GAP Adventures Antarctica rescue

We were shocked to hear that the MS Explorer has struck an iceberg and sunk, and of course relieved to hear that all the passengers are safe. GAP Adventures are a member of http://www.responsibletravel.com/ and in the past many clients have booked Antarctica cruises on the MS Explorer with GAP through us. They are a terrific company who strive for the highest standards in both responsible tourism and in customer safety.

I heard the news as I was about to give a talk on responsible tourism to the Association of Independent Tour Operators at their annual overseas conference in Portugal and I think the incident raises a very important issue.

Any ship can sail to Antarctica regardless of the strength of its hull (there is a voluntary code only to suggest certain minimum criteria). The Explorer was an exceptionally robust ship - far more so than the large cruise liners now sailing in Ar tic and Antarctic waters. If a large cruise ship hit an iceberg in remote waters (the Explorer went down in relatively busy waters and was fortunate that rescue ships were nearby) I think the risk of loss of life would be significant.

Although it would not have prevented this accident I think its now critical that all ships entering these waters are required by law to meet minimum safety criteria including hull strength.

Our new magazine!

To celebrate our Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards we've worked with Circle Publishing - publishers of Geographical & Dive Magazine & others - to create a gorgeous 115 page magazine on responsible tourism featuring the winners of the Awards.

There are some really amazing places to visit, stories of some remarkable people and organisation and articles on the most important issues in responsible tourism. The magazine is called r: travel and for sale with Geographical this month. If you cannot get to as newsagent you can read it here - it turns over page by page and you can zoom in to read it just like a real magazine.

Dominica accommodation

While I'm on the subject of the Caribbean (see below) - and getting worried by the future - let's take a minute to celebrate new and exciting development such as these lovely new forest cabins that we've welcomed to responsibletravel.com in Dominica.

What price a Ryanair flight to the Caribbean?

Last week I was invited to give a talk to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation on responsible travel. I'd like to say that I captivated my audience (and there was genuine interest), but the truth was that the speaker after me got far more attention. He spoke about what would need to happen before the low cost airlines started to fly to the Caribbean from Europe -

1. The number of flights would need to increase very significantly
2. There would need to be one big airport as a hub (rather than direct flights to each Island)
3. Tourists would want to stay in big name hotels (rather than smaller locally owned places). The airlines would want to sell this, and would hammer down the hotels on price
4. The airlines would only enter completely de-regulated markets

To me it this conjures up fears of the Caribbean becoming a cheap stag weekend mecca, and the considerable issues between local people (who often struggle to earn money from the tourism industry) and tourists increasing.

But then again who am I to judge? The Caribbean desperately needs economic growth. With the totally unfair tariffs on exports, and cheap US goods flooding in, tourism is one of their few opportunities.

My feeling is that the % of the money spent by a low cost airline visitor that stays in the Caribbean will be lower than, for example, a responsible holiday. In addition there will be enormous costs associated with creating the infrastructure to deal with a vast increase in tourist numbers. The question is - which type of tourist brings the most local economic benefit at the lowest cost (both to infrastructure and environments?).

However, from the conversation that followed in was clear that the feeling was that low cost airlines would be operating to the Caribbean in 3 years, and that they would transform the destination in 5 years. It's a simply huge decision that the Islands face - I hope they make wise decisions that balance the urgent need for development with a sustainable future.

The New Forest, UK tops The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2007

An inspiring Awards ceremony yesterday (Nov 14) at World Travel Market saw The New Forest, in Southern England, be crowned this year's overall winner in The Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards.



The organisation also scooped the Best Destination Award and New Forest Tourism Destination Manager, Anthony Climpson OBE, took home the Personal Contribution Award.

The Awards scheme – organised by responsibletravel.com in association with World Travel Market, The Times and Geographical Magazine – recognises companies and organisations in the travel industry that are making a significant commitment to responsible tourism. Launched in 2004, the Awards ask tourists to nominate those tourism ventures that they feel provide outstanding holidays that also benefit local people and the destination. This year, over 1,700 nominations were received.

This was the fourth year of the Awards and every year, it never ceases to amaze me how much thought and innovation has gone into the holidays that we short list. Not only do such ventures offer sensational experiences for travellers, but they aspire to such impressive standards on responsible tourism that just keep getting better every year. I hope the Awards prove an inspiration for many more tourism organisations throughout the world.

Here's a run down of the results...

Overall Winner: The New Forest, UK
The judges were unanimous in their praise for The New Forest, a destination which has worked over the last 15 years with visitors, the industry, the community - including commoners and small holders - to look after the environment (the VICE model: Visitor, Industry, Community, Environment) and benefit all interests as well as providing a model for other destinations to follow. This includes the exciting contribution of the New Forest Breakfast to sustainable development, only possible because there are now sufficient local suppliers to meet the demand for local produce from locals and visitors.

Best Tour Operator, sponsored by The Adventure Company
Winner: Gecko’s Adventures, Australia
Chosen for maximising the positive economic and social impacts of their tours, through the use of locally owned accommodation and their employment of local tour leaders who share with travellers their passion for their country’s history, heritage, culture and natural beauty.

Highly commended: KE Adventure Travel, Tribes Travel and Imaginative Traveller

Best Large Hotel / Accommodation (more than 50 rooms), sponsored by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Winner: Apex Hotels Ltd, UK
For their efforts in urban regeneration, converting office blocks on brown field sites into hotels and ensuring that they are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Highly commended: Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa, Thailand and Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh, UK

Best Small Hotel / Accommodation (less than 50 rooms) sponsored by Tourism Queensland
Winner: Finca Esperanza Verde Ecolodge, Nicaragua
For using tourism to generate local, economic development in a rural area of Nicaragua by improving infrastructure as well as creating employment and enterprise opportunities and demonstrating what a positive difference tourism can make in a local community.

Highly commended: Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Dominica and Lamai Homestay & Guesthouse, Thailand

Best Low Carbon Transport & Technology sponsored by Virgin Trains
Winner: Eurostar, UK
For developing the comprehensive ‘Tread lightly’ programme to reduce Eurostar’s negative environmental impacts across the whole business, on the rails and at the terminals; using biodegradable and recyclable disposables; recycling water; reducing energy consumption and setting a whole business example which airlines could follow.

Highly commended: NatureAir, Costa Rica and greentomatocars, UK

Best in a Mountain Environment sponsored by Blacks
Winner: Explorandes, Peru
For developing homestay accommodation with real volume and livelihood activities, kayaking, textiles and culture, through a partnership with a group of thirty families at Llachon on the shore of Lake Titicaca.

Highly commended: Peregrine Adventures, Australia and Shakti Uttaranchal Tours Pvt Ltd, India

Best in a Marine Environment sponsored by Tourism Tasmania
Winner: blue o two, UK
For developing a new business approach to diving in the Red Sea, in a highly competitive price-driven market demonstrating that responsible diving is possible for a mainstream business and establishing a way of doing business which is causing their competitors to become more responsible.

Highly commended: Blue Ventures, UK

Best for Poverty Reduction sponsored by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Check Out for Children
Winner: Borana, Kenya
For making a sustainable contribution to the alleviation of poverty through generating employment, improving school facilities, funding a mobile clinic which reaches thousands of people and for innovative initiatives like “Hide and Sheep” which adds value to local products for the benefit of the economically poor.

Highly commended: Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique and communitychallenge, UK

Best in a Park or Protected Area sponsored by Conservation International
Winner: La Ruta Moskitia, Honduras
For working with four different indigenous communities to create a series of experiences and products which are complementary to each other, avoiding the danger of competition between villages and creating 150 jobs in and around the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve in Central America.

Highly commended: Chalalan Ecolodge, Bolivia

Best for Conservation of an Endangered Species sponsored by Sri Lanka Tourism Winner: Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa
For conserving 1750 acres of the Cape's threatened fynbos by using 5 hectares for tourism development and for working to engage local communities through football, employment and micro-enterprise opportunities.

Highly commended: Earth, Sea & Sky/Ionian Eco Villagers/Nature World Travel, Greece and Biosphere Expeditions, UK

Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage sponsored by Jamaica Tourist Board Winner: Andaman Discoveries, Thailand
For putting people first - recognising that the best custodians of cultural heritage are the people. They have worked with communities to empower them and to create a sense of place, identifying what villagers see as important, and using this information to develop tourist activities and make productive relationships with the industry.

Highly commended: Go Native America, USA and Intrepid Travel, Australia

Best Volunteering Organisation sponsored by Lonely Planet
Winner: Azafady, UK / Madagascar
For demonstrating real achievements meeting the locally defined needs of communities in Madagascar and for producing detailed reports on impacts and being transparent about where the volunteers’ money goes.

Highly commended: Quest, Camps International and people and places

Best Destination sponsored by G.A.P Adventures
Winner: The New Forest, UK
For demonstrating how the economic, social and environmental objectives of Responsible Tourism can be achieved with the full participation of all the stakeholders at the destination level. The New Forest has set an example which others are seeking to emulate and surpass.

Highly commended: Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka and Costa Rica

Best personal contribution sponsored by Canadian Tourism Commission
Winner: Anthony Climpson, The New Forest, UK
For twenty years, long before green became fashionable, Anthony Climpson was developing an integrated approach to managing tourism in the landscape, successfully engaging local communities, local government and tourism businesses in conserving the New Forest.

Highly commended: Dr Cheryl Mvula, Wildlife Conservation and Responsible Tourism Consultant and Charlotte Shigwedha, Managing Director, Mondesa Township Tours, Namibia

All winners received certificates framed in reclaimed wood, from Brighton's Palace Pier. See Ethical Wood Furnishings.

See http://www.responsibletourismawards.com/ for further information and to watch a video about The New Forest.

Click here, to download an electronic copy of the inspirational, brand new responsible travel magazine: r:travel. Within the 116-page magazine you can read more about the great work of the winners and highly commended organisations, plus a range of interesting articles on responsible tourism...

Tourism developers to destroy Greece?

The fires that killed 67 people and destroyed 642,000 acres of forest (one tenth of Greece's forest cover) are creating opportunities for tourism speculators. For example In Ileia (an olive growing region) the Greek Government sees the pristine beaches on the Western Peloponese as ideal for 'integrated resort tourism'. This means complexes such as Navarino which is being built nearby which will have 11 hotels, 7 golf courses and 77,500 square miles of second homes. The local residents ware pushing for smaller scale locally owned hotels that will ensure the profits stay in the local community and their environments and cultures are preserved.

Abuse of Padaung women in Thailand

Recent reports that the long necked Paduang women who fled Burma for Thailand in the 1980's feel that they are inmates of a 'human zoo' are deeply concerning. Tourists are charged £20 for access to the villages but the women say 'conditions are worse than in a zoo. Our men are forbidden to seek work, we cannot grow our own food and if we try to leave, we are beaten.' They also added that six who tried too leave were kidnapped. The Thai tourist police said that 'we believe that their kidnapping is for exhibition in tourist camps over the peak season'.

Clearly this is totally inappropriate (but sadly replicated in different ways around the world) . Please contact me if you experience anything like this and give me details of the companies involved. Read our advice here on visiting tribal communities.

Cruise liners - environmental and social impacts

Last week I appeared on ITV as part of an 30 minute programme about Cruise Liners. I've got strong views on the cultural, economic and environmental impacts of cruise ships. In short I think that the economic benefits to local communities are often pretty low (meals are eaten on board, food is not sourced locally) compared to the negative cultural and environmental impacts (did you know that a passenger on a cruise ships creates at least twice as much waste as those on shore?). I think some very large ports are set up to accommodate large cruise ships, but was disturbed to hear about larger and larger ships sailing to the Galapagos - totally the wrong environment for them.

I'm not against big cruise liners, or people enjoying cruises. What I am against is a) big cruise liners in fragile environments and cultures which are not suited to them and b) this industry being about 10 years behind everyone else in recognising their wider responsibilities beyond profits.

Anyway, I got (a few) of my views across but was buried by a blizzard of corporate executives marvelling at the growth of cruising - and rather comically Marco Pierre White telling us it was wonderful that everyone could afford a touch of glamour offered by cruising over pictures of people looking bored stupid by cabarets and queuing to have disinfectant put on their hands before entering the restaurant!

Watch this space you'll hear a lot more on this from us before the end of November..

Dubai's dirty secret

No its not oil, but the squalid labour camps that exploit labourers to build a so called paradise for tourists. Today The Times reported that -

Most of the migrant workers are illiterate men from South Asian farming villages. They recieve about £85 per month, after food costs of £35 per month they have little left to send home to relatives or pay off debts to a recruitment agency. The UAE estimates that it needs 2000 inspectors to enforce labour laws - so far 240 have been recruited. 880 migrant workers died in 2004, and 100 Indian workers committed suicide.

It doesn't make that luxury break to Dubai sound quite so appealing. Let's hope the Government understands that Dubai's reputation will not only be built on its luxury hotels but on how it treats those who build them.

Do you learn more from novels or travel?

Last week Amoz Oz, the Israeli novelist, won a prestigious prize for literature and said this in his acceptance speech -

If you travel to another country, you are likely to see monuments, palaces, squares, museums and landscapes. Then you travel home carrying a bunch of postcards or photographs. But if you read a novel you obtain a ticket to the most intimate recesses of another country and of another people... If you are a mere tourist, you might stand in the street, and see a woman staring out of a window. Then you will walk on. But if you are a reader you are there, with her, inside her head.

Amoz is a wonderful writer but he clearly has been subjected to some woeful holidays. What I remember best about my travels are encounters with local people on their terms; respectful exchanges of humour and culture; and insights into different ways of life resulting from shared experiences.

There is no doubt the contribution that literature makes to bridging cultures and people, however let's not underestimate what the right kind of travel contributes - after all there is nothing like actually being there to smell the air, look into somebodies eyes and share the food.