Responsible tourism in cities goes live in SA

Whole conference broadcast on tv watch now HERE

Much of the global focus on responsible tourism has been on individual products and experiences, or on particular product categories including cultural tourism or nature-based tourism. Far less attention had been paid to the needs and challenges faced by the places (cities and countries) where it is put into practice.

Cities have emerged as important tourism destinations in their own right and function as essential tourism draw cards for nations.

At Indaba this year there was a full conference on responsible tourism in cities – and it can be viewed online now!

Themes were:

• The roles of city governments (local authorities) in responsible tourism: What cities can and cannot do well with regards to tourism, RT, and sustainability. How are city functions linked to responsible tourism (e.g., planning, zoning, health, security, education, etc.)? What levers are available and how can they be used effectively? What kinds of policies can work? How long does it take and how much does it cost?
• Cities, responsible tourism and the marketplace: marketing and selling city-based responsible tourism experiences; how responsible tourism impacts on a destination brand; promoting a “responsible” destination; understanding the responsible tourism consumer in South Africa’s core target markets.
• The business case for responsible tourism: What are the particular financial issues associated with implementing responsible tourism and adhering to responsible tourism management that are faced by the tourism private sector? What is different about being city-based? Are there different cost, risks or opportunities for taking responsible action by operators and facility managers, accommodation and service providers? What real data can we learn from? Do investors, managers, corporates and others view the financials of responsible tourism differently, and if so, how and why? What does it really cost? Does responsible tourism ever pay back in financial terms?
• Effective destination-wide collaboration on responsible tourism: who are the key stakeholders and what are the roles they can play? What structures and mechanisms for collaboration work well? How can communities play a more effective role? How can academic, policy, community and business interests be coordinated in some fashion that manifests in a high trust environment for all?

Speakers incuded:

• Ron Mader, founder and editor of Planeta.com and 2010 and
• Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism
• Pierre Voges, CEO, Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency
• Heidi van der Watt, International Centre for Responsible Tourism South Africa,
• Brett Dungan, CEO, Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA)
• Monique le Roux, director of Andulela Experience
• Peter Myles, former director of Tourism Port Elizabeth
• Doung Jahangeer, architect,
• Paul Miedema, founder of Calabash Tours
• Antje Lenhard, Lecturer: Dept of Tourism Management, Tshwane University of Technology

Watch it all now at:www.justin.tv/respcpt

Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite Special Offer HERE