A responsible Tourism workshop was held recently as part of Wild Asia's 2008 Responsible Tourism Awards. What is Responsible Tourism and is it worth doing? The group considered these questions and more. SHIRENE CHEN was there.

Written by Shirene Chen on 10 Dec 2008 with 0 comments. Be the first!

Wild Asia defines Responsible Tourism (RT) as business practices by tourism operators that minimise environmental impact, empower local economies and respect local cultures. The winners of the Wild Asia 2008 Responsible Tourism Awards show that it makes business sense to run their operations responsibly.

This year's winners are Ecosphere in India for the Community-run Homestays category; Tree Tops Jungle Lodge in Sri Lanka for Budget Accommodation; Alila Manggis in Indonesia for Mid-range Resorts and Hotels; and Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi in Thailand for Luxury and Boutique Resorts.

While these winners show that RT works by improving customer experience and community relations, they remain a niche group. So what are the bottlenecks to RT and how can they be overcome? Why are the average tourist and mainstream tourism operators unaware or uninterested in RT? These questions were posed to a group of 23 representatives of regional tourism operators, media and NGOs at the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism in Action workshop that was held in conjunction with the awards ceremony.

From the feedback, one of the most obvious roadblocks is the lack of awareness in the media. Members of the media were urged to give visibility to RT operators and practices as well as expose irresponsible practices. Another suggestion to raise the public profile of RT operators is to work with travel booking engines to bring these niche operators into the mainstream and feature them under a green banner. Niche websites like Responsibletravel.com have made it easy for the converted to book into conscience-clear holidays but may be little known among mainstream tourists.

Working with mainstream booking engines may capture some of the current explosive growth of mass tourism from China and India, promote business growth for RT operators and spark a multiplier effect in the industry. Hotel management schools and financial institutions also have key roles to play in stimulating the multiplier effect in the industry.

A less obvious but prevalent roadblock is the perception by local communities that bad environment is the norm. Most do not see the link between unsustainable tourist development and the destruction of natural resources that they depend on for their livelihood. Education is vital to mobilise the local communities to protest against unsustainable developments in their area.

A UNEP study shows that less than 50% of the tourist dollar remains in the host country. The inequitable distribution of profits only exacerbates the unconcerned attitude of local communities. RT operators can help to reverse the flow of tourist money by developing unique natural and cultural tourist attractions with the locals and sharing the profits with them. In this way, local communities can see the link between the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and financial gains.

Reaping financial gains from RT investments is perhaps the top motivating factor for tourism business owners and shareholders to go RT. Mr. Arnfinn Oines from Six Senses, who presented a case study of Six Senses, has this advice: translate RT initiatives in financial benefits i.e. decrease in operating cost, increase in gross operating profit and increase in property value to break through to the top management.

Aside from financial gains, businesses also stand to gain other benefits from being a responsible operation. This is best exemplified in a poignant story told by Mr. Kumara Senaratne from Jetwing. In the chaotic days following the 2004 tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka, the local community of young taxi drivers voluntarily protected one of Jetwing's properties, the Lighthouse Hotel, from looters. The reason for the favour: Jetwing took a bunch of unemployed youth off the streets, trained and groomed them to provide professional taxi service to the hotel guests and offered them a decent and dignified livelihood.

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