Hello friends and partners,

Welcome to the June edition of the FTTSA Newsflash! This month we bring you news about our latest FTTSA-certified establishments and our success at Indaba 2008!

AWOL (Adventure Without Limits) Bicycle Tour in Masiphumelele Named as 32nd FTTSA-certified Establishment!
FTTSA has announced AWOL's Masiphumelele Bicycle Tour as the 32nd product in its portfolio. The Masiphumelele tour brings visitors a unique, low-impact experience of Cape Town that conveys high value to township residents. According to FTTSA's Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, “Township tours are becoming increasingly popular amongst tourists and bicycles provide a good way to interact positively with local communities. AWOL has developed a sustainable model for facilitating ethical encounters between visitors and township residents, and we are proud to welcome this product into the FTTSA family.” To learn more about this fantastic tour, have a look at AWOL's website: www.withoutlimits.co.za .

Sustainable Tourism Awareness on the Rise
Our industry is becoming increasingly aware of the need to operate more sustainably, and bookings for FTTSA's sustainable tourism workshops where participants learn how to do this are on the rise. More than half of the establishments that have been certified by FTTSA have undergone our two-day workshop for adult learners, which is designed to enable staff to better understand the rationale for reducing resource consumption, increasing local linkages and keeping guests well informed. For more information on the workshops we offer please contact Khaya: khaya@fairtourismsa.org.za .

7th Successful Indaba for FTTSA
FTTSA attended Indaba in Durban for the seventh time. Indaba 2008 was unprecedented when it came to requests for information about our clients, sustainable tourism and the FTTSA certification programme. To strengthen relationships with FTTSA-certified establishments and other stakeholders, FTTSA hosted two functions including our annual stand party where we served Thandi Fair Trade wines. Both functions were well attended and a big success. Thanks to Thandi for sponsoring the excellent wines! At the official opening ceremony of Indaba, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, The Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi, gave specific mention to FTTSA, highlighting our role in promoting South Africa as a sustainable tourist destination of choice!

Eastern Cape Tourism Board (ECTB) Wins ‘Best Stand' at Indaba 2008
FTTSA congratulates the ECTB for winning the award for the best stand at Indaba 2008. The gold medal was awarded to both ECTB and Lesotho in the provincial category and judges took into account aesthetics, messages, branding and perceived interaction with delegates. “We are very pleased that the judges have recognised what we were trying to achieve through this design. Our efforts have paid off and we are very proud to be associated with this image,” said Eddie Marafane, Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Eastern Cape Tourism Board. For more information please visit: www.ectourism.co.za .

Promoting Responsible Travel Through Partnerships
FTTSA is pleased to announce a new partnership with the leading car rental company in South Africa – Avis! Avis will be providing FTTSA with a fixed number of sponsored car rental days during the coming year in order to support our capacity building activities in the South African tourism industry. Other future aspects of the partnership include teaming up to raise awareness amongst consumers, and promoting best practice in the car rental sector. According to FTTSA Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, “FTTSA is now an officially registered charity (PBO# 930016071-PBO) and we are keen to develop partnerships and linkages with the corporate sector. Avis is a natural partner for us given their existing Corporate Social Responsibility programmes to which we hope to add value in future.” To find out more about Avis in South Africa, please visit: www.avis.co.za .

Sustainability Squarely on the Southern African Tourism Agenda
Recognising common needs and challenges, stakeholders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) committed to a common vision of a more sustainable tourism industry that respects people, culture and the environment and contributes meaningfully to poverty reduction. A total of 33 stakeholders from 11 countries attended a meeting held on the 8th of May in Durban. At this meeting there was strong agreement that the Network should focus initially on Sustainable Tourism Certification, with a view to strengthening and harmonizing existing schemes and developing future programmes in an integrated manner. For more information about this exciting initiative contact the Network Secretariat – FTTSA: info@fairtourismsa.org.za .

Awareness About FTTSA is Up
FTTSA has released the findings of its latest brand awareness survey, which was conducted during April 2008. This is the fifth year in a row that FTTSA has conducted a survey targeting Indaba exhibitors to gauge their awareness about FTTSA and Fair Trade in Tourism principles. More than half of the respondents recognised the FTTSA Trademark while high numbers of product owners (66%) and inbound tour operators (76.2%) know our name! Growth in FTTSA brand awareness bodes well for the growth of the organisation, which provides a practical and cost-effective framework for linking fairly operated tourism establishments in South Africa with international and domestic niche markets. For more information please email Khaya: khaya@fairtourismsa.org.za .

FTTSA Joins the Supporting Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Development (SEED) Associate Partners Network
FTTSA is one of the members of the international jury for the 2008 SEED Awards and is now a member of the SEED Associate Partners Network because of the common objectives that FTTSA and SEED share. The Network will consist of organisations that support the aim of SEED, which is to recognise and strengthen emerging social and environmental entrepreneurs throughout the world. In addition to its membership in the Associate Partners Network, FTTSA is one of various expert organisations tasked with evaluating this year's 15 SEED finalists on the basis of their outstanding initiatives which include: fighting poverty, strategies used in creating community enterprises, and empowering women and youth. For more information about the SEED award and to view this year's 15 shortlisted entries, please visit: www.seedinit.org .

Backpacking South Africa (BSA) National Conference and AGM 2008
BSA's National Conference and AGM 2008 took place from 3 - 5 June in Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape. The theme for the 2008 conference was “Off the Beaten Track: Tourism for All”. There was a diverse, exciting range of speakers focusing on greening, marketing and the role of employers in tackling HIV/Aids. In keeping with the theme of the conference, a significant portion of the delegates were housed in township homes, and catering supplies and many other items were sourced locally to ensure that the local micro-economy got the maximum benefit from this event. For more information please visit: www.backpackingsouthafrica.co.za . FTTSA is a proud member of BSA and our Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, has been a co-opted member of the BSA Executive Committee since 2007.

FTTSA Participates in COFTA Annual Conference
From 19 - 21 May 2008, FTTSA was in Cairo to participate in a special conference organized by the Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA). COFTA is the African network of the International Association of Fair Trade (IFAT), which focuses primarily on promoting Fair Trade in craft, fashion and related sectors. FTTSA's Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, provided inputs on Fair Trade in Tourism in order to inform COFTA members about opportunities and challenges within Africa's growing tourism economy. For more information on COFTA please visit www.cofta.org .

Fair Trade in Tourism – Next Stop Mozambique?
A project to explore the feasibility of implementing a “Fair Trade in Tourism” certification programme in Mozambique was launched in late 2007. Reasons supporting the start-up of such a program include the fact that tourism is a key economic sector in Mozambique and has the potential to contribute to poverty eradication there. In addition there is already a responsible tourism policy and Code of Conduct in place, which requires implementation – a tool such as certification can assist with this. The initiative is receiving strong support from national and provincial tourism authorities as well as the private sector and NGO's. A pilot project may be launched in the second half of 2008 pending approval by the Project Steering Committee. For more information please email Lisa: info@fairtourismsa.org.za ..

Choosing Cleaner Cleaners
Many cleaning products are not only harmful to the environment, but are also harmful to us! At FTTSA we are investigating ways to create a healthier, more environmentally friendly working environment. One readily available and inexpensive option we are looking at is distilled white vinegar – in a diluted form of various concentrations it can be used to clean windows, desktops, counters, sinks and more. Not only does it clean well but it is non-toxic and, therefore, healthier for all of us. Please consult www.vinegartips.com/cleaning/ to learn about the many uses of vinegar for your offices, hotels, lodges and homes. There are also a number of companies that sell environmentally friendly products such as www.enchantrix.co.za and www.faithful-to-nature.co.za . If you have any tips about environmentally friendly cleaning products or other ideas that you would like to share with us (and our readers) please email them to info@fairtourismsa.org.za .

New Faces at FTTSA
Lolla Meyer has been appointed as FTTSA's new Marketing Manager, responsible for all of FTTSA's marketing and communication activities and for strengthening our client network. For the past 3 years, Lolla has been working in Cape Town as the National Coordinator for Backpacking South Africa (BSA). She has worked in tourism for 8 years in various marketing and sales positions worldwide. She is passionate about responsible and fair tourism and believes it is essential to be part of the sustainable development of tourism globally and of the transformation of the South African tourism industry. Lolla was quoted today saying, “I feel proud to be part of FTTSA's bright future. I look forward to working with such a dedicated team and to serve the people of FTTSA.”

Meruschka Govender also joins the FTTSA team as Project Manager, working on a part-time basis while she completes her Master degree in Tourism at Wits University. Her dissertation focuses on South Africa's volunteer tourism sector. Prior to her postgraduate studies Meruschka worked in the backpacking industry as well as the financial services sector. Meruschka was quoted today saying, “I am enthusiastic about my new role in FTTSA.”

And, finally, Khaya Thwala will also be starting as a Junior Marketing Officer with FTTSA at the end of June. Khaya's is currently completing her 1-year Marketing Internship with FTTSA; during this time her contributions have been recognised as having great value to the organisation and we look forward to Khaya's continued involvement on the marketing team. Khaya shares our enthusiasm saying, “My internship with FTTSA has given me the opportunity to learn more about responsible tourism as well as professional growth and the right skills. I feel honoured to be given this opportunity to contribute towards FTTSA's objectives of promoting responsible tourism and raising tourism awareness in South Africa. Thank you FTTSA and I am looking forward to working with all of you.”

FTTSA Says Farewell
Anthea Stephens has generously volunteered her time and expertise on the FTTSA Certification Panel over the past 13 months. Due to time constraints, Anthea has, unfortunately, stepped down from the Panel. She has been a long-time supporter of FTTSA and we look forward to working with her outside the scope of the Panel. Masa Damane, Junior Development Officer for our regional office in Eastern Cape, has decided to leave FTTSA. We wish her well in her future endeavours.

EVENTS

Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) 2008, Johannesburg, South Africa, 28 – 30 September 2008
Last year the Tourism Business Council of SA (TBCSA) hosted the first ever Hotel Investment Conference Africa (HICA), in Cape Town. This is modelled on similar events that take place annually in Europe (around ITB) and the Middle East. Based on the success of the event in 2007, it will be repeated this year, but this time in Johannesburg. The main target groups are current and potential investors as well as industry and government parties who attend the event for information. For more information on HICA 2008 please visit: www.hica.co.za .

17th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research, Lillehammer, Norway, 25 – 27 September 2008
The committee of the 17th Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research Conference welcomes researchers and PhD-students in a variety of disciplines, focussing on tourism and hospitality research. Attendance with or without a research paper is acceptable. For more details on the program, submission review timetable, session themes and other conference information, see http://conference.hil.no/17nordic .

Voices in Tourism Development - Creating Spaces for Tacit Knowledge and Innovation, Breda, The Netherlands, 3 - 5 November 2008
The Centre for Cross-Cultural Understanding (CCCU) of NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences (based in the Netherlands) proudly invites you to participate in its Conference on Voices in Tourism Development. This conference will create innovative spaces where entrepreneurs, strategists, academics and visionaries meet and share views and experiences. The intention is to examine and be more sensitive to the context from which inspiring and visionary practices arise. For more information and or registration please visit: www.nhtv.nl/voicesintourismdevelopment .

Entries Now Open! Imvelo Awards for Responsible Tourism, Johannesburg, South Africa, November 2008
The Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards were initiated to coincide with the World Summit on Sustainable Development which was held in South Africa in 2002. The awards recognise tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to Responsible Tourism. Held for the seventh time this year, the Imvelo Awards have had a huge impact on tourism in South Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management issues in the industry. The award categories are: Best Social Involvement Programme; Best Practice – Economic Impact; Best Overall Environmental Management System; Best Single Resource Management Programme; Chairman's Award. For more information please visit: www.imveloawards.co.za .

Travellers' Philanthropy Conference, Arusha, Tanzania, 3 – 5 December 2008
Under the banner of “Making Travellers' Philanthropy Work for Development, Business, and Conservation,” this international conference – organized by the Centre on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) – will focus on the growing trend among responsible tourism businesses to support community and conservation projects in the host countries where they operate. The 200 to 300 international conference attendees will include representatives from tourism companies as well as experts from development and conservation organisations, the UN and other international agencies, academics, government officials, the media, and others interested in how responsible tourism can contribute to poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation. For more information contact: Immediate Release – Whitney Cooper; email: wcooper@ecotourismcesd.org or visit: www.travelersphilanthropyconference.org .

Traditions and Transformations: Tourism, Heritage and Cultural Change in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA), Amman, Jordan, 4 – 7 April 2009
The aims of this major international and multi-disciplinary conference are: to critically explore the major issues facing the MENA region with regard to the development of tourism and its relationships with heritage and culture; to draw upon ideas, cases and best practice from international scholars and help develop new understandings and research capacities regarding the relationships between tourism, heritage and culture in the MENA Region and; to provide a major networking opportunity for international scholars, policy makers and professionals. There is also a call for papers. For further details on the conference please visit: www.tourism-culture.com or www.cbrl.org.uk or contact them at phone +44 (0) 113 - 2838541; or email ctcc@leedsmet.ac.uk .

RESOURCES

Online Platform for Policy Dialogue
SACSIS – the South African Civil Society Information Service – is a new online platform for policy dialogue that has been established as a news agency to channel social justice news and analysis about policy dialogue in South Africa, to the mainstream media. SACSIS was launched on 5 May 2008. To view the latest news stories released by SACSIS, please visit www.sacsis.org.za .

Did you know...?
The Centre for Tourism and Cultural Change/ Leeds Metropolitan University is offering a new Masters course in Cultural Tourism. For further information and an application form please email to Dr Philip Long at culturaltourism@leedsmet.ac.uk . Or visit our website for further details: www.tourism-culture.com
Worldwide consumers spent over 2.3 billion Euros on Fair Trade certified products in 2007. This represents a 47% increase on the previous year and means that over 1.5 million producers and workers in 58 developing countries now benefit from Fair Trade sales. For more information please visit; http://www.fairtrade.net/single_view.html?&cHash=ec8730e426&tx_ttnews[backPid]=168&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=41 .