Catch up on the Responsible Tourism sessions from WTM London right here…
1. Business Taking Responsibility for Security, Health and Safety
At the heart of the responsibility agenda is taking care of the security, health and safety of guests and visitors. In a ‘foreign’ place – even if they are a domestic tourist – there are health and safety risks with which they are unfamiliar. How best can these risks be managed and reduced? Whose responsibility is it? Our focus in this panel is on the role of businesses in ensuring the security, health and safety of guests and visitors.
2. Communicating Responsible Tourism
Leading practitioners in Responsible Tourism, in marketing and campaigning, discuss recent campaigns and throw light on the trends and the most effective means of communicating on the issues and the experience.
3. Creating Shared Value
Porter, the Harvard Academic who gave us cluster theory, has been pointing to the importance of businesses going beyond CSR and creating shared value – creating and growing employment and enterprise opportunities for the communities in their neighbourhood. With the growth of the experience economy and increasing interest in the local tourism industry has particular advantages, four businesses show how creating shared value makes business sense.
4. Employment and Decent Work
Tourism and the hospitality industry are often criticised for creating low-quality service employment. There are issues of poor wages, modern slavery, excessive hours, poor terms and conditions, lack of union recognition, equal opportunity and high staff turnover. However, there is much good practice in the industry. The tourism and hospitality industries remain remarkably open, many reach GM or Board level having started in entry-level jobs. We don’t talk enough about the progression which advantages so many in the industry. The sector provides entry-level jobs for young people and part-time work for people who, for a variety of reasons, do not want full-time work.
5. How do we best achieve progress on Child Protection?
Since 2011 child protection has featured in the Responsible Tourism programme at WTM, London. After seven years it is time to take stock and reflect on how much progress has been made around the world in addressing the risks to children associated with travel and tourism: the issues of child labour, orphanages, begging, trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. Three experts discuss what we have learnt about the best ways of making progress on child protection.
6. Inclusive Tourism Countering Disadvantage and Disability
The disadvantaged are often excluded from employment and participation in travel and tourism. Article 7 of the UNWTO’s Global Code of Ethics identifies the “universal right to tourism” as “the corollary of the right to rest and leisure” guaranteed by Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In recent years at WTM, London we have had many panels focused on the rights and needs of people with disabilities with the financial resources to travel. This year our focus is on those without the resources to travel – what can businesses and destinations do to enable the disadvantaged to have a holiday or even a day-out? How can the disadvantaged benefit by becoming producers of tourism?
7. Indigenous Tourism
With the growth in experiential tourism and growing awareness of the scale of the contribution which well managed tourism can make to local economic development there is increasing awareness of indigenous tourism.
8. Is the industry reducing the Plastic Pollution it causes?
In the mainstream media and on social media there has been a stream of coverage of the plague of single-use plastic. Consumer awareness of the impacts of discarded plastic on our environment and on marine and terrestrial wildlife is rising fast. What have tourism businesses and destinations done to address the challenge of waste plastic? What are the most effective strategies and why is more not being done?
9. Partnerships for change and development
Tourism takes place in destinations with multiple stakeholders, attractions, accommodation providers, transport, food and beverage providers, tour operators and guides, local people and local authorities. Rarely can much be achieved by one stakeholder working alone. Achieving change in destinations where tourism takes place generally requires that different interests work together. Five practitioners from a range of backgrounds will discuss what works and what doesn’t to shed light on how to do it better.
10. Responsible Tourism and China
In 2017 there were 5bn+ visits to tourism sites by domestic tourists, including foreigners with local visitor permits and 139 million international arrivals. Only 7% of Chinese citizens have passports but they made 145m overseas trips in 2017. In 2016 Chinese tourists spent $2,611 million abroad, the Americans managed only $1,236 million. Internationally China has more impact on international travel and tourism than any other country. What are the prospects for Responsible Tourism in China and what impact will growing numbers of Chinese tourist have on the destinations they choose to visit?
11. She Trades Empowering African Women Entrepreneurs Through Tourism
This panel brings together women who own tourism SMEs in the tourism sector in Kenya and Ghana. How can women in tourism best supported and connected to the international market to enhance the business opportunities valuable to them and to empower them?
12. The Role of award-winning storytelling in sustainable tourism
Storytelling has the power to influence responsible tourism and sustainable tourism development through authentic, character-driven films and strategic distribution campaigns. GLP Films will share insight from a decade of award-winning storytelling and marketing campaigns for the travel industry. Learn from global case studies based on GLP’s storytelling work producing 200+ films in 35 countries, in partnership with leading destinations, tour operators, media, and more.
13. Tourism and Water
Sao Paulo and Cape Town have both had crises over the supply of potable water, many more cities and destinations face challenges. In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the scale of the problem and the measures which can be taken to avoid water shortages creating an economic crisis.
14. Tourism Investing in Africas Future
Tourism is one of Africa’s most promising sectors for development. We look at two places where further investment could bring development by creating sustainable livelihoods for local people. At Bwindi in Uganda, local communities are successfully developing new products for sale to tourists and increasing their incomes. The new Gambian administration is promoting inclusive culture centred tourism. New community based responsible tourism initiatives disperse economic benefit to rural areas, diversify Gambia’s tourism product by providing new and authentic heritage excursions that build on the untapped potential of the River Gambia and extend the season.
15. What can we learn from Barcelona?
Barcelona is offering a session where they will share with participants the ways in which they have tackled the challenges of overtourism in a city which resolutely avoided scapegoating tourists. City managers have been working for many years to develop mechanisms to better manage tourism in Barcelona, which the issues boiled over in street protects around the elections in 2015 they had the political support of the new mayor, Ada Colau. Over the last three years, they have tried a whole series of management initiatives from licencing Airbnb to moving bus stops. Barcelona will share with us the measures they have taken and discuss which have been the more successful. Invaluable knowledge for those struggling to cope with success or expecting to struggle in the future.
16. Wildlife Animal Welfare and Conservation
What responsibility do travel trade associations have to promote animal welfare amongst their members? New research from the University of Surrey supported by World Animal Protection examines whether responsibility is being taken towards sustainable development broadly and animal welfare in particular. An opportunity to share information about the current campaigns, to reflect on the success or otherwise of different approaches and to discuss priorities.
17. World Responsible Tourism Day Opening
The new post-apartheid democratic government adopted Responsible Tourism understanding that the industry could create employment and offer development opportunities in rural and urban areas. Derek Hanekon will reflect on South Africa’s Responsible Tourism initiatives and talk about why this approach matters in South Africa and globally.
18. The World Responsible Tourism Awards
The highlight of World Responsible Tourism Day with the presentation of the Gold and Silver 2018 World Responsible Tourism Awards. This year the Awards will be presented by the BBC’s Tanya Beckett who will interview the Gold winners and the Overall winner on stage. The Awards are designed to inspire, educate and challenge all of us to do more and to take responsibility for making tourism better.