The name doesn’t remain the same

eading Tourism Think Tank Changes Name
But Mission Remains the Same

Washington, DC , March 11, 2009: The Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) announced today its new name, Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and a new web address, www.responsibletravel.org.
 
“This new name better describes our mission to ‘transform the way the world travels.’ We are involved in projects covering all sectors of the tourism industry, not just ecotourism,” explains Center co-founder and Co-Director, Dr. Martha Honey who heads the Washington, DC office. “And besides,” she adds, “our old name was hard to remember and a mouthful to say.”
 
The Center for Responsible Travel is an international nonprofit institute affiliated with Stanford University and headquartered in Washington, DC. It conducts policy-oriented research, programs, and field projects designed to minimize the negative impacts of tourism and maximize the positive contributions to host destinations and conservation.
 
“Our name change also reflects growing reforms across all sectors of tourism. Over the past three decades, ecotourism charted a path of principles and practices for sustainable development,” explains Dr. William H. Durham, the Center’s other co-founder and Co-Director. Durham is a professor of anthropology and head of the Center’s Stanford University office. “Today we see mainstream tourism businesses moving in the same direction and we’d like to help. There is great potential for tourism, the world’s largest industry, to serve more generally as a tool for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction.”
 
The name change is being officially announced this week at the ITB Berlin, the world’s leading tourism convention. David Krantz, the Center’s Washington Coordinator, will speak at the “Travelers’ Philanthropy and Responsible Tourism” workshop, Friday, March 13 at 17:00 in Room 4.1 and the Center for Responsible Travel will exhibit in Hall 4.1 at stand 211.
 
The Center was founded in 2003 as a unique bicoastal institute with one foot in a strong academic institution and the other in the policy world of Washington, DC. Its staff, collaborating scholars, and international network of experts provide interdisciplinary analysis and innovative solutions through research and field projects, publications, conferences, and courses.
 
Its core programs include: Coastal and Marine Tourism, Market Research, Ecotourism, Certification, and Travelers’ Philanthropy which helps tourism businesses and travelers contribute to projects in the host communities. Last December, the Center hosted the 2008 Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference in Arusha, Tanzania.
 
Currently, the Center is conducting a large, multi-faceted study of the impacts of resort and residential tourism along the Pacific Coast in Costa Rica. It is also organizing the first ever executive seminar for Innovators in Coastal Tourism Development, to be held at Stanford University, October 7-9, 2009.
 
In addition, the Center hosts specially designed, invitation only Charter Club tours to demonstrate responsible tourism in practice. To date, Charter Club trips have been held in Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Montana and Tanzania. The next one, October 10-12, 2009 is a trip to Napa and Sonoma, California showcasing sustainable wineries and restaurants.
 
For more information see the Center’s three websites: CREST: www.responsibletravel.org and Travelers’ Philanthropy: www.travelersphilalnthropy.org and www.travelersphilanthropyconference.org.
 
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