Welcome to FTTSA's October newsflash.
This month we bring you exciting updates and share with you our latest achievements FTTSA awards its label to Leeuwenbosch Country House - number 41 in its portfolio!
FTTSA welcomes Leeuwenbosch Country House which is one of the lodges that fall under the Amakhala Game Reserve. Each lodge within Amakhala contributes to a collective fund for education and uplifts its staff through training. The Amakhala collection focuses strongly on HIV/Aids by investing time and financial resources to support an orphanage and by facilitating staff education as well as voluntary counselling and testing. The lodges also support community-based suppliers including a sewing business and a local laundry. For more information on Leeuwenbosch Country House please visit http://www.amakhala.co.za .
FTTSA launches its new website
FTTSA has officially launched its brand new and improved website. Please have a look at the new FTTSA website by clicking on http://www.fairtourismsa.org.za and send us your feedback to info@fairtourismsa.org.za .
FTTSA teams up with Go To Madagascar
FTTSA is currently working with Go To Madagascar (a tourism private sector association) to develop and disseminate an educational film on sustainable tourism. The film will be divided into ten 26-minute episodes, each focusing on a specific dimension of sustainability. Filming was completed in Madagascar and South Africa between June and October 2008, with a view to completion in February 2009. The project is funded by GTZ as a public-private-partnership. According to FTTSA's Executive Director, Jennifer Seif, the film “is a concrete manifestation of FTTSA's strategy to share knowledge and experience with partners throughout SADC.” The final product will be available in French, English and Malagasy. For more information about Go To Madagascar, visit: www.go2mada.com and to find out more about GTZ, go to http://www.gtz.de/en/unternehmen/689.htm .
FTTSA welcomes Sarah Van Mill and Jen Caldwell as part of the FTTSA team
FTTSA has recently appointed two interns both from the United States to join their team. Sarah Van Mill has a BA in Sociology with a minor in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. She will be with FTTSA for eleven months as a Research Intern. She is very motivated to gain hands on experience in sustainable tourism at FTTSA and to apply her educational experience in new and exciting ways.
Jen Caldwell holds a BA (Hons) in Law, Societies and Justice and a BA in Political Economy from the University of Washington , Seattle . She is particularly interested in Fair Trade as an alternative economic development model and is excited to see Fair Trade principles applied to tourism through FTTSA. As a part-time Marketing/Research Intern at FTTSA, Jen hopes to gain valuable experience related to sustainable tourism development.
FTTSA attends the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA)
FTTSA Marketing Manager, Lolla Meyer attended the Hospitality Investment Conference Africa (HICA) from 28-30 September 2008. This was an initiative by the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA). HICA provided an ideal platform for members of the industry to get together and reflect on the current global trends and showcase what the African continent has on offer for multinationals. Delegates from around Africa, United States and the United Kingdom discussed various topics ranging from Business Linkages, Traveler's Philanthropy, Climate Change and Carbon off-setting. During the Responsible Tourism Summit, various speakers from the travel and tourism enterprises, academia, NGO's and government took a closer look at their different roles and shared their experiences on what they are doing to make a difference.
FTTSA attends the National Tourism Careers Expo
FTTSA Junior Marketing Officer, Khaya Thwala attended the National Tourism Careers Expo in Durban from 14-16 October 2008 held at the Durban Exhibition Centre. The theme of this expo was “Live your Dreams”. The purpose of this event was to increase awareness of career opportunities in the tourism sector and to expose tourism educators to the tourism industry. This exhibition was attended by over 10 000 visitors; Grade 10-12 learners, tertiary students, out of school youth, adults and educators. The exhibitors consisted of different University institutions e.g. University of South Africa (UNISA), University of Zululand and other tourism stakeholders such The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), The Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism (DACT KZN) and The Tourism, Hospitality, Sport Education & Training Authority (THETA).
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve wins Amarula Best Retreats in Africa Awards 2008
Congratulations to FTTSA-certified Grootbos Private Nature Reserve who won the Amarula Best Retreats in Africa Awards under “The heart of Africa Award” category. Grootbos is a unique five-star lodge situated in Gansbaai , Western Cape . The Amarula Best Retreats in Africa Awards are a new collection of prestigious awards designed to promote and reward excellence among African Retreats. Sponsored by Amarula, and driven by best 100: the awards embrace “The Spirit of Africa” and are awarded in ten inspired categories. For more information about the Amarula Best Retreats in Africa Awards 2008 please visit, http://www.best100.co.za/awards2.asp and for more information about Grootbos Private Nature Reserve please visit, www.grootbos.com . FTTSA clients nominated for the Responsible Tourism Awards
Three FTTSA-certified products - Lesheba Wilderness, Stormsriver Adventures and AWOL Tours (their Masiphumele Bicycle tour is FTTSA-certified) - are finalists for this year's Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards. Imvelo means 'nature' in South Africa 's Nguni languages. The Imvelo Responsible Tourism awards were initiated to coincide with the World Summit on Sustainable Development that was held in South Africa in 2002. They recognise tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to Responsible Tourism. Congratulations and good luck for the awards taking place 12 November 2008 in Johannesburg . For more information , please visit http://www.imveloawards.co.za/pdfs/nr_20081014.pdf .
Cape Town voted as one of the top ten green cities Cape Town has been voted one of the top ten cities in the world that are likely to become a global sustainability centre by 2010. This has been voted by New York based business ethics and social responsibility think tank and the Ethisphere Institute. Other top cities in the world were Toronto , Hyderabad , Singapore , Abu Dhabi , New York , London , Frankfurt, Curitiba and Melbourne . "In a world of increasing population pressures and depleting natural resources some cities, such as Cape Town , are proactively adjusting their practices today as well as implementing sustainable long-term practices," said Ethisphere Institute Executive Director, Alex Brigham. South African Tourism CEO, Moeketsi Mosola congratulated the city on its addition to the list, highlighting that tourists were becoming more and more aware of sustainability and green tourist practices. Cape Town was acknowledged for its sustainable development programme, introduced in 2004, to help deal with growing energy needs of the city. The programme aims to have 10% of homes using solar power and 10% of the city's energy consumption coming from renewable sources by 2020. For more information visit, http://www.southafrica.info/about/sustainable/ctsustainable-011008.htm .
TravelHub identifies the top five ways to be responsible In the latest TravelHub publication, they have identified five ways to be more responsible as a tour operator:
1. Pay fair prices
Tour operators should pay fair prices to suppliers. Downward pressure on rates result in lower wages paid to tourism workers as well as less money being invested in training, community development and so forth. Payment should also be made timeously and preferably in advance.
2. Include small and emerging products in travel itineraries
Tour operators have huge influence over which products are promoted in the tourism industry and can play a vital role in small players' struggles to gain a foothold in the market.
3. Support certified establishments and local certification programmes
Tour operators should work in partnership with local initiatives. Some large tour operators bypass local initiatives by publishing their own standards and even introducing their own labels. This is counter-productive to the development of locally relevant programmes.
4. Provide consumers with appropriate information
Tour operators should provide consumers with appropriate information before they travel so they can make informed decisions about the destinations they are visiting. This ranges from what not to buy, for example, which souvenirs are made from endangered fauna and flora, to what to do, such as ways to support local charities or join community projects.
5. Practice what you preach
Responsible tour operators should apply the same standards expected from suppliers to their own operations. If a tour operator expects hotels and lodges to be environmentally responsible, it should be implementing appropriate measures at head office. Likewise, if a tour operator expects its suppliers to support community development initiatives, it should be donating to charities and using its own resources to help local causes. If they insist on living wages in destinations they should ensure their own staff are paid well and have access to benefits, training and such. Otherwise, the real costs of sustainability are borne only in destinations. www.travelhub.co.za .
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nomination call for South African Tourism (SAT) Board
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) is calling for nominations for the South African Tourism (SAT) Board. Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, will decide upon a chairperson and vice-chairperson from the members. There are generally between 9 and 15 members serving on the SAT board.
Those interested in nominating an individual must do so in writing, supported by personal details and qualifications of the nominee, knowledge of or present or potential active involvement in the tourism industry or any other relevant information, and accompanied by the letter of acceptance from the nominee together with a clearly typed CV and certified copies of qualifications or experience.
Submissions must be in writing, stating the grounds upon which the above-mentioned opinion is based, and must be forwarded to the Director General, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Private Bag x447, Pretoria 0001 or faxed to +2712 320 1135, marked for the attention of Nomxolisi Matyana. The closing date for handing in the submission is 31 October 2008. For information visit, http://www.travelhub.co.za/index.asp?page=article&profile=&article=18616 .
Tshwane Tourism Awards Programme announced
The 2009 Tshwane Tourism Awards Programme has officially been launched. The Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane , Dr. Gwen Ramokgopa recently announced at the Tshwane Tourism Fair that entries for the 2009 awards programme are now officially open. “The awards focus on the development, maintenance and promotion of quality facilities and service standards across the tourism spectrum. It aims to enhance equitable and sustainable tourism growth and development in Tshwane”. Entries will close on 16 November 2008 after which judges will conduct site visits until 6 December 2008. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 20 February 2009. For information on the awards programme contact Rose Mogasoa on 012 358 1491 or e-mail rosem@tshwane.gov.za .
Call for Papers: Special Edition of Current Issues in Tourism
This “Call for Papers” aims to draw together research on this important element of tourism studies. The editors would be pleased to receive papers demonstrating examples of social tourism from different countries accompanied by discussion of the political, economic and social systems that supports this form of tourism. Evidence of benefits from social tourism, as well as discussions of the challenges in enabling social tourism are welcomed. With the evidence base for social tourism so under developed, this special edition of Current Issues in Tourism hopes to encourage papers from a range of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary approaches to the subject. Through this special edition it is hoped to be able to identify researchers interested in the topic and also to generate an agenda for future researchers. All papers submitted for the special edition of Current Issues in Tourism will be subject to double blind peer reviewed before publication and should conform to all formatting requirements as described at:
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/journal.asp?issn=1368-3500&linktype=44 .
Full papers should be submitted by June 2009, but abstracts and expressions of interest need to be sent to the editors by 28 February 2009 to Dr. Lynn Minnaert at L.Minnaert02@westminster.ac.uk .
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) calls for entries for Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2009
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) - the business leaders' forum for the Travel & Tourism industry - is delighted to announce the call for entries for the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, WTTC's sustainable tourism accolade, in association with Travelport and The Leading Travel Companies Conservation Foundation. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are presented annually to tourism organisations that are demonstrating best practices including helping to improve the livelihoods of communities and supporting the protection of natural and cultural heritage through sustainable tourism development. The awards are given in four different categories addressing all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Please note, deadline for entries is 15 December 2008. To find out more about the awards, please contact Susann Kruegel, Manager e-Strategy and Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, on susann@wttc.org or visit www.tourismfortomorrow.com .
EVENTS
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 registration please visit : www.nhtv.nl/voicesintourismdevelopment .
ECO Tourism and Protected areas seminar, Maputo , Mozambique , 5-7 November 2008 The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) wishes to invite industry members to Maputo , Mozambique for a seminar on eco-tourism and protected areas in Africa , which will be held 5-7 November 2008. If you are a tour operator, travel agent, accommodation owner or operator, tourism sector association representative or any organisation related to tourism or conservation this is the place to be, this is according to Sindiswa Nhlumayo, Deputy Director General at the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). “This is aimed at providing a practical experience for policy makers, managers, operators and development organisations involved in ecotourism, through dynamic exchanges and concrete examples.” The event will provide opportunities for countries in the region to present experiences and examples as well as analyse the case of Mozambique and the Great Limpopo National Park , in order to discuss the opportunities and challenges of eco-tourism, related policy issues and management techniques. For more information contact Helder Tomas on caf@unwto.org .
Eco Storm - a movement for Sustainable Tourism Destination Development, Basecamp Masai Mara, Kenya, 17-20 November 2008
Eco Storm is a global resource for sustainable tourism destination development. Initiated and directed by the Basecamp Explorer Group, and sustained by a strong network of experts and practitioners, Eco Storm Masai Mara will provide the opportunity to explore tools and practices to ensure that the ecological balance, local livelihoods and product quality are not left without proper attention. Workshop facilitators include Justin Francis from Responsible Travel.com, Dr. Murray Simpson from the Centre of Environment Oxford University, Judy Kepher Gona from Eco Tourism Kenya and Dr. Lars Lindkvist from Basecamp Foundation. For more information on the workshop contact Tina Frisk on tina@basecampexplorer.com or register at www.eco-storm.net .
Regional Dialogue Yebo (REDY) workshop, Birchwood Hotel and O.R Tambo Conference Centre, Johannesburg , 18-19 November 2008
Aid to Artisans, in collaboration with its subsidiary organisation Aid to Artisans South Africa Trust, is facilitating REDY (Regional Dialogue Yebo) in November 2008. This is a unique opportunity for those who are committed to improving the quality of life for artisans and craft entrepreneurs in Southern Africa in order to develop strategies for sustainable growth. Some of the objectives for this workshop are to maximise business success with increased knowledge of current trends in the global and regional tourist markets and to develop strategies to capitalise on the growing green market. FTTSA's Jennifer Seif will be making a presentation on tourism supply and demand in Southern Africa . To register, please visit www.aidtoartisans.org . 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 – organised 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 300 international conference attendees will include representatives from tourism companies, experts from development and conservation organisations, the United Nations (UN), 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 on wcooper@ecotourismcesd.org or please visit www.travelersphilanthropyconference.org .
Did you know?
he Fairtrade Foundation has certified the 300th chocolate product to carry the Fair Trade Mark. The Foundation has also announced that sales of Fairtrade cocoa products for the quarter April to June 2008 grew by 24% from £5m to £6m for the same period last year. http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/press_office/press_releases_and_statements/october_2008/300th_fairtrade_chocolate_product_is_certified_for_chocolate_week_as_sales_of_fairtrade_cocoa_products_grow_by_24_2.aspx |
