Wow, what an exciting first three months! The whole concept for West Africa Discovery has been thought of for some time, but 2009 has been a landmark year for us; the year that all the ideas and concepts have become a physical and online reality. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s never been a chore. Things don’t always run smoothly when starting up a business from scratch, especially when everything is run on a tight budget. However, over the last three months the team have surpassed obstacles, solved mind-boggling problems and have come up with some great ideas to smooth everything out to a point where we feel comfortable running a platform in a successful way for our clients and customers; where we can offer the best of the Responsible Tourism projects based in West Africa.
We have listed our first Responsible Tourism projects, created a database of information to raise awareness towards the region, created partnerships with organisations that share the same values and participated in a successful World Travel Market event. We have welcomed two ‘local experts’ to the Ghana and Nigeria countries to the team and we are ready for 2010 to pursue our mission to be the first port of call for tourists looking to visit Africa by offering them unique accommodation, tour and volunteering ideas which benefit local communities in the destination whilst respecting the natural, cultural, social and historical heritages.
On behalf of myself and the team at West Africa Discovery I wish all of you a Happy New Year for 2010, and may your current and future projects be successful.
The WTM in London has traditionally been an event where the established players of the tourism industry market and sell their products and services.But at the 2009 event last week, from a small-scale start-up point of view, I felt that this event was equally about meeting new and inspiring ventures that aim to promote travel that follows the policies outlined in the Cape Town, Kerala and the newly published Belize Declarations on Responsible Tourism in destinations.
My week started on the Monday evening before the big event. Having cycled 45 minutes from Battersea to Bank, and getting lost in the process, but experiencing the wonderful night views of the Thames, I arrived in a fully packed and to say the least noisy basement bar where the Fringe Network event was in full swing. Small-scale tour operators from around the world who advocate Responsible Tourism practices were chatting away, bouncing ideas off one another and generally having a good time.
The atmosphere was positive and the Tripbod team who organised the event seemed genuinely elated and a little bit surprised about the great turnout. After a warm welcome from Sally (Tripbod) and Gopi (The Blue Yonder), representatives from Rough Guides, Intrepid and Travel to Care were on hand with motivating and inspiring speeches. This was followed by a very quick 'speed networking' session, which I abused by going through 3 whistles without changing 'date', and the scene was set for a great WTM 2009 at the ExCel event venue in London Docklands... after I managed to find my way back home on my bike.
Needless to say, I kept bumping in to my newly found 'Fringe friends' at the WTM event, and throughout the three days, thoughts, ideas, tips and business cards were exchanged. It made me realise that I am not alone in my small-scale quest for the development of Responsible Tourism, and that I am actually part of a community which is willing to help, support, encourage and inspire the members towards their common goals.
The World Responsible Tourism Day was another highlight when it comes to small to medium scale Responsible/Sustainable Tourism projects. At the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism awards, there was a big emphasis on projects which had come a long way and had made a significant positive impact in the destinations where they are operating. And the big names from the tourism industry that were present at the WRTD may have learnt a thing or two about the positive impacts that can come from managing a tourism project in a responsible way.
Another event which showed that the small-scale Responsible Tourism projects were getting much more coverage than previously was the launching of the Green Circuit, a collaboration of Indian sub-continent based tour operators which came together to promote Responsible Tourism development, by none other than the WTM chairwoman Fiona Jeffrey.
The WTM was also a good opportunity for small-scale tourism businesses to get free advice which would otherwise not be affordable when starting up. In the afternoon of Thursday 12th November, free advice clinics were carried out for those who had previously registered when receiving the WTM newsletter in the weeks before the main event.
The above examples show that in the apparent economic crisis, the small scale Responsible/Sustainable Tourism ventures can find opportunities and growth in an environment where the big cheeses of the tourism industry rule. But such a feat cannot be achieved alone. The key to success seems to be the sense of community shown between projects, the same sense of community which these projects are trying to promote through their tours.
Nowadays, the words “responsible”, “green” and “sustainable” are finding their way in front of every type of activity that we find on the market. Even though these terms reflect a healthier and compassionate lifestyle, they also attract
a wide number of customers due to the social trend which has swung over to the ethical way of seeing things in everyday life.
Now it is the turn of tourism to get the “ethical treatment”, and the term Responsible Tourism has been circulating in blogs, travel fairs (see WTM responsible tourism day) and other publications for the past few years, and it seems like there is an ever growing database of tourism orientated businesses which are adopting the “responsible” label. Why? Well because it attracts the tourist of course.
Responsible tourism started off as a strategy to use tourism as a tool to alleviate poverty in impoverished areas of the world, as its criteria includes economic benefits for communities in the destination, respect towards nature and cultural values, valorisation of national heritages and the promotion of sustainable living (renewable energy, permaculture, recycling, etc.). The majority of travel businesses that started off the trend strived towards this and still do, however there is a danger that there will be an increasing trend for businesses to jump on the band wagon to win a quick buck without taking into consideration the real meaning of responsible tourism.
Now there is a chance for businesses seeking profitability through the right use of responsible tourism (using the Cape Town declaration criteria) to learn how to grow their ventures whilst respecting the ideals and values on which the industry started off on. A conference regrouping speakers specialised in the field of responsible tourism and business titled “The Business Case for Responsible Tourism” will be held at the WTM travel fair at EXCEL London on the 12th November 2009.
“This conference tackles responsible tourism in quite a different manner,” said Fiona Jeffery, World Travel Market’s chairman and a pioneer of responsible tourism over the past 16 years. “Its remit is particularly relevant in these challenging economic times.”
On hand to speak and present at the conference are a number of leaders in the responsible travel market, including:
Justin Francis, managing director and co-founder of responsibletravel.com, will be demonstrating how ethical travel businesses can also be profitable.
Catherine Mack, national journalist on responsible tourism, is planning a talk on how a sustainability reputation adds value to brands and attracts growing media interest.
Gregg Anderson, Tourism New Zealand’s regional manager for UK and Europe, will outline how the role of sustainable tourism.
Dr. Xavier Font, director of studies at the International Center for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University UK, will be speaking on about web marketing.
It is time again for one of the most important events for the Responsible Tourism industry: The World Travel Market Responsible Tourism day. For all of you who are participating in the development of Responsible Tourism or are a professional within this industry, this day is a must for your busy calendars.
WTM World Responsible Tourism Day, the only global day of action of its kind, is being supported by the UNWTO and leading industry associations. The day is vital – for business, for profitability and for our planet. It means taking care of a world that we seek to promote, preserving our heritage and cultures and taking into account the views and needs of local communities.
WTM WRTD 2008 was a huge success attracting an impressive 1,565 participants to the challenging and thought provoking programme. Click here to read more.
Travel and tourism companies and organisations in the world are under increasing pressure to work more responsibly.
WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is your chance to get involved and debate the issues.
Wow, what an exciting first three months! The whole concept for West Africa Discovery has been thought of for some time, but 2009 has been a landmark year for us; the year that all the ideas and concepts have become a physical and online reality. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s never been a chore. Things don’t always run smoothly when starting up a business from scratch, especially when everything is run on a tight budget. However, over the last three months the team have surpassed obstacles, solved mind-boggling problems and have come up with some great ideas to smooth everything out to a point where we feel comfortable running a platform in a successful way for our clients and customers; where we can offer the best of the Responsible Tourism projects based in West Africa. 
