We can all make a difference
June 04, 2005 The Times
Cath Urquhart
Times Travel Editor
We can all make a difference – even in the 'selfish' act of booking a holiday
I AM all in favour of improving the lot of the African people, but am I alone in thinking that all this week’s talk of making poverty history by marching on Scotland sounds terribly apocalyptic?
No doubt Edinburgh’s hoteliers and café owners are delighted at the prospect of an extra million customers, but I suspect that a fair few of you feel daunted by the global issues that the G8 leaders are being urged to address when they meet at Gleneagles next month. Should we support reducing Africa’s debt or oppose it for fear that corrupt dictators will siphon off the money? What should we do about Darfur? The Aids epidemic? You may well be thinking: “yes, my consciousness is well and truly raised, but as the organisers of the Live 8 pop concert aren’t asking for my money, and I don’t fancy marching on Edinburgh, what can I do to help?”
The good news is that we can all make a difference — even when doing something as seemingly selfish as booking a holiday. The key thing is to think about what impact your holiday will have on the community you visit, and how you can maximise the benefits your money can bring.
To spread the word, we are today launching the second Responsible Tourism Awards, organised by the travel agent responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, the trade fair World Travel Market, and Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society.
We were thrilled with the response to the first awards last year — more than 700 of you wrote in with suggestions of tourism projects that deserve recognition for putting money into the hands of local people around the world.
There are many reasons why well-thought-out tourism can help poorer countries — and not just those in Africa. From an economic point of view, the start-up costs of a cultural tourism programme will be far lower than, for example, a factory or alternative source of employment. And don’t forget, the “commodity” — ie, the tourist — even pays his own “shipping charges” (flights) to reach the country. And often the people who benefit most from tourism are women or the elderly, who may be excluded from traditional jobs such as mining but can provide hospitality or guiding services.
Many holidaymakers used to think that visiting a developing country would involve hardship. Doesn’t it mean that you have to stay in a yurt, eat yak butter sandwiches and knit your own kaftan?
No longer. These days, you can have a holiday with a conscience in five-star luxury. The upmarket Banyan Tree resorts, for example, have strong green credentials: the first resort, in Phuket, was built on the poisoned site of a former tin mine, requiring an expensive reclamation process.
Even the big holiday companies are getting involved. Most members of the Federation of Tour Operators (such as First Choice and Thomas Cook) have signed up to its responsible tourism policy — the signatories between them sell about 70 per cent of package holidays out of the UK.
So if you’re planning a holiday, ask your operator what care it takes of the environment and the local people. And if you see examples of good practice, please let us know by nominating them for a Responsible Tourism Award.
Cath Urquhart
Times Travel Editor
We can all make a difference – even in the 'selfish' act of booking a holiday
I AM all in favour of improving the lot of the African people, but am I alone in thinking that all this week’s talk of making poverty history by marching on Scotland sounds terribly apocalyptic?
No doubt Edinburgh’s hoteliers and café owners are delighted at the prospect of an extra million customers, but I suspect that a fair few of you feel daunted by the global issues that the G8 leaders are being urged to address when they meet at Gleneagles next month. Should we support reducing Africa’s debt or oppose it for fear that corrupt dictators will siphon off the money? What should we do about Darfur? The Aids epidemic? You may well be thinking: “yes, my consciousness is well and truly raised, but as the organisers of the Live 8 pop concert aren’t asking for my money, and I don’t fancy marching on Edinburgh, what can I do to help?”
The good news is that we can all make a difference — even when doing something as seemingly selfish as booking a holiday. The key thing is to think about what impact your holiday will have on the community you visit, and how you can maximise the benefits your money can bring.
To spread the word, we are today launching the second Responsible Tourism Awards, organised by the travel agent responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, the trade fair World Travel Market, and Geographical, the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society.
We were thrilled with the response to the first awards last year — more than 700 of you wrote in with suggestions of tourism projects that deserve recognition for putting money into the hands of local people around the world.
There are many reasons why well-thought-out tourism can help poorer countries — and not just those in Africa. From an economic point of view, the start-up costs of a cultural tourism programme will be far lower than, for example, a factory or alternative source of employment. And don’t forget, the “commodity” — ie, the tourist — even pays his own “shipping charges” (flights) to reach the country. And often the people who benefit most from tourism are women or the elderly, who may be excluded from traditional jobs such as mining but can provide hospitality or guiding services.
Many holidaymakers used to think that visiting a developing country would involve hardship. Doesn’t it mean that you have to stay in a yurt, eat yak butter sandwiches and knit your own kaftan?
No longer. These days, you can have a holiday with a conscience in five-star luxury. The upmarket Banyan Tree resorts, for example, have strong green credentials: the first resort, in Phuket, was built on the poisoned site of a former tin mine, requiring an expensive reclamation process.
Even the big holiday companies are getting involved. Most members of the Federation of Tour Operators (such as First Choice and Thomas Cook) have signed up to its responsible tourism policy — the signatories between them sell about 70 per cent of package holidays out of the UK.
So if you’re planning a holiday, ask your operator what care it takes of the environment and the local people. And if you see examples of good practice, please let us know by nominating them for a Responsible Tourism Award.