Communication and sustainable tourism

7/31/2019 Communication and sustainable tourism

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CommuniCationand

SuStainabletouriSm

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GLOBAL E-CONFERENCEAND SUMMER SPEAKER SERIES ON THE ROLEOF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

May 29 - Jun 9, 2006

UN-WTO/G.Ver

eczi

UN-WTO/G.Vereczi

UN-WTO/G.Vereczi


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Wold Bank Dvlopmnt communaton Dvson SDO;

USAiD Dvlopmnt communaton & Sustanabl Tousm Unt;

Untd Natons Wold Tousm Oganaton (UNWTO)

CommuniCationand SuStainabletouriSm

Proceedingsofthe global e-conferenceand

summer sPeaker serieson

theroleof develoPment communication

in sustainabletourism

Ma 29 - Je 9, 2006

Hostd on www.dvomm-ongss.og

Lua Gnna (Wold Bank)

robta Hlbun (USAiD)

emanul Sant (Wold Bank)

Ganmao Suppa (Wold Bank)

Gabo V (UNWTO)


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cHeMONicSiNTerNATiONALiNc./J.MaGreGOr


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IntroductIon

Tourismisoneotheworldslargesteconomicsec-

tors1andonethatcontinuestoexpandveryrapidly2.

Donewell,tourismdevelopmentcanbeapower-

ultooloreconomicgrowth,povertyreduction 3,andor

theconservationonaturalandculturalresources.While

tourismrepresentsanimportantdevelopmentopportunity

ormanycountriesandcommunities,itcanalsohaveverynegativeimpacts,suchasdisruptingsocialstructures,harm-

ingthesocio-culturalauthenticityohostcommunities,and

threateningnaturalandculturalheritage.Wiseplanningand

managementotourismdevelopmentiskeytokeepingita

orceorgood.

ourismistrulycross-sectoral,involvingawiderangeo

issuesthatcanincludetheollowing:

tradeandinvestmentpolicy

employmentandlaborlaws

enterprisedevelopment public-privatepartnerships

communityandurbanplanning(landuseplanning,

transportation,etc.)

inrastructuredevelopment

conservationoculturalheritage,protectedareasand

biodiversity

managementonaturalresources(water,energy,waste)

saetyandsecurity

educationandworkorcedevelopment.

Terearevastnumbersostakeholders,withtheirdier-

entandsometimesopposinginterestsandagendas.Te

1 Th 2006 Tavl and Tousm eonom rsah o th Wold Tavl & Tousm counl and Antu stats that n 2006 th woldtavl and tousm ndusty s xptd to ontbut 3.6% (US$ 1,754.5 bn) to th wold Goss Domst Podut. Th T&T eonomyontbuton should s to 10.3 %.

2 Tavl and Tousm atvty s xptd to gow by 4.2% p annum n al tms btwn 2007 and 2016. 2006 Tavl and Tousmeonom rsah o th Wold Tavl & Tousm counl and Antu.

3 Wold Tavl and Tousm eonomy mploymnt s stmatd at 234,305,000 jobs n 2006, 8.7% o total mploymnt. 2006 Tavl andTousm eonom rsah o th Wold Tavl & Tousm counl and Antu.

UN-WTO/G.Vereczi

IntroductIon

multiplestakeholdersatbothnationalandlocallevels

mustbeabletoaccesstheinormationtheyneedtoun-

derstandtheirlong-terminterests,articulatetheiropin-

ions,identiyproposals,andnetworkeectivelywithoneanother.ourismdevelopmentchoicesmustbalancebe-

tweennationalandlocalneeds,publicandprivatesector,

hostcommunities,civilsociety,tourists,andmassmedia.

Politicalchoices,inparticular,mustreconcileimmediate

returnsandlonger-termbenets,whichrequiresaclear

andwell-denedvision.Sustainabletourismdevelop-

mentthusrepresentsaverycomplextask.

Communicationhasahugeroleinsupportingsustainable

tourismdevelopmentandmanagingitsmultipledimen-

sions.Communicationcancreateandacilitateasystem

thatallowsstakeholderstoexchangeopinionsandarrive


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coMMunIcAtIon And SuStAInABLE tourISM: ProcEEdInGS oF A GLoBAL E-conFErEncE2

atconsensualsolutions.Eectiveuseocommunication

toolscanalsolinkproductstomarkets,andcancontrib-

utetovisitorssaeandpositiveexperiences.

Inasustainabletourismdevelopmentscenario,thevari-

ousstakeholdershavenotonlytherighttoparticipatein

thedecision-makingprocess,buthavealsotheresponsi-

bilitytoadoptenvironmentally,sociallyandeconomicallysustainablebehaviorsandpractices.Communication

processescanbuildawarenessothisresponsibilityand

persuadestakeholdersthatsustainablepracticesultimately

benettheirlong-terminterests.

Acomprehensivecommunicationstrategy,whichshould

identiyhowinormation,awarenesscreation,advocacy,

networkbuilding,conictmitigation,andcommunica-

tionplatormswillbesupported,isessentialoranysuc-

cessulsustainabletourismdevelopmentactivity.

Ane-conerenceaddressingtheroleocommunication

insustainabletourismdevelopmenttookplacebetween

May29andJune9,2006.TeWorldBank,theUS

AgencyorInternationalDevelopment(USAID)and

theUNWorldourismOrganization(UNWO)envi-

sionedtheorumasameanstobringtogetherdevelop-

mentpractitioners,tourismproessionals,decision-mak-

ers,academiciansandcommunicationspecialistsrepre-

sentingvariousnationalinstitutions,privatesectorand

mediaorganizations,NGOs,internationalinstitutions,

anddonorsactiveintheeldocommunicationand

sustainabletourismtodiscusstherolethatcommunica-tioncanplayindesigningandimplementingsustainable

tourismstrategiesandprojectsatnationalandlocallev-

els;toshareexperiences,inormationandperspectives;

toidentiyandsharelessonslearnedandbestpractices;

andtoconsolidateknowledgeondevelopmentcommu-

nicationinsustainabletourismprograms.

Discussionsocusedontheollowingtopics:

Terolethatcommunicationcanplayindesigningandimplementingsustainabletourismstrategiesand

projectsatnationalandlocallevels;

Teimportanceosharingexperiences,inormation

andperspectives;

Identicationolessonslearnedandmosteective

practices;and

Teexchangeoknowledgeondevelopmentcommu-

nicationinsustainabletourismprograms.

Tee-conerencewaspartothepreparationorthe

WorldCongressonCommunicationorDevelopment(WCCD)andwashostedonwww.devcomm-congress.

org.Itconsistedotheollowingveconcurrentsessions,

moderatedbythepersonslistedbelow.

Tee-conerencebenetedromtheactivecontribu-

tionomorethan700registeredparticipantsromallsix

continents.

AseminarseriesinwasheldinWashington,DC,during

thesummero2006asaollow-ontothee-conerencein

ordertourtherexploreideasraisedinthevesessions.

Materialromthosepresentationshasbeenwovenintothesessionsummariesthatollow.

Sessi The Role o Communication in Planning and

Implementing Sustainable Tourism Policies

and Strategies

Gabo V (UNWTO), ian chst and

Ganmao Suppa (WB)

Sessi 2 Communication or Community Involvement

in Sustainable Tourism Development

Judth Vomans and Toot Oostvn (SNV)

Sessi 3 The Role o Communication in Promoting

Corporate Social Responsibility in Sustainable

Tourism Development

chstna caval, Al cabt, Amos Bn and

Matha Hony (TieS), Susy Kaamml (GTz), Gula

cabon (iUcN)

Sessi 4 The Role o Communication in Linking

Sustainable Tourism Products to Markets

chs Sk (Solma intnatonal), robn Goldbg

(Lonly Plant) and Mtld Wndnbaum (eceAT)

Sessi 5 Interpreting Tourism Destinations and

Orienting Visitors

Danl Mattson (Htag Dsgn), Jonathan Toutllot

and Jams Don (Natonal Gogaph), Gaham

Books (icOMOS)


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SESSIon 3

USFS/J.BAUer

TheourismPoliciesandStrategiessessionothee-

conerenceocusedonndinganswersandproviding

examplesortheollowingquestions:

How can one make the best use o conventional commu-nication and consultation techniques (such as orums,meetings, workshops)?

How can one harness modern technology or eectiveparticipatory processes in tourism policies and plans?

How can conventional and modern techniques be bestcombined or innovative and eective communication?

Howcanthemediasupporttourismpolicyandplan-

ningprocessesorpublicinormation?

Whatarethemosteectivewaysocommunicationto

inormstakeholdersandthegeneralpublic?

COMMUNICATION TO INVOLVESTAKEHOLDERS IN DECISION-MAKING

Teactthatthetourismsectorismultisectoral,andcanbe

veryragmented,wasarecurringthemeinthediscussions.

Tewiderangeostakeholdersatbothlocalandnational

levelshavingaroleintheormulationandimplementation

osustainabletourismpoliciesandstrategiesincludes:

Publicauthoritiesintheeldsoeconomy,environ-

ment,tourism,transportation,education,culture,etc.

(ministriesandstatedepartments,theirregionaland

localofces,regionalandmunicipalauthorities,etc.);

ourismbusinessesandtheirassociationsatthenation-

alandlocallevels(accommodationandcatering,tour

operators,guidesandotherserviceproviders);

Localcommunities;

NGOsandcivilsocietygroups;

Academicandresearchinstitutions;and

Mediaorganizations.

Session 1:

thE roLE oF coMMunIcAtIon InPLAnnInG And IMPLEMEntInG SuStAInABLE

tourISM PoLIcIES And StrAtEGIES

Participantsagreedthatpolicyandstrategydevelopment

mustbeaprocesswhereallstakeholdersareabletoreely

expresstheirviewpointsandhavetheirintereststaken

intoaccount.Nationalandlocalpoliciesmustbecoordi-

nated,consensualandresponsivetotheneedsodierent

stakeholders.Governmentshaveakeyroleinpolicy-

makingandimplementationprocesses,andinthisrole

theymuststrivetoensuretheinormedparticipationo

othersectorsthroughconsultativeprocesses.Undertaking

ampleconsultationsiskeytothesuccessulormulation

andimplementationotourismpolicies.Inaddition,the

manydierentinterestgroupsotenholddisparateview-

pointsthatmustbecoalescedintoacommonvision.


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MULTI-LEVEL STAKEHOLDER

INVOLVEMENT IS NEEDED

LOCAL / NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

Pbli aiiesIeaial / egial

gaizais

Meia ogaizais ds

tism bsiesses a ei assiais

nGos a iil sie gpsAaemi a esea isiis

Participantsstressedthateectivecommunicationisthere-

oreessentialorpolicy-makingandimplementation.Tey

agreedthatbothconventionalcommunicationmethods

(e.g.,orums,meetingsandworkshops)andtheapplication

onewtechnologies(e.g.,telecommunication,Internet,

emails,databases)arekeytodevelopingsustainabletour-

ismpolicies.Teneedorgovernmentstocreateand

maintainwebsiteswithregularlyupdatedinormationwas

stressed,aswasthenotionthatwebsitesshouldnotserve

justortourismpromotionpurposes,butalsotodissemi-nateinormationontourismpoliciesandplans.Particular

attentiontotheneedoreectivecommunicationromthe

centraltotheregionalandlocallevelswasalsoemphasized,

giventhatindevelopingcountriestheremotenessosome

areasandthelackotelecommunicationnetworkshinder

bothhorizontalandverticalcommunication.

USE OF PUBLIC EVENTS TO PROMOTETOURISM IN TANzANIA

Developmentandinstitutionalprocessesleadingtothede-

signonationalandlocalleveltourismpoliciescanbenetrompubliceventssupportedbypoliticalleaders,national

andinternationalmedia,andregionalandinternational

organizations.Anexamplewasprovidedromanzania,

whereMIGA,anagencyotheWorldBank,promoted

atourisminvestmentconerencewiththeMinistryo

ourism.PresidentMkapamadetheopeningspeech,

andalsometwithindividualinvestors.TeAricaravel

Association(AA)wasinstrumentalinsecuringinterviews

ontheconerencewithBBC,whichwerebroadcastlive,

andAApublishedseveralarticlesintheirmagazine.Te

localnewspapersprovidedeventcoverage.Teeventhad

someverydirectandconcreteresults:investmentagree-

mentsweresignedandarenowbeingimplemented.Te

anzaniaexamplealsodemonstratedtheimportanceand

eectivenessogoodpost-eventollow-up:potentialin-

vestorswerekeptinormedoprogressbye-mail,andthe

governmenthasattendedhotelinvestmentorumstogen-

erategreaterinterestinthecountry.

TOP-DOwN AND BOTTOM-UP

COMMUNICATION

An ntstng xampl o ommunaton among th

stakhold goups at th natonal, gonal and loal

lvls was povdd byKamelia Georgieva, eotou-sm Pogam coodnato o th USAiD BceG pojt,

sponsbl o dvlopng a Natonal eotousm Statgy

and Aton Plan o Bulgaa. Th pojt mployd a mx

o tadtonal and nnovatv ommunaton tools and

atvts, suh as wokshops, oums, onns, publa-

tons, posts, and th intnt. Natonal xpts and

nsttutons ntatd n ous goup mtngs and loal

wokshops, and publ oums w hld o onsultaton.

extnsv mda ovag hlpd th dnt atvts

to nom th wd publ. Sval typs o publatons

w mployd, nludng booklts wth th outln o

th statgy doumnt, and lafts and posts to nom

loal stakholds about th sps o otousm and

upomng publ mtngs. Two natonal oums w hld

wth th patpaton o majo ntnatonal patns

- th st st th stag and outlnd th statgy, and th

sond appovd th statgy and aton plan and shad

t wth th naton and ntnatonal patns.

For more about this project, see:

http://www.n.nt/tousm/Bulgaa_pojt.htm

BceGPrOJecT/ArD

SUCCESS OF zAMBIA TOURISMNEwSLETTER

Inadditiontointernationalandnationalinstitutions,

smallerorganizationsandindividualinitiativescanalsodis-

seminateinormationandpromotecooperationtoencour-

agesustainabletourismpractices.Inanexamplesupplied

aboutZambia,atourismnewsletterstartedbyacommitted

individualgraduallybecameanimportantsourceotour-


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SESSIon 5

ismdevelopmentinormationwiththesupportopublic

andprivatesectororganizations.Othere-conerencepar-

ticipantspointedoutthatmultipleinternationaldevelop-

mentanddonororganizationsotencarryoutoverlapping

policy-developmentandinstitutionalstrengtheningactivi-

tiesinthesamecountryorareaandthatimprovedcom-

municationisessentialinordertocoordinatedonoractivi-

ties,minimizeduplicationandmaximizesynergies.

THE INTERNET AS A TOOL FORCONSULTATION AND INFORMATIONTRANSFER

Withgrowingnumbersousersandimprovingaccess

worldwide,theInternetisanincreasinglyimportanttool

orstakeholderconsultationandinormationtranser.In

Australia,theourismWhitePaperImplementationPlan

2004waslaunchedbytheMinisterorSmallBusinessand

ourism,andrenedthroughon-lineconsultationwith

keytourismindustrystakeholders,AustralianGovernmentdepartmentsandstateandterritorygovernment.Alarge

volumeostakeholderinputwasreceivedandincorporat-

edintotheplanningprocess.Telistoorganizationsthat

participatedintheconsultationandtheirinputwasmade

publiconthewebsiteotheDepartmentoIndustry,

ourismandResources,togetherwithanadvancedstrat-

egydratthatincorporatedthedierentviews.

TeInternetisalsoakeytoolorinormation-sharingand

exchangeoexperiencesontourismpolicies.DestiNet,a

newinitiativeotheEuropeanEnvironmentAgencywascitedasagoodexample.(http://destinet.ewindows.eu.org).

Teinormationresourceandcommunicationsplatorm

containsselected,qualityassessedinormationontheways

inwhichtourismisbeingmademoresustainable.DestiNet

oersanumberoservicesincludingtheoptiontopost

newsbulletinsandsuggestnewlinksonrelevanttopics.It

actsasasingleEuropean-levelgatewaytoenvironmental

sustainabilityorthetourismsector,allowingusersto:

Understandandreportonsectorimpactsonthe

environment;

Learnhowtoimprovetourismsectorsustainability;and

Coordinateinormationexchangebetweentourism

stakeholders.

ADVOCACy

Manydevelopingcountriesarelookingtotourismdevel-

opmenttosolvetheireconomicproblems.Formanyo

them,theirnaturalandculturalheritagerepresentsone

otheireweconomicresources.Naturalandcultural

heritageare,however,notrenewableandtourismmust

beaddressedinasustainablewaytopreventirrevers-

ibledegradationtotheresourcesthatdrawtouriststoa

country.Unortunately,developingcountriesrequently

experiencesomedifcultyinplanningandpromoting

sustainabletourismpolicies.Politiciansareotenguided

bythenecessitytoachieverapidandvisibleresultsduring

theirtenure.Choicesabouttourismdevelopmentpoli-

ciesandstrategiesaretoootendictatedbythenecessity

tosatisyimmediateneeds:sustainingbalanceopay-

ments,creatingnewjobstoreduceunemployment,etc.

However,tourismdevelopmentprojectsproducingim-

mediatebenets(revenuegenerationandjobcreationas

examples)mayturnouttobenegativeinthelongterm

itheythreatennaturalandculturalheritage.Civilsoci-

etyandmassmediaorganizationscanassumetheroleo

T

HeiNTerNATiONALecOTOUriSMSOcieTy


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watchdogstoensurethattourismpoliciesandstrategies

arebenecialbothorlocalcommunitiesandorthecon-

servationonaturalresourcesandculturalheritage.

Anextendeddialoguedevelopedunderthediscussion

topicAdvocacyorsustainabletourismpolicies,o-

cusingontheroleoeducationandawareness-raising

activities.Variousmessagesstressedtheneedtointegrate

sustainabletourismpolicyissuesinschoolcurriculain

dierenttypesoeducationprogramsrelatedtotourism

managementandplanning,includingvocationaland

technicalschoolsaswellasuniversities.Itwasalsosug-

gestedthatsustainabilityissuesneedtobeincorporated

intoageneraleducationcurriculuminordertoensure

thatuturegenerationsotouristsaresensitivetoenvi-

ronmentalandsocialconcernswhenengagingintouris-

ticactivities.

Itwassubsequentlynotedthat,whileeducationin

schoolsandacademicinstitutioniscritical,awareness-

raisingactivitiesaboutsustainablepolicyissuesshould

alsotargetpublicofcialsandbusinesspersons.Suggested

communicationtoolsorawareness-raisingamongstake-holdersincludeseminarsandworkshops,internships/

mentorrelationshipswithleadersosuccessulprograms

inothercommunities,andWeborumstosharelessons

learnedromotherexperiences.

NGOscanhaveakeyroleinawareness-raisingactivities

targetingpublicauthorities.InBulgaria,theFoundation

orLocalGovernmentReorm,anNGOspecializingin

supportinglocalgovernments,usedspecictoolssuchas

newsletters,workshops,training,andgrantschemesto

educatemayorsandtheiradministrationsandthemu-

nicipalcouncilsaboutthebenetsosustainabletourism.

TesameoundationhelpedtoacilitatethelocalprocessduringdevelopmentotheNationalEcotourismStrategy

andActionPlan.

TRAINING AND KNOwLEDGEMANAGEMENT

Someparticipantsstressedtourismknowledgemanage-

mentasakeyactortobeconsideredinallcountries,

suggestingthatuniversitiesandschoolsotourismand

proessionalstudiesshouldbeinvolvedincollectiveac-

tions.Alackospecicacademicandtrainingresources

isattherootomanyproblemswithunsustainabletour-ismdevelopment.

RonMader,editorothesustainabletourismwebsite

www.planeta.com,pointedoutthatmanytourismtrain-

ingcoursesareoeredaroundtheworld.ourismportals,

however,ailtoprovideregularlyupdatedcalendarso

eventswithdescriptionsocoursesandinstructors.Also,

participantsshouldbeabletoratetheirinstructorsand

somesortopublicevaluationshouldoccuratersixto

twelvemonths.

Ivan Guarderas Flores poposd dvlopng a data-

bas o tousts and loal atos wh thy ould g-

st alts o omplants about bad pats n tousm

dvlopmnt (soal, nvonmntal and ommal). Ths

ould gnat postv pssu to th loal authots,

but would hav to b aully vd.

FeDerPArcHi/S.PeTrOSiLLO


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SESSIon 2

cHeMONicSiNTerNATiO

NALiNc/r.WeiSBerGerCOMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITy

INVOLVEMENT IN TOURISM PLANNINGAND MANAGEMENT

Oneothekeyprinciplesosustainabletourismis

thatthelocalpopulationisplacedatthecenterotourismdevelopmentinterventionsinterms

oparticipationinthedecision-makingprocessandbenet

sharing.Itisatthecommunitylevelwheretourismimpacts

aremostlykeenlyelt,conservationchallengesmustbemet

andcultureismostaected.Residentslivinginhistoric

centers,neararchaeologicalsitesorclosetonaturalpro-

tectedareascanplayakeyroleintheconservationothose

resourcesitheycanderivebenetromthem.Severale-

conerenceparticipantsthereorestressedtheimportance

ocommunityinvolvementandactiveparticipationinsus-

tainabletourismdevelopmentasonekeytosuccess.Amongtheprincipalchallengesthatparticipantsmen-

tionedrelatedtocommunityinvolvement:

Frequentchangesinlocalgovernment(bothpolicies

andpersonnel)

Lackogovernmentsupport

Conictinginterestsbetweengroups(betweengovern-

mentandreligiousgroups,andbetweencommunities

andbighotelownersoroilcompanies,orexample)

Lackounds

Lateattemptstoinvolvelocalcommunities

Lackocommercialskillsatthelocallevel

oomanydierentactors(NGOs,donoragencies,

government,etc.)otenengagedinwell-intentioned

butunder-undedprojectsthatarenotcoordinated

withothereorts

Failuretoconsiderthewholetourismsystemoa

countryorregionandnottakingintoaccountdemand

ortourismproducts

Communicationgapbetweencommunitiesandthe

privatesector.

Communicationtoolsmentionedaseectivewaystoin-

volvelocalcommunitiesintourismdevelopmentinclud-

edtraining;participatoryworkshops;community,group

andindividualmeetings;localradio;schoolnewsletters;

andlocalevents.Communityleadersareanimportant

communicationchannel.

Anotherissuethatrequentlysuracedindiscussionwas

theneedtoconsidertourismasabusiness,andcom-

munitymembersasbusinesspeople.Community-based

tourismprojectsshouldthereorebeocusedonmarket

demand.Tisimpliesaneedorproessionalisminthe

tasksrequiredtostartabusinesssuchas:abusinesseasi-

bilitystudy,businessadministration,hospitality,market-

ingstrategy,developmentoImarketingtools,market

analysis,etc.

Session 2:

coMMunIcAtIon And LocALcoMMunItIES In SuStAInABLE tourISM

dEvELoPMEnt


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coMMunIcAtIon And SuStAInABLE tourISM: ProcEEdInGS oF A GLoBAL E-conFErEncE

Communitiesgenerallyneedsupporttocarryoutsuc-

cessultourismdevelopmentinitiatives.echnicalexperts

however,mustsimplyprovideexpertise,experienceand

advice,andactasacilitatorstohelplocalcommunities

makeinormeddecisionsandbuildtheirownstrategy.Tismeanssupportingconsultativeprocesseswithina

communitytoallowthedierentsegmentsothepopu-

lation(women,orexample)toexpresstheiropinions.

Toot Oostveen,oSNV(www.snv-la.org)statedthatcon-

sultantsshouldrstidentiythekindoconsultancyand

supportthecommunitywantstoreceive.Signingacon-

tractbetweenthecommunityandtheconsultingorgani-

zationcanbeonewaytoenhancethesenseoownership

withinacommunity.

Communityworkshopsareanimportantwaytoiden-

tiyproblemsandconcerns,andtodetermineavailableoptionsbeoredecisionsaremadeandactionstaken.

Workshopscanalsobeusedtointroducecommunities

tonewtopicssuchasmarketingtechniques,ortodesign

projectproposalswhichwillbeusedtoseekoutunding.

TeInternetwasotenmentionedasanimportanttool

toputlocaltourismmicro-enterprisesintodirectcontact

withtheglobalmarketotravelers.

Someparticipantsstressedthatitisessentialtogainthe

trustolocalcommunitiespriortoanyproductiveinter-

actionwiththem.Otherspointedouttheneedtoavoid

makingcommunitiesdependentondevelopmentwork-

ers.Capacity-building,ownershipandempowermentare

importanttothecommunitymanagementandlong-term

sustainabilityotourismenterprises.

Finally,participantsstressedtheobvious,butotenne-

glected,necessityorconsultantsandotheroutsideenti-

tiestoconsiderculture,beliesandtraditionsintourism

planning,andtoavoidpreconceptionswhilelistening

andacilitatingparticipatoryprocesses.

RELATIONSHIP BETwEEN COMMUNITIESAND THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Manyparticipantsdescribedacommunicationgapbe-

tweentheprivatesector(especiallyoutsideinvestors)and

localcommunities,eelingthattheprivatesectorisnot

preparedtocommunicatewithcommunitiesbecauseit

requiresmoretimeandpatiencethanmostbusinesspeo-

plearewillingtoinvest.Teyidentiedacontradiction

betweenastbusinessprocessesandslowcommunitypro-

cesses.Tesedierentperceptions,dierentassumptions

anddierentpriorities,aswellasmistrustandalacko

COMMUNICATION KEy

TO SUCCESS IN KENyA

Roselne Okech, o th Masno Unvsty n Knya,

postd an abstat on th ol o ommunaton n a

otousm pojt n Knya wth th ollowng on-

luson: involvng ommunts n th mplmntaton

and managmnt o a tousm dvlopmnt pojtnsstats los supvson o th atvts, apa-

ty buldng at th loal lvl and a stong ommtmnt

om th ommunts. Th nvolvmnt o ommunts

wll dpnd vy muh on th natu o th atvts

and th lvl o ommunaton. communty dvlop-

mnt has tanly undgon an voluton and s stll

at th hat o th latt-day paadgm sht towads a

human ontaton Th onn today ls n matts

suh as whth th poost a ahd, whth th

appoah s stll top-down, whth th popl hav d-

son-makng pow ov th us o sous, whth

human valus a mt, and whth dvlopmnt s

nvonmnt ndly. Knya s slowly ollowng th sam

path and so th a stll poblms to b solvd wth

gad to th managmnt aspt. communaton s

ky n all ths aspts.

GOVERNMENT-INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

PARTNERSHIP

Two as studs n canada (Th Quuas Wst coastTal Soty and Hada Gwa, Qun chalott islands)

w postd byMike Robbins, maktng onsultant

om canada spalng n tousm, to dsb a su-

ssul patnshp btwn govnmnt and ndgnous

ommunts n snstv natual aas and natonal paks,

whh povdd onom oppotunts o loal om-

munts n balan wth natu potton. Out o ths

studs, t appas that sussul patnshps hav th

ollowng qualts:

equal vo o patns

rspt and undstandng o ultual dns (..

tmams, languag, tadtonal knowldg, t.)

Sound busnss latonshp

Avalabl nanal sous o atvts amd at

nvolvng ndgnous popl

employmnt oppotunts as wll as busnss dvl-

opmnt oppotunts

enhanmnt o loal knowldg and apaty buldng

rspt o sad sts


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SESSIon 2 9

willingnesstocollaborate,cangeneratemisunderstand-

ingsbetweentheprivatesectorandlocalcommunities.

Anotherissueraisedinthee-conerencewasthatcommu-

nitiesareotennotconsidered(anddontconsiderthem-

selves)tobeacomponentotheprivatesector.However,

themomenttheyenterintothetourismbusinessthey

becomepartotheprivatesectorandneedtoadopta

business-relatedpointoview.TiswastheexperienceoWilliamufn,whoisworkingtodevelopcommunity

eco-tourisminLaos.

Methodsoovercomingbarriersmentionedbye-coner-

enceparticipantsincludedawareness-raisingactivitiesand

dialoguebetweenbusinessmenandcommunitiestoaidin

understandingdierentpointsoviews,opinionsandin-

terests.ime,trust,transparency,andcreativethinkingare

essentialoridentiyingcommonground,commoninter-

estsandpotentialsharedbenets.Asoneothee-coner-

enceparticipantsremarked,Who should be responsible orsupporting the local communities in undertaking a proftable

tourism business? It is a question to consider in each situation.

INVESTMENT AND MARKETING

Igovernmentorpublicdonorsarenotsupportinga

communitytourisminitiative,communitiesneedtond

creativewaystoaccessnancing.Sponsorshipmight

beoneoptionorcommunitytourism.Anexample

wasgivenotheBCAboriginalourismAssociation

inwhichsponsorshavetheircorporatenameafliated

withtheAssociationandseevalueintheexposuretheyreceiveromnancingspecicactivities.MikeRobbins

presentedanotherexampleinthenancingoacultural

ecolodge,whereanassociationreceivedundsromthe

BritishandCanadianAirForce,aminingcompanyanda

privateoundation.

InthecaseoGreatBearRainorestinBritishColumbia,

combininglargescalenatureconservationwithinFirst

Nationtraditionalterritoryhasbeenkeytoorginga

linkbetweenprivatesectorundsandcommunities.

Oneelementothesehistoriclanduseagreementshas

beenthecreationotheCoastOpportunitiesFunds,

aconservation-nancingprogramdevelopedthrougha

remarkablecollaborativeprocessinvolvingFirstNations,

environmentalists,philanthropists,andgovernmentrep-resentatives.Establishingthisprogramrequiredadecade

onegotiation,againhighlightingthelengthotimesome

processesneed.

Oneothebiggestissuesacingallcommunitytourism

projectsinremotelocationsismarketingcreatingaware-

nessandstimulatinginterestinwidelydispersedgeographic

marketareas.InMay2006,theLonelyPlanettravelpub-

lishersproducedCodeGreenExperiencesoaLietime.

Tebookocusesonuniqueexperienceswithanemphasis

onminimizingenvironmentalandsocialimpactandmaxi-

mizingconnectionswithlocalpeople.Publicationslikethisshouldhelpwithencouragingtravelerstodigurtherinto

lesspublicizedtourismopportunities.

Oneexampleoaprivate/publicsustainabletourism

partnershipisnowunderwayinClarendonParish,

Jamaica.ClarendonExpressisapartnershipbetween

awidevarietyostakeholdersromtheprivatesector,

theJamaicangovernment,environmentalNGOs,apro-

Valere Tjolle (http://www.totmtousmmaktng.og)

launhd th da o job swappng, an xhang pogam

n whh ommunty mmbs wok n ommal tou

ompans and v vsa. Ths allows th ommunty to

undstand th mhansms o th tousm busnss and

tans ommunty mmbs n plannng and managng

tousm busnsss. On th oth sd, th xpn

hlps ommal tou ompany sta to btt und-

stand th loal alty thy a dalng wth.

Ron Maderdsbd th www.planta.om poly o

wokng wth ommunts ov tm. in Oaxaa, Mxo,

lstnng to loals ld to nnovatons suh as th Oaxaa

Optons oundtabl dsussons, a ss o nomal

psntatons and dalogus. On xampl that mpovs

ommunty bnts s Walk th Wavs n th naby

at-makng town o Tottlan dl Vall, n whh th

towns ommunty musum ogans tous. Vstos a

ld to wokshops by wavs wth th goal o nasng

dt sals, bntng tavls wth low ps and

wavs wth hgh nom. http://tnyul.om/mmotd

Trip Seene postd nomaton about a nw nta-

tv, STeP Up Tavl (http://www.stpuptavl.og ). Ths s

a wb-basd onpt that povds a tool o loal popl

to at th own onln tousm montps o

dt ntaton wth tavls. Th onpt has bn

mplmntd nto a ompltly untonal, global tool to

povd ownshp to loal popl n tavl/tousm andpovd ass to global makts o tavls. Th st has

bn tanslatd nto Spansh www.ladsoal.og and

Potugus www.ad.og.


16/36


tectedarea,localhotels,theChamberoCommerce,

andothers.Jamalcoiscollaboratingwithnationaland

internationalpartnerstoconvertanindustrialtrain

routeintoatourismtrainthatlinkstheseatothemoun-

tainswithdiversevisitoropportunitiesalongtheway.

Communicationactivitiestoencourageinvolvementand

collaborationbetweenstakeholderswereimportantto

thesuccessothisinitiative.

FALSE ExPECTATIONS

Itisnecessaryorlocalcommunitiestorealizethatsus-

tainabletourismdevelopmentisnotapanacea,andthat

hardworkisrequiredtoreceiveanybenet.Tecom-

munitymustapproachtourismasanyotherbusiness

thatinvolvesrisks.Teyneedsufcientinormationand

capacitytoassessandmitigatetheserisks.Teyalsoneed

torealizethattheyareserviceproviderswhoareinalong

chainointerdependenttourism-relatedbusinessesand

theyneedtobeamiliarwiththeotheractors.

Unrealisticexpectationscanbereducedthroughrequentand

detailedcommunicationamongstallstakeholders.Capacity-

buildingtrainingandequityintourismbenetscanalsobuildthetrustocommunitiesandreducealseexpectations.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR OF TOURISTS

Manye-conerenceparticipantseltthatthebestwayto

inormtouristsaboutappropriatebehaviourinhost

countriesistoreachthempriortotravelviaguidebooks.

Manybooksalreadyincorporateachapteronresponsi-

bletravel.Otherchannelsthatareimportantvehicles

orcarryinginormationtoawiderangeotourists(orinstancethosetravelinginorganizedtours)includetrav-

elagencies,Internetsitesandmagazines.However,

travelmagazinesandtravelnarrationtoootenpresent

destinationsjustastourismproducts,orgettingthat

peoplewithotherculturesandsensibilitieslivethere.

Somee-conerenceparticipantsstressedtheneedtoana-

lyzevisitorsperceptionsodestinationstoidentiypo-

tentialproblemsandrecommendawarenessactivitiesor

addressinginappropriatebehavior,minimizingtourism

impactsonthelocalcultureandenhancingrelations

withlocalcommunities.

in Laos, th ollowng atvts and ommunaton tools

hlpd tousts adopt appopat bhavos: do and

dont booklts, tou ontaton pamphlts, tanng

ouss o loal guds, and sgns and posts n vllags.

Fo mo nomaton, s www.otousmlaos.om.

in Laos, th ollowng atvts and ommunaton tools

hlpd tousts adopt appopat bhavos: do and

dont booklts, tou ontaton pamphlts, tanng

ouss o loal guds, and sgns and posts n vllags.

Fo mo nomaton, s www.otousmlaos.om.

PARTNERSHIPS:

COMMUNITIES/PRIVATE SECTOR

Samar Hammad, om th at sto n Jodan, gav

an xampl o a pvat oganaton tyng to buld a

patnshp wth a ommunty n th handat busnss.

Th goup ad a lot o mstust and ald that a long

poss was ndd to buld psonal latons boollaboatng wth th ommunty. Slowly, som ndvdu-

als bgan to show tust, and oths ollowd lat. Th

suss and latd bnts o som ndvdual atsmn

hlpd to nouag th oths.

Paula Eshoo mntond that th a sval ntst-

ng ommunty-basd ntatvs n Laos, wh a numb

o dvlopmnt patns and th pvat sto hav

jond to assst th ounty n mplmntng ts Natonal

eotousm Statgy and Aton Plan. Fo mo noma-

ton, s www.otousmlaos.om.

Maria Jos zapata Campos, om th Unvsty o

castlla La Manha, Span, mntond how th alu o

suss o ommunty/pvat busnss patnshps d-

pnds upon pptons and th qualty o ntpsonal

latonshps and, onsquntly, upon ommunaton

ssus. Sh also mntond th mpotan o und-

standng how pow s dstbutd btwn th dnt

ntst goups, ndvduals, nsttutons, and ommunty

goups nvolvd. Th ontol, ass and dstbuton o

nomaton, tat dsons, th absn o psn o

tan thms n th pa tnshps agnda a ky ssuso a sussul patnshp.


17/36

SESSIon 3

USFS/J.BAU

er

ThenotionoCSRisnotnew,butitsadoptionandintegrationintothetourismindustryisinvery

earlystages,voluntaryandlargelyspearheadedby

theecotourismmovement.However,theadoptionand

endorsementothebasicprinciplesosustainabletourism

thataddressthenewparadigmotriplebottomlineassess-

menthassteadilygrownoverthelastdecadealthoughitis

undeniablethatthemajorocushasbeenonenvironmental

protectionandconservationratherthanaddressingsocial

issuessuchaslaborstandards.Tisthemeisalsopresentin

manyothevoluntarysustainabletourismcerticationpro-

gramsmanyowhichareconsideredvaluableinstrumentstoencourageandacilitateCSR.

TethrustoCSRinthemainstream(mass)tourism

industryisaccusedobeinglargelyenvironmental,the

skepticssay,simplybecauseenvironmentalmanage-

mentsystemshelpreducecosts(throughminimization

opotablewaterandenergyuse,andreductionowaste)

orareperceivedasapotentialsellingpoint(greensells).

Philanthropybymajortourismplayersalsoisanotherele-

mentoCSRthathasbeenadoptedtovaryingdegrees,

becomingmoreacceptedandevenexpected,although

largelyasadhocgesturesogoodwill.

However,CSRinthetourismindustryisnotsimplyabout

potentialenvironmentalsavings,certicationprograms

orphilanthropyitisincreasinglybeingconsideredby

enlightenedcorporationsandindividualsastheonlyway

toensurelongtermsustainability,andotenleadstobetter

businesseswithincreasedprotability.Terearemanyin

thebusinesscommunitywhoseeCSRnotasaluxury

Corporate Social Responsibilit (CSR)

is the commitment of businesses to

contribute to sustainable economic

development orking ith emploees,

their families, the local communit and

societ at large to improve the qualit

of life in as that are both good for

business and good for development.

THE wORLD BANKS wORKING

DEFINITION OF CSR

Session 3:

thE roLE oF coMMunIcAtIon InProMotInG corPorAtE SocIAL

rESPonSIBILIty In SuStAInABLE tourISM

dEvELoPMEnt


18/36


thatisindulgedinwhenandwhereresourcesallowbut

asaundamentaltooltodoingbusinesswell,andhence

onethatneedstobebuiltintostrategiestoensurerisk

managementandreputationalenhancement.

Tee-conerenceparticipantscontributionscertainly

clariedtheneedorincreasedcommunicationabout

andorCSRintourism.Communicationhastotakeplaceatalllevelsbetweenandamongstthedierent

stakeholders.Aregulatoryrameworkisneedednotonly

toacilitateseamlesscommunicationbutalsotocreate

commongroundsandacommonunderstandingosome

othesustainabilityissuesandthepotentialoCSRto

enhancebusinessviabilityandlongevity.Tecaseor

adoptingCSRintourismneedstobebettercommuni-

catedinlanguageappropriatetothevariousstakeholders.

Communicationwasconsideredessentialto:

helptourismbusinessesandconsumers(tourists)un-

derstandandadoptrelevantenvironmentalandsocialsustainabilitystandardsandsystems(certication,

guidelines,environmentalmanagementsystems,air

trade,communityrelationsandoutreach,etc.);

helptourismbusinessesthatareadoptingappropriate

CSRprinciplesandrelevantstandardsinbeingreward-

edbyincreasedbusiness;and

createbetterlinksamonglargetourismoperators,lo-

calcommunities,andsmallandmediumenterprisesto

developwin-winpartnerships.

LACK OF AN INTERNATIONALLyRECOGNIzED DEFINITION OF CSR

Alargepartothee-conerencediscussionconcentratedon

dierentperceptionsanddenitionsosustainabletourism

andcorporatesocialresponsibility.Despiteamultitudeo

denitionsbyseveralinternationalandnationalinstitu-

tions,tourismenterprises,non-governmentalorganiza-

tions(NGOs)andindividuals,thereisnocoherentand

internationallyrecognizeddenitionrameworkaccording

towhichCSRactivitiescanbestructuredorscrutinized.

TelackoaninternationallyrecognizeddenitionoCSR

leadstoarangeoobstaclesorcommunicationonCSR

betweenstakeholders.Manycompaniesmisunderstand

sustainablemanagementorCSRassimplyphilanthropy,

charitablegiving,orhumanitarianaid,etc.,ratherthan

usingsustainablemanagementtoimprovetheirlocalbusi-

nesscontext(e.g.communityrelationsandoutreachproj-

ects,environmentalmanagement,goodsocialstandardsor

employees,localpurchasingoptions,etc.).

Ontheotherhand,therewerealsoanumberopartici-

pantswhoarguedagainstoneunivocalstandardordeni-

tivedenitionorCSR.Giventhediversityocultures,

dierentlysizedoperations(massvs.smallandmedium

enterprises[SMEs]),andthemultitudeobusinesstypes

(e.g.accommodation,ight,touroperation,etc.)inthe

tourismsector,usingonesetostandards,may,according

totheGlobalReportingInitiative(GRI),belimitingand

mightprovetobeinadequate.

STAKEHOLDER IDENTIFICATION

Participantshighlightedthat,totheirknowledge,there

isntonepreerred,orleadingorganizationthatisnecessar-

ilytheonlyoreventhemostsuccessulmodeltocommu-

nicateaboutandhelpwithmainstreamingCSRprinciples

andpractices.Instead,theybelievethatthereisaneedto

acilitatemorewidespreadandtransparentcommunica-

tiononCSRatalllevels.Tereoreallpossiblestakehold-ersneedtobeidentiedandheldtoaccountorspreading

theprinciplesosustainabledevelopment.Asideromthe

industry,consumersandNGOs,theseinclude:

Certifcation and standards-setting organizations

Governmental organizations Intermediaries.

Tegovernmentwasmostotenidentiedbythepartici-

pantsasthestakeholderresponsibleorcreatingtheap-

propriaterameworkenvironmenttoencourageanden-

suresuccessulandtransparentcommunicationonCSR.Appreciatingthecurrentstructuresothetourismbusi-

nessanditssalesstructure,twoadditionalstakeholders

wereidentiedasimportantintermediariesandambassa-

dorsorsustainabledevelopmentandCSR:

Salessta(e.g.travelagents,sales&marketing,in-

boundoperators)

Media.

Astudyonmarketingcertiedproductsrecentlycomplet-

edbyTeInternationalEcotourismSociety(IES)con-

cludedthatgreentourismcerticationprogramscanget

thebiggestbangorthebuckbymarketingtointerme-

diariessuchastouroperators,guidebooksandthemedia,

ratherthandirectlytoconsumers.Teseintermediaries

can,inturn,marketdirectlytoconsumers.Withtime,

ascerticationprogramsgrowinsizeandspreadtomore

countries(i.e.,acriticalmassdevelops),andasmoretour

operatorsuseandpromotecertiedproducts,consumer


19/36

SESSIon 3 3

awarenessanddemandislikelytogrow.Whilecriticso

certicationotencitethecurrentlackoconsumerde-

mandasareasonwhyitwillnotwork,IESwouldargue

that,basedonlessonslearnedromotherindusties,con-sumerdemandtakesalongtimetogrowandisbestbuilt

throughcerticationprogramstargetingandconvincing

intermedariessuchastouroperators/wholesalers.

Tee-conerencehighlightedthat,inmanycases,in-

dividualswhohavecredibilitybothromthepersonal

andproessionalpointoviewmightbecomesuccessul

communicatorsonCSR,andcouldrecruithighprole

mentorsthatsupportandencourageotherstobecome

proponentsoCSR.Teidenticationocharismatic

leaderswhowouldbeabletowinthemindsosmallen-trepreneurswassuggestedasapossiblestrategy.Apoten-

tialthreatwouldbethatcommunicationwouldbethen

limitedtoindividuallyperceivedanddenedissuesrather

thanincorporatingtherealneedsoallstakeholders.

CERTIFICATION AND STANDARDS

Certicationandstandardswereidentiedbythepar-

ticipantsasthecurrentmosteectiveoptionoractively

supportingandguidingCSRprocessesontheindividual

companylevel.Inthe(sel-proclaimed)sustainabletourism

industry,thedevelopmentostandardsandvoluntarycer-

ticationthatprovidesomeormoguaranteeosustain-

abilitystandardsiscommon,butwidespreadadoptionand

useothesestandardsisunortunatelystillrare.Consumer

surveysareconusing,oralthoughtheyotenproclaim

ageneralwillingnesstopayapremiumorproductsthat

demonstrateacommitmenttosustainabletourismprac-

tices,onlyasmallpercentageoconsumersappeartoseek

theseproductsorunderstandmuchaboutwhatappropri-

ateenvironmental,socialorculturalstandardsare.Green

tourismcerticationstandardscertainlymeasureandseek

tomitigatethenegativeenvironmental,social,andcultural

impactsotourismbusinesses.Someevenseektoincrease

thepositiveimpactsotourismthroughensuringair

economicreturnstothelocalcommunityorenvironment,

orevenattempttoempowerindigenouspeoples.

Certiyingtouroperatorsandhotelsacilitatesmain-

streamingoCSRandsustainablemanagementpractices

inthetourismindustryandservesnotonlyasarelatively

easywayorconsumers(tourists)toidentiyresponsible

andethicalproduct,butcommunicatesCSRandother

importantissuesbothB2Bandtootherstakeholders.

Certicationprogramsandtheirstandardscanserveto

eectivelycommunicateanin-depthrevieworinsight

throughtheircriteriaintothelargerangeoissuesthat

aectsustainabletourismdevelopmentandwhetheratourismenterpriseactuallyproceedstocerticationor

not,theprogramsservetoraiseawareness.Atthesame

time,certicationorganizationshelpconsumerspreeren-

tiallychooseresponsibleproducts.

COMMUNICATION wITHIN THE INDUSTRyREGARDING CSR TOOLS AND MEASURES

Withregardstocommunicationwithinthetourism

industry,e-conerenceparticipantshighlightedvarious

dierentissuesthatshouldbeaddressedtosupportthe

incorporationoCSRprinciplesandtoolsamongtourism

businesses(i.e.inparticularsmallandmicrobusinesses).

Suggestionsincluded:

Obtainaclearunderstandingothecapacitygaps;

EnsurethatCSRtoolsandexamplesareadaptedto

takeintoaccounttheknowledge,capacityandthecul-

tureothecountriestowhichCSRmodulesaretrans-

erredadoptingadaptivemanagementpractices;

Createaclearandunivocalunderstandingowhat

CSRmeans(i.e.clariyingthatintegratingCSRprinci-

plesandpracticeswouldmeangoingbeyondsimplistic

andbasicphilanthropicactivities);

Maximizetheparticipationolocalcommunitiesinde-

ningwhatCSRmeansatthelocalleveltogobeyond

asimpleecolabel.Community-basedorganizations

andNGOsatthelocallevelareseenasverygood

intermediariestopromotealocalinterpretationo

generalCSRrameworks;and

cST


20/36


JointandcooperativeworkonCSRintourism

throughnetworksliketheourOperatorInitiative

(OI),whoarecontributingtoavitalexchangeonCSRpracticesbetweenthelargetourismplayers.

Participantsappearedtoeelthattheindustryhadnot

yetullyembracedCSRastherewasalackounder-

standingonwhatitwasandhowitmighthelptheir

business.Terewascertainlyaperceptionthattherewas

alackocommonunderstandingaboutthebusiness

caseoCSRinthetourismindustry.Tewillingness

topaymoreorresponsibleandethicaloperatorsbya

growingnumberocustomersisnotyetevidentinthe

masstourismsector,despitesurveysthatdeclareagrow-

ingpercentageocustomersdemandmoreresponsible

productsandarewillingtopaymoreoracertaineel-

goodactor(whenhearingthattheirstayorpurchase

helpslocalcommunity,locallabor,localenvironment,

etc.).Itwaseltthatthisspecialcustomerwaslargely

connedtonichemarketsegments,whicharesmallerin

size,moretransparentandeasiertoberecognizedassuch

attheindividualconsumerlevel.

COMMUNICATION VERSUS

NON-COMMUNICATION

Whn t oms to povdng sold motvs to th mass tou-

sm sgmnt, as wll as to small and mo busnss at th

loal lvl, o th ntgaton o cSr pnpls and tools

n th busnss pats, patpants agd that th al

tgg would b a sold onsum dmand o cSr, andthat possbly th wakst lnk n th aa o ommunaton

about cSr to onsums s how tousm ompans lat

th suss stos to onsums. Dnt xampls hav

bn bought owad hghlghtng that th s not a unan-

mous vw on th maktablty o cSr atvts.

Th w a numb o xampls o busnsss that w

td o ngagd n cSr that dd not pomot o om-

munat ths wth th ustoms. Th asons o ths

a somtms omplx, angng om pptons o bng

gn as quatng to bng o low qualty (not ompatbl

wth th mag o hgh nd luxuy stablshmnts), to th

assumpton that labls quat to mo xpnsv podut,

and hn a avodd! Som ompans do not om-

munat th nvonmntal and soal sustanablty pols

o cSr ntatvs baus thy vw taton manly as

a tool o mpovng th opatons and savng mony on

wat and ngy, ath than as a tool o mpovng sals.

T

HeiNTerNATiONALecOTOUriSMSOcieTy

COMMUNICATION OF CSR TO TOURISTS

Withregardstocommunicationromtourismenterprises

totheirconsumers,twokeypointswereexpressedbythe

participants:

DemandromconsumersorCSRandsustainable

tourismwasseenasanessentialcommunicationtool

tosteercompaniestowardsmoreresponsiblepractices.

Sociallyresponsiblepurchasingandethicalpurchases

wereconceptsproposingthatthemind-shittowards

moresustainableproductshastotakeplaceonboth

theproducersandconsumersend.Tedifculty

inthatconsumersdidnotnecessarilypreerentiallychooseproductsthatdemonstratedCSRneedstobe

addressed,buttherewasanagreementromsome

participantsthattheseresponsibleormoreethicalbusi-

nessestendedtodobetterandweremorelikelyto

beconsideredqualityproducts:businessesthattakeo

theirenvironmentareperceivedtobemorelikelyto

alsotakecareotheircustomers.

Terewasmentionotheneedtoensureendusers

participationintheormulationothetools.Tiswill

ensurethebuy-inotargetaudiencesromtheoutset.Insummary,Session3discussionsidentiedtheneed

or(1)increasedcommunicationaboutandorCSRin

tourism,atalllevelsbetweenandamongstthedier-

entstakeholders;(2)aregulatoryrameworktoacilitate

communicationandcommonunderstandingoCSR;

and(3)communicationtovariousstakeholderstomakea

strongercaseoradoptingCSRintourism.


21/36

SESSIon 4 5

rAre

Thissessionothee-conerencecenteredondiscussions

aroundtheollowingquestions:

Whatistheroleomoderntechnologies,likee-busi-nessande-marketingtechniques?Howcantheyhelp

toimprovemarketaccesstosmallbusinessesandre-

ducemarketingcosts?

AdvertisingSpots,Slogans,andRealityHowdowe

promotesustainabletourismwithouttellinglies?

Howcancommunicationhelpincreasetheshareo

localproductsandservicesthatsupplythetourismin-

dustry,enhancinglinkagesbetweenconventionaltour-

ismandthelocaleconomy?

Whataretheexperiencesandlessonslearnedwithcol-

lectivemarketinginitiatives,groupingtogethersmallertouroperatorsandserviceproviders?

Whichcommunicationmethodologiesandtechnolo-

giescansmallbusinessesindevelopingcountriesuseto

learnabouttheirmarkets?

Whatarethebeststrategiestotargettravelpublications

andinuencethemtocoversustainabledestinations?

TOURISM PRODUCTS MUST BEDEMAND-DRIVEN AND RESPOND TO THEExPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF TOURISTS

Teworldislitteredwithtourismproductsthatailedbecausetheydidnottakemarketdemandintoconsider-

ation,didnotreachtheirmarketswithadequateinor-

mation,ordidnotprovideameansortheirmarketsto

reserve/purchasetheirproducts.

odaythereisawiderangeomarketingandpromo-

tiontechniquesavailable,supportedbyrapidlyevolving

communicationtechnology,buttheapplicationothese

techniquesandtechnologiesisstillverylimitedintour-

ism,especiallyindevelopingcountries.ourismunctions

throughacomplexsupplychainthatlinksawiderangeo

servicesromthegeneratingmarketstothenaldestina-

tions.Communicationiskeytoenhancingtheinorma-

tionowalongthissupplychainandensuringthatsus-

tainabletourisminitiativesandproductseventuallyreach

potentialtouriststhatmaybethousandsomilesaway.

Session 4:

thE roLE oF coMMunIcAtIon In LInkInGSuStAInABLE tourISM ProductS to

MArkEtS


22/36


ocollectmarketintelligence,Richarduck(atourism

expertcurrentlyworkinginNicaragua),suggestedthatmi-

cro,smallandmediumenterprises(MSMEs)indeveloping

countriesshouldbeinteracting(simplequestionnairesor

one-on-oneinterviews)withthetouriststhatarealreadyat

thelocale.Questionsshouldbedirectedatndingoutwhat

thetouristsliked/disliked,howtheyarrived,howtheyrst

heardaboutthelocale,whetherornottheywouldrecom-mendthelocaleandwhy/whynot,wheretheywererom,

age,sex,etc.Open-endedmarketing-orientedquestions

suchaswhatelsevisitorswouldhavelikedtoexperience

atthelocaleandwhattheywouldchangeaboutthelocale

shouldalsobeincluded.Tiswillhelptouristenterprises

determinenotonlywhotheirtargetmarketisbutalsohow

tocommunicatetothemandwhattocommunicate.o

learnhowtoexpandintosecondaryandtertiarymarkets

MSMEsshouldthenseekoutacademicinstitutionsand

NGOsthatworkinsustainabletourismand,moreimpor-

tantly,visitthetouristareasnearesttothemandlearnabout

whattourists(outsidetheirtargetmarket)aredemanding.

SimonJones(InternationalInstituteoourismStudies

otheGeorgeWashingtonUniversity)pointedoutthat

itmaybedifcultorlocaloperatorstocarryoutvisitor

surveys,andthattheyneedtoorganizethemselvesinlarg-

ernetworksosimilarbusinessestohavegreateropportu-

nitiestolearnromoneanotherandgatherinormation

abouttheirclients.ChrisSeek(SolimarInternational)

providedanexampleoaUSAIDtourismproject

inRomaniawherealocalDestinationManagementOrganization(DMO)islearninghowtocreatevisitor

surveys,trackwebsitehitsandpageviews,trackinorma-

tionrequestedatinormationcentersand,mostimpor-

tantly,howtoanalyzethisinormationandprovideitto

associationmembersasatangiblemembershipbenet.

Teprojectisalsocreatingaback-endmembersonly

sectionothedestinationportalthatwillbeusedtoshare

thisinormation.Tenexttaskwillbetoeducatemem-

bersonhowtousethismarketresearchtoimprove/adapt

theirproducttomeetthemarketdemand.

Providing

the Unique

Eperience

MetildeWendenbaum

(ECEA)remindedpartici-

pantsthatthemostimportant

thingthatthetouristsdemand

romexoticsmallscalesup-

pliersisauniqueexperience,i.e.,somethingtheydonot

expectyetordemand.Testrengthoasmall-scalesup-

plierliesintheactthattheycanmakeapersonalconnec-

tiontotheguest.Methodstostrengthenthispersonal

connectionare:

creatingexperiencesthattheguestswillneverorget;

keepingarecordotheguestsinordernottoorget

them;

remainingintouchwiththematertheirvisitsbysend-

ingaperiodic(email)card.Word-o-mouthpromotionshouldalsonotbeunder-es-

timated.oeectivelyusethiscommunicationtool,busi-

nessescangiveguestsdiscountcardsthattheycanpassto

theirriends.Inthisway,supplierscanalsoestimatethe

eectivenessowordo-mouthpromotion.

HELPING BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND

THAT DOING GOOD IS GOOD

BUSINESS

Len Cordinermndd patpants that small tavlsv povds wll ollow th mony. Thy know th

valu o a avoabl mnton n Lonly Plant and thy

a lanng about th valu o avoabl onln atngs on

th intnt. By showng thm that dong good s good

busnss, thy wll ollow. Ln also povdd an xampl

o a stauant n Hano whh taks n dsadvantagd

youth and bulds th hosptalty sklls to a pont wh

th studnts an b plad n pmannt wok stua-

tons.. Tavls lov th pla, not baus th ood s so

spal o th ost so low (t s not), but baus thy l

that by atng th thy a dong somthng to suppot

th loal poo. Dong good has bom good busnss

and oth SMes s ths and sta t to ollow.

Learning through

Stud Tours

SamarHammad(cratsectorin

Jordan)suggestedthatMSMEs

andMicrobusinessescouldgain

valuableadviceandtrainingby

leavingtheirlocaldestinationandobservinghowother

destinationsoertourismproductsandservices.

TroughtheinteractionwithotherMSMEsandtourists,

businessownerswillbeabletounderstandhowtoapply

whatworksinotherdestinationstotheirown.Study

tours,however,shouldbeusedwithcaution.Richard

uckprovidedanexampleoNGOsthat,alongwith

governmentsponsorship,broughtsmall-scalecoeepro-

ducers,touroperators,andtourismprovidersrom

NicaraguatoCostaRicaoverthepasttenyears.Some

negativeoutcomesinthisexperienceincluded:


23/36

SESSIon 4

reinorcingacultureoCostaRicaisbetter,isgreener,

is...inthemindsoNicaraguans; errorsthatCostaRicantourismbusinessesmakeona

dailybasisweretranserredtotheMSMEsinNicara-

gua;and

viewsorealityonpricingandpromotionwereskewed.

TepricingandpromotionthatoccursinCostaRica

ortouriststoCostaRicacannotbethesameinNica-

raguabecausetourismandtouriststherearedierent.

ADVERTISING SPOTS, SLOGANS, ANDREALITy: HOw DO wE PROMOTE

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM wITHOUTTELLING LIES?

ourismmarketingotenusesimagesopristinelandscapes

thatpromisetheopportunitytoexperiencetheDream

Vacationwithrespecttothenaturalenvironment.Howcan

atourismmarketingcampaignshowtheuniquedierenceso

thesedestinationsinsteadomakingthemalllookthesame?

Howdotravelerslearnhowtoseepasttheperectimagesto

understandtherealityothedestinationbeingvisited?

RobinGoldberg(LonelyPlanet)remindede-conerence

participantsthattheonlythingthatlovelypicturesandan-

cyslogansdoispiqueinterest.Butcurious,smart,thought-ultravelerswillneverstopatthepicture.Withtheproli-

erationoinormation,notravelerisgoingtobasehis/her

traveldecisionsonaancyadorcampaignslogan.ravelers

aresmartandwanttomakethemostotheirtraveldol-

lars...andorthattheyarewillingtodosomeresearch.At

best,agoodadcampaigncanintriguesomeoneenoughto

digurther.Tekeytomarketingaspecial,uniquetravel

rAre/MATTHeWHUMKe

cHeMONicSiNTerNATiONALiNc

gemistobecertainthatitcanbeoundwhenthetraveler

startstosearchthroughindependenttravelsources.

Tisreinorcestheimportanceoreviews,reerralsand

word-o-mouthstorytellingbythosewhohaverst-hand

experience.Tereisnothinglikeathird-partyendorse-

mentwhichisgivenwithoutanycommercialintereston

thepartotheendorser.Greatexamplesothisincludeeditorialspublishedbyrespectedmedia,placementin

trustedguidebooks,candidreviewsbyellowtravelers

oundinmultipleweborums.ravelersarelookingor

honest,practicalinormationromtrustedsources,and

thatwilldrivetheirtravelchoices.

INCREASING THE SHARE OF LOCALPRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT SUPPLyTHE TOURISM INDUSTRy, ENHANCINGLINKAGES BETwEEN CONVENTIONALTOURISM AND THE LOCAL ECONOMy

Oneothereasonswhytourismissuchanimportantindustryorinternationaldevelopmentistheopportunity

orgrowthinsupportingsectors.Communicationplays

acriticalroleinlinkingthetourismindustrywithsup-

portingsectorsbutrequirescareulacilitation.

RobertaHilbruner(USAID)providedanexampleohow

inNorthernMozambiquetouristdestinationshavetoim-

porttheirreshvegetablesandruitsbecauselocalarmers

donotgrowawidevarietyoproduce.Goodacilitation

betweenhoteliers,restaurants,armersandextension

activitiescanhelparmersunderstandthismarketand

begintoraiseproducetomeetthedemand,increasingthe

localbenetsromtourism.

LenCordiner(CEOoWorldhotel-link.com)described

howinCambodiathetourismindustryreliesonimports

ormostotheiragricultureproductsandcitedquality,


24/36

coMMunIcAtIon And SuStAInABLE tourISM: ProcEEdInGS oF A GLoBAL E-conFErEncE

quantity,delivery(reliability),andconvenience(including

paymentterms)asreasonsorsourcingelsewhere.Tis

problemalsoextendstootherlocalproductsincluding

urnishings.Lenrecommendedtwothingsthatneedto

beaddressedtohelpovercometheseissues:

BuildingCapacityNGOs,developmentagencies,

andlocalgovernmentsmustworkwithlocalsupplierstobuildtheircapacitytoproducetheproductthatis

demandedbytheindustry;and

BuildingDemandhelpingthetourismindustryun-

derstandthatsourcinglocalproductscanhelpbuild

demandortheirbusiness.

oincreasedemandorlocalproducts,RobinGoldberg

stressedtheneedtohelptravelersunderstandhowtheir

dollarcanmakeadierenceandthatonlybyaskingthe

hardquestionswilltravelersshowbusinessesthattheseis-

suesareimportanttothem.

InSierraLeone,where90%oalloodisimporteddueto

theconictsothecivilwar,MeganEplerWood,working

withtheNationalHotelandourismrainingInstitute,

islaunchingaoodenterpriseprogramthatincludesa

oodenterprisetrainingcoursethatwillbemadeavail-

abletolocalarmers.Ratherthentryingtotrainthelocal

armersinhowtoproduceeverythingthehotelsneed,the

projectisocusingononeproductruitsaladthatcan

beeasilypreparedandpackagedordeliverywithmini-

mumcost.Teprojecthasbeenverywellreceivedbylo-

calhotelsandissettoexpandurther.

MikeRobbins(atourismmarketingexpert)remindedpar-

ticipantsaboutresearchthatsuggeststhatthereisavery

largeproportionotheNorthAmericantravelermarket

thatwouldbereceptivetoeducationandawarenessabout

makinglocallygrownorganicoodchoices.Whatevertermoneusestodescribethesetourists,whetheritis

geotourists,ecotouristsorresponsibletourists,they

representagrowingsegmentotheoveralltravelermarket.

Choosinglocallygrownorganicoodinthedestinations

theyvisitcanmakeahugedierencebothenvironmental-

lyandeconomically.Communicationwithvisitorsinthe

destinationtoenableinormedoodchoicesiskey.

Labeling as a

communication

tool

EmanueleSanti

(CommunicationOfcer

withtheWorldBank),citing

anexampleromtheWorld

BankButrint(Albania)

Community-BasedourismProject,stressedtheimpor-

tanceolabelinglocaloodproductstohelptouristsun-

derstandthatbypurchasingsuchproducts,theyarealso

contributingtolocaldevelopmentand,whenthelabelis

linkedtoaprotectedarea,tobroaderconservationgoals.

Agoodlabelcanincreasethevalueotheproducts.

COLLECTIVE MARKETING INITIATIVES(GROUPING TOGETHER SMALLER TOUR

OPERATORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS)ForMSMEsindevelopingcountries,collectivemarket-

ingisahugeasset.AccordingtoHendrikWintjen(SNV

NetherlandsDevelopmentOrganizationPeru),inthe

pastyears,jointmarketinginitiativeshavebeenmultiply-

ing(e.g.,CostaRica)inordertoacethelackoaction

takenbynationalauthorities.Accordingtohim,the

nationaltourismchambers,hotelassociationsandtour

operatororganizationsormedtwentyorthirtyyearsago

didntreactintimetothegrowtholong-haultourismto

developingcountries.Nowadayspeopletraveltoplaces

thatwerenotonthetourismmapaewdecadesago,obliginganydestinationtoocusonmarketrealitiesin

themostimportantsourcemarkets.

Jointmarketingcampaignsaredenedas:1)aneworga-

nizationtakingoversomeothepromotionalandsales

activitiesoindividualsuppliers;and2)individualsuppli-

ersgroupedunderacommonqualitybrandthatisused

nexttotheindividualbrand.Jointmarketingcampaigns

FeDerPArcHi/S.PeTrOSiLLO


25/36

SESSIon 4 9

mayhavevariouselementsincommon:adestination,type

oproducts4,andleveloquality(includingsustainability).

Tesecollectivemarketingcampaignscangenerateboth

positiveandnegativereactionsromtheparticipants.

Terstreactioncanbedistrusttowardstheothersupplier

partnersinvolved,andintheumbrellaorganization.Tisre-

actionisunderstandablegiventhatsupplierslosesomecon-troloverownershipothenewbrandandoverdistribution

otheprotsthataremadebytheumbrellaorganization.

However,experiencesshowthatanewbrandisnotalways

perceivedasathreatvisvisreplacingindividualbrands.

Onthecontrary,itsometimesstrengthenedeachindivid-

ualbrand/supplier,asitstimulatedacompetitionbetween

thesupplierswhorespondedbesttothequalitycriteriao

thenewbrand.ForexampleinGuadeloupe,sixyearsago,

aqualitybrandrecommendedbytheNationalParkhas

beendesignedorgroupingallsustainableecotourismsup-

plierslocatedinandaroundtheNationalPark.Anothergoodexampleisthejointmarketinglaunched

byveCostaRicanhotelsunderthebrandSmall

DistinctiveHotelstheymarketthevehotelslikeone

entity,presentonlyproductsohighquality,andarecon-

tinuouslyimprovingthesustainabilityotheirproducts.

ChrisSeeksumsupsomepossiblereasonsoraprograms

ailure:

Teprogramisnotowned/managedbylocalstakehold-

erswithanintimateknowledgeotheproducts.oo

otenespeciallyindevelopingcountriesjointmarket-

ingprogramsarecreatedbyoutsidersorsomeonewith

awebsiteinordertomakemoneyintheshortterm.

Teprogramisrunbyanindividualorsmallgroup

olocalstakeholderswhoareworkingonlytourthertheirowninterestsandleadershipposition.

Teindividualsdoingthemarketingarenotromthe

cultureothetargetmarket.

Teprogramcollectsannualmembershipduesrather

thanworkingonacommissionbasis,butailstopro-

videareturnonthisinvestment.

Demonstratingtangibleprogrambenetstothemembers

iskeytoanycollectivemarketingprogram.Benetsin-

cludetheollowing5:

Suppliersspendlessmoneyinmarketingbecausetheysharethetotalcostothemarketingaction.

4 Fo nstan: PrOA, an assoaton o bd and bakasts n Paa do rosa, Santa catana, Bal: http://www.paadoosa-basl.om.b/, ocoopna, an assoaton o communty-Basd tousm and ago-otousm suppls. www.tusmoual.om/

5 Followng that appoah, whn oganng sp maktng atons, th Gn Tavl Makt (www.gntavlmakt.no ), maktngsv pomotng sustanabl tousm poduts to tou opatos, ts to o to outbound tou opatos a omplt ang o podutsloatd n on sp aa and ommttd to tan t a.

UNDERSTANDING THE TOURISM

PRODUCT CyCLE

Michael Murrell mndd patpants about th mpo-

tan o undstandng th podut l yl o tousm. Thss asy o busnsss n all ndusts to los sght o, vn

n wll-dvlopd ounts, and t s otn at th hat o

why busnsss al to b ompttv. it would b outstand-

ng o a ladng oganaton suh as UNWTO to podu

n many languags, a txt that dsbs and llustats th

tousm podut yl, and dtals lvant nomaton

(xampls!) onnng ah pat o that yl. Ths s

mpotant nomaton o vyon, om small gusthous

owns up to th lvl o a natonal tousm authoty. Wth

an undstandng o th podut yl, ots suh as uny-

ng ms and oganatons aound a ommon band would

most lkly b muh mo sussul.

DEVELOPMENT OF A SUSTAINABLE

SUPPLy CHAIN TO HELP SUPPLIERS

PROMOTE THEIR HIGH-RANKING

PRODUCTS

in th amwok o th euopan pojt TOUr LiNK,

th Fdaton o Tou Opatos (FTO UK) has nt-

atd a mandatoy hklst to b usd by th mm-bs whn hkng th suppls on sustanablty. Th

hgh-ankng poduts a pomotd to all mmb tou

opatos. Th FTO ommnd that ts mmbs tak

up mo hgh-ankng hotls n th o. Ths s don

n th amwok o th so-alld sustanabl supply

han managmnt. Th TOUr LiNK pojt dvlops

ths onpt o han managmnt n ollaboaton wth

patns n oth ounts suh as th ANVr (Duth

tou opatos assoaton) and th Blgum tou

opatos assoaton. Th FTO psnts 80% o th

makt n th UK and th ANVr mo than 90% o th

Duth makt!


26/36


Teycanshareinthepromotionsinnovativeideasand

knowledgeabouttheirproducts.

Teycanbemorevisibleasagroupinthee-commerce

world.

Teywillattracttheattentionoalargerpublic.

Teywillpreventoverloadingtouroperatorsandother

distributionchannelswithaplethoraopromotional

messagesaboutproductslocatedinthesameregion.

THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET INSUSTAINABLE TOURISM PROMOTION

Role of tourism

boards

Itappearsthattourismboards

areatpresentveryill-equipped

todealwithsustainabletourism

intheirInternetpromotionac-

tivities.Forexample,nationaltourismportalsshoulddoa

betterjoboupdatingdirectoriesortravelerservices.Te

CatalanourismBoardcouldbeamodel.Teyprovide

regularupdatesaboutsustainableproductsontheirweb-siteandpostemailsaboutsustainabletourismmatters

throughstrategicdistributionlists.

Onee-conerenceparticipantremarkedthatanabsolutecon-

ditionorbetterperormanceotourismboardswasbettered-

ucationostaregardingissuesosustainability.Sustainability

haspenetratedcurriculainuniversitiesandhigherproes-

sionaleducation,butnotatlowereducationallevels.

Role of internet in

enhancing reputation

and building brand

Manyexamplesosel

puriyingmarketingorpromotionwereshown,

especiallyorcommunity-

basedtourism.ravelers

mightnotseeallthebe-

hind-the-scenesactivitiesoabusiness,soitisimportant

tosharepracticeswiththem.However,dishonest,orcli-

Ron Mader(www.planta.om) launhd th da

that Natonal Tousm Boads ould stablsh awads o

th bst wbsts that llustat a ountys sustanabl

tousm pats. Natonal tousm potals ould b

atd not only by what thy hav onln, but also by how

thy patpat n ndpndnt goups (.g., ecOcLUB,

gn-tavl, and Planta) and whth o not thy lnk

to ndpndnt sts, nludng blogs (ntnt logbooks)

and fk galls (onln ptus psntaton). Bonus

ponts ould b awadd o showng vstos wh thy

an stay, at and dnk.

THE DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

SySTEMS MODEL

Dstnaton Managmnt Systms (DMS) onsst o an iT

nastutu usd by a dstnaton oganaton o th

ollton, stoag, manpulaton and dstbuton o no-

maton n all ts oms, and o th tansaton o sva-

tons and oth ommal atvts.Th ollowng a ky to sussul DMS pojts:

A publ/pvat patnshp

Buy-n om all stakholds

Th wb st must b hgh qualty, asly ound on th

ntnt, and abl to buld tust

Suppls must b onntd to th ntnt

Th st must hav th apablty to poss sva-

tons and nanal tansatons.

Dstnaton Managmnt compans (DMc) a loal s-

v oganatons that povd atv tnas and logsts

managmnt basd on an n-dpth knowldg o th dstna-

ton. Th DMc modl s basd on a sustanabl busnss plan

that ovoms nomaton gaps n dvlopng dstnatons.


27/36

SESSIon 4 2

chmarketingmessagesveryquicklybackreastheyare

identiedbyknowledgeabletravelerswhohaveanamaz-

ingabilitytojudgerealcommitmentversusgreen-wash-

ing.WHL(WorldHotelLink),hasgroupedsel-declared

sustainableproductsunderaCaringorthe

Destinationbanner.Its really about connecting the best o

local with the best o global that will win the day6.om

Hall(LonelyPlanet)addedthatReputation within marketcan be as strong a orce as individual or collective certifca-

tion. Sustainable products can rely on Internet marketing

with certifcates on such reputation.

MetildeWendenbaum(ECEAProjects)statedthat

sustainabilitylogosorbannerscanbeaverydistinc-

tivemethodtoaddqualityinInternetmarketing.But

orlargeoperatorslikebig-scalehotels,sel-declaration

orsustainabilitystillneedstobeaccompaniedbyathird

partycertication.Whilesmall-scalesupplierscancom-

municatemuchmoreeectivelyaboutsustainability,andachievetrustamongtheirclients,theydonototenuse

thistoadvantageyet.ECEAProjectsusestheInternet

oronlinedatastorage(www.greentravelmarket.ino)o

sustainableproductsandtouroperatorsthatcanbeused

bypartnersallovertheworldasbasisortheirmarketing

activities.Itcanalsobeaccessedbyoutboundtouropera-

torswhoarelookingornewproducts.Teproductsare

certied(hotels)orrecommended(community-based

tourism,small-scaletourism)byinternationallytrusted

environmentalordevelopmentorganizations.

RonMaderalsomentionedthatcerticationshouldbemuchmoreholisticinitsapproachand,iwearetojudge

individualoperatorsandhotels,weshouldalsoreview

tourismofcials,academics,NGOsandinternationalin-

stitutionsincludingWorldBank,UNEPandUNWO.

Valerejolle(otemourism)suggestedthatmarketing

ingeneralhasbeenrevolutionizedbytheInternet.Instead

osupplierssellingthroughagencies,businessescanoer

theirservicesdirectlytoaninternationalmarket.Without

largemonetaryinvestments,smallbusinessescanperhaps

protromtheInternetthroughbuzzingcampaigns

inwhichemailmessagesbuzzaroundontheirownto

specicInternetcommunitieswiththeinvitationtoadd

news.Ateracertainperiod,contentsarepublishedtoall

recipients.Terearenotyetmanyexamplesobuzzing

campaignsinsustainabletourism.Valereinvitesexperi-

mentationwiththis.Hisotemnews,anemaildistri-

butiontothousandsosustainabletourismstakeholders,

issuchanInternettoolbutisdirectedtopolicymakers.

Participantsaskedthequestion,Canweexpectsmall-

scalesustainablecompaniestobesocreative?Largecom-

paniessuchasNikeareabletopaynumerousyoungeldresearcherstoidentiythenewestandhottesttrends,but

thisseemsoutoreachorsmallscaletourismenterprises.

Alternatively,dowewantakindotourismNikewith

anexplicitstatementocorporatesocialresponsibility?

Awarningagainstthesel-puriyingprincipleoInternet

marketingmustberaisedconcerninglargescalesustain-

ableproducts.Relativetosmall-scalecommunity-based

tourismproducts,largehotelsneedtoinvestmuchmore

toreachacertainlevelosustainability.Atthesametime

however,theyhavetheabilitytopresenttheirrst,small

investmentsassomethingtrustworthyorsustainable(liketheHiltonWeCareprogram).DoInternetcom-

munitiesrepresentstrongenoughconsumerknowledgeto

preventgreen-washing?

FinallyZacharyRozgaandRenSchrer(http://www.or-

talnet.com.br/~shnet/)cautionagainstover-emphasizing

thecurrentpotentialotheInternetasadirectmarketing

toolorcommunity-basedtourismbecauseothelarge

digitalgapthatstillexistsbetweenthedevelopedand

developingworlds.

STRATEGIES TO TARGET TRAVELPUBLICATIONS AND INFLUENCE THEM TOCOVER SUSTAINABLE DESTINATIONS

Tetravelmediaisoneothemostimportantvehicles

intourismmarketing,providingunbiasedreviewsand

authorsrst-handexperiencesoadestination.Oten

drivenbyexperiencedpublicrelationsrmsandlarge

budgets,mostothetravelmediaisocusedonthe

traditionaltourismindustry.Teollowingarepartici-

pantstipsorunknownsustainabletourismdestina-

tionsorbusinessesinhowtocapturetheinteresto

travelpublishers.

1.Promotethedestination,notaspecifcbusinessorde-

velopmentproject.Editorscareonlyaboutwhatreaders

6 Aodng to Bll Hnhbg, th Tavl Wbst Owns ntwok (TWO) (http://www.tavlwbowns.og) s also suh a bottom upappoah to intnt maktng.


28/36


wanttoread.Asinterestingasyourprojectorbusiness

maybe,editorswanttoknowaboutthedestination.

Whywouldareaderwanttovisit?Whatistheappeal?

2.FocusontheexperienceReadthroughanytravel

publicationandyouwillnoticethattheauthorisnot

talkingabouttheactsothetriptheyareocusing

onthevisitorexperience.Whatmakesthedestination

unique?Helptheeditorimaginetheviewatsunsetortastethetraditionalmealwithalocalamily.

3.Usealighthandwiththesustainabilitylanguage.

Eventhoughweallknowhowimportantthisis-dont

ignorethersttwopointsandorgetthateditorswant

toknowaboutthedestinationandtheexperiencerst.

Iatourcompanyishelpinglocalcommunitieswon-

derul!Itsoktoincludethis,butdontwritetheentire

pressreleaseaboutit.Stayocusedontheexperience

andthedestination.

4.Teycantwriteaboutititheydontknowaboutit.

Dontbearaidtosendeditorsinormationandstory

ideas.Ideally,theseshouldbereviewedbyawriter

withatleastsomeexperienceindratingpressreleases,

butiyoudontsendtheinormationhowaretheygo-

ingtoknowaboutit?

5.argetspecialtypublications.Everyonethinkso

thebigtravelpublicationswhentryingtotargetthe

mediabuttherearehundredsootherpublications

thatarealwayssearchingorstoryideas.Inaproject

inPanamaocusingontheCaminodeCrucestrail

alongthePanamaCanal,someoneontheprojectteam

wroteaullarticleabouttheuseomulesbytheSpan-

iardstohaulgoldalongthetrailandhowvisitorscan

walkthetrialandndmuleootings.Teysubmitted

thearticletoamulemagazineanditwaspublishedin

itsentirety.

6.Presstripswork.Whilesomeothelargerpublica-

tionsdonottakereeorreducedcostpresstrips,many

otherwriterswouldjumpattheopportunitytocovera

storyandexperiencethedestination.Butdontinvite

agroupojournalistsromdierentinterestsonone

grouptour.Teyeachwanttoseedierentthingsand

morethanlikelynoonewillgettoseewhatheorshe

specicallywantstocover.

omHallromLonelyPlanetsLondonofceremarked

thatethicallivingisamajorobsessionintheUK,with

travelbeingoneothestandard-bearersorthemove-

ment.NewspapersliketheGuardianandtheimes

haveweeklytravelsupplements,whichhaveeither

regularcolumnsonthissubjectorseeminglyweekly

specialissues.Whetheritscampingorecolodges,it

seemstheBritishpubliccantgetenoughothissub-

ject.Newspaperswantonethingtosellmorepapers.

So,tomakethiswork,thereneedstobedemandrom

readers.Rememberingwhatthepublicwantstoreadisakeytosuccess.Teaudienceshouldbeconsideredat

alltimes.

RobinGoldbergpointedoutthatanypublication

(whethernewspaper,magazineorguidebook)islooking

topointthetravelertogreattravelexperiences.Iabusi-

ness(ideally,asustainablebusiness...buttrulyanybusi-

ness)wantstogetcoverage,thekeyistooersomething

spectacular,letthemediaknowaboutit,andthendeliver

aboveandbeyondexpectations.

MetildeWendenbaumsuggestedthatwhenpublishing

aguideorsmall-scalesuppliers,itmightbeworth-

whiletolinkupwithmainstreampublishinghouses.

MetildeprovidedanexampleromtheEuropean

CentreorEcoAgroourism,whichpublishedthe

GreenHolidayGuideEuropetogetherwiththe

DutchouringClubANWB.


29/36

SESSIon 5 23

UN-WTO/G.Vereczi

Session 5

orIEntInG vISItorS And IntErPrEtInGtourISM dEStInAtIonS

ORIENTATION

O

rientingvisitorstoadestinationisimportantboth

beoretheyarriveandatertheyhavearrivedon-

site.Orientationincludespracticalitiessuchas

directional,localtransportation,saety,event,andbusiness

inormation(orexample,restaurantlocation,hours,menu,

andpricerange).Orientationcanalsoincludebasicback-

groundinormationthatvisitorsshouldbeawareolocal

customs,responsibleenvironmentalbehavior,basichistory

andgeography,andbestwaystolearnmoreabouttheplace.

Asoneparticipantstated,ravelersexpecttondhelpul

directions.Privateandpublicoperationsunderstandthat

repeatvisitationdependsonmakingagoodrstimpression!

Eectivesignagedemonstratesacommitmenttoimproved

communicationamonglocalsandtravelers.Signage(signs,

posters,bulletinboards,highwaymarkers,andrestaurant

menus,brochureracks)educatesandminimizesconusion.

Whethermaintainingnationalparksorestablishinginorma-

tionkiosksorvisitorcenters,thebestacilitiesareproactive,

keepingtravelinormationup-to-dateandacquiringmateri-

alsromlocalbusinesses.

INTERPRETATION

Everypotentialtourismdestinationhasitsownstoryand

character.Capturing,interpreting,andpresentingthat

storyaretheessenceosustainableplace-basedtour-ism.Itisthisavorthatdenesalocation.Fromproduct

brandingtovisitoropportunities,resourcesandservices,

thisisthegelthatbindstheexperiencetogether.As

such,itselementsandmanymaniestationshaverealeco-

nomicvalue.Tissameinterpretiveeortcanalsoserve

localcommunitiesasaneducationaltool,reinorcing

heritageandsocialnorms.Interpretationisthereorenot

solelyatooltobrandaspecicdestination.Itisalsoan

activitythatcreatestheimagethataspecicterritoryand

communitywilldisseminateamongvisitorsandthatwill

contributetocommunityeducation,prideandsenseo

place.Teimportanceoinvolvinglocalcommunitiesin

buildingtheirimageandinsharingtheirculturewithvisi-

torswasstressedbymanyparticipantsinthee-conerence.

Teimportanceopresentingorcommunicatinglocalcul-

turestovisitorsisavitalaspectotheirexperience.Cultural

exchangesbetweendierentpeoplecansigniyanenrich-ingexperienceorvisitorswhocometobetterunderstand

thehistory,culture,lieways,andnaturalandculturalheri-

tageosites,regions,orcountriesnewtothem.Unlessthe

visitorsareextremelywellinormed,theymaynotbeaware

oalltheopportunitiesavailableorculturalinteractionor

oalltheinterestingaspectsothelocalculture.Visitors

mayalsonotbeawareoculturalnorms.


30/36


Itisimportantthatlocalpeopleorlocalcommunitylead-

ersensurethatadequateeortsaremadetoinormas

manyvisitorsaspossibleaboutlocalcustomsandcultural

values.Sharingknowledgeolocalheritageandcustoms

enrichesvisitorsexperience,andencouragesrightbe-

havior.Teauthenticityothisinormationcreated

bythecommunityorcommunitybenetisnotloston

visitorsanddeepenstheirexperience.

HeritageDesign/USDAForestServiceprovidedtheol-

lowinginterestingexamples.

OntheMicronesianislandoKosrae,asignkioskineach

villageincludescommunityinterpretationoitsown

chiedomormunicipality,includingclanheritage,cus-

tomsandestivals.Tissignisplacedalongsideamap-

basedislandorientationandvisitoropportunitiespanel,

withanotherinterpretingislandecologyandhistory.

InJamaica'sCockpitCountry,buskiosksinmountain

villagescontainsignsbeingdevelopedbythosecom-munities,showcasingwhotheyareandtheirheritage.

AccompanyingsignageaddressesCockpitCountrybio-

logicaldiversityandwhyitisimportanttoprotectit.

VillagesalongtheIditarodrailinAlaskaarepreparing

communityheritagemediabasedoninterviewswith

eldersbyschoolchildren.Inadditiontopreservinglo-

calheritage,thiswillalsobeusedorbrandingeorts

andvisitormaterialsoreachcommunityalongthe

historictransportationroute.

Teroleolocaltouroperatorswasemphasized.JamesDionstatedthatmanyprivatesectortourcompaniesdo

anexcellentjobinprovidinginterpretationandincreat-

ingapositivevisitorexperienceortheirclients.On-site

interpretationatcultural,heritageandnaturalsitesiso-

tenpoorornon-existent.Tisisotenbecausetheagency

ororganizationresponsibleorthestewardshipothe

sitedoesnotconsiderprovidinginterpretationservicesto

visitorstobeaprimaryresponsibility.Sitemanagers,in

act,toootenviewtheirprimaryroleasbeingcustodians

ratherthanserviceproviders.Interpretationthereore

becomesthepreserveoinboundandoutboundtourop-

erators.Forexample,areeandindependenttravelerinPeruvisitingMachuPicchuandLakeiticaca,willnd

virtuallynothingonsiteinterpretationateitherothese

places.However,takingatourwithsomelocallyowned

agenciesbasedoutoCuzcowillenhancevisitsthrough

excellentinterpretationandservicereceived.Tis,atthe

sametime,meanssupportingalocallyownedbusiness

andhelpingtoemploylocalpeople.Tisisawin-win

situationoreveryone.AsSherylFernandostated,agood

touristguideisextremelyimportantinlettingvisitors

eelandexperiencetheplacetheyarevisiting.

Interpretationaims to create in visitors meaning, so

that they can put a place into personal perspective and

identiy with it in a way that is more proound and enduring

than random act-learning can alone produce. Interpretation

is meaning- making(Sam Ham, Manng Makng Th

Pms and Poms o intptaton)

Interpretation s an educational activity which aims to

reveal meanings and relationships through the use o originalobjects, by frsthand experience, or by illustrative media,

rather than simply to communicate actual inormation

(Tldn, intptng Ou Htag)


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SuMMAry 25

Thee-orumandspeakerseriesclearlyestablishedthat

communicationplaysanimportantroleinsustain-

abletourismdevelopment.Participantsromaround

theglobeprovidednumerousexamplesandcasestudies,

sharingexperiencesandlessonslearnedromutilizingcom -

municationmethodologiestoaddressthechallengeso

policydevelopment,communityinvolvement,corporateso-cialresponsibility,linkagestomarkets,andvisitororientation

andinterpretationintourismdevelopmentthatrespectsand

protectsnaturalandculturalheritage.

Discussionsemphasizedthemultipleapproachesthat

communicationcanbringtosuccessulandsustainable

tourismdevelopment.Itcan:

involvestakeholders(includinglocalcommunities)in

decision-making;

acilitatenetworkingandsharingoinormationand

knowledge; catalyzecollaborativeaction;

encourageprivatesectorinvestments;

advocateornecessarypolicychange;

buildskillsandcapacity;

controlexpectations;

supportadoptionostandards;

developdemandorsustainableproducts;

linktourismproductstomarkets;

explainculturalnormstovisitors;

enhancevisitorexperiences;and

scale-upimpacts.

oootenactivitiesinitiatedatthelocallevelhaveailed

becauseconsensushasnotbeendevelopedwithregards

topolicygoalsorproductandprojectmethodology.Te

inclusionocareullythoughtoutmarketingstrategies

hasotenmadethedierencebetweensuccessandailure,

andbetweentopandminordestinations.Teneedor

thoughtullydesignedandcareullyimplementedcom-

municationactivitieshasalsobeenstressedinmanaging

expectationsandosteringpositiverelationsbetweenstate

authoritiesandlocalcommunities.

Moderators,presentersandparticipantsinthee-con-erenceandsubsequentseminarseriesagreedthata

well-designedcommunicationstrategyis essentialto

thesuccessoverallotourismdevelopmentprograms

andactivitiesatbothlocalandnationallevels,and

shouldbeincorporatedintoprojectsromtheoutset.

hestrategyshouldidentiyhowinormationsharing,

awareness-building,advocacy,networking,andcon-

lictmitigationwillbewoventhroughoutalltourism

developmentactivities,andshouldullyintegratethe

artandscienceocommunicationwiththeotherproj-

ecttechnicalskillsneededorplanning,implement-ingandevaluatingprojectactivitiesinthesustainable

tourismsector.

Wehopethatthisworkwillserveasbothinspiration

andguideorcommunicatorsandsustainabletourism

developmentpractitioners,andcanprovideajumping-o

pointtostimulateurtherdiscussionsandcollaboration

betweenthetwodisciplines.

A FInAL SuMMInG uP

cHeM

ONicSiNTerNATiONALiNc/c.PiNz


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PrIMAry rEFErEncES 2

wEBSITES:

UNWOwebsite

http://www.world-tourism.org/

UNWOSDwebsite

http://www.unwto.org/rameset/rame_sustainable.html

UNWOInternationalYearoEcotourismwebsite

http://www.world-tourism.org/sustainable/IYE-Main-

Menu.htm

FIRSWORLDCONFERENCEONOURISM

COMMUNICAIONS

29-30January2004-Madrid,Spain

http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/conerences/

rsttourcom.htm

REGIONALCONFERENCEFORASIAANDHE

PACIFICBICC-OURCOM

20-21May2005-NusaDua,BaliIndonesia

http://www.world-tourism.org/newsroom/conerences/

Bali.htm

USAIDSustainableourism

www.nric.net/tourism.htm

WorldBankDevelopmentCommunicationDivision

www.worldbank.org/developmentcommunications

COMPILATIONS OF GOOD PRACTICES

onourismandPovertyAlleviation

http://www.wtoelibrary.org/rpsv/journal/

publication9284409209_home.htm

inEcotourismSMEs

http://www.wtoelibrary.org/rpsv/journal/publication9284406218_home.htm

...inEcotourism

http://www.wtoelibrary.org/rpsv/journal/

publication9284404789_home.htm

inSustainableourism

http://www.wt

Communication and sustainable tourism

Documents

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