and harm, & we are aware that all too often in the past the harm has outweighed the good.

Consumer DemandIpsos-RSL on behalf of Tearfund November 1999 (n=2032)

Importance in determining holiday choice (%) H M L

Affordable cost 82 12 3

Good weather 78 14 5

Quality hotel and facilities 71 15 8

Good information on socio-economic & local

42 30 23

Significant opportunity for interaction 37 37 23

Designed to minimise environmental damage 32 34 27

Company has ethical policies 27 34 30

Repeat client - used the company before 26 30 38

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When asked whether or not they would be more likely to book a holiday with a company if they had a written code to guarantee good working conditions, protect the environment and support charities in the tourist destination

1999 45% said yes 2001 52% said yes.

+ 7%

Change is taking place in the aspirations of holidaymaker

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UK Federation of Tour Operators

Responsible tourism is about making a positive difference when we travel: Enjoying ourselves and taking responsibility for our actions - respecting

local cultures and the natural environment Giving fair economic returns to local people – helping to spread the

benefit of our visit to those who need it most Recognising that water and energy are precious resources that we need to

use carefully. Protecting endangered wildlife and preserving the natural and cultural

heritage of the places we visit for the future enjoyment of visitors and the people who live there.

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And making better places for people to visit

Making better places for people to live in

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Jost Krippendorf The Holiday Makers

Proposals must be as infectious as possible, because:

“Orders and prohibitions will not do the job - because it is not a bad conscience that we need to make progress, but positive experience, not the feeling of compulsion but that of responsibility”.

Need “rebellious tourists and rebellious locals”

You cannot outsource responsibility ..

Taking responsibility

T our O perator I nbound O perator H otelier/

A ccommodat ion

Local/

N at ional

Government

A ttr act ion

M anagers

N at ional Parks/

H eritage

Local

Community

T our ists

T ravellers

H olidaymakers

T aking and Exercising Responsibility

Economic, S ocial & Environmental

Pr inciple of S ustainablity

W T O Global Code of E thics

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Cape Town Declaration 2002

Responsible Travel takes a variety of forms, it is characterised by travel and tourism which 1. minimises negative environmental, social and

cultural impacts;2. generates greater economic benefits for local

people and enhances the wellbeing of host communities, by improving working conditions and access to the industry;

3. involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances.

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Cape Town Declaration 20024. makes positive contributions to the conservation of

natural and cultural heritage and to the maintenance of the world’s diversity;

5. provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural and environmental issues;

6. provides access for physically challenged people; 7. is culturally sensitive and engenders respect

between tourists and hosts.

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Angkor Wat

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Responsible Travel

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World Responsible Tourism Day

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http://travelpledge.org

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people and places: responsible volunteering

• www.travel-peopleandplaces.co.uk

Taking Responsibility for Tourism by Goodwin ISBN 978-1-906884-39-0© 2011 Goodfellow Publishers

Taking Responsibility for Tourism by Harold Goodwin

www.takingresponsibilityfortourism.info

www.haroldgoodwin.info

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