Welcome to the February edition of the FTTSA newsflash!
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) shortlisted in the Africa Investor Awards!
Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) has once again added to its accolades. FTTSA was nominated and shortlisted in the Africa Investor Awards under the category for the Best Initiative in Facilitating SME Tourism Investment. The Africa Investor Awards are unique pan-African business and capital market investment awards that recognise and reward the achievements of the private sector across wide-ranging sectors and disciplines. These awards attract the market leaders from across the continent and salute their achievements. The work of institutional investors, governments and NGOs are also celebrated. FTTSA has been increasingly recognised for its work in the tourism sector. FTTSA's list of accolades include: Finalist in the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2008 and Winner in the 2007 SangoNet NGO Web Awards. For more information on the Africa Investor Awards, please click here . To view a full list of FTTSA accolades please visit our website by clicking here .
List of Fair Trade suppliers in South Africa is now available from FTTSA
FTTSA recently conducted research on Fair Trade products available in South Africa . As a benefit to all FTTSA-certified products, FTTSA has compiled a list of various Fair Trade suppliers country-wide. This list will be updated on a quarterly basis. Please contact these like-minded companies to use their products in your businesses and help grow Fair Trade in South Africa !
If you know of any other Fair Trade producers/suppliers, kindly forward their details to FTTSA. A list of companies producing a variety of Fair Trade products including tea, coffee, wine, craft, flowers and fresh fruit is available upon request. Please email us at info@fairtourismsa.org.za to obtain this list. For more information about Fair Trade in South Africa , please visit Fair Trade South Africa .
FTTSA reports findings on Sectoral Determination 10 and 14
Under the auspices of a “Human Rights and Business” project funded by the Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries (Hivos) and implemented by the Dutch Humanist Committee on Human Rights (HOM) and the African Institute for Corporate Citizenship (AICC), FTTSA investigated the implementation of two sectoral determinations that affect the tourism sector: Sectoral Determination 10 - Children in the Performance of Advertising, Artistic and Cultural Activities (SD 10) and Sectoral Determination 14 - Hospitality Sector (SD 14). FTTSA was aware that many tourism establishments lack knowledge of these laws and / or do not know how to implement them. FTTSA wrote two reports to help tourism businesses address these problems. The SD 14 report features case studies of two FTTSA clients, Motswari Private Game Reserve and Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge. It highlights their successful implementation and provides tips for other owners / managers. The report on SD 10 provides a general overview of the law, demonstrating its importance and relevance, as well as providing tips for implementation. For the full reports, please visit the FTTSA Resource Centre .
FTTSA raises awareness about its projects in the Eastern Cape
On 29 January 2009, FTTSA Projects Assistant, Jen Caldwell, gave a presentation to the Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB) at the Development Officer's meeting in East London . The presentation focused on current FTTSA projects in the Eastern Cape , including the Heritage Homestead survey, a community-based tourism improvement project partially funded by the National Development Agency (NDA), the Thina Sinako Agritourism cluster development project and the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) financed tour guide training. Part of FTTSA's mission is to create the conditions for more successful community-owned and operated tourism throughout South Africa . Linked to this, FTTSA facilitates a number of projects designed to directly and indirectly assist existing community-based tourism enterprises to become commercially successful. FTTSA and ECTB plan to collaborate on projects in the Eastern Cape in the coming months. For more information about the FTTSA donors & projects please visit www.fairtourismsa.org.za .
Calabash Tours attends the 2008 Travelers' Philanthropy Conference
Paul Miedema, owner of FTTSA-certified Calabash Tours, attended the 2008 Travelers' Philanthropy Conference held in Arusha , Tanzania , from 03-05 December 2008 on behalf of FTTSA and the Calabash Trust. The conference provided an important opportunity for the east African tourism industry and local community-based enterprises to engage with developments related to responsible and sustainable forms of tourism. Over 225 participants attended; roughly half of all participants came from Kenya and Tanzania .
The conference included 18 workshops on topics such as serving local development priorities through travelers' philanthropy; the responsibility and response of the travel industry to climate change; moving travelers' philanthropy from a charity model to social empowerment and entrepreneurship; and bad practices and best practices for engaging travelers. For more on Calabash Tours, please visit Calabash Tours and for the outcomes of the conference please visit the Travelers' Philanthropy Conference's website.
Eco-tourism: R40 million boost to KZN parks
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a governmental organisation responsible for maintaining wilderness areas and public nature reserves in KwaZulu-Natal Province , South Africa .
It has secured R40 million from the provincial treasury to upgrade access roads to its parks in the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and has prepared a submission to the treasury that indicates what is needed to upgrade facilities to three-star status. Its eco-tourism brand will be relaunched at this year's tourism Indaba and major strides have already been made in commercialising some areas currently under its management and outsourcing certain operations.
Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bandile Mkhize, called for a paradigm shift in key areas, presenting a comprehensive plan to take Ezemvelo forward and run it “like a well-oiled machine”. As part of an efficient financial strategy, he said Ezemvelo needs to optimise its own funding of strategic business areas while securing additional external funding. For more information about KwaZulu Natal's parks, please visit Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife .
National Events
SAPSAC 10 th annual National Conference on Child Abuse, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, 4-6 May 2009
The South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (SAPSAC) will be hosting this event with the theme ‘Towards multi-disciplinary expertise in handling child abuse - a focus on Trafficking'. Other sessions include: South African Legal Framework; Case illustration; Panel Discussion; The role of the media with a focus on the vulnerable child in the face of 2010; Perceptions of African Youth that give rise to sexual violence; and Overcoming Childhood Trauma. For further information please contact SAPSAC on +27 (0)12 991 0718 or email sapsac@cybertrade.co.za .
World Fair Trade Day - A Big Day for the Planet, 9 May 2009
It's taken 60 years to get to World Fair Trade Day 2009. World Fair Trade Day has grown into a global celebration of Fair Trade with events organised worldwide, on and around the second Saturday of May by members of the International Fair Trade Association across 70 countries. Events have included Fair Trade breakfasts, talks, markets, live performances, fashion shows, carnivals, processions and protests, to drive Fair Trade and campaign for justice in trade and promote sustainable environmental policy. Fair Trade products and produce from marginalised communities are showcased on the day.
World Fair Trade Day 2009 is dedicated to individuals with the positive impact they can make in their community, through local and global events, that unite people and opinion, in a voice that can be heard. Please celebrate with us in spirit on Saturday, 9 March. Find out more, by clicking World Fair Trade Day 2009 .
Tomorrows Leaders Convention, Johannesburg , 11 March 2009
The prestigious Tomorrow's Leaders™ Convention not only identifies the uniquely talented individuals who will lead corporate South Africa in the near future but rewards them for the outstanding success they have already achieved. Speakers for TLC ‘09 are, amongst others: Kuseni Dlamini (Head of Anglo American SA), Jerry Vilakazi (CEO of Business Unity South Africa), Dr Mathews Phosa (ANC Treasurer General), Tony Leon (former Leader of the Opposition and DA member of Parliament), and one of South Africa's top facilitators and the MC for the day, Chantell Ilbury, of Mind of a Fox fame. For more information please click TLC '09 .
International Events
ITB Berlin 2009 , Berlin , Germany , 11-15 March 2009
With more than 180,000 visitors, among these 108,000 trade visitors, and over 10,000 exhibitors from 180 countries, ITB Berlin is the leading B2B-Platform of all tourism industry offers. In addition, the world's largest tourism convention Market Trends & Innovations provides unique opportunities to benefit from the leading think tank of the global tourism industry. All levels of the value added chain are present: Tour operators, booking engines, destinations, airlines, and hotels up to car rentals. FTTSA Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, will be present at this year's ITB. If you would like to meet with her at ITB, contact info@fairtourismsa.org.za. For more information on the ITB Travel Trade Show, click here .
International Conference on Sustainable Tourism Management, Chiang Mai , Thailand , 27-29 March 2009
Manifested by its substantial growth in the past decades, tourism has been tagged as one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena. Many destinations have opted to consider tourism as an economic development strategy because of its potential to provide foreign exchange earnings, fiscal revenues, and jobs.
This conference aims to gather educators, academics, researchers, industry practitioners, representatives of professional industry associations and non-government organisations in the field of tourism development, recreation and hospitality management, to discuss issues and concerns confronting the various stakeholders in responding to the challenges and prospects of the fast-changing technological, social, and political environments to the management of sustainable tourism. For more information, click here .
Tourism for Development: Environmental Sustainability, Poverty Reduction and Empowering Communities Conference, Gaborone , Botswana , 1-3 July 2009
The Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS) Africa, University of Botswana and the International Geographical Union's (IGU) Commission of Tourism, Leisure and Global Change will be hosting the ATLAS Africa conference in Gaborone , Botswana from 1-3 July 2009. The aim of the conference is to discuss the relationship between tourism and development in the African context. The conference will focus especially on the roles and potential of tourism for development, sustainability in tourism and relations between tourism, environment and communities. For more information, click here or to register email ATLAS.
Resources
New Fairtrade Standards: Clearer and more transparency
Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) has developed new Fairtrade standards which are clearer and more transparent. FLO is part of a worldwide network of Fairtrade organisations actively involved in supporting producers, awareness raising and campaigning for changes in the rules and practices of conventional international trade. Generic trade standards have previously been included in the specific product standard documents. Now this generic standard provides a common and harmonised set of trade standards for all traders of Fairtrade certified products, regardless of which product they buy and sell. The generic trade standards will ensure greater transparency in the Fairtrade system as well as providing the basis for mutually beneficial and sustained trade between producers and buyers. The new generic Fairtrade standards clarify who needs to be Fairtrade certified. The main emphasis is on the ownership of the Fairtrade products and who is responsible for paying the Fairtrade prices and premium. For more information please click new Fairtrade standards or contact Dorothee Jung at d.jung@fairtrade.net .
Rapid Assessment of impact of 2010 FIFA World Cup (2010 FWC) on the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children
Molo Songololo is a Cape Town based NGO that has a big impact on local, national and international levels and is recognised as a major national role-player and stake-holder concerning the rights and protection of children. During October and November 2008 Molo Songololo conducted a Rapid Assessment of impact of 2010 FWC on the abuse, exploitation and trafficking of children. The assessment included consultative forums in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Nelspruit and Polokwane with key role-players including Host City 2010 Units in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council, the Gender Commission and the Film & Publications Board. The assessment indicates that the 2010 FWC will have a definite impact on children and further increase risks and threats to their safety and protection particularly because:
§ Schools will be closed during the 2010 FWC leaving 12-million children unattended for 6-weeks
§ Unaccompanied children without supervision in crowded and deserted areas are at risk
§ Increased consumption of alcohol and drugs put children at risk of abuse, exploitation & trafficking
§ Increased demand for cheap services will increase the labour exploitation of children and
§ Increase demand for sexual services will increase the sexual exploitation of children.
For the full report please contact Patric Solomons on patric@molo.org.za .
The South African Civil Society Information Service
The South African Civil Society Information Service (SACSIS) has been established as a news agency to channel social justice news and analysis about socio-economic issues in South Africa to the media. SACSIS is a platform for policy dialogue and seeks to influence media reporting and consequently public policy discourse to promote the idea of the entitlement of the poor to a higher standard of living and better quality of life. SACSIS embraces a rights based approach to development, which views poverty as a denial of human rights, and focuses on issues related to democracy & governance, economic justice, land & housing, public services, environment, human rights, media & technology, Africa, and the world. To read about SACSIS and subscribe to their newsletters please click, here.
School your staff on Environmental awareness
Managers in the hospitality, service and leisure industries can now skill their junior and supervisory staff in basic environmental awareness as part of their overall efforts to ensure more effective resource use and to limit their business's environmental impact. The 'Certificate in Environmental Awareness' is a joint venture between the Heritage Environmental Management Company and Kundiza Training and Consulting. Consisting of six one-day training modules, the course provides staff and service providers with a practical understanding of environmental issues. The course is aimed at the operational level in the tourism, hospitality or leisure property sectors including kitchen and service staff, housekeeping, maintenance and ground staff, as well as their line managers. For more information contact lisa@wbs.co.za.
Did you know?
§ According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) in 2008, international tourist arrivals reached 924 million, up 16 million over 2007, representing a growth of 2%. http://www.unwto.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=3481&idioma=E |
