Community based tourism and Fair trade fashion
Justin Francis talks about what makes community based tourism so special and the parallels with the fair trade fashion world.
It was a stay with the people of Kawaza village in Zambia that first inspired responsibletravel.com. On the second day the village chief took me aside to welcome me as a friend of the village. He then went on to explain how visitors could provide the village with employment, school funds, a clinic and a new well. He then asked me to go home and tell everyone about Kawaza village and the benefits of tourism.
Community based tourism is one of the best kept secrets in the travel industry. There’s nothing like waking up in an African hut to the noise of the children and chickens in the next room, or walking out with the Masai as they hunt for their supper. Some of the most wonderful things about travel are those truly local experiences – those genuine insights into other people’s lives. So perhaps the phrase ‘an experience of a lifetime’ is over-used in the travel industry, but not so here. It also has huge benefits for the local communities and their natural heritage.
We were the first and remain the largest business of its kind offering responsible holidays around the world. In a joint initiative with Conservation International we now have the largest selection of community based tourism holidays on offer, and we’re committed to helping those communities build sustainable tourism business ventures.
So what is community based tourism?
Put simply local residents (often poor and from rural areas), invite tourists to visit their communities, providing overnight accommodation. The residents earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers, and employees. The whole community benefits because a proportion of the tourist income is set aside for village projects.
The money earned can literally transform lives. Take the project in Ethiopia as an example - for the first time ever the community now have savings. This is a huge step forward for a community who have lived hand-to-mouth in the past, giving them peace of mind when they can’t guarantee their next harvest.
Community based tourism gives the locals a reason to conserve their habitat, culture and wildlife because tourism places value on this heritage. For example tribes in Thailand had suffered after their fishing livelihood was threatened with the arrival of large foreign trawlers. The Thai homestay & volunteering project not only brought in much needed income but highlighted their plight and led to the introduction of sustainable natural resource management practices.
Tourists these days want a genuine insight into the life of remote communities, but a lack of resources and knowledge of Western demands and marketing and distribution channels means setting up tourism ventures can be difficult.
This is where responsibletravel.com is able to bridge the gap.
Travel with your heart on your sleeve: responsible travel and fair trade fashion
We don’t want to see communities becoming reliant on just one industry such as tourism. There are all sorts of opportunities for communities to diversify into other sustainable industries such as fair trade goods, if they can get the right support. Our Costa Rica and Nicaragua coffee tour includes visits to coffee farmers that supply Cafedirect. We also offer fair trade tours to Southern India and Vietnam which both centre around communities supported by Traidcraft.
The parallels between community tourism and the fair trade industry became all the more clear during a recent conversation with Safia Minney, founder and CEO of the leading fair trade fashion label, People Tree. They support 50 producer groups in 15 developing countries.
Fair trade doesn't just mean paying a fair price. It is an entirely different way of doing business, where the objective is not profit at any cost, but to help people in the world's most marginalised communities escape poverty and promote sustainability by minimising environmental impact and maximising income.
Both responsibletravel.com and People Tree respect the skills and traditions that already exist within the community, rather than imposing a different routine to meet a Western need. This supports livelihoods within the community with minimum disruption to their way of life.
What’s more, your own experience whether as a customer or traveller is hugely rewarding. Nowadays expectations of ethical fashion are not just ethical sourcing but also great quality and cutting edge design. You’ll find the likes of People Tree gracing the pages of Vogue and dressing fashion icons from Sienna Miller to Kate Moss.
In the same way, you can be sure that a responsible holiday will be infinitely more authentic and enjoyable than your average package holiday. If you haven’t had the chance to go on one yourself yet then a quick flick through our 2000+ holiday reviews should help give you an idea. Whether it’s an English organic farmstay , a walking holiday in France or a beach lodge in Zanzibar all our holidays are designed on the same principles of respect for local communities and the environment.
To celebrate the launch of People Tree’s Summer Collection we’ve got a luxury weekend break for two plus £300 of People Tree vouchers, so you can splash out on a new holiday wardrobe.
Plus we’re also offering 20% off at www.peopletree.co.uk until 8th July 2008 for all responsible travellers. Just quote RTJUL08 when you place your order. Terms & conditions apply. Read more about this great offer here
Have you taken a community-run holiday? Is trade is the way forward? Do these outside influences change local cultures? Let us know your views by leaving a comment on our blog here
More on our partnership with Conservation International
responsibletravel.com has been working with Washington-based NGO, Conservation International since 2006 to provide free marketing to a growing database of local community tourism ventures based in remote locations in developing countries which lack the resources to successfully promote themselves to Western holidaymakers. responsibletravel.com is also working with its member tour operators to identify community tourism based projects that could be included in the tour operators’ itineraries, helping to generate regular bookings for these small community businesses.
Read more about the initiative here or browse our community based tourism holidays here.