Back in 1994 Sir Colin Marshall, CEO of British Airways, gave an interesting definition of the Tourism and Travel Industry: ” It is essentially the renting out, for short-term lets, of other people’s environments, whether that is a coastline, a city, a mountain range or a forest. These products must be kept fresh and unsullied, not just for the next day, but for every tomorrow.” Very true words they were and definitely, way ahead of their time.

I am a very privileged person. I have a career which allows me to travel all over the world, and there is very little I have not seen. Yet every time I visit a destination there is still something new to surprise me and create a sense of wonder as to just how beautiful our world is. I guess that I have always been a good traveler. And what do I mean by that? I absolutely love people: I love the differences, the uniqueness, the eccentricity the pure sensual experience of coming ace to face with someone who is different from me, believes different things and can expand my horizons by showing me a new perspective. And I have always been like this ever since childhood. I also love places, history and the wonder of why things are the way they are. But most of all I love trees and rocks. I cannot pass a tree or a rock without touching them hoping that somehow all the wisdom and history they have witnessed over the ages will magically transfer to me through contact!

So I guess that instinctively I have always traveled with respect hoping that what is left when I leave is as clean and perfect as possible so that the next traveler who comes that way may have the same experience as me.

And so I brought this philosophy to my company and to my Professional life as an international meeting planner and speaker. Happily today with Al Gore and others we are finally facing the need to become aware of how much harm we are doing to our environment, how much harm we are inflicting on local populations who grow poorer every day even though we visit them and stay in luxurious hotels while outside the door starving children rustle through the hotel garbage for the food we chose not to eat the night before.

The notion of Responsible Tourism was formulated for the first time in 1999 by the WTO (World Tourism Organization) when they adopted the principles of the “Global Code of Ethics for Tourism”, which promotes Responsible, Sustainable and Equitable Tourism.

They put forward 9 articles; all of them speak for themselves and deserve our attention:

Tourism’s contribution to a mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies

Tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfillment

Tourism, a factor of sustainable development

Tourism, a user of the cultural heritage of mankind and contributor to its enhancement

Tourism, a beneficial activity for host countries and communities

Obligations of stakeholders in tourism development

Right to tourism

Liberty of tourist movements

Rights of workers and entrepreneurs in the tourism industry

When speaking about Responsible Tourism, many different interpretations and definitions can be cited.

Responsible Tourism minimizes the negative economic, environmental and social impacts: it should benefit local people and improve their working conditions also by involving them in the decisions.

Responsible Tourism should definitely contribute to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage and should forge more meaningful connections with the local people.

Last but not least, Responsible Tourism should be culturally sensitive and engender respect. Responsible Tourism has of course many variants such as Eco Tourism, Agro Tourism and Sustainable Tourism.

At CPL Events we started working with Responsible Tourism over 20 years ago. Every event we organize w ego a long way to educate our clients. We take a Corporate Responsibility Oriented approach to forging relations with the communities that live in the host destination. This is particularly the case when the standard of living of the host community is markedly below that of our conference delegates or incentive travel participants. The apparent luxury and extravagance that are evident in some events stand out in stark contrast to the abject poverty and chronically disadvantaged conditions in which the local inhabitants live. We make sure our clients are encouraged to invest time and money in the communities in partnership with charities or non-profit organizations operating in the destination. We include elements in the programs that are designed to make a real difference to the disadvantaged members of the local community. For us this has become a matter of routine. In destinations such as Mozambique, Romania, Cape Verde, the Azores and Brazil we have invited guests and delegates to make a contribution to the local communities through fundraising campaigns and voluntary work. For example, during the free day of the event, delegates are invited to devote their time to helping build a local school, to planting a garden or to raising Money to equip a school gymnasium. And these deeds need not necessarily be confined to the country where the conference is taking place. During a recent congress in Australia, the delegates raised Money to buy books for a school library in the neighboring war-torn country of East Timor. When we took a group of people over to Morocco to plant olive trees for the local community. The meetings with the local people, the positive interaction and the feeling of satisfaction at the end of a job well done opened up a whole new way of looking at the incentive business. Incentives can be so much more than a week in a 5-star hotel on a beach in an idyllic location. Of course those incentives have their place in the market and they definitely will continue being in demand, but times are changing, people are increasingly aware of the need to have not only respect for our planet but even more for the people who inhabit our planet.

It is important to take people away from their cozy daily lives and confront them in a positive way with the needs in other parts of the world.

Responsible tourism does not have to be about hardship in basic accommodation, but it is about visiting people in their own country, city, village and having a positive exchange with them whilst helping to make their lives better. It is about choosing to eat locally produced food, choosing locally owned restaurants, opting to buy only certified local handicrafts and about respecting local customs and local communities.

I guess we can all just travel, play golf, sightsee, go to the spa and then go home…but would that memory just be a little bit sweeter if we knew that we had left a little of ourselves behind and somewhere someone would remember our brief passing through their lives and their city…for the right reasons!

The bottom line: we can ALL make a difference, for ourselves, for our clients but also for the children of the world…our future world!

CASE STUDIES: GREAT EXAMPLES OF TOURISM RESPONSABILITY FROM ROUND THE WORLD

Pledge of a Nation

Morocco has sent a bold message to the world by saying that as a government they are totally committed tot he environment. Morocco believes that pushing for a sustainable agenda is not only good for its population but also for its visitors. The country is reaching out ambitiously to attract tem million visitors by 2010. It aims to do that without causing damage to its culture, social well-being, natural heritage and natural resources. These ideas embrace with equal strength the principles of keeping Morocco’s finest traditions intact. The objectives in building basic infrastructures are to stimulate income-generating activities and Professional training for the locals which will increase quality of life and contribute to excellent tourist experiences. And without causing any damage to the rural landscape and heritage. This is a highly acclaimed example of responsible tourism which other countries are now copying and which UNESCO has complimented. Morocco believes that tourism can promote closer ties, peace and understanding and co-operation to defend ethics, the environment and equality among nations.

Master Stroke

Hotel Punta Islita in Costa Rica has turned responsible tourism into an art form. And some of the results hang majestically on the walls around the world. The initiative is Islita Open Contemporary Art Museum launched in 2003. It’s a collaboration of established national and international artists with local counterparts to produce murals and sculpture using the village in Costa Rica as its canvas. This innovative project is not only a joy to behold but also showcases how creativity is a catalyst for hope, enthusiasm, enterprise, environmental awareness and rich interaction between guests and locals. More than 20 micro businesses have sprung up from this initiative.

Spreading the Light!

Recently a congress held in Cape Verde on Renewable Energies developed an initiative with the local council and donated a percentage of its profits for the purchase of over 20,000 energy saving light bulbs to be donated to the city. This idea became so popular that every event that now takes place carries an initiative which will compensate for the carbon footprint cost of flying to this island destination.

In an upcoming post you can read what Linda recommends about responsible travel, meetings and more.

Linda Pereira is the International Liaison to Women in Ecommerce and the Travel Editor for WE Magazine for Women.  Her company CPL Events is one of the most respected travel, tourism and translation companies in all of Europe.  If you are in Europe or plan to travel to Europe at any point, be sure to visit her website at www.CPLEVENTS.pt and tell her you heard about her company on the WE Magazine website.

Coming off the sea at the end of Brighton Pier, and blasting its way through the air conditioning system of the Horatio Bar, a gale was blowing down the back of my neck.

Despite this, sitting wrapped in my coat as if about to leave, I listened with great interest to the ‘ethical’ businesses who bravely gave their websites up for scrutiny at the ‘Striding Out – Ethical marketing and branding event’ held in Brighton, UK, at the end of February. It was a great event, but I do have a general gripe about these kind of sessions.

As an entrepreneur, I am frustrated by the lack of goody bags at these kind of events. Yes, we get the information and inspiration, but what exactly am I supposed to DO now? What can I take away that allows me to put this new found knowledge straight into action?

I believe one thing is to create an ethical sustainability policy for my business, but what I really want is to walk away from these kind of events with a template for creating my own, with links to appropriate help if I need it (even if that means paying for that help).

I was inspired by Sam Wilson of EcoEvents who has done so much homework in creating ways for events to be more ethically run, but also (and just as importantly) defined systems and mechanisms for measuring the successes and failures, and making the organisers of the events accountable.

And if businesses want to not just be part of the `Green Wash’, they should be accountable, at least to themselves.

What is the point of me creating a sustainability policy if my vision is not balanced by my commitment to achieving deadlines? And buffeted by the realities of every day life, will I not need to make constant revisions for my ethical goals to still be attainable?

I spoke recently with Vania Phitidis, an elected member of the Green Party, who is working with Wealden District Council on awards for `green’ businesses. Vania is keen to give advice and encouragement. Businesses should not be shy to make use of their local green MPs to get feedback and advice.

Getting expert guidance would be even better, but that costs money, and sometimes I think it is good to make the first steps on your own, since it is your own passion and commitment that will lie at the heart of any ‘policy’, and that may need some uninhibited development first.

One of the companies at the Brighton event were Green Rocket (who also trade as Blue Rocket, but their principles don’t change with the colour). Their genuine ethical agenda is refreshing to see in the marketing industry. They have created a succession of articles on how to be an ethical business , and try to set an example for the values they hold dear.

Kim Stoddart, Managing Director and Founder of Hove based ethical media relations consultancy and social enterprise, Green Rocket, was concerned about the environmental impact of her business from day one. As a community interest company with an authentic environmental purpose(75% of the company’s profits are reinvested in green initiatives), Kim felt that the company really had to be green to the core and that meant the first place to start had to be the office.

Prior to launch, an environmental charter was put in place which was designed to reduce the environmental impact of the business’ everyday operations. This looked at every area of the business and just some of the broad range of initiatives put in place included: recycling everything recyclable, including paper, cardboard and plastic waste as well as old computer equipment, mobile phones and furniture.

Choosing suppliers for their green and ethical credentials; such as Good Energy for electricity, Magpie for recycling, the Co-Op for banking and Green Your Office for office supplies and office cleaning. Offices were chosen in a central location, to make it easier for staff to walk, or get public transport to work and to travel to client meetings.

Being an ‘ethical’ business is about more than leaving a reduced carbon footprint. Green Rocket is a social enterprise, but what exactly IS a social enterprise, and how can my business take on some of the same values and practices?

I asked this question of Martin Murphy, who along with Tom Howat runs Network 2012, a website dedicated to promoting the values of social enterprises.

Martin’s explanation was as follows:

“In a small way we are working towards a more inclusive society and a fairer distribution of wealth and that is the driving force behind Network 2012. Working towards a social goal as well as a business goal is in my view what makes a social enterprise. In essence we want a fairer world and see business as the method of providing that fairer world. In our case an online networking business.

“At the moment we have people who we describe as social entrepreneurs out there running social enterprises and working towards a better world. They are not people who take the attitude that we’ll never make a fairer world it’s too big a job they are people with a can do attitude who believe we have to start somewhere.

“I admire every single one of them. They are tired of living in an unfair and out of balance world where we see daily worldwide inequality, extreme poverty alongside fantastic wealth and children dying for lack of food, clean water or medicine and are doing something about it.

“It is the doing something about it through business that makes a social enterprise and if current trends are anything to go by in the future we will be much more of a force to be reckoned with. By all accounts the social economy is growing 10 times faster than the normal economy. Being aware of this fact could be the make or break of any business! ”

I agreed wholeheartedly with Martin, but had to admit:

“Martin, I want to develop a more `ethical’ business, but don’t know what I can do to `make a difference’ right now, whilst struggling to run my small business. I know that with making good `profits’ will come the opportunity to reinvest it and do good, but what can I do now while my business is still growing?”

“I take your point completely. I appreciate that starting and running a small business is difficult I think there are definitely things small businesses can do.

“Check out their suppliers for example. Can they use a business that is a social enterprise/fair trade? Hopefully one that is competitive. Can they employ someone with disabilities, a single parent or long term unemployed?

“The overall advantage and this is something that shouldn’t be lost is that in the long run this kind of thinking may give that company a competitive edge.

“I attended a round table discussion last week with some representatives from large corporations all talking about Corporate Social Responsibility and whereas before the job of leading CSR was one given to someone an employer didn’t really know what to do with now they all have experience in the marketing arms of their respective companies.

“A lot of it is about brand recognition and appealing to a consumer who is becoming more conscious about what products they buy. I also think that in future perhaps the rate of corporation tax may be lower for companies that do something for their communities.

“As I’ve said earlier though Suzy I do think it may be hard to convince someone struggling to get their business off the ground that they can do anything but I’m sure with a bit of thought that they can.”

Suzy Miller currently owns her own company www.certainshops.com, an interactive online directory of vetted professional service providers recently voted by the Independent newspaper as one of the “101 most useful websites that will change your life”. Suzy has also created a blog to help the technically nervous join in with social networking online at www.bloggingforblondes.com

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.

It was forever slow in coming but it’s a hurdle we have made~

This is the starting point that can change years of wrongs and start a nation on the road to better health.

Thanks to Mike Adams at Natural News for his ever and unwavering dedication to stand-up for what is right by exposing what is wrong…Mike must be dancing in the street! http://www.naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) When a government panel of experts finds the courage to tell the truth about cancer, it’s an event so rare that it becomes newsworthy. Late last week, a report from the President’s Cancer Panel (PCP) broke ranks with the sick-care cancer establishment and dared to say something that natural health advocates have been warning about for decades: That Americans are “bombarded” with cancer-causing chemicals and radiation, and if we hope to reduce cancer rates, we must eliminate cancer-causing chemicals in foods, medicines, personal care products and our work and home environments.

In a directive to President Obama, the report states, “The panel urges you most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase healthcare costs, cripple our nation’s productivity, and devastate American lives.”

Please…read the full report and share with us and everyone you know …this awesome news.

http://www.naturalnews.com/028765_environmental_chemicals_cancer.html

A Mighty May indeed~

PS: I am happy to say when the Health Care reform bill was being tossed about…I sent a letter to our president suggesting this same action…instead of spending untold sums of money on “health care”…consider putting that money and that energy into cleaning up our food sources…we would then have much less need for health care at the critical stages we now have.

With a previous career in real estate, 25 and single, Jessica hung up her suit, put away her heels, and rolled up her sleeves to drive the creation of the first EcoMaids Green Cleaning service in Albany, New York.

Start-ups always involve risk. But, Jessica loved the idea of bringing to life to the EcoMaids concept. Paying attention to every detail, Jessica worked in the office, while continuing to clean homes, to build an operational model that would serve as the foundation for the green franchise they would begin offering one year later.

“The national maid service concept is tried and true,” says Jessica, “we set our sights and are proud to become the first 100% eco-friendly, all-green cleaning service in the United States”. EcoMaids offers the same services most maid and house cleaners do. They have simply replaced all those smelly cleaners with green products and cleaning tools. They must believe in what they are doing, because they offer a Satisfaction Guarantee, which tells you a lot about their commitment to their customers.

“Saving the Planet One Spotless Home at a Time” SM is EcoMaids’ slogan. Granted, being green has become very chic and many businesses are quick to embrace the green label. However when you scratch below the service, few businesses that claim to be green are likely to run their businesses with such attention to the environment as EcoMaids does. The EcoMaids franchise model requires green business practices, including choice of office supplies, to transform the corporate philosophy into a way of doing business.

“Every day is Earth Day at EcoMaids.” says Jessica. “Earth Day is special to us because it reminds us how important little changes in our daily lives can make a big impact on our environment. Our cleaning methods, solutions, business practices and overall philosophy are designed to offer people safe alternatives to the harsh chemicals and tools they might typically use in their homes or businesses.”

EcoMaids cleaning services replace household and commercial cleaning products, with their own line of naturally-derived, Green Seal® certified cleaning products, making cleaning much safer for the people, pets and the planet. The replacement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners is especially important to those with infants that crawl on the floors, pets, and family members or employees with respiratory or dermatological ailments.

Green Cleaning has proven to be more than a fad. EcoMaids opened their first 5 independently owned franchise locations in September 2009. They have opened 17 franchises over the past 8 months, putting them on track to welcome around 50 cities into the EcoMaids service area by the end of 2010. A list of cities where EcoMaids currently operate, and plan to be, is available on their website.

You can learn more by visiting the EcoMaids website: http://www.ecomaids.com

I believe that every human being is ultimately responsible for his or her own actions. Therefore, as individuals and as citizens, we should endeavor to make choices that are wise, healthy, informed and responsible. We should know that our choices matter greatly to others, both in the present time and in future times, and act accordingly.

We should honor the past but avoid repeating the mistakes of history. We should celebrate the present with a sense of perspective and gratitude. Above all else we should take action today that will work to create a better future for us all.

There is so much more to “green” than so many seem to believe, it is not the best word for the movement but it is here and the need for education on the meaning is needed and a must if it is to take root and become a lasting and successful change.

Education isn’t hard to come by…just google “green” and you’ll get enough starters to cover all your questions.
One of my all time favorite places to go for quality information is “National Geographic”….I never doubt the information or the sources.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Do you know….
US consumers use an estimated 100 billion plastic shopping bags per year – 99% of which are never recycled.
Worldwide, between 500 billion and one trillion plastic bags are consumed each year.

In 1986, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked the 20 chemicals whose production generates the most hazardous waste.

Five of the top six were chemicals commonly used by the plastic industry.

Paper bags are recycled at a higher rate than plastic, but at the expense of our most valuable and dwindling resource – trees. (EPA)

Plastic bags are dangerous to marine and terrestrial animals, pollute the landscape, and take between 20 and 1,000 years to fully break down. (Nolan-ITU Report)

Cities estimate the costs of plastic bag cleanup and recycling to be millions of dollars each year. (San Francisco – $8.5M per year)

Reducing your speed to 55 mph from 70 mph could increase your fuel efficiency by 23 percent…( this I know for fact )

Using moisturizers and lotions made from natural plant-based (rather than petroleum-based) ingredients is not only healthier for you, but it keeps non-renewable resources out of your medicine cabinet.

Greening our home and business can make a wonderful family project.

In a time when jobs, money, and financial security is on the minds of the majority, it seems the perfect time to set new practices into motion that will over time become habit and in turn will be profitable, both for personal and for business .

A few simple things we can all do to make a difference in the now and train a generation of children to start with better ideas.

A major good thing…recycle, recycle, recycle.

Eliminate as many disposable products as possible from home and your business.

Reduce paper use by considering a two sided printer…Brother has the MFC-9840 that works beautifully.
Install time and motion sensors–it’s amazing how much energy is wasted on appliances and gadgets that are left plugged in/or on when not in use.

Yard and security lights that come on and go off at a set time can be a super energy saver.

And, the really easy one…turn off the lights when leaving a room., it’s just a matter of flipping the switch.
Now, if we consider how much is wasted and how much can be saved by using some simple and easy to do practices in our homes and small businesses…just think how much is at stake when talking about big companies and large cooperations.

Now is the time to take stock, pay attention to who we do business with and what their practices are. Ask if it isn’t obvious, suggest if needed.

Make choices and changes if the option is available and warrented.

Make this the year for “Green Education and Implementation”

Bea Kunz
Sage Hill Farms

Spring is in the air and the wedding bells will soon start to ring.

I’m seeing a trend of back to simpler in many celebration layouts.

Weddings are the perfect time to think “greening” what could be beautiful or romantic than a wedding in a spring or summer garden. Lavender in bloom and butterflies flitting all around .

Think natural beauty, ( and save a bundle on flowers )

Check your local area for farms with beautiful gardens, many are willing and set up to accommodate.

Happy Spring~Embrace it.

Bea Kunz, Sage Hill Farms www.SageHillFarmsandVintagestore.com

February is my month for reflection, weeding out, implementing, and re-focusing on all things that are important to me , my family, and my responsibility for the leg of a journey assigned to me.

Green is everywhere, and that is a good thing for sure, except, for those who can and are duped into buying into green promises that serve only someones bottom line.

When we look at a company and think WOW…they are really putting out green goods, or green information, take a closer look and follow the paper trail of what they promise, where they have been, what they left in their wake and how much of that is tied to companies who don’t have a green agenda.

Granted, we can’t all change all things over-night, what we can do is take time to reflect on the past year of what our focus was and see how much of that has our real passion worked into it.

Look at all the important topics that fill your day, are there one or more that just gets you steaming to make a difference, to have an imput, to take up and never let go.

You can weave that into a dream, from the dream you can find the passion to focus, from the focus you can make a difference.

My passion is a healthier food system with choices made by the individual as to what is and isn’t safe for our dinner table.

If I can help you find your passion, this would give me great pleasure.

I’m only a email away~

” I Have A Dream.”….now is that passion or what ?

Simple & Sustainable Holiday Gift Ideas

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, Americans throw away about 25% more trash, on average, compared to any other time of the year.  Thats about 25 million tons of trash over the Holidays above and beyond what we already throw away.  Unfortunately most traditional gift-wrap is not recyclable due to the high metallic and dye content and most tissue paper is also not recyclable due to the short fibers. 

During the holiday season, consider giving gifts, which are both environmentally friendly and creative.  For example, consider the gift of an experience.  An experience creates a memory, which lasts a lifetime and does not create more clutter in your home or create more trash.

Gifts of Experience
 Tickets to a play, concert or movie
 Gift Certificate for a Massage or other Spa Service
 Professional Lessons for Dance, Music, Singing, or the Arts
 A Professional Service such as a session with a Professional Organizer or a Feng Shui Consultant
 Gift certificate towards Travel

For smaller gifts, consider disappearing, or consumable gifts such as coffee, baked goods or flowers.  You could pair some fair trade organic coffee with some biscotti and chocolates.  To save time and money I recommend choosing one theme, such as coffee, and giving that same gift to several people.  One year, I gave cashmere socks made of recycled cashmere sweaters to several family members.  I simply tied a red bow around each pair of socks.  Some of my family members still remark Remember the year that Heidi gave us all luxurious cashmere socks?   No one seemed to mind that their gift was not unique to them.  Purchasing 10 of the same gift simplifies gift buying and often times, saves you money. 

Once you select the perfect gift, consider your wrapping options.  Your gifts don’t need to be wrapped in several layers of tissue, boxes, paper, and bows.   Consider the following wrapping options:

 Children’s Art Work, Old Maps or Newspaper as Wrapping Paper
 Pinecones, Dried flowers, Buttons or Beads as Embellishments
 Make the Wrapping part of the gift such as Cookies in a Jar

As another wrapping option, consider not wrapping.  In her book, Simple Living, author Sister Josi Hobday describes a Native American tradition of giving unwrapped gifts.  According to Native American tradition, wrapped gifts are shrouded in secrecy, while unwrapped gifts provide a “flesh-to-flesh” connection and a sense of unity between giver and receiver.

Whatever you choose to give this year, remember the 3 R’s: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.  Putting thought, creativity and love into your gifts is more important than how much you spend or how many layers of wrapping you use.  As they say, good things come in small packages. Add to that, and “less packaging”.

Give a little bit, give a little bit of your love to me. – Supertramp

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.  Churchill

By incorporating responsibility into the fiber of a company, making it a day in and day out way of operation the fall-out is bringing attention to customers who have and those who don’t, the desire to be a part of the building movement for a better planet.

By practicing sustainability, social responsibility, and accepting professional accountability, it builds a system that has power to impact.

Sustainability is a work in progress, it’s seeking ways and putting into place changes that evolve over time into a more solid and useful product.

First do no harm, things that come after will be better, last longer, and provide a blueprint for future artist.

Bea Kunz
Sage Hill Farms
http://www.sagehillfarmsandvintagestore.com

In this short video Kristin Arnold shows us how we can harness energy from the sun without spending a fortune.

If you are looking for ways to tap into solar power but don’t have $50,000 to invest you are not alone. Harnessing the power of the sun can be expensive, especially when your goal is to turn your home or office into a self-sustaining energy producer instead of user.

Also here are a few Solar Energy ebooks you can download for free:

Solar Energy the Big Picture  http://solartradingpost.com/Solar-Energy-Big-Picture.pdf  

Solar Energy, 10 Main Questions http://solartradingpost.com/Solar-Energy-10-Questions.pdf  

Brighter Energy Solutions – Alternative Energy to Fuel Your Pocket http://solreka.com/media/Solar%20Energy%20Guide%20ebook.pdf