Welcome to the April/May 2011 edition of FTTSA's newsflash!

  Visit the Fair Trade Pavilion at Indaba 2011 Travel & Tourism Trade Show!

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) invites you to visit the Fair Trade Pavilion at Indaba 2011! This partnership stand concept will be the first ever to showcase FTTSA-certified tourism businesses and other Fair Trade products (coffee and crafts) under one roof. It will also emphasize South Africa 's unique position of being the only country in the world with a Fair Trade in Tourism certification programme. Confirmed FTTSA-certified tourism businesses on the Fair Trade Pavilion are:

1. Antrim Villa
2. AWOL(Adventure Without Limits)
3. Buccaneers Lodge and Backpackers
4. Bickley House
5. Ocean Blue Adventures
6. Ocean Safaris
7. Stormsriver Adventures
8. St Lucia Tours and Charters
9. Spier
10. The Peech Hotel
11. Volunteer Africa 32 ° South

To meet with the FTTSA-certified tourism businesses visit ODW023 or to set-up an appointment with FTTSA, please contact the FTTSA team . For more information on the INDABA Travel & Tourism Trade Show click here.

!Xaus Lodge is Now Proudly FTTSA-Certified
FTTSA welcomes !Xaus Lodge, a community-owned establishment situated in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . Built as part of the !Ae!Hai land claim settlement and jointly owned by the ‡Khomani San and Mier, the Lodge is commercially managed by Transfrontier Parks Destinations (TFPD). !Xaus Lodge generates a direct income for its community owners, jobs and skills-development opportunities for community members, and an environment that attracts new tourists into an impoverished area of the country. The Lodge infrastructure and management is based on a ‘tread lightly' philosophy, with the minimum use of natural resources. To reduce water consumption only drinking water is desalinated and linen is washed off-site.  Electricity, generated in site, is only available for 5 hours a day, encouraging guests to ‘live off the grid'. For more information on !Xaus Lodge click here .

FTTSA Supports World Responsible Tourism Day 2011
FTTSA Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, will participate in a roundtable discussion together with representatives from SAT and Kuoni Travel at a symposium on Responsible Tourism to be held on1 June 2011 in Paris , France . South Africa will be featured in a discussion aimed at finding solutions that will allow stakeholders to better understand the issue of certification. While the number of labels and certification bodies are steadily increasing, the tourism industry still does not really know who to turn  to validate their actions, to evaluate their behavior and distinguish themselves commercially .  For more information click here .

Good for the Guests – Good for Africa
As pioneers of Fair Trade in Tourism, the first German and Swiss tour operators and their partner organisations working on tourism and development were awarded Fair Trade Travel certificates at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in Berlin . The certificates for Fair Trade Travel packages were presented by Jennifer Seif, FTTSA's Executive Director.

SKR is the first German tour operator to offer a Fair Trade Travel package – "South Africa's Garden Route Fair & Fine" – that meets fair trade standards. "For us, sustainability is not just a catchword in an advertising brochure", said SKR's Managing Director Olaf Melsbach. Please read more in FTTSA news.

German Media Trip
Four German journalists representing three prominent newspapers (Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Die Zeit and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung) and a widely read women's magazine (Freundin Donna) spent a week in March experiencing SKR's Fair Trade Travel Package. Valuable exposure has been obtained in the German market as a result of the trip that was largely coordinated by FTTSA Project Manager Katarina Mancama.

FTTSA Demonstrates Commitment to Skills Development
The FTTSA team congratulates Kathy Bergs, the FTTSA General Manager, for her recent appointment as a Board Member of the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) – formerly THETA.   Kathy says “I trust that my involvement will not only give FTTSA a voice in skills development in the sector but will also provide our clients with representation at the national level”.

FTTSA Directory
FTTSA, in partnership with South African Tourism, is producing a directory which will feature all of FTTSA's-certified tourism businesses. The directory will be distributed locally as well as being used to promote South Africa as the “world's leading Fair Trade tourism destination” abroad. The FTTSA directory will have basic info about Fair Trade tourism and a full page dedicated to each FTTSA-certified business.

FTTSA Facilitates Sustainable Tourism Workshops in Knysna
On 30 & 31 March and 6 & 7 April 2011, FTTSA successfully facilitated two Sustainable Tourism (ST) workshops for Knysna Tourism. This training was made possible through funding received from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) and a total of 41 learners were trained. The ST workshop is targeted at adult learners who are working in the tourism industry or residing in communities affected by tourism development. Since mid-2006, over 1 000 learners (of which the vast majority were black) have successfully completed this training workshop, which is facilitated by a group of independent trainers accredited by FTTSA. For more information on the ST workshop visit, FTTSA training.

Competitions

Fairtrade hotel room winner announced!
FTTSA congratulates Helen Gothard for liking the FTTSA facebook page and winning a one night stay for two people in the Fairtrade hotel room at The Peech Hotel (an FTTSA-certified tourism business). The prize is valid from 1-30 April 2011, terms and conditions apply.

Win a Fair Trade in Tourism weekend getaway!
FTTSA and Abang Africa Travel & Trust are offering one lucky person a chance to win a Fair Trade weekend for two at FTTSA- certified Madi a Thavha Mountain Lodge, valued at R2, 420, 00.

The prize includes two nights' bed and breakfast, Art, Crafts and Culture tour to Elim, including a picnic lunch on day two. Click here for more information.

Success Story

Madikwe's Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge Undertakes Large Scale Veggie Project
FTTSA-certified Buffalo Ridge Safari Lodge - the first 100% community owned lodge in the inimitable Madikwe Game Reserve - together with the Balete community have now undertaken to create a large scale vegetable growing project . The vegetable project will be owned and run by the Balete community in their local village of Lekgophung . Growing tunnels and irrigation systems are in the process of being commissioned and by October 2011, says the operating company's Peter Channing, the project will start supplying first the community, then Buffalo Ridge and other lodges in the Madikwe reserve , with fresh produce, obviating the need to continue sourcing the vegetables in Johannesburg.

With a deep passion for their heritage, the Balete community itself is dedicated to taking ownership of both their heritage and the ongoing success of Buffalo Ridge as a prime tourism destination and as a result, it remains one of the finest establishments within the Madikwe Game Reserve. For more information click here.

Do you have a success story to share? Let us know and you could be featured in our next newsflash! Please send your enquiries and success stories to khaya@fairtourismsa.org.za

National Events

Taste of Cape Town , Green Point Cricket Club, Cape Town , 5 -8 May 2011
This remarkable festival will bring together the city's most acclaimed restaurants and carefully selected exhibitors to attract 20 000 of Cape Town 's most dedicated and sophisticated foodies. Taste of Cape Town brings together the city's finest restaurants, award- winning wineries, premium drink brands, niche food exhibitors and fantastic entertainment. "Participating in the Taste of Cape Town will give our Fairtrade wineries the opportunity to speak directly to local consumers," says Mr Boudewijn Goossens, Executive Director of Fairtrade Label South Africa , "South Africans are increasingly demanding ethical and socially conscious products and the Fairtrade label guarantees this." Visit Taste of Cape Town for more information.

Indaba Travel & Tourism Trade Show, Albert Luthuli Convention Centre (Durban ICC), 7-10 May 2011
Preparations are well underway for Africa's biggest travel and tourism trade show - which spans 27 000 square meters - with more than 13 000 visitors, 1 300 exhibitors, over 170 international hosted buyers and hundreds of local and international media expected this year at INDABA. Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African tourism industry calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit' events of its kind in the world. This year's Indaba theme is "Playing Globally, Winning Locally", paying tribute to the role played by the South African tourism industry in achieving 15.1% growth and an all-time high of over 8 million tourists in 2010. For more information on the INDABA Trade Travel Show click here.

Fairtrade Coffee Week, South Africa , 9-14 May 2011
Fairtrade Label South Africa (FLSA) is teaming up with over 40 coffee shops and café s nationwide to bring you Fairtrade Coffee Week ! Enjoy a delicious cup of coffee and learn more about how the coffee farmers in Africa benefit with each sip you take! Join Facebook and Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/FairtradeSA to become part of our online coffee campaign.

Keep checking the FLSA website for more details.

Sustainable Tourism Development Africa Summit , Freedom Park , Pretoria , 25-26 May 2011
The Sustainable Tourism Development Africa Summit will highlight key issues such as:

• The legacy of 2010 FIFA World Cup
• How tourism can be used for job creation
• Promoting tourism for local communities development
• How African countries can improve their economies through tourism
• Ensuring future tourism growth through education
• Understanding the role of cultural heritage sites in tourism growth
• Responsible Tourism
• The importance of tourism products development
• Making Africa a globally competitive tourism destination
• Highlighting vital tourism marketing strategies

To register call 011 888 9810 or fax the completed registration form to 086 515 3442 or for more information visit www.corptrain.co.za .

Gauteng Outdoor Adventure and Travel Expo, Inanda Country base, Kyalami, Sandton, 10-12 June 2011
The premier exhibition for the Outdoor Industry. From Caravans to 4x4's, trailers to tents, accessories, adventure travel, destinations, conservation, eco-tourism, energy solutions - a consumer exhibition which has been offering alternative marketing opportunities for over 18 years in South Africa .

Outdoor Exhibition organisers are the team which put together the First Outdoor and Adventure Exhibition in South Africa 18 years ago. For more information contact Shirley Shearer on 011 803 9362 or go to Outdoor Expo .

Sports & Events Tourism Exchange, Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town , 27- 29 July 2011
The first of its kind to be held in South Africa, the Sports and Events Tourism Exchange will focus on the world class standard of facilities and services that South Africa has to offer as a host, for all top level international events and the exchange between sports tourism and the events industry. It will also provide a prestigious platform for the marketing of the many products and services related to this niche market, both on a local and international front. For more information visit, Sport and Events Tourism Exchange.

International Events

African Tour & Travel Expo, Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre, Bulawayo , Zimbabwe , 3-7 May 2011
African Tour & Travel Expo (A”Sambeni) is a tourism showcase for sub-Saharan Africa : it is a country-neutral exhibition, not tied to any specific national tourist association. A'Sambeni 2011 is a full-scale, regional, info-rich tourism exhibition held in Zimbabwe which accommodates large and small operators and includes specialised suppliers to the tourism industry. The emphasis is on Adventure, Cultural and Eco-tourism. Visit African Tour & Travel Expo for more information.

World Fair Trade Day, 14 May 2011
World Fair Trade Day is an international celebration and promotion of Fair Trade . Events will be held in over 80 countries with this year's theme “ TRADE FOR PEOPLE – Fair Trade your world ”. The theme encompasses the strong belief in the need to put people and the environment at the heart of trade and consumption, Trade for people means trade for sustainable development of local communities. On 14 May 2011 millions of small producers, artisans, farmers and small-hold manufacturers, Fair Trade producers, traders and consumers will celebrate World Fair Trade Day . Find out more information on World Fair Trade Organization . In the run up to World Fair Trade day, FTTSA will be serving and promoting Bean There Fairtrade coffee at Indaba on our stand, ODW023 from the 7–10 May 2011.

International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) African Conference, “Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change to Tourism in Africa and the Developing World”, Hotel InterContinental Lusaka , 15-20 May 2011
The aim of the 5th IIPT African Conference is to showcase models of “best practice” from Africa and the developing regions of the world, and from governments, destinations, industry sectors, and NGOs.

The Conference is hosted by the Zambia Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, and organized by the IIPT in partnership with the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA), as well as other partners and supporters including Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA). The Conference brings together leading experts to share their knowledge, experience, and research related to climate change response strategies, programmes, and actions in African and other developing countries. The Conference also marks the first time a forum of Traditional Leaders in Africa is being organized with the collaboration of the Zambia Ethno Tourism and Cultural Tourism Alliance (ZECUTA). For information and registration, please go to www.mtenr.gov.zm/iiptconference or www.iipt.org

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) International Donors' Conference for Africa, Dakar , Senegal , 27-28 May 2011
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) international donors' conference is looking to mobilize funds to support sustainable tourism development in cross-border parks and protected areas spanning ten countries in West Africa . The project aims to maximize tourism's role in poverty reduction and economic development, improve the lives of local communities, provide jobs and income, and protect the region's biodiversity.

The West Africa Parks Project is based on a regional approach to tourism development. The ten participating countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone – are working together to maximize the potential of the areas they share by reinforcing regional integration and collaboration. Through such cooperation, countries can jointly address issues of common concern; promote the parks and their natural assets on a regional basis and increase preservation possibilities and socio-economic development through cross-border tourism. For more information click here.

Awards

World Travel Awards 2011
The FTTSA-certified The Peech Hotel is asking for your support in the World Travel Awards, as they compete for the title of Africa 's Leading Boutique Hotel 2011. Click here to vote for the Peech Hotel.

2011 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards
Nominations for the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards are now open for the tourism and hospitality industry in Africa . The Imvelo Awards, running for the tenth year, award tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to responsible tourism and have a huge impact on tourism in southern Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management and social development issues in the industry. Entries should reach the organisers by Wednesday, 31 August 2011 . For more information contact Lynda Bacon on 0861 333 628 or visit Imvelo Awards

Resources

Special Tourism Edition of DEVELOPMENT SOUTHERN AFRICA
FTTSA Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, and Kate Rivett-Carnac, Tourism Specialist at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), co-edited a special edition of Development Southern Africa focused on “Tourism Impacts: Lessons for Policy, Programmes and Projects”. This latest special edition on tourism was officially launched in Midrand, Johannesburg on Friday, 1 April 2011.

Development Southern Africa is an internationally accredited journal published five times per year by Taylor & Francis Press. Development Southern Africa consistently features articles about tourism development and has played a significant role in building local research capacity in the region. The launch of the journal was marked by a research colloquium at the DBSA in Midrand, Johannesburg . The colloquium brought together public sector and academic institutions as a first step to defining a shared developmental research agenda for tourism studies in southern Africa . For more information about Development Southern Africa visit www.tandf.co.uk/journals/dsa .

TOURISM BUSINESS INDEX (TBI)
Results of the second Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) – First National Bank (FNB) Tourism Business Index show that the level of tourism business activity was significantly lower than was expected, in the first quarter of 2011. “Essentially, the TBI is telling us that the challenging trading conditions in the tourism sector remain in place”, says TBCSA CEO, Mmatšatši Marobe. Although we had expected a slump in business activity post-World Cup, we were still optimistic that the tide would turn in the new year. Unfortunately, it seems as if we still have a long way to go before we see any signs of improvement”. The index will be available for download on the TBCSA website and copies of the TBI brochures will be distributed at the upcoming Tourism Indaba. 

The Fair Trade Revolution (FTRN)
According to FTRN, “Several pioneers of the UK Fairtrade movement contribute chapters on what Fairtrade certification has done for, and gotten from, producers and consumers, while a Nicaraguan coffee farmer and U.S. pioneer add non-UK perspectives. However, the most urgent chapters explore the future: whether reformers and transformers can forge a collaborative movement; whether Fairtrade can advance food security and address climate change; how Fairtrade can scale up but not compromise its values; how retailers, corporations and pioneers can again play different roles in strengthening Fairtrade.”

Summary/review: 14 authors contribute chapters on Fairtrade certification (by FLO), currently the dominant third-party recognition of Fair Trade : its history, its impacts, stories of some key UK companies and producer organizations, evolution of Fair Trade Towns, and the challenges and opportunities for the broader movement. For more information click here

News from The Code

The Code AGM at ITB, Berlin
On Saturday, 12 March 2011, Jennifer Seif , Executive Director of FTTSA, attended the Annual General Meeting of The Code International at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin , kindly hosted by Accor. The main outcomes of the 2011 AGM were the revision of the system of fees beginning in 2012; the ratification of the standard agreement between The Code International and the Local Code Representatives (LCRs) and the presentation of the planned organisational expansion of The Code over the period 2011-2013, including establishment of a Headquarters in Bangkok and Regional Offices in Americas (NY) and Europe (Berlin) – pending final funding confirmation.

More information on The Code and the complete AGM minutes can be requested from FTTSA by sending an email to: thecode@fairtourismsa.org.za .

The Code at Indaba
The Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct (The Code) will be present at this year's Indaba Travel Show from 07 – 10 May in Durban . Come and have a chat with like-minded people and establishments at our stand ICCEO2O and find interesting information and statistics about our child protection programme. Meet the signatories and discuss future strategies with The Code project coordinators to expand the fight against Child Sex Tourism in South Africa .

On Sunday, 08 May at 12h00, we will have a short signing event at the stand, where Matthias Leisinger (BoD Chair of The Code International) and other senior representatives of the South African tourism industry will publicly show their commitment to The Code and sign our banner. If you would like to schedule a meeting with us during Indaba, please send us an email ( thecode@fairtourismsa.org.za ) or give us a call (012 342 2945).

Did you know?

•  International tourism recovered strongly in 2010 according to the Advance Release of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. International tourist arrivals were up by almost 7% to 935 million, following the 4% decline in 2009 – the year hardest hit by the global economic crisis. The vast majority of destinations worldwide posted positive figures, sufficient to offset recent losses or bring them close to this target. However, recovery came at different speeds and was primarily driven by emerging economies. Click here for more information.