This information is quoted from Green World. The Green World Campaign is adopting new programs from Kenya, Mexico, Ethiopia, India and Philippines read more on the here

The article is uploaded by Majbritt Thomsen, administrator on ‘Views On Tourism’. Please join the online Views On Tourism network and discussion group in order to achieve personal goals as well as encourage a sustainable tourism development in Bangladesh and South Asia. Read more about this group and how to become a member here.

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The increased desire for an ethical holiday, to give something back as well as to experience the real culture of the countries we visit has led to a burgeoning market for volunteer tourism. A 2008 study by Tourism and Research Marketing, which surveyed 300 organisations, estimated the market size to be 1.6 million volunteer tourists per year and put the value of the market at around £1.3 billion.

Often called “voluntourism”, this amalgamation of volunteering and travel has created a significant amount of debate but continues to grow unabated. The main issues arising from this sector include whether there is a need for the volunteer and the legitimacy of the projects they do; whether the volunteer brings the necessary skills to the project; whether they are displacing paid workers; are they a drain on local resources; the cost of the project and where the money goes; whether volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults should have background checks; how well prepared and briefed are volunteers for this kind of experience and the cultural sensitivities of volunteering in developing countries.

There are many stories of volunteers arriving at projects only to find there is little for them to do, no logistical support on the ground or they are unprepared or unskilled for the experience. The growth of the market and positioning within the mainstream travel sector will continue to raise and address these kind of issues. This could ultimately lead to a better experience for volunteers and increased benefit to the local communities they visit, with movement towards regulation of the industry.

The sheer choice of volunteering projects now available can also make it difficult to identify the right volunteer experience. A search on the responsibletravel.com website for “volunteer travel” brings up 377 results, including conservation projects, teaching and working with children and community based projects in developing countries.

There is some good advice available, for example the ethical volunteering guide by Dr Kate Simpson, which advises volunteers on choosing the right organisation, considering their own motivations for volunteering and what questions to ask. The Irish development organisation Comhlmh has developed a Volunteer Charter setting out seven principles for responsible volunteering and a website, Volunteering Options, to advise prospective volunteers on choosing a placement.

The best way to identify worthwhile projects is to do some research into the organisation. The first question to ask is for a breakdown of the cost of the project and how much goes to the host community. An organisation should be able to easily provide this information. The next thing to check is how the project was developed and understand why there is a need for a volunteer, the skills required and what volunteers will be doing. Another key thing to check is what level of preparation and support are offered by the organisation, both before and during the project. Speaking to a previous volunteer or searching for reviews online can help to separate the good from the bad.

There are at least 100 UK-based organisations operating volunteering projects overseas, some of which are not-for-profits or NGOs and others commercial profit-making companies. These include companies like i-to-i, Inspired Breaks (formerly Gap Year for Grown Ups) and Real Gap Experience, all part of the TUI group. They offer a mixture of volunteering projects, work abroad and adventure tours, primarily aimed at the gap year and career break market, however they also have two week holiday options. Their volunteer projects include conservation work, teaching, caring for children and volunteering in orphanages, sports coaching, building projects and medical volunteering. Inspired Breaks also offer family volunteering holidays, for example a trip to Swaziland to help care for vulnerable and orphaned children. The Adventure Company are also offering family “Hands On Adventures” which include wildlife conservation and community projects.

The acquisition of these companies by TUI demonstrates the multi-million pound value of the volunteering and gap year market. One of the main criticisms of volunteering projects offered by commercial organisations is that the company’s main interest is in profit rather than development. Projects are developed based on what the customer wants to do, what is marketable, rather than the needs of local communities. Some companies will send volunteers to do the same project repeatedly, with little benefit to the host community. The other concerns about the commercial organisations are that they don’t match volunteers to suitable placements or interview prospective volunteers to assess their suitability for projects and they offer minimal preparation or training.

Two organisations which stand out for their responsible credentials are Global Vision International (GVI) and people and places. GVI won the 2011 Responsible Tourism Award for best volunteering organisation and were praised for the scale of their impact on the ground. They operate long term, sustainable projects in 25 countries focusing on environmental research, conservation, education and community development. Projects are developed for the benefit of both the volunteer and local communities.

people and places, who also won the best volunteering organisation award in 2009, emphasise their commitment to both volunteers and communities and matching the right volunteer to the right placement. Their organisation was conceived out of concern over the “chasm between marketing and reality in a significant number of volunteer offers”. They work with local partners and develop volunteer placements based on their needs. This is very much the model used by international development volunteering organisations like VSO and 2Way Development. They provide detail about the project and local partner and are transparent about how the volunteer’s payment is spent. They are now working with companies like Tribes and ITC Classics to provide their volunteering trips.

What is particularly interesting is that people and places emphasise on their website that these kind of volunteering projects are not holidays – “Volunteering responsibly cannot and should not replace the traditional holiday. It will be emotionally exhausting and mentally challenging”.

So is the volunteer travel market growing? The number of organisations and projects available would indicate that it is. Despite the recession, there seems to be a demand for this sort of travel. The current job market and wave of redundancies could be seen as an opportunity to take time out and travel or volunteer, gain new skills and experience to add to CVs. The high cost of many of the projects could be the main barrier for growth in this market, only affordable to the more affluent. But with the rise of the career breaker and the growing conscience of mainstream tourism, perhaps 2012 really is the year of the volunteer tourist?

Sustainable Tourism Report Suite more info : HERE

This article is written by Natasha Stein, natashakstein@gmail.com has worked for VSO, Earthwatch and Thomson Holidays and specialises in best practice in overseas volunteering programmes and identifying the right placements for volunteers. Natasha developed an interest in responsible tourism whilst working at Thomson Holidays as a Product Manager for long-haul destinations. After 6 years with VSO’s volunteering team, she decided to combine her experience in tour operations and international development and pursue a career in responsible travel. She is currently studying for a Masters in Responsible Tourism Management at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism.
The article is quoted from TravelMole and published January 2012.

This article is uploaded by Majbritt Thomsen, administrator on ‘Views On Tourism’.

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This article is quoted from EcoClub Newsletter . Follow this link to read the original article published on 2011-11-27 by Megan Epler Wood.

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The Views On Tourism Project celebrate 3 year anniversary, 300.000 blog visitors and 750 group members. Uniting the right people generates the resources, knowledge and visions to encourage a positive local tourism development in Bangladesh and South Asia.

This project started in 2008 as a Danish expat volunteer initiative in Bangladesh to support the emerging sustainable awareness. The blog provides knowledge and inspiration to the Bangladeshi tourism sector, nearby South Asian countries, developing countries or destinations facing similar challenges. The network group makes an online communication platform for the sustainable tourism stakeholders related to Bangladesh and South Asia.

I welcome you to use the Views On Tourism Project to increase knowledge, share best practice, spread information, make comments, announce events, start discussions, network and cooperate.

Furthermore I encourage you to please support a fantastic project, which is fighting poverty through positive tourism development.
Crowdsourced Travel Bangladesh is a community-powered collective that provides information, marketing and travel media services to ‘unusual’ destinations often overlooked by the world travel community.
Your donation will make a difference.

I wish you a happy and sustainable new year in 2012.

Yours faithfully Majbritt Thomsen, initiator the Views On Tourism Project

For further information please follow these links:
Views On Tourism – Knowledge and Inspiration Blog.
Views On Tourism – Network and Discussion Group.
Crowdsourced Travel Bangladesh – Campaign in Progress.

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A video script for this presentation is here. I’d be glad if the audience out there had feedback on this presentation and whether I’ve missed anything crucial to unlocking Bangladeshi tourism prospects. I plan to make a Youtube video with this prezi tomorrow, so it would be great to hear reactions or feedback before going to voice!

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Hi everyone,

I hope you are all well where ever you may be and your work/personal projects are going well.

I wanted to let you know that I’m finally back in Bangladesh for the next six weeks. I’ve been in touch with all of you at various points regarding the update of the Bradt guide, but to be honest I haven’t managed to find enough personal time to keep everything and everyone coordinated. My sincere apologies for talking big and not following through.

The good news: I’m now back again giving Bangladesh my full and almost undivided attention. We’ve got a deadline to make (Jan 15), and a lot of work to do. And I cannot do it alone.

After many years of pondering the poverty problem, I’ve concluded that tourism is one of the best vehicles for developing new economic opportunities for Bangladesh. Tourism could provide massive economic opportunities for this country and I will no longer wait for the government or the tourism industry to reach the foreign audience. I’m taking matters into my own hands – and I am asking others to help me achieve this by volunteering (that’s you) or by seeding this business via the social business crowdfunding platform Start Some Good . Here is how to donate to Crowdsourced Travel .

Using social media and my video camera, I’m going to start shouting from the rice paddies that Bangladesh is now open to adventurous, socially-aware travellers. Bangladeshi people deserve to participate in tourism, a significant vehicle of economic empowerment, and I’ve now devoted several years of my life to sharing this important story with the world.

The purpose of my trip back is to achieve the following:
1. Consolidate a team of volunteers and tour operators who can help update the Bradt guide for a 15 Jan deadline and source new photographs for the guide.
2. Launch a crowdfunding campaign that will help start Crowdsourced Travel, a new social tourism venture. Begin creating its first products.
3. Tell the story of the country’s best social tourism operators and their products.

How can you help me?
1. Join Us: Stay informed by ‘liking’ our Facebook page or signing up on the newsletter .
2. Write: Publish your travel intelligence to the Wikitravel guide to Bangladesh or on Tripadvisor , sites that we plan to use as the info repositories for the travel community instead. If you have an iPhone or an Android phone you can publish directly to Wikitravel using the iTravelFree app. Those who take up larger roles in the project might get a free tour with an operator for research purposes!
3. Photograph: We need your best travel photography for the Bradt guide and for “Positive Light,” a new coffee table photography book I will publish if venture funding is successful. More news coming on this soon. Launch and exhibition event happening 27 October at the BAGHA club in Dhaka.
4. Spread the word: Forward this message!! Let your friends and contacts know that you are thinking of contributing to Bangladesh: The Bradt Travel Guide and Crowdsourced Travel, and that we are raising money to start a social tourism business. They can join us at Facebook or sign up for the newsletter at the Crowdsourced Travel website. We will be launching the crowdfunding campaign next week.
5. Come to the launch event: On 27 October, I am holding a photo exhibition at the BAGHA Club in Dhaka to launch this event, and if you can join us in celebrating the best of Bangladesh I would love to meet you or see you again.

Thank you for expressing your interest in this project. I’d be honoured if you continue to support this work in any way you can. You can reach me in Bangladesh at 01721 720 530.

Best regards,
-Mikey Leung, Author
Bangladesh: The Bradt Travel Guide
mikey@crowdsourced.travel
Bangladesh Traveller
Crowdsourced Travel

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Series:Breakfast Seminar #62
Author(s):Kristin Lamoureux,Amanda MacArthur
Organization:VEGA/SAVE Travel Alliance, VEGA/CDC Development Solutions
Institution:United States Agency for International Development
Date Published:September 30, 2011

This presentation discusses best practices in tourism management, introduces a conceptual framework for tourism projects, and a framework for interventions in tourism developed by the Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA). These tools aim to provide the development community with systemic supply chain approaches to assessing, developing and implementing tourism projects to maximize positive impacts.

This article is quoted from Microlinks , go to the original article and download the Breakfast Seminar 62 Presentation here held on the 30th of September 2011.

The article is uploaded by Majbritt Thomsen, administrator on ‘Views On Tourism’. Please join the online Views On Tourism network and discussion group in order to achieve personal goals as well as encourage a sustainable tourism development in Bangladesh and South Asia. Read more about this group and how to become a member here.

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Peace is more than the absence of war. It lies in the dignity of every woman and man. It is the tie that binds societies together in harmony with our environment. It is the foundation of legitimate states and the basis for stable international relations.
This vision created the United Nations. It is the goal that leads all of UNESCO’s activities.

The 2011 International Peace Day is a chance to consider the stakes of peace in a world moving more quickly every day.
People are more connected today than ever before. Information and communication technologies are opening new worlds for expression and action. Social media are creating new platforms for participation and democracy. At the same time, women and men across the world struggle still against the terrors of violence and conflict. A global economic crisis is hitting hard, leaving millions to suffer the deprivations of poverty and marginalisation.

In turbulent times, we must remain true to the core values of peace. Peace starts with justice and dignity for every woman and man. It begins with the ability of each of us, across the world, to imagine a better world and work to create it. It is embodied in the humanist ambitions of the Millennium Development Goals.

UNESCO’s 1945 Constitution states “if wars start in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Young minds are some of the most powerful defences of peace.

Young women and men are changing the world already every day. Their struggle for dignity, rights and justice has led them this year to take to the streets, to mobilize campaigns and to build movements for peaceful change. New horizons for human dignity are opening.

In this International Youth Year, we salute these peaceful aspirations and we must rise to the expectations that drive them. We must engage with the ideas of young women and men and ensure their rightful place in all societies. Their voices must be heard and, more importantly, listened to.

UNESCO works every day to support young people in bolstering democratic values and institutions, based on justice, equality, and respect for human rights. We act to strengthen a culture of peace and non-violence through intercultural and interfaith dialogue, and by fostering mutual understanding and promoting reconciliation. We seek to empower young people with new skills to speak out and opportunities to act for peaceful change.

These are the goals of the Youth Forum that UNESCO will hold in Paris on 17-20 October on the theme of “How Youth Drive Change.” With participants from across the world and moderated by the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Forest Whitaker, the Forum will provide a global platform for crafting new approaches to reconciliation and conflict resolution.

Young women and men are torch-bearers for a more peaceful world. We must support their aspirations, we must listen to their views and we must act on their dreams. This is our message for the 2011 International Peace Day.
21.09.2011

Source: UNESCOPRESS

This article is quoted from UNESCO . Read the original article .

The article is uploaded by Majbritt Thomsen, administrator on ‘Views On Tourism’.

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WWF-Nepal reached its target of planting 108,000 trees within 2011 as part of a key project to plant a million trees in Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounding areas over a period of 10 years.

Organized by WWF-Nepal and partner organization Lumbini Development Trust, the event brought together over 300 people from different sectors of society.

Speaking at the event, Mr Santosh Nepal, Director for Policy & Support at WWF-Nepal, said that Lumbini was regarded as the soul of the Terai Arc given the striking congruence between Buddhist philosophy and WWF’s conservation principles in the Terai Arc Landscape – interdependence and interconnectedness.

“The key objective of the Terai Arc Landscape program is to build connectivity across the landscape to facilitate wildlife movement while promoting harmony between humans, wildlife and nature”, said Mr Nepal.

A legacy for future generations
Acharya Karma Sangpo Sherpa, Vice Chairperson of Lumbini Development Trust, stated that Lumbini is an important carbon sink and the plan to plant a million trees in the sacred site is an attempt towards building greater adaptive capacity to the effects of climate change in Nepal. “I am happy to see a lot of children participating in this event; these trees are a legacy we leave for them and for future generations”, he said.

WWF-Nepal joined hands with Lumbini Development Trust in September 2010 as part of WWF’s global efforts to work with faith groups to further the cause of nature conservation. This partnership is aimed at promoting responsible tourism and environmental practices in the sacred site of Lumbini.

As part of the planting, trees which were considered to have existed in Lord Buddha’s era such as Ashoka, Sal, Pipal and Kadam will be planted in an effort to conserve the religious and ecological heritage of Lumbini.

Terai Arc Landscape
Covering 14 protected areas in India and Nepal, the Terai Arc Landscape is home to endangered tigers, elephants and vulnerable rhinos. It is one of the few places where these three large threatened animals coexist.

The plains of the Terai have seen an immense change during the past 50 years. Today, the area faces many challenges affecting people and wildlife alike including deforestation, poaching and pollution of rivers.
WWF-Nepal is part of the Terai Arc Landscape Project which has helped thousands of rural poor to improve their lives in sustainable ways and generated a tremendous support for conservation.
This article is quoted from WWF , read the original article here posted on the 13th of September 2011.

The article is uploaded by Majbritt Thomsen, administrator on ‘Views On Tourism’. Please join the online Views On Tourism network and discussion group in order to achieve personal goals as well as encourage a sustainable tourism development in Bangladesh and South Asia. Read more about this group and how to become a member here.

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The positive momentum of the previous months held strong for Southeast Asia, which led the region with 15.5% growth during the month of June. The rebound in arrivals to Thailand (+54%) positively impacted this overall result, strongly supported by the other reporting destinations in this sub-region all of which enjoyed double-digit growth. This in turn was supported by strong travel demand within ASEAN and an increase in arrivals from China.

International arrivals growth to South Asia was a robust 12% in June, boosted by double-digit increases in inbound numbers to Nepal (+38%), the Maldives (+27%) and Sri Lanka (+20%). India maintained the same pace of growth seen in the previous month at 7%. European arrivals are amongst the main contributors to this growth.

Northeast Asia saw an improvement after posting slow growth of 0.6% in May, with a 3.7% increase in arrivals for June 2011. This growth, however, was very unevenly distributed among destinations in the sub-region. Tourism demand to Japan continued to recover, reducing losses in inbound arrivals from -63% in April to -50% in May and -36% in June. Chinese Taipei (-2%) and China (+1%) registered weak results while Hong Kong SAR (+16%), Macau SAR (+15%) and Korea (ROK) (+11%) enjoyed buoyant growth for the month, supported by the key origin market of China.

It should be remembered that even though the percentage growth rate may be relatively weaker than for other sub-regions, the sheer volume of arrivals to Northeast Asia means that 3.7% growth directly translates into more than 600,000 additional arrivals for the month.

International Arrivals to the Pacific recorded an aggregate decline of 4% in June. The main destinations of Australia (-4%) and New Zealand (-10%) showed significant decreases compared to the corresponding period last year. This downturn was caused – in part at least – by the ash cloud disruption to air travel from the Chilean volcano together with the continued effects of the earthquake in Christchurch. Nevertheless, some Pacific Island nations still managed to show positive growth, especially Palau (+63%), Vanuatu (+27%), Tahiti (+19%), Papua New Guinea (+16%), New Caledonia (+11%) and Cook Island (+8%).

January to June 2011
Of the 31 destinations reporting half-year arrivals (January to June 2011), 26 indicted positive growth, with 14 showing double-digit gains. Clear growth leaders over this period were Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand with gains of 37%, 29% and 28% respectively (January to June, year-on-year).

Collectively, these 31 destinations generated growth of 5.3% for the Asia/Pacific region during the first half of 2011. Even with the loss of almost 1.4 million arrivals to Japan, this cluster of destinations collectively not only countered that contraction but managed to add enough additional arrivals to the collective count to post a year-on-year gain of more than eight million international arrivals.

Kris Lim, Director of PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre, said: “The first-half year growth of around 5%, given the challenges the industry has faced so far this year underlines the resilience of travel and tourism in the Asia/Pacific region. The comparatively weaker economies of the USA and Europe mean that much of this growth has had to come from intra-regional travel and this in turn has only been possible because of the stronger regional economies and the continued expansion of airline seat capacity within the region.”

Lim added that at the current rate of growth, overall arrivals to the region will push to the 433 million mark by the end of the year, up from 408 million last year. The majority of the Asia/Pacific destinations will once again look at record numbers of arrivals, led by South Asia and Southeast Asia destinations in terms of percentage growth.

“While European arrivals remain key to South Asia’s growth, Southeast Asia will be driven by the rapidly growing China and India outbound markets while Northeast Asia is expected to see strong gains in arrivals from Southeast Asia driven by the steadily growing LCC network,” said Lim.

1)Asia/Pacific is defined as including the following sub-regions for the purposes of press releases:

For more market trends and insights, please visit www.pata.org/sub-regional-trends-2011

-ENDS-

Issued by:PATA Communications,
Bangkok, Thailand.
Tel: +66 2 658 2000
E-mail: communications@PATA.org
Online newsroom: www.pata.org/Press
Follow PATA on Twitter and Facebook

About PATA
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism within the Asia Pacific region. This year, PATA is proud to celebrate 60 dynamic years of developing responsible tourism.

In partnership with private and public sector members, PATA enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to-from-and-within, the region. The Association provides leadership and counsel on an individual and collective basis to over 80 government, state and city tourism bodies; nearly 50 international airlines, airports and cruise lines and many hundreds of travel industry companies across the Asia Pacific region and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to 39 active PATA chapters worldwide and participate in a wide range of PATA and industry events. PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) offers unrivalled data and insights including Asia Pacific inbound and outbound statistics, analyses and forecasts as well as in-depth reports on strategic tourism markets. For more information, please visit www.PATA.org

This article is quoted from the newsletter PATAnews from PATA . Follow the green link to read the original article published on 2011.08.31.

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