[My blog on TTG website, ttgdigital.com]

One of the most interesting events of WTM for me was the launch by Kuoni of the UK’s first Fair Trade-certified holiday.

Kuoni teamed up with Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA), which has been working to promote the importance of fair trade in tourism for a decade, in order to gain certification of all aspects of the supply chain on a 13-night South Africa package.

While the concept of fairly-traded cocoa or bananas is easy enough to comprehend, fairly-traded tourism is more complicated – which is perhaps why it’s taken until now for it to develop.

I asked FTTSA’s executive director Jennifer Seif what the Fair Trade stamp on Kuoni’s package holiday actually represents. She explained that all accommodation providers on the itinerary have been vetted to ensure their staff are paid a fair wage and have good working conditions, and that their suppliers are paid fairly.

Kuoni’s commitment to the accommodation and local ground-handlers it uses include paying 100% of its bills before a client travels, and paying cancellation fees if forced to cancel a booking. “There’s an unwritten rule that hotels don’t ask for the money, but it can be very hard on small businesses,” said Seif.

While a fair, minimum price can be put on commodities like bananas, Seif said this doesn’t work in tourism, as prices fluctuate so much. ”What we do instead is say you cannot push for a discount, and we demand a transparency so people know who is paying what,” she said.

The £2,995 price tag on Kuoni’s package also includes a $50-$60 ‘premium’ which goes into a separate fund, to be spent on socio-economic projects that benefit those involved in the supply chain. Seif hopes to soon have 20-30 operators like Kuoni bringing 5,000 clients to South Africa on this kind of Fair Trade package each year. “That’s three million rand, or about £250,000, of new money for development,” she says.

She acknowledged clients might not yet look for Fair Trade when booking their holiday. “But when they get there and hear about the Fair Trade ethos and feel good about staying there, that is when they tell their friends and the hotel benefits from word-of-mouth marketing and repeat business,” she explained.

Harriet Lamb, the UK’s executive director of The Fair Trade Foundation, said at the Kuoni/South Africa launch that consumers WILL pay more for fairly-traded holidays. “Of course people want a bargain but if you tell them these bananas -or this package holiday – is cheap because the people behind it aren’t getting a fair deal, people will pay more,” she said.

There’s a lot of cash-strapped UK consumers who right now are understandably reluctant to pay a penny more for a holiday than they absolutely have to.

But when she opened World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday, Harriet Lamb reminded us of how the Archbishop of York described our responsibility to support Fair Trade: “Fair trade is not charity. It’s justice”, he said.

And for the future of destinations like South Africa, where being paid fairly can be the means of a climbing out of poverty, I hope the vision of a global Fair Trade mark for tourism becomes a reality soon.

Federico Solano described a new scheme called Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability, or TOPS, for both local Latin American tourism companies and those sending customers from the UK and other countries.

After bringing together travel companies that have made a commitment to sustainable practices, the Alliance hopes to launch a group-wide marketing campaign, creating one of the world’s first networks of green-certified operators.

Twelve UK holiday companies already have contracts with the Rainforest Alliance in place, committing them to using accommodation and cruise companies that operate in a sustainable way. These include The Adventure Company, Exodus, Explore, Hands Up Holidays and Imaginative Traveller. Federico said UK companies have been among the most supportive of the Alliance’s work, and that he hopes they will all sign up to the TOPS platform.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the new TOPS project progresses, and hope to see lots more of the Rainforest Alliance on the UK travel trade circuit. Perhaps a UK consumer travel show, featuring only Rainforest Alliance partners, could be something for the not-too-distant future…

I got chance to meet a Rainforest Alliance-certified operator just yesterday. Costa Rican Horizontes Tours, which specialises in nature tours, has been working alongside the Rainforest Alliance for several years. Rodolfo Alvarez explained how the company uses certified hotels as much as possible, and how it has introduced volunteering projects, home-stays and tree-planting options to help its customers interact more with nature and with Costa Rica’s people. I won two nights at a Costa Rican yoga retreat so I hope I may get chance to go and explore the country’s wildlife for myself sometime soon!

It has three camps in South Africa, but what makes the camp I visited at Makuleke special is that it’s within a unique part of Kruger that has been given back to the tribe which originally owned the land.

In 1969, the Makuleke people were forcibly removed from the land under the apartheid system, and it was only in 1994 that they made a successful claim to have the land (which by then formed part of Kruger) returned to them. I had the opportunity to visit the Makuleke people in the town just outside the park where they now live, and heard firsthand about the difficult decisions the tribe has had to make, and the challenges it currently faces.

When the land was returned in ‘94, the Makuleke considered selling the land for mining or for cattle-farming, but were thankfully persuaded by Eco Training and NGOs that the land should continue being used for conservation and eco-tourism. Three different safari camps within the Makuleke concession now pay the tribe a rental fee for the land, and also employ local people.

Tribal leaders said that the decision to go with conservation had been the right one, but admitted it has been far from easy.

Lemson Maluleke, operating officer for the Makuleke marketing board, told us that Makuleke’s remote location makes it a difficult sell from a tourism point, and that the three camps are not generating as much revenue as expected. Crucially – the tribe feels it must consider hunting on the land again:

“Initially, after engaging with the concessionaires, we decided that hunting was not compatible with the conservation aims. But we haven’t been able to generate the same revenue, so we do want to explore the issue of hunting again,” he explained.

Since the Mukaleke people have the rights to the land, they are entitled to hunt if they wish, despite it being illegal elsewhere in Kruger National Park. Lemson insisted that the hunting would be done in a sustainable manner, only during certain weeks in certain zones.

But conservationists are concerned that even limited, regulated hunting cannot sit alongside the park’s conservation aims, particularly when Kruger has such a problem with illegal poaching.

On the other hand, with 20,000 mouths to feed, I can well understand the Makuleke’s desire to make best use of the resources available to them. Whether they hunt themselves, or grant hunting permits for controversial biltong-hunting, it would prove very profitable.

Thinking back to the marine reserve I visited in the Caribbean last month, what I found so inspiring about the project in Jamaica was the level of buy-in that the scheme had from the local community. The campaign was led by a local fisherman and had the community’s full support. At Mukaleke, on the other hand, the conservation is driven by outside parties, and I’d question how engaged the community really is.

It’s hard to see how tourism alone will be able to generate the kind of revenue the tribe says it needs, without allowing further camps to be built.

The tribe’s leaders have now begun a study to determine just how feasible it is for them to rely on the income from conservation and ecotourism in future years: I hope the results prove positive enough that the Makuleke can fully commit to conservation for the long-term.

• South Africa Tourism: www.southafrica.net

• Eco Training: www.ecotraining.co.za

More destructive fishing methods and growing unemployment have led to greater and greater pressure upon Jamaica’s fish stocks, and it is now the most over-fished country in the entire Caribbean. In 2009, the Jamaican government agreed to create nine marine sanctuaries around the country, where fishing would be banned so stocks could regenerate.

With the financial support of Virgin Holidays, The Travel Foundation the Sandals Foundation and Bluefields Bay Villas, the Bluefields Bay Fishermen’s Friendly Society has been able to manufacture marker-buoys which will clearly demarcate this 3,000-hectare reserve.

The next step will be to raise the cash for a boat and crew-member to patrol the sanctuary and enforce the no-fishing policy. Luckily, president of the society Wolde Kristos has the support of almost the entire Bluefields fishing community, which means the project is much more likely to succeed than if the sanctuary had been imposed without local support.

Dr Owen Day, of not-for-proft organisation Caribsave, says that a film made  in 2009 has played a key role in educating Jamaican people on and changing their attitudes about the fishing crisis. In Massa God Fish Can Done, the Nature Conservancy took 10 Jamaican fishermen to Belize to show the level of regeneration that has been achieved at Belize’s Hol Chan, which became Belize’s first marine reserve in 1987. You can watch it here:

I already had an understanding of how dynamite fishing, spear-fishing, and use of finer nets can affect fish populations, but I was interested to hear the impact that the fashion for serving fish with heads and tails on can have: “Plate-sized fish are juvenile fish,” says Howard Bromfield of the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. “Snappers that would be 20-inches long are now being caught at 8-inches. That’s still a juvenile. Fishermen are robbing themselves of bigger fish, heavier weight, more money.”

Monitoring

Wolde and Dr Day both insist upon the importance of being able to monitor the sanctuary’s progress over the coming years. “Governments around the Caribbean are starting to realise that sanctuaries are a solution, but we need success stories. Bluefields Bay could be a great success story,” says Owen.

Conservation volunteering bodies like Coral Cay Conservation may come and carry out scuba surveys, but Owen is investigating some exciting video technology being developed by Edinburgh University. The Fish4knowledge programme uses algorithms to log the size and identify the species of fish which swim past the camera lens: far more effective than recording by the naked eye.

The fishermen at Bluefields are also taking a resourceful approach to the lionfish problem, which is acute here as in many other parts of the Caribbean. The invasive lionfish was introduced accidentally in 1992 and is wiping out reef fish throughout the region. At Bluefields, the lionfish are being caught and sold to a local resort to be served as part of an educational dining experience.  “The fishermen get paid for the fish, and to remove the poisonous spines and prepare the fish. Then I give the guests a talk about the lionfish crisis; the guests are always fascinated, and the fish actually tastes quite good,” says Patrick Marti, a Peace Corps volunteer who’s spent two years at Bluefields Bay.

Wolde Kristos’s vision for the sanctuary includes the creation of tourism-related jobs within the sanctuary, such as snorkelling tours, diving, and glass-bottomed boats. He’s even considering an underwater sculpture park, like those that have been so successful in Grenada and Cancun. But in true Wolde style, he plans to put a different spin on the idea by creating a ‘reggae theme park’, with statues of famous faces from Jamaica’s musical heritage. And instead of bringing in an international sculptor, he would look to use local artists and manufacturers – another way of supporting the local community and helping to ensure their support for the marine sanctuary project.

“There are various stakeholders in what we do,” he explains. “Tourism is one stakeholder, the general community is another. We have to find a mechanism for everyone to benefit – but it’s not a dream. We are making it work.”

Primrose Valley is just one of the hotel’s featured on the St Ives tourist board’s new iPhone app. It features nine places to stay, lots of bars and restaurants, things to do and sites of interest, and lots of useful contact details for trains, taxis, boat hire and more – all pinpointed on the an interactive map.

Though the information is not exhaustive – there are lots more restaurants to choose from in St Ives – it is a very handy guide. The app costs £1.19

Read the full piece here

[this blog first appeared on greentraveller ]

Visitors to Cumbria this summer can take part in cycling activities free of charge, thanks to a new Passport 2 Pedalling scheme.

Cumbria Tourism has teamed up with CycleActive, a company in Penrith, to offer training courses and guided bike rides across the Lake District from July to October.

‘Beach biking‘ sessions are taking place on the sand at Allonby, Barrow and St Bees in August with races and challenges: bikes, helmets, limbo bars and see-saws are provided.

Guided cycling rides are taking place on selected dates in July and August, with routes ranging from 9 to 20 miles, and locations including Ullswater, Ennerdale, Coniston and Windermere. Cyclists can take their own bike or hire one free of charge.

Families can learn mountain biking skills and BMX tricks in free 30-minute sessions at events such as Barrow Sports Day and the Cumberland Show, with all bikes provided. A Kids Mountain Biking Academy is also taking place in Whinlatter Forest Park.

All cyclists taking part in Passport 2 Pedalling will receive a goodie bag with cycling routes for families and beginners.

Cumbria Tourism’s Julie Darroch says getting more visitors to use alternative transport to cars is a key priority. “Not only are activities like cycling and walking much better for the environment and for people’s health and wellbeing, they are also one of the best ways to fully appreciate the scenic attractions that we have here, and to reach places and viewpoints that the car simply can not.,” she explains.

At the moment, 84% of Cumbria’s 15.3 million annual visitors arrive by and get around by car but the tourist board is trying to encourage more sustainable transport.

“There are a number of accommodation providers in the area that offer discounts to guests that arrive by public transport or that ‘hang up their car keys’ for the duration of their stay,” says Julie. “And many more have bikes on site that guests can hire, or can arrange for bikes to be delivered to the accommodation in time for their arrival.”

Another initiative in place in the Lake District National Park is the Give The Driver a Break scheme that encourages use of the bus.

Cumbria Tourism is looking to further develop its cycling routes, particularly for families and mountain bikers. Passport 2 Pedalling is part of Cumbria’s bid to become known as the UK’s best adventure holiday destination.

See the GoLakes website for the dates and locations of the activities, and to pre-book.