Good news in tourism August 2 – 8, 2020
… because too much bad tourism news is bad for your mental health! Probably.
Published every Sunday, “Good news in tourism” is the perfect pick-me-up for the start of a new week in travel & tourism.
This week’s travel & tourism news menu:
(Click / touch an item to go straight to it.)
- “GT” news (feat. ‘Friends indeed’)
- Ecotourism, nature, & wildlife
- Accessible tourism
- Adventure tourism
- Net-zero travel
- Community-based tourism
- Cultural heritage tourism
- Religious tourism
- Odds & ends
It’s “Good Tourism”. And go!
“GT” news
Dr Susanne Becken and yours truly corresponded to explore some of the similarities and differences between the new buzz phrase “regenerative tourism” and the old buzz term “sustainable tourism” in a fresh “GT” Insight published on Tuesday: “Regenerative tourism vs sustainable tourism: What’s the difference?”.
“Friends indeed” — travel & tourism industry fundraisers and charitable causes worthy of your consideration — now have a dedicated page. The fundraisers and charities featured are eligible by virtue of the fact that “GT” Friends & Partners are involved. Please help. Share the page with your social networks and link to it from your website or email signature.
New to “Friends indeed” is Hotels Joining Hands. Three hotels have partnered with NGOs to feed people who live in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia, the gateway to Angkor. “The need is sadly only increasing,” “GT” Friend Christian de Boer of Jaya House River Park said. “In Siem Reap Province, 90% of the population have to pay back high-interest bank loans. No incomes for several months means they are reduced to selling their property — motorbike, car or even their homes! — to pay it back, let alone the fact that they aren’t able to eat properly everyday.”
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Ecotourism, nature, & wildlife
When progressive causes get tied up in knots with each other; when a “Good news …” link isn’t necessarily “good” but neither is it necessarily “bad”; when introducing nuance, while potentially dangerous to one’s reputation these days, should really be encouraged; when local autonomy in decision making (as argued here and here) is perhaps the fairest and most sensible way forward; when it’s complicated …
What on Earth are you going on about, correspondent!?
This … Some African nations and conservation organisations are urging lawmakers in California, USA to “kill a bill” banning the possession of trophies taken from hunting in Africa. “They argue that wealthy trophy hunters provide a key source of money for anti-poaching efforts, wildlife habitat protection and funding for impoverished rural communities that might otherwise kill off entire populations of animals […] they’re saying it’s racist and insulting for wealthy white Westerners to imply that all Africans are too corrupt or incompetent to make hunting sustainable.”
Ecotourism ventures are among the sustainable enterprises Indonesia’s government hopes will sprout from its social forestry programme. President Joko Widodo pledged to hand over 12.7 million hectares of state forest to rural communities in 2014. The 2019 target was missed. And progress in 2020 has been hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. This may be a blessing in disguise as it “takes time to transform local communities into entrepreneurs”, according to Delia Catacutan of the World Agroforestry Centre.
Conservation International and the Timor-Leste (East Timor) Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have partnered to establish responsible tourism guidelines for interactions with whales, dolphins and dugongs.
There is a new marine park in Australia’s Northern Territory; the first to be designated in more than 30 years. Located in the Gulf of Carpentaria at the mouth of the Roper River, Limmen Bight is “an extraordinarily productive marine ecosystem” and home to the Indigenous Marra people. Limmen Bight’s new status is expected to “improve management and protection [while] boosting nature-based tourism, and safeguarding the area’s unique marine wildlife”, according to Michelle Grady of Pew Charitable Trusts.
England’s first wild breeding population of beavers for 400 years has been granted permanent residency in East Devon. Prof Richard Brazier of the University of Exeter said beavers bring benefits such as “flood attenuation, water quality improvement, carbon storage, greater biodiversity and socio-economic benefits to local businesses through wildlife tourism”. Peter Burgess of Devon Wildlife Trust said: “This is the most ground-breaking government decision for England’s wildlife for a generation.”
Bird watchers have been flocking to a national park in England’s Peak District to glimpse a bearded vulture, also known as a lammergeier. The last recorded sighting of the non-native raptor was on Dartmoor four years ago. Peak District National Park Authority chief Sarah Fowler said the interest “demonstrates the power of birds of prey as a gateway to a wider discovery of our wildlife [and the] the multi-million pound economic contribution these species can make through nature-based tourism”.
The Andalucia regional government in Spain has promised to invest in Almeria’s Cabo de Gata natural park. Agriculture, fishing & sustainable development regional minister Carmen Crespo said the administration is putting up more than EUR 1 million (USD 1.2 million) for the park out of Andalucia’s EUR 25.2 million (USD 30 million) plan for the “sustainable exploitation” of natural spaces for tourism and other commercial activities.
The importance of good partnerships
Many commentators would like to see previously overcrowded destinations recover from the COVID-19 depression with a focus on quality rather than quantity. That would be nice, of course, particularly if host communities want that. However, some or many extant tourism stakeholders will likely go out of business should this happen. Don’t let one of those be you. Stay as positive as you can be. And seek out good partnerships with those who make you their priority.
“GT” is a good partner. Please verify that claim with a Good Partner. And then ask your correspondent about partnership opportunities. There’s something for everyone.
Accessible tourism
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association in BC, Canada has created a video, “Accessibility in a New Light”, about creating experiences that everyone can enjoy.
And here it is:
Adventure tourism
Results of an Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) survey of US consumers conducted in June and July indicate that ATTA members in the USA might enjoy a bounceback in business to just short of 2019 levels in 2021.
Highlands & Islands Enterprise is rolling out a new programme, Let’s Grow Adventure Tourism, that aims to help Scotland’s adventure tour operators target domestic travellers. Wild Scotland is backing the initiative.
Net-zero travel
A new report from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) — with technical input and funding from Boeing — shows that clean hydrogen fuel could be introduced to airport ground support equipment by 2025.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce chief Trudy Morris reckons the north Highlands of Scotland can be a world leader in zero-carbon aviation. “Innovation in low-carbon aviation is already happening elsewhere in the north of Scotland, with Orkney set to host a trial flight of a hydrogen-electric aircraft later this year. With the north Highlands set to be generating a surfeit of renewable energy in the next decade, there is a clear opportunity here for the region to lead in production of green hydrogen.”
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Community-based tourism
Thailand’s government may set aside about THB 6 billion (USD 193 million) to “develop and upgrade tourism communities this year, part of a strategy to raise income for people in the provinces”. The National Village & Urban Community Office has proposed that budget to the National Economic & Social Development Council to “develop 10,000 new tourism communities and upgrade existing ones”.
Whitefish City Council in Montana, USA took a first look at its new Sustainable Tourism Management Plan, which was driven by “concern that too much visitation will diminish the quality of life that the community values and that visitors find so attractive”.
Cultural heritage tourism
Robert Jumper, editor of Cherokee One Feather, concludes in an op-ed that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians “needs tourism” as they consider what the post-COVID future holds. “Reducing or eliminating our tourism message could damage our future economic growth,” he wrote. “There are responsible ways to communicate that “we are still here” as a destination and make good choices for the safety of the community and the travelling public.” The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a federally-recognised tribe headquartered in Cherokee, North Carolina state, USA.
Cherokee Nation reopened cultural tourism sites during the week. Cherokee Nation is a federally-recognised tribe headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA.
With the help of Arkansas State University, Osceola city on the banks of the Mississippi River wants to put itself on the USA’s tourism trail by leveraging its musical heritage, including its blues roots. It’s hoped a new music-related tourism cluster will help revitalise downtown. Osceola was named after a leader of the Seminole people.
Religious tourism
Pilgrimages have been a powerful motivator for travel since “time immemorial”, according to India’s tourism minister Prahlad Patel as his ministry announced plans for developing and promoting Ayodhya — the birthplace of Lord Ram — in Uttar Pradesh as a major tourism destination. Lord Ram or Rama or Ramachandra is a major deity of Hinduism; the seventh avatar of the God Vishnu.
Reportedly from a release of the Chhattisgarh state government in India: “Near Turturiya, there is a thousand-year-old Shiv Temple which will also be developed as [a] tourist destination by Chhattisgarh Government. Lord Ram had spent some time of his exile in [the] forest of Turturiya and it is believed that Luv-Kush were also born in this ashram. [A] Plan has been chalked out to develop Turturiya as [an] eco-tourism spot.”
The Vatican is calling on governments to promote and encourage responsible tourism, particularly in rural and remote areas. It is urging them to “observe the principles of social and economic justice and with full respect for the environment and cultures”.
Sustainable tourism & responsible travel is everyone’s business
Freedom of movement is a basic human right. And the travel & tourism industry is everyone’s business. “Everyone” includes not only those who earn a living from the travel & tourism industry, but also people who travel, and people who live in places travelled to and through. EVERYONE. Please share “Good news in tourism” with your friends and colleagues. And dive deeper into “Good Tourism” Insights for ideas on how to make sustainable tourism and responsible travel better … for you, for your people, and for your place. For they are your people. And it is your place.
Odds & ends
Bits ‘n pieces that don’t easily fit into this week’s arbitrary clusters:
Tropical Storm Isaias had “little to no impact” on the US Virgin Islands’ tourism infrastructure according to its Department of Tourism. USVI is a territory of the USA.
Kazakhstan will this month start studying the potential for agro-tourism as it looks to develop local destinations. Kazakh Tourism chair Erzhan Yerkinbayev: “The Almaty, Akmola and Turkestan regions are abundant in resources. There are large gardens, farms and bee-farms, where a very beautiful tourist product can be developed.”
Uganda Tourism Association president Pearl Hoareau Kakooza is asking for clarity around the reopening of the international airport in Kampala. “We need an interim date for reopening of Entebbe International Airport so that we can plan and work out a plan for our visitors from different countries,” she said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe said the USD 500 million allocated to the tourism sector from a broader USD 18 billion COVID-19 stimulus package was “paltry”. He directed the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development to review it.
The Western Australia state government has announced a AUD 150 million (USD 107.5 million) tourism investment package to support the tourism sector as part of a broader WA Recovery Plan. Since the government relaxed regional border restrictions and rolled out the “Wander Out Yonder” intrastate tourism campaign, destinations around the state have reported “strong numbers”.
The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) in BC, Canada is collaborating with the nine Community Futures organisations in the TOTA region on a micro-loans programme to support the tourism sector. The loans can range from CAD 200 to CAD 25,000 (USD 150 to USD 18,800).
Destination Cleveland launched its Rediscover CLE campaign during the week. Designed to encourage residents to explore their city and support local businesses, the campaign will deploy a range of tactics including a resident-focused visitors guide. Cleveland is in Ohio state, USA.
Stay healthy, smile, have a good week … And when you can travel again, remember:
It’s not ‘no’. It’s ‘know’.
Featured image (top of post): Magpie goose taking flight in the Northern Territory, Australia. By Djambalawa (CC BY 3.0) via Wikipedia.
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Disclaimer 1: It is “GT’s” policy to fully disclose partner/sponsor content. If an item is not disclosed as partner or sponsor-related then it will have caught “GT’s” attention by some other more organic means. Partner with “GT”. You know you want to.
Disclaimer 2: None of the stories linked from this week’s post have been fact-checked by “GT”. All terminology used here is as the linked sources used it according to the knowledge and assumptions they have about it. Please comment below if you know there has been buzzword-washing or blatant nonsense relayed here, but be nice about it as the linked sources might get offended. (“GT” won’t.) And as for “GT” bringing it to your attention so that you might be the one to set the record straight, you are welcome! 🙂
