Travel media discuss responsible tourism issues

Journalists, travel writers and programme makers were invited to two round tables hosted by the Department for International Development (DFID) in May 2003.

In 1999 the Department for International Development published a report Changing the Nature of Tourism, which included some suggestions about how the media could contribute to making tourism better for the holidaymakers and local communities. The following notes summarise the suggestions that came from those who participated in last month’s discussion on how to get more coverage in the travel media about the impacts of tourism on local communities and to encourage holidaymakers to engage positively with local people.

Martin Dunford of Rough Guides and Cath Urquhart of The Times with Harold Goodwin from the International Centre for Responsible Tourism started the discussions…

• Travel Writer’s Award: Work in The Gambia and elsewhere has demonstrated the importance of UK consumer spending in the destination on crafts, food, local guiding and activities – this expenditure directly benefits local people and their families. An annual award to encourage this kind of travel writing was suggested.

Story lines:
• Some editors are interested in more investigative pieces and the human-interest stories; many holidaymakers are looking for more contact with local communities. Write about how they achieve that without being invasive or exploiting local people – journalists know how to do this, share that expertise with readers.
• Newspapers, magazines and the broadcast media are full of life style pieces and human-interest stories – is there scope for this in the travel pages?
• Travel can bring other issues to life – water, development, poverty, environment, climate change, culture, music, art, cultural and biological diversity.
• These are mainstream tourism stories – the challenge is to tackle the issues beyond the ecotourism niche.
• Avoid being “worthy” or “preachy” – it is about encouraging people to have better holidays. Are there enough stories written from the perspective of ordinary people engaging with the destinations. If things went wrong, how could they be put right?
• Encourage readers and viewers to be a bit more adventurous, help them to take the next step and to discover a bit more about the place and the people who live there.

Guidebooks
• Authors could work the issues into the text from information and advice about dress to encouraging people to shop in local markets, the listings could include the micro-enterprises, which are locally owned and directly benefit local communities.
• Travellers, NGO’s, tourism offices, consultants and entrepreneurs could be encouraged to write to the guidebook editors – they will be passed on to the guidebook writer for the next edition.
• Readers could be encouraged to explore and engage with the local community in non-invasive ways – consider reminding users that prices change and in bargaining down the cost of accommodation they are exploiting the strength of their foreign currency.
Tourist Offices & Tour Operators should consider
• Introducing community-entrepreneurs to the journalists who are looking for new experiences to report for their readers. NTO’s need to be less sensitive about criticism.
• Including opportunities to sample local food, visit craft workers and spend a couple of hours (or more) with a local guide in the programmes of visiting journalists.
• Providing better briefings, include the local community issues and opportunities and give journalists the opportunity to experience these products in the destinations – journalists do not want to go from hotel to restaurant to convention bureau, the local community products are often an important part of the destination – sometimes they are the destination.
• Encouraging repeat visitors to ‘next step’: encourage regular repeaters to a country to try new experiences by spending more time (and money) in the local community.

Although DFID hosted the round tables, it would like to point out that the suggestions raised, and conclusions drawn do not necessarily reflect those of the Department.

For further information contact Harold Goodwin [email protected].