TRAVEL ASSOCIATION SEEKS TO PRESERVE  THE SERENGETI
 

Pressures on the Serengeti ecosystem have become critical.

Population has soared, habitat is being lost, and poaching, roads, towns, and mines threaten this priceless ecosystem. Irreversible damage to the Serengeti ecosystem would devastate tourism throughout the region and have a cascading effect on other natural areas in Africa and around the world. Threats to the Serengeti, an icon of World Heritage Sites, represents a threat to the UNESCO World Heritage concept itself.

Friends of Serengeti

It was formed because threats to the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem have entered a new and critical phase. The stakes are high. The Serengeti is really our test case going forward in whether the world can accomplish this in the 21st Century.

It’s mission, to bring together travel companies and travelers to build a permanent structure of support, advocacy, and funding for the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
 

Friends of Serengeti combines travel marketing and conservation. It creates an important new marketplace for safari operators, lodges, and hotels. It offers member companies an international, professional affiliation, and an important way to stand out and get noticed by travelers.
 

Modeled after the successful International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA)  www.igtoa.org, It believes that the travel industry must give back. And companies that give back should in turn benefit from their efforts. Member companies raise funds by educating their travelers and asking for donations to fund important projects. Like IGTOA,  Friends of Serengeti partners with NGO’s working in the area to identify and carry out its programs.

Member company benefits include use of the FOS logo and other marketing materials, listing on the FOS web site, promotion to FOS Facebook members, networking with potential travelers on our Facebook and our discussion forum. And promotion through our affiliates: Adventure Travel Trade Association, Center for Responsible Travel, Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Travel Industry Membership

Membership is open to outbound tour operators of all sizes who send travelers to Kenya or Tanzania. Members are expected to participate in our Serengeti Travelers Conservation Fund. Annual Dues are: $600
 

There is a category of membership for Tanzanian and Kenyan tour operators, hotels, lodges, and other service providers. Yearly dues: $400.

Web site:  www.friendsofserengeti.org

http://friendsofserengeti.org/membership-levels/

Founding  members:  http://friendsofserengeti.org/our-members/

http://friendsofserengeti.org/application/

Contact:  David Blanton, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

In the run-up to the COP17 climate negotiations taking place in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November -- 9 December 2011, an international alliance of civil society organisations has called upon negotiators to seriously and objectively address the role of tourism. The alliance points out that it is irresponsible to exclude aviation on the grounds that  tourism is an "engine of development" and argues that globally binding negotiations on aviation emissions will, if managed properly, enhance rather than undermine poverty reduction.

In a joint position paper, civil society organisations from the global North and South -- including Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), German Church Development Service (EED - Tourism Watch), Swiss Working Group Tourism and Development (akte), Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism (ECOT - Thailand), and Naturefriends International -- express their concern regarding the position taken by tourism lobby groups in the international climate negotiations. This NGO alliance criticises the often-cited claim brought forward by the travel and tourism industry that climate-related regulation of the aviation sector would make developing countries lose a considerable portion of their tourism income -- a loss which would have negative impacts on poverty alleviation. According to this argument, binding emission reduction targets for the aviation sector would threaten the achievement of economic development goals.

Tourism does not automatically equal poverty alleviation.

For Christian Baumgartner, General Secretary of Naturefriends International, the claims that tourism automatically contributes to poverty alleviation in developing countries and that binding emission reduction targets for the sector would compromise poverty alleviation are unsupportable. "Only a fair and more sustainable tourism development can mitigate the negative impact of tourism on the climate and can actually contribute to poverty alleviation," Mr. Baumgartner emphasizes.

The organisations supporting the Call to Durban demand a serious and differentiated debate on tourism's contribution to poverty alleviation. "The travel and tourism industry has successfully protected its business interests in the name of poverty alleviation. However, it is urgent and imperative to address the complex social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of tourism in destinations, especially the situation of employees and local communities," says Christine Plüss (akte).

Who profits?

Evidence from various case studies has shown that a large part of the income from tourism does not remain in developing countries, but leaks back to international investors. More often than not, the remaining income fails to benefit the poor. Rather, local elites will profit from it. "The poor in the so-called developing countries are the ones who suffer most from climate change -- which they have not caused. And they hardly participate in or benefit from international tourism, even though this has often been claimed," says Caesar D'Mello (ECOT). "The tourism industry must change, it must become fairer. In South Africa, we have a range of policies and policy instruments and public-private partnerships that can help to inspire more equitable tourism development on a global scale," states Jennifer Seif (FTTSA).

Economic growth is no end in itself.

"The debate on the role of tourism must go beyond repeating the same phrases over and over again, exclusively emphasizing the positive economic effects of tourism growth and failing to address the various negative impacts especially on the poor. It is high time to discuss the impacts of rapid tourism growth on the climate, biodiversity, natural resources and human development in a critical manner. Economic growth is not an end in itself. What we need is a human rights based approach," demands Heinz Fuchs (EED).

Side event in Durban:

On 5th December, 2011, during the climate negotiations in Durban, FTTSA, ECOT and EED Tourism Watch will be organising a panel discussion on climate justice and tourism. The panel will include a representative of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Title: Side event: Climate Justice and Tourism - sustainable tourism practices alleviate poverty more effectively than tourism growth numbers

Time: 05/12/2011, 11h00 -- 13h00

Venue: C17 - 'People`s Space', Room Shepstone 5, The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

Contact in Durban: Sabine Minninger, EED-Tourism Watch, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , +49-176-65181271

Wild Guanabana , the Middle East's first carbon neutral adventure travel company, has earned global recognition after receiving the Global Tourism Award 2012 at the World Travel Market in London.

The Global Tourism award honours the success of individuals/companies that have changed the face of travel and tourism within their markets. The winner is nominated by a member of the Word Travel Market’s Global Media Network. 

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On the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, 2011, the Seychelles Tourism Board in partnership with the GOS-UNDP-GEF Program Coordination Unit officially launched the ‘Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label’ with the unveiling of the label’s logo. The ceremony took place at Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, in the presence of ministers, senior government officials, the Chairman and members of the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association, members of the GOS-UNDP-GEF Program Coordination Unit, Seychelles Tourism Board representatives and tourism operators.

The ‘Sustainable Tourism Label’ or ‘Eco Label’ is an international concept currently being promoted worldwide. It rightly establishes a set of standards to encourage and guide tourism operators to play a vital role in adopting best practices in the operation of their businesses in order to ensure the sustainability of the tourism industry. The development of such a Sustainability Label in Seychelles is a follow-up to a recommendation made in the government of Seychelles’ Vision 21: Tourism Development in Seychelles 2001-2010.  A study on certification for tourism operators recommended, in consultation with the industry, the development and introduction of a “Seychelles” Sustainable Tourism Label, on the basis of strict, transparent, fair and externally checked criteria.

The criteria of the label are classified under eight themes comprising management, waste, water, energy, staff, conservation, community, and guests. It adopts an integrated approach to sustainability by including environmental, social, and economic components aligned to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s criteria.
 

The set of criteria for the sustainability label was developed for accommodation establishments and was tested in some hotels and further refined. The criteria, the institutional and implementation structure for the label were finalised in a stakeholder validation workshop in April 2011 where it was decided that the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label will be housed within the STB and will be overseen by its chief executive Alain St Ange in the initial stages of the setup of the label.
 

In support of the implementation of the label and to ensure its success and long-term sustainability within the tourism sector, a Label Manager was recruited on September 1, 2011, with the financial support of UNDP/GEF to oversee the management of the Label.
 

The Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL) will be a personally assessed, points-based certification scheme that will allow hotel establishments to continue to be productive in the future by contributing to the sustainability of the natural environment.
 

It will also provide visitors and tourism intermediaries with valuable information on sustainable tourism products in Seychelles, allowing them to make informed travel choices.
 

It is hoped that most of the tourism enterprises in Seychelles will adopt the label within the next couple of years and that through the implementation of the label, the environment and the community will benefit from viable and successful businesses, resulting in the safeguard of the unique biodiversity of Seychelles.
 

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the logo for the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label, by the label manager; Mrs Sinha Levkovic. The logo was designed by Ms Catherina Bonnelame; using the iconic giant land tortoise of the Seychelles, encased by three coloured arrows portraying the sustainability of the Seychelles islands. Ms Bonnelame was also presented with her prizes of SCR15, 000 and a one-night stay voucher for two at the Bird Island Lodge. She was presented with the prize as the winner of the national competition for the design of the logo.
 

A memorandum of understanding for the label program was then signed by Alain St Ange and Didier Dogley, the Principal Secretary of Environment, followed by the presentation of the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label collaterals to distinguished guests.

Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk confirmed at the launch – on a ferry boat outside the southern Cape town of Knysna on 12 September – that responsible tourism has been a guiding principle for the industry in South Africa since an important policy paper on the subject was published in 1996.

 However, he said, 'One of the key challenges that we faced was that South Africa did not have a single, unified national responsible tourism standard and accreditation system.' 
 

 The national Department of Tourism worked with stakeholders for more than 18 months to decide on  the criteria. These were then refined through the South African Bureau of Standards.

The South  African National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism (SANMSRT) has been benchmarked against the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s criteria and is based on the 3 cornerstones of sustainable tourism. These are social and cultural, economic, and environmental responsibility.

 Responsible tourism principles include respect for cultural and natural environments, avoiding energy and water over-consumption and waste, ensuring that local communities benefit from tourism, and adhering to ethical business practices. 

The SANMSRT will be a voluntary standard, and tourism certification bodies wanting to be accredited will work through the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) which will be ready to carry out this task by the middle of 2012, according to the minister. 

There will be more and more pressure for companies in the tourism industry to align themselves to responsible tourism principles, remarked the minister.

'An increasing number of tourists are enquiring about adherence to environmental and social standards before they make their accommodation bookings,' he pointed out.

 Jennifer Seif, founder and head of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa, was the chairperson of the technical working group that helped develop the National Minimum Standards.

 'Responsible tourism is a central pillar of our national tourism policy and strategy, and the launch of the Minimum Standard today thus marks an important milestone in achieving our collective vision of a tourism industry that benefits people, business and the environment,' she said at the ceremony. 

'I am confident that the new Minimum Standard will reiterate South Africa’s position as a leading responsible tourism destination. Very few countries have published national standards of this calibre, and I am sure that other destinations will look to South Africa for knowledge and leadership in this field.

'South Africa has helped pioneer Responsible Tourism on the worldwide stage – our job now is to mainstream it.' 

Sustainabletv.org (stv) promotes people, projects and organizations working on making the planet a better place for all.

Currently, the site's focus is on ecotourism done correctly, in order to help conserve land, while contributing to the development of sustainable, local economies.

Mitch Popa, founder of sustainabletv.org has produced 10 ecolodge profiles in Costa Rica and numerous documentaries about the country. All those programs plus many others, are available on Sustainabletv.org.

Sustainabletv.org is uploadable and others are encouraged to share their story about ecotourism or any of the other programming categories on stv.

Article courtesy of Southern Cone Journeys

In Chile, as in many other countries, ecotourism has become a widely used term to describe any tourism activity carried out in the natural environment. Dozens of companies claim they offer ecotourism while their business is centered on adventure tourism or other types of activities. Although they are set in a natural environment, they are far from practicing the principles of ecotourism, such as environmental and cultural interpretation and benefits for local communities.

The term is used loosely and with no official eco-certification scheme in place in Chile, nobody can actually credit its authenticity. Having lived in Australia and Costa Rica, two countries with eco-certification systems that have been standing for a long time, I have been able to see the pros and cons of eco-labels.