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What is Andavadoaka about?

As I sit on the porch writing this, the almost full moon casts it light on the waves crashing gently on the shore in front of the hut. In the background I can hear the vibrant Gasy music playing at the epibar

Destination:PEACE Mexico

Millions of people travel all over the world every year. Some have the hopes in spending their vacations relaxing by white sandy beaches, while others have high hopes in doing things like helping a tiny turtle hatchling find its way to the sea and become familiar with a variety of yoga practices.

Five creative ways to volunteer in Mexico

The most rewarding experiences I’ve had while travelling have always been moments where I have truly immersed myself in the local culture, and there is no better way to get involved with the locals then volunteering. 

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Blue Ventures Settle In On Leleuvia, Fiji

Resort point / Photo by Blue ventures

We’ve made inroads into mapping the coast line of Leleuvia this week. Working in teams of five, one person swims out fifty metres from shore holding a tape measure, another holds the end at the tide line, then two people swim out on either side of the tape looking for marine life – bottom dwelling invertebrates as well as schools of fish, eels and the like. The fifth person follows behind making a note of the substrate – coral, algae, sand and so on. We then move ten metres round and do it again, while the shore-bound team member writes up what has been recorded on our dive slates.

We hope that by the time we leave we will have completed a circuit of the island and managed to paint up a board with a large map to help future visitors to the island. Once we’ve completed the map of Leleuvia the plan is, I believe, for later sets of volunteers to complete maps of neighbouring Caqalai and other nearby islands, to give the Department of Fisheries a strong indication of what sorts of creatures can be found in and around this area.

Daily routine

Part of the fun of being on the first expedition to Fiji is helping the Blue Ventures staff work out the best way to schedule the day and to build up the lists and photo bank of fish species to be monitored. We recently changed the pattern of diving from half the group going out in the morning, and half in the afternoon to both dives leaving early. The first bunch are on the new boat (which Tristan picked up from Suva last week, along with a brand new 60hp outboard) at 07:30, returning around 09:00. The second set then leave around 09:45 and return in time for lunch, leaving the afternoons free for lectures, first-aid training, studying fish books or other productive work, such as studying the insides of your eyelids from the comfort of a hammock.

A bit of ‘me time’

Everyone is, for the most part, one big happy family now, although we all need a bit of ‘me time’ every now and again. For me, it was Wednesday evening of this week when I wandered alone to sunset beach and sat for an hour or so watching the sky change from light blue to dark and the clouds reflecting the light of the setting sun, changing slowly from light yellow right through the spectrum to a dusky orange, then to rich vermillion, cherry and ruby reds before finally it was night and the brilliant half-moon cast shadows on the beach as I walked slowly back to join the rest of the crew, who had been sitting at the bar drinking fruit smoothies before dinner. As I sat alone, sipping a chilled beer and taking far too many photographs, my thoughts turned to home and my beautiful wife, who I miss terribly. We have not been apart for so long since we were married and it is difficult for both of us, but particularly, I think, for her as she is still going through the day to day routine of working in England in a cold and icy March, while my biggest worry is whether I will be able to get someone to rub some aftersun on my back.

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Sustainable Tourism In The UK & Ireland

A series of talks confronting the emerging market will gather the elite of the industry including high-profile government figures, tourism board chiefs and representatives from leading eco-tourism destinations in an inspiring programme of topical sessions. The sustainable tourism programme is being organised by VisitEngland with support from the national tourism organisations in Britain and Ireland. It will kick off on Thursday 26th March. I will be on the Panel for a discussion about voluntourism and conservation in the UK. Although not one of Make Travel Fair’s stronger suits it will be interesting to be involved in a discussion about this area of the industry.

Thursday 26th March

12.15 – 12.45: Making sense of sustainable tourism in England
13.00 – 13.45: Responding to Climate Change: perspectives from the South East and South West
14.00 – 14.45: Voluntourism:  how conservation holidays are changing the UK landscape

Panellists:

• Gill O’Brien, British Trust of Conservation Volunteers (BTCV)
• Tom Berry, EarthWatch
• Sally Broom, Your Safe Planet
• Stephen Chapman, Make Travel Fair

15.00 – 15.45: The Hoteliers’ Million-Pound Question: how to save a fortune by saving the environment
16.00 – 16.45: What happens next? Equipping future tourism professionals to keep things green
17.00 – 17.45: Coming clean: tour operators get serious about sustainability in the UK and Ireland

Friday 27th March

11.00 – 11.45: Green Destinations: GreenBox – Ireland’s Ecotourism Destination from idea to reality
12.00 – 12.45: Ecoescape forum: Marginalised or mainsteam? How the media responds to green tourism
13.00 – 13.45 Green Destinations: addressing the different needs of rural and urban tourism destinations

The main stage at the event also features Tourism’s Footprint: the Big Green Debate, organised by the Tourism Society.

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For All Its Labels & Categories, ‘Travel’ Presides

Thailand restaurant / Photo by Jo Matthews

New projects that brand themselves as ‘Green’, ‘Eco’, ‘Responsible’ or one of the many other monikers that have surfaced in recent years seem a little late to the party in my opinion, and lack the foresight and vision necessary to really drive tourism forward. The attributes that combine to create a destination, experience or brand worth being a part of rarely include a title that plays on values.  The mission of a company is communicated through its actions, ethics and engagement not through the words that identify it.  Making claims about your project through a title is likely to be limiting, dissappointing for consumers, a turn off for many people and leave you stuck in a niche.  Of course there is a market for small, niche initiatives but on a grander scale where advancement of the travel industry is concerned, labels and categories seem to be more of a hinderance than a help.

Responsible travel/tourism and all its friends

Responsible travel/tourism has been thrown about for years now in an effort to describe a more sensitive and thoughtful side to an industry that recognises the responsibilities we have to protect the places we visit.  Truth of the matter is that the phrase is looking a little tired now, not least due to its affiliation with responsibletravel.com and the International Centre of Responsible Tourism.  The National Geographic Society also have their label, ‘Geotourism’, which although perhaps a little more descriptive of what it defines, still tries to put the proverbial finger on an aspect of travel that should require no distinction.  Travel is about experiencing a place, appreciating it, preserving it and as we innovate, progress and adopt new attitudes we should naturally incorporate these into products and offerings without attempting to market them as some new approach to doing things through a name.  Travel products and services should be in a constant state of flux, moving to improve and enhance themselves as new attitudes, information and understanding surface.

‘Local travel’ is one of the more recent terms to be thrown about the industry.  This idea of travelling locally – geographically speaking but also in terms of the beneficiaries of your patronage – is probably the label that best defines the current direction in which travel is moving.  The label though is transitory and will no doubt come to be replaced with something else as we move forward.  Perhaps the best way to ride these waves of public awakening is to simply digest their lessons and thoughts, and as in most cases brand yourself in a way that affords you room to move and change direction with market trends, without being a trend that gets left behind.

The most successful and pioneering companies that have featured on Make Travel Fair are those that make no attempt to categorise themselves through their name – Blueventures, Tribewanted, WHL, World Nomads – these are the companies that are acknowledged for their strong set of values and progressive nature.

Should volunteering drop the label?

Should the volunteering sector also think about examining the way it markets opportunities?  The word ‘volunteering’ or ‘voluntourism’ has always felt a bit repellent to me as it conjures up thoughts of a very one-way exchange.  Taking the time to consider what volunteering opportunities provide though reveals hopes for ‘a sense of community’, participation, involvement, skill development, education, communication, honesty and passion.  If a program made no reference to volunteering but conveyed the opportunities available in a very open and honest way I’d be far more likely to engage in a project and understand why I might be paying to be involved.  Getting involved with projects locally is a great way to feel part of the community, invested in your local area and proud of what’s on offer.

If everyone worked at a local level to enhance their communities and make it a better place to live and visit there would be so much to see and do, instead I think we often look too far from home to make a difference.  It is this attitude which needs to change amongst accommodation and tour providers around the world if they are to reap the business benefits of contributing to the upkeep and involvement of local communities in their work.

Further information:

• The Essence Of Travel, No Additives Or Preservatives

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What’s The Deal With Volunteering These Days?

Photo by Sally Broom

Since Judith Brodie, CEO of Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), claimed that modern day volunteering had become a form of neo-colonialism, few issues in the responsible tourism world have become as heated in debate.  Companies offering volunteering holidays, often those associated with gap years, have been pitched against charities and not-for-profits in fierce battle. The former argue, often with support from local partners, that without their schemes vital work in conservation and development would not take place due to lacking resources. However check any travel forum and you would likely find a disgruntled volunteer who feels fleeced by the price of a project and asking if they should have simply donated the money directly to a local cause. But is that possible?

YourSafePlanet is in a fairly privileged position working with local stake holders worldwide. We connect travellers with trusted local experts in the places they want to visit. A common theme throughout our network is a passion for sustainable tourism and engagement of visitors with the community. This ranges from our ‘YSPerson’ in Trinidad being a long-standing advocate of responsible travel to the Caribbean to our YSPerson in Spain who runs her own ecotourism and community volunteering company. This gives YSP an insight into the situation at the very grass roots and, in general, this is what we find:

1. There is ground-breaking work taking place at the global grass roots without input from international bodies
2. International bodies can support local work by providing profile and sponsorship
3. Local stake holders are the best informed about how to work against a certain local problem but benefit from sharing best practice with similar projects
4. Volunteers are a useful resource when they can offer relevant skills.
5. Visitors are of benefit to local projects if they promote that work and donate money to the cause while they are there.

Finally, we find there is a need to provide a connection between the local project and the overseas visitor or volunteer. Any organisations with this aim as its core ethos will provide an important service to both customers: the volunteer and the project. Done transparently, projects have access to extra manpower and possibly specialist skills as well as financial support, while the volunteer feels they are getting the necessary support in finding a suitable placement and getting a fair deal.

Can such organisations be profit-making? Yes, we believe so, as long as they are not taking money away from the community or project in question. If a service is being provided to a traveller or volunteer then fair payment should be taken. However the key again is transparency. This is the wonderful opportunity offered by the internet – freedom to information to make informed decisions. We can now check internet forums to see if we should be using a certain company or visiting a particular place and find out from our peers what their views are. I hope this will be used wisely and to democratise travel.

As an industry of travel providers we need to make our local service providers a core customer, not supplier. They should be treated with the same respect and consideration as any traveller. Not only will this mean tourism becomes a more responsible business but that everyone involved will benefit. There is a win-win opportunity here for the taking, but rather perversely it requires a middleman. Which is something I never thought I’d hear myself say.

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Andaman Discoveries: Relief to Self-Reliance

Photo / Stephen Chapman

We first met Kelly May from Andaman Discoveries at the World Travel Market, London in 2007 where they won ‘Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage‘ in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. That same year they were finalists in Wild Asia’s Responsible Tourism Awards and this year they won the SEED Award for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development.  Located just a few hours from Phuket and Khao Lak on Thailand’s west coast, Andaman Discoveries is a non-profit tour service offering eco-tours, cultural tours, interactive handicraft workshops, and volunteer placements whether you are just passing through or have several weeks to fill.  The operation they run defines community based tourism.

“Your involvement will help protect the traditional cultures of the North Andaman from the ever-present threat of mass tourism and assist with the long-term economic rehabilitation of the region left devastated by the tsunami of 2004.”

When the Boxing Day tsunami hit the Andaman Coast in 2004 Bodhi Garrett lost his home, job, and many of his friends.  He had arrived in Southern Thailand the previous year as Director of a sea turtle conservation project.  In an effort to serve the communities he had come to know, and to harness the huge influx of good will and support entering the region he founded North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR). Through a network of friends, dedicated volunteers, and donations, NATR implemented over 120 projects in 12 villages along the coast, by listening to and working with the villagers themselves. All projects have focused on long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability and creating realistic economic opportunities through training and marketing.  NATR recognised early on that If consideration is not given to the sustainability and eventual self-sufficiency of projects their implementation is irrelevant to the lives of the villagers.  Andaman Discoveries was created following the success of projects instigated by NATR and enables the creation of concrete job opportunities in tourism which allows the villagers themselves to benefit directly from hosting guests.

“Andaman Discoveries acts as the bridge to connect communities wanting to participate in tourism and those people wanting to experience traditional lifestyles and pristine eco-systems, away from touristy destinations.”

Andaman Discoveries offer an extensive range of tour options and activities for every type of tourist, and even have long-term volunteer opportunities for those with plenty of time on their hands.

Blue Ventures: Good Ecology Is Good Business

Blue Ventures (BV) run dive expeditions from Andavadoaka in Madagascar. They lead the field in volunteer conservation, and have a boat load of awards, reviews and testamonials to prove it. They have recently been recognised by the United Nations for their socio-economic concerns, and active involvement in the sustainable development of their host community.

BV have been running expeditions since 2002, and five years on maintain a philosophy that has helped win co-Founder, Tom Savage ‘Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ in the Edge Upstarts 2007 Awards; and seen local community members of BV and Andavadoaka honoured at the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York as winners of the highly coveted UNDP Equator Prize – Awarded to the village for its work in partnership with BV at diminishing poverty through conservation, and the sustainable use of biodiversity.

One of the most recent projects established by BV aims to reduce carbon emissions in the region and boost local employment by investing in energy efficient stoves for the village of Andavadoaka. The stoves operate on alternative fuel sources such as maize husks or other agricultural bi-products, providing an effective way for international volunteers to ‘offset’ their carbon emissions, and contribute to a cleaner, healthier future for the community they work in.

Volunteers with BV are involved in ongoing research projects that focus on providing high-quality data and recommendations to the local community, promoting sustainable use of the marine resources their economy relies on. The goal of BV is to help provide valuable advice to the local community, and assist with implementing environmental management strategies, whilst also minimizing human impacts on the environment.

Education, conservation and research are the essence of BV, and away from the village of Andavadoaka they are launching an education package for schools across the UK to try and bring classroom subjects out into the real world.

A new project off the west coast of Madagascar is taking the research methodologies piloted in Andavadoaka to an expedition based 75 kilometres south of the city of Morondava, conducted in partnership with ANGAP (The National Association for the Management of Protected Areas in Madagascar) to survey the islands and surrounding lagoonal waters of a newly proposed marine protected area.

BV are a passionate organisation, intent on diffusing knowledge and advice to those who need it most. Their active involvement in sustainable development demonstrates a brave and innovative organisation, committed to walking whilst they talk.

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Conservelopment

Balancing conservation and development

Conservation and development have long been seen as arch rivals, neither accommodating the other in a bid for the upper hand. In order to conserve, barriers must be erected and access to the resources that are to be preserved must be controlled. In order to develop, space must be cleared for the erection of infrastructures to accommodate a growing population. It seems that you can’t have one with the other, or can you?

Is there a way to enhance the social situation whilst conserving the natural environment? Can people find a way to co-exist with nature and still increase standards of living? Since the Industrial Revolution it has been accepted that where there is development there is environmental degradation. Take China’s massive growth phase – it is already the second most energy consuming nation on earth and looks set to increase its draw on resources by 5% each year (http://www.eia.doe.gov/).

We cannot feasibly ask these developing mega-nations to forsake the short-term benefits of rapid growth in order to prevent environmental damage. A report published from the IPCC shows that those forecast to be worst effected by the effects of climate change will be developing nations anyway, so it is a little unfair perhaps to start blaming them for the damage being caused. Developed nations were not called to account during their era of major industrial expansion so cannot reasonably impose sanctions on other nations as they begin their development. It does mean, however, that we can lead by example.

It is true to say that money makes the world go round and to ensure that the environment has a chance of fighting back against the onslaught of industrial development we need to show that environmental protection itself enhances economic benefits. It takes a lot of lateral thinking to work out how this can be done effectively, and as soon as consumers start seriously demanding more environmental responsibility from their producers, multi-national corporations will start to listen.

Tourism is the largest industry in the world and does not look to be subsiding any time soon. Even with the recent publication of the IPCC’s report about climate change, human behaviour will not be immediately influenced and people will continue to fly for business and leisure, simply laden with more guilt.

So what is ‘responsible travel’ (RT) and what does the term even mean? RT is basically a way of travelling that is both socially and environmentally respectful, and until recently the travel industry has been held to relatively little account for the impacts it has on destinations. The concept of RT revolves around ensuring that you maximise social benefits when you travel whilst minimising environmental damage. One way of doing this is to ensure that any money spent by travellers goes direct to the local people providing the services, anything from accommodation and meals to excursions and treks. Money spent locally, brings social benefits that lead to development opportunities, but what about the conservation aspect?

The term ‘ecotourism’ has lost much of its meaning as it is now used to communicate a host of different travel-related ideas. But consider it as meaning travel that involves an appreciation of nature, perhaps in visiting reserves, ecolodges, conservation projects, working sustainable farms and similar ‘ and it begins to offer the conservation element of RT. Suddenly the natural environment becomes a valuable commodity as travellers pay big money to have the ecotourism experience. Whether it’s silverback gorillas or a rare orchid species, someone will pay money to see what that destination has to offer. It is in the interests of the community to preserve their most treasured natural possessions and to ensure that they are available for the next group of travellers to experience.

If you can plant the seeds of environmental responsibility in the thoughts of the traveller you can open their minds to the challenges faced by the countries they visit, even encourage them to get involved in community projects. An ancient Chinese proverb gets this point across much better than I can

“Tell me, I will forget;
Show me, I may remember;
Involve me, I will learn.”

Until you experience first hand the catalytic effect of introducing a traveller to a local person who wants to share their knowledge and thoughts can you appreciate how much there is to gain from cross-cultural interaction. Travel is all about seeing new places and cultures, and how better to do that than through local eyes. When you stand in someone else’s shoes you can’t help but gain apathy for their situation. This is why when travellers meet and interact with local people they gain such a different experience and always a more rewarding one if that person is reliable and hospitable. This is the foundation of responsible travel – equality and involvement between different people. Involving travellers in local efforts to encourage social and environmental awareness, and involving local communities in the benefits of global tourism. You remove the middleman and suddenly many more benefits – social, environmental and even economic – are exposed.

Exciting? It is, and the fact that it actually makes good economic sense to support these efforts makes it even more interesting. The smart money for those in travel is to join these efforts now and be pioneers. It offers a way to differentiate within the biggest industry in the world and gain access to a larger, more sustainable customer base. But this is not something huge industry leaders can do easily, It’s an opportunity for those at the grass roots level to implement projects and initiatives that offer travellers new experiences, communities, sustainable futures, and protection for the environment. It also stimulates equality across cultures.in an industry controlled by global corporations.

So yes, there are ways to stimulate development with conservation and there are practical solutions being put in place all over the world in small settings. 2007 sees the first World Responsible Tourism Day on November 14th and promises to be a revolutionary year for travel and RT in particular. The pioneers in this sector are already aware of these issues and leading conservelopment to new heights.