National Law University, Delhi

Sector-14, Dwarka, New Delhi-110078

Centre for Environmental Law, WWF-India

172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi-110003

COURSE 4: TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

BLOCK 4 : BEST PRACTICES IN ECOTOURISM

Unit 11 : Practices in Community-based Tourism

Management ............................................................ 3

Unit 12 : Management and Marketing of Ecotourism

Product ................................................................... 14

July, 2013

© CEL, WWF-India & National Law University Delhi, 2013

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any

form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, mimeography or other electronic or

mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyrighters, except in the case of

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copyright law.

Unit Compilation

Ramya Iyer, CEL, WWF-India

Course Advisor & Editor

Moulika Arabhi, CEL, WWF-India

Proofreading Laser Composition

Neeru, Independent Consultant Tessa Media & Computers, New Delhi

UNIT 11 PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM

MANAGEMENT

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Role of Local Level Participation

3. Community-based Ecotourism Projects

4. Benefits of Community-based Tourism

5. Community-based Tourism for Conservation and Development

1. INTRODUCTION

Most of the impacts of tourism – whether negative or positive are community specific. That

is, they occur at the local level and influence most clearly the hosts or local residents. More

than the positive impacts, it is the negative impact of tourism that leaves a lasting impression.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that tourism be well planned at the local level. Local

level planning is a painstaking process requiring constant attention and management, all the

more because here the contact between the tourist and the host is maximum.

Probably other economic development at the local level has as many far reaching tentacles

as does tourism. At local levels tourism involves all the businesses, agencies, organisations

and the public. Poorly managed reserves and parks can lead to the destruction of the area.

Excluding local people can ruin their livelihood. This will provoke opposition to the reserve,

park or destination.

There are many problems in and a lot of potential in community based tourism:

1) The locals may be inexperienced with regard to management, which increases the

probability of outside operators taking advantage of them and setting up hotels, etc.

2) Advertising

2) Once funding is removed the villagers are left in the lurch

3) Finance schemes, loans, etc. need to be better organised

A community by definition implies individuals with some kind of collective responsibility,

and the ability to make decisions by representative bodies. Community based tourism is

tourism in which local residents (often rural, poor and economically marginalised) invite

tourists to visit their communities with the provision of overnight accommodation. The

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residents earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs, service and produce providers, and

employees. At least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits

to the community as a whole.

Community based tourism enables the tourist to discover local habitats and wildlife, and

celebrates and respects traditional cultures, rituals and wisdom. The community will be

aware of the commercial and social value placed on their natural and cultural heritage

through tourism, and this will foster community based conservation of these resources.

The community may choose to partner with a private sector partner to provide capital,

clients, marketing, tourist accommodation or other expertise. Subject to agreement to the

ideals of supporting community development and conservation, and to planning the tourism

development in partnership with the community, this partner may or may not own part of

the tourism enterprise.

2. THE ROLE OF LOCAL LEVEL PARTICIPATION

The local community often feels powerless to influence the patterns of development once

tourism invades. One of the most important constituents of ecotourism is the local

community’s sense of ownership of the enterprise. It is very important to develop this. It

can be done by letting the community decide what kind of development they would like to

see in the area.

Empowerment can be seen in many ways. It can be given by a beneficiary approach. Here

the people receive benefits but are not empowered. In a participatory approach, the local

community is the agent of change. They are the actors. They manage, control and make

decisions regarding the ecotourism activity. The key to this consultation is the decision-

making power. It has been seen that the local community may be consulted endlessly, it is

only when they have a say in the decision-making that they feel truly involved and become

stakeholders of the process and care for the future of the enterprise.

Involving the local community from the earliest will require more energy as different

communities want different things. It will also delay the process, which might cause economic

losses to the private sector which wants to stay competitive. However, it will strengthen the

local support for ecotourism and thus help mitigate harmful social and economic impacts.

Thus, ecotourism planners need to view local people as their counterparts and use them

both in the planning process and in ecotourism activities. This will additionally empower

local people and give them greater control over their lives.

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The local people can help the planners in five areas

1) Information gathering

2) Consultation. Here the local people can give their advice and suggestions for a planned

activity. Here representatives from the different groups can come.

3) Decision-making. The previous two activities, if properly carried out will automatically

lead to the design and decision-making.

4) Initiating action

5) Evaluation

6) Key merits Community-based Ecotourism

Sense of Ownership or Stakeholder

Generally, two patterns of generating revenue from the tourism are observed. Either there is

individual entrepreneurship, where individuals act as guides or food sellers. These have no

long-term aim as they do not feel a sense of ownership. Success will depend on the individuals

cooking or communication skills.

Even when the whole community benefits, as if when the tourist receipts come, it is considered

a windfall, manna from heaven. In a similar set up, local people are encouraged to plant

trees and are given food in exchange for this. These trees are subsequently not considered

the community’s and on a repeat visit, it is often observed that the trees have been cut.

In contrast, when the community is involved in the planning and development of the activity,

the people are stakeholders in the process. Here individual entrepreneurship can be witnessed,

where locals are setting up lodges or eating establishments. However, community

entrepreneurship is also seen where they contribute cash or labour to community projects

like afforestry or trail maintenance. Due to individual investments in upgrading their private

enterprises, they have a stake in the long-term quality of the area.

Strength of Linkages

Ecotourism may not lead to conservation action if the benefits are low or the linkages are

weak.

The benefits are low when few people are involved, when the benefits are only seasonal and

when the jobs or employment opportunities are of a low level. This is a classic case of

whether to employ one or two guides full time or to employ numerous potential poachers all

to act as part time guides.

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The power structures, whether local or governmental, determine the itinerary of the tourist

by determining the trail route, etc., which basically decided who gets the benefits, how it is

distributed and for how long will they benefit. Generally, even when the local communities

have been consulted and given a say in the process, it is still the more wealthy and influential

among them who will benefit, as they will have the resources to build the lodges, tea shops

or introduce adventure tourism to the area. The less advantaged in the community are still

involved in acting as guides or cooking. Still, in a community decided enterprise there is a

stronger probability that they will identify ways to expand the number of people benefiting

by skill up gradation, training or loans. This is a long process.

Some questions regarding this:

♣ Is it best for the hotels and the restaurants to be run by the community or is individual

establishment better?

♣ Is there a local capacity to run it efficiently?

♣ Will some people be stuck in long-term subservient positions?

♣ Will competition among individual owners erode group decision-making skills?

♣ Is there tourist demand to justify multiple investments by many people?

♣ Are there crafts to be sold?

♣ If the benefits are widely distributed, will everyone get so little that it is not worth their

involvement?

♣ Alternatively, if the benefits are narrowly distributed, will that act as an incentive for

others or will it exclude too many people and lead to resentment and income inequality?

3. COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM PROJECTS1

Community tourism is a form of tourism which aims to include and benefit local communities,

particularly rural and indigenous people.

Typically, groups and individuals might -

♣ Host tourists in their community

♣ Manage a scheme communally

♣ Share the profits

♣ Rebuild or preserve a community asset

1 http://www.ecotourismnz.com/content/library/Hugh_Canard_presentation_notes.doc

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♣ Use part of the income to build or maintain the community asset

♣ Can also be built around an event

It is tourism when it benefits visitors, that is, the tourists; otherwise it’s simply a community

project.

Is it ecotourism?

According to the Quebec Declaration on Ecotourism, ecotourism embraces the principles

of sustainable tourism and includes the following principles which distinguish it from the

wider concept of sustainable tourism:

♣ Contributes actively to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage,

♣ Includes local and indigenous communities in its planning, development and operation,

contributing to their well-being,

♣ Interprets the natural and cultural heritage of the destination to visitors,

♣ Lends itself better to independent travellers, as well as to organised tours for small size

groups.

A successful community tourism project will give local people a fair share of the benefits/

profits, and a say in deciding how that tourism is managed.

Successful Community Tourism Projects will -

♣ Be run with the involvement and consent of local communities

♣ Give a fair share of profits back to the local community

♣ Involve communities rather than individuals

♣ Be environmentally sustainable

♣ Respect traditional cultures and social structures

♣ Have mechanisms to help communities cope with the impact of foreign tourists, who

may have wide disparities in wealth and different cultures from local host communities

♣ Leave communities alone if they do not want tourism

Community Motivation

♣ Often these projects arise in depressed or struggling communities

♣ Other infrastructure may also be sub-standard

♣ Vulnerable to loss of key individuals

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♣ Increasing visitor flows quickly absorb excess employment capacity (seasonality issues)

♣ Some projects simply are not marketable — without a marketable product you are

bound for disappointment

♣ Design the project for mutual benefits – community and visitors

Critical Success Factors

♣ A committed, passionate group in the community

♣ Leadership

♣ Ability to draw support from the wider community

♣ An understanding that some commercialisation is essential to enable preservation to

be funded

♣ Finding the balance between commercial access and conservation values

♣ Design for sustainability, including financial viability

♣ Design for marketability

♣ The attraction needs to be distinctive – why would people want to visit it? Seek lots of

advice from regional tourism staff and industry leaders.

Common Pitfalls

♣ Small communities often lack depth and breadth of expertise

♣ Tourism industry

♣ Asset management

♣ Financial management

♣ Dealing with government and funders

♣ Marketing

Ø Product – from the visitors’ point of view

Ø Positioning – what makes your product unique and what does it offer the visitor?

Ø Place – how do you make your product available? Seven days a week? How do

you inform visitors? Where do you reach them?

Ø Price – includes commissions.

Ø Promotion – Unawareness → Awareness → Beliefs/Knowledge → Attitude →

Purchase Intention → Purchase

Ø All on a limited budget.

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Funding

♣ Projects need to have measurable outputs and good financial control – difficult for

communities to manage

♣ Projects should be aligned with regional and district strategies

♣ Minimise risk to funders,

♣ Demonstrate competence,

♣ Draw in wider group of stakeholders and funders.

4. BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM

Community-based tourism is travel to local indigenous communities that have invited

outsiders to experience their customs, food, lifestyle and set of beliefs. These communities

manage both the impacts and the benefits of this tourism, strengthening their self-governance,

economic alternatives, and traditional ways of life in the process. Community-based Tourism

is used to describe a variety of activities that encourage and support a wide range of objectives

in economic and social development and conservation. With ever increasing interest and

growth in tourism development, and the obvious marketing strategies associated with this

industry and its components, it is useful from the start to provide a broad definition of

Community-based Tourism. There are many definitions of specialised tourism activities –

ecotourism, nature-based tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism and so on.

Quite often these vary with the markets for which they are being targeted. In particular there

continues to be controversy and discussion over the definition of ecotourism. For our purposes

Community-based Tourism is a visitor-host interaction that has meaningful participation by

both, and generates economic and conservation benefits for local communities and

environments.

A summary of changes related to natural and cultural environments in developing countries

serves as a useful background to the emergence of interest in Community-based Tourism.

For a number of developing countries their natural and cultural heritage continues to be a

source of significant economic benefits, attracting international and domestic visitors often

in search of an authentic natural and, to a lesser degree, cultural experience. However,

detailed information on the numbers of visitors visiting natural areas and the amount of

resultant economic activity in developing countries is both difficult to obtain and often

unreliable. Tourism associated with natural and protected areas, has been and continues to

be a growing sector in the global tourism industry.

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Although difficult to generalise, for many developing countries their natural environment is

a primary attraction for international visitors, as well as for increasing numbers of domestic

tourists. In the Asia/Pacific region, there has been much discussion and debate regarding

the size and growth of the ecotourism market. As with the global market discussion, the

figures often depend on the definition of the activity being used. Nonetheless, the numbers

visiting natural and cultural sites are increasing, and although accurate data are not always

available it is clear that an under-investigated section of this market is domestic visitors and

those from nearby countries.

Community-based tourism is defined by three characteristics: indigenous leadership,

sustainability and cultural immersion.

Indigenous Leadership

Community-based tourism is managed by indigenous communities. This means the

community assumes collective responsibility for all aspects of your stay, including

accommodations, internal travel, local food and cultural activities.

Communities reap the benefits from tourism revenue, making community-based tourism a

sustainable alternative to many travel organisations, which often do not work in solidarity

with the communities and environments they use.

Through community-based travel, collective wellbeing is valued over corporate or individual

profit.

Sustainability

Communities will only accommodate as many people as they are able, keeping in mind

long-term sustainability, and avoiding unnecessary strain on their own resources. Meals

generally draw on local agriculture, and communities will not take on more guests than

their housing and energy resources can effectively support.

Aside from physical resources, revenue from community-based travel helps to sustain

indigenous cultures and traditions in a rapidly changing world.

Cultural Immersion

Travellers are able to experience the diversity and customs of another culture, and to interact

with the community. Unique lodging, cuisine, and activities form a foundation for increased

knowledge and awareness of another culture, different set of beliefs and social norms.

Practices in Community-based Tourism Management

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Why Should I Choose Community-Based Tourism?

By choosing community-based tourism and travel, you will be respecting the place you are

visiting and its ancestral stewards, while still enjoying an unforgettable journey.

♣ Hands-on experience with another culture: See, hear, touch, taste and do things you

might never have done otherwise.

♣ Deeper connection with people and place: Interact directly with individuals and gain

immediate knowledge of how you are impacting each other’s lives.

♣ Empathy and awareness of other cultures: Gain a new perspective on culture, both

your own and others, and how it shapes our lives.

♣ Greater control over where your money is going: Ensure your tourism dollars support

local communities in beneficial and sustainable ways.

5. COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM FOR CONSERVATION AND

DEVELOPMENT

Community-based Tourism Related to the increased sense of environmental and social

responsibility in tourism plus sustainability, Community-based Tourism is also gaining

popularity as part of strategies for conservation and development. Many organisations and

agencies working in tourism have staff assigned to developing small-scale tourism

programmes that benefit local communities and natural habitats. The current interest in

community-based approaches to tourism emerges from the following areas of concern.

There is a search for more effective strategies for conservation and development. Policies

based on strict enforcement and protection to conserve natural resources have not always

been successful, and neither has top down centralised decision-making and management of

the development process. From an environmental and economic perspective, if local people

are not involved, it is likely over time, the resources on which tourism depends will be

destroyed and the investment lost. A moral perspective that argues that management by

local people accompanied by devolved decision-making is more preferable since it can be

more accountable and sustainable in the long-term. In the case of tourism, another related

issue that supports the interest in Community-based Tourism is the commercialisation,

monopolisation and accumulation of benefits from tourism among relatively small numbers

of beneficiaries.

There has been and continues to be increasing concern that benefits be more widely

distributed, especially since the costs are often borne by local communities in the form of

Best Practices in Ecotourism

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restricted or loss of access to resources at the sites. It is important to note that the objectives

of Community-based Tourism are not always focused around natural resource conservation

and linkages with economic development. Cultural conservation, community and/or gender

empowerment, poverty alleviation, income generation are also primary purposes in many

cases. In any intervention and planning effort, the critical issue is to be clear about the

objectives, and to focus activities including monitoring and evaluation around these.

There are a few assumptions have been made regarding objectives of Community-based

Tourism:

1) Community-based Tourism must contribute to increasing and/or improving conservation

of natural and/or cultural resources, including biological diversity, water, forests, cultural

landscapes, monuments, etc;

2) Community-based Tourism must contribute to local economic development through

increasing tourism revenues and other benefits to community participants, and ideally

to an increasing number of participants;

3) Community-based Tourism must have a level of participation ideally progressing toward

self-mobilisation, but not always necessarily so; and

4) Community-based Tourism has a duty to the visitor to provide a socially and

environmentally responsible product. The key rationale underlying the approach and

objectives of Community-based conservation and development is that Community-

based Tourism through increased intensities of participation can provide widespread

economic benefits and decision-making power to communities.

These economic conserve benefits act as incentives for participants and the means to conserve

the natural resource sources.

Relationship between Resources and Actions in Community-based Tourism

While the focus is primarily at the community and local level, for Community-based Tourism

to be successful it is important to be aware of and incorporate critical linkages with other

scales and sectors of operation. Furthermore, these linkages will need to be improved in

order to sustain conservation and development benefits. There may be a tendency to idealise

the value of Community-based Tourism and focus on retaining and redistributing benefits

entirely to the community level. Community-based Tourism cannot be seen and should not

be planned in isolation from other sectors and stakeholders. The concept of comparative

advantage in critical. Frequently it will not make economic and logistical sense for local

communities to handle every operation and transaction in order to recoup economic benefits.

Furthermore, the ability of Community-based Tourism to generate benefits is often tied into

Practices in Community-based Tourism Management

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key policies that originate from a variety of sectors, e.g. government agencies handling

forests, protected areas, tourism, finance, visitor permits and movements, tourism, agriculture,

commerce and so on, plus international policies and treaties that influence global currency

markets, commodities and borders.

Efforts to promote and support Community-based Tourism will often need to find ways to

capitalise on linkages and/ or change the policy framework to become more supportive.

Strategies for Community-based Tourism Community-based Tourism can and should

encompass a range of activities that collectively contribute to improved conservation and

development. At one end of the range there may be community-owned and managed lands

used for tourism purposes with collective decision-making arrangements over the

management and development of tourism. At the other end there might be a private tour

operator who has made an agreement with a group of community-based entrepreneurs to

use their services and products such as guides and lodges. In some cases Community-based

Tourism may be a brand new activity introduced to an area and community where an intensive

planning effort is needed to identify market opportunities and options. In other cases,

Community-based Tourism may focus on value-addition, building upon natural and cultural

assets, to existing activities resulting in increased revenues and incomes to local communities

and incentives to conserve resources. An example might be training local guides in natural

history to accompany trekkers — adding value to the trek by providing local guides whose

incomes will partly depend on the continued presence and conservation of the features that

they are promoting.

For any community or communities and practitioners, there can be a variety of options that

promote the objectives of Community-based Tourism. Since an important purpose of

Community-based Tourism is to generate economic benefits, and as enterprises to maintain

profitability, it is useful to consider the options in developing and marketing a tourism

product as the basis for developing strategies for Community-based Tourism.

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UNIT 12 MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING OF ECO-

TOURISM PRODUCT

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Promotion of Ecotourism Destination

3. Eco-branding and Eco-labelling

4. Goals for Development

5. International Successes Stories and Limitations

1. INTRODUCTION

National, regional, community and resort tourism planning commenced in the late 1950’s

when it became apparent that tourism was going to become a significant socio-economic

activity. In the Asia-Pacific region, for example, the 1959 State Plan of Hawaii, now one of

the most developed and successful island tourist destinations, included tourism as a major

component and was quite progressive for it’s time in integrating tourism planning into the

total regional development plan.

During the 1980’s and 90’s, tourism planning has been undertaken for many places of the

more and less developed world. This has included revision and updating of some of the

plans prepared previously. Compared to the earlier plans, the recent tourism plans give

much more emphasis to the environmental and socio-cultural factors of tourism development.

At the same time current tourism planning does not ignore existing development, but often

incorporates its features into the modern plan. In this Unit we discuss, how these plans are

formulated and what all is incorporated into them. Any major plan practised today should

also include:

♣ Economic development planning;

♣ Human resource planning;

♣ Physical land use planning;

♣ Environmental planning;

♣ Infra-structural planning for transportation facilities and services, water supply, electric

power, sewage and solid waste disposal, telecommunications and information

technology;

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♣ Social facility planning for educational, medical and recreational facilities and services;

♣ Conservation planning;

♣ Market planning;

♣ Corporate planning; and

♣ Regional and local planning, etc.

Only when all these aspects have been incorporated can a plan be said to be complete in all

respects. This type of a plan is termed as the “master plan” or the ‘comprehensive master

plan’. In general it defines overall tourism development, including human resources,

environmental impacts, social and cultural impacts, etc. The master plan considers the long

term implications of decisions and their risk and return to a community or destination. All

master plans are designed to cover the span of a development period (e.g., a five year plan,

a ten year plan or other time frame) or an investment period when land acquisition,

constructions, operation and financing are laid out as critical points for guiding decisions at

each step. Let us now understand how can we plan for tourism development.

2. PROMOTION OF ECOTOURISM DESTINATION

Let us now see how tourism planning projects should be organised for a better promotion of

a ecotourism destination. The first step in organising a tourism project is to conduct a tourism

assessment of the country or region. This assessment reviews the resources for tourism,

potential tourist markets along with the major development opportunities and constraints.

Based on the assessment, the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the study can be written

specifically to suit the area’s planning needs.

The TOR should be carefully formulated so that the study considers all the relevant factors

and achieves the intended results that had been stated in the objectives. In cases of limited

or non-availability of specialists at the local level outside specialists should be involved to

conduct the assessment and write the TOR. For preparing a comprehensive national or

regional tourism plan, one requires composition of a team and this depends on the specific

TOR of the study. The core team should include specialists from the following areas:

♣ Tourism development

♣ Tourism marketing

♣ Tourism transportation (road, rail, air, water)

♣ Ecology and environment

♣ Sociologist/anthropologist

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♣ Human resource development

♣ History

♣ Architecture

♣ Tourist legislation and regulations

♣ Tourist accommodation, and

♣ Information technology, etc.

There can be situations where some detailed planning, project feasibility analysis or special

studies are to be included in the project. For this, additional specialists will be required in

the team. Examples can be many like, specialists in adventure sports, wildlife, heritage, etc.

depending on the type of tourism to be developed.

Ideally a detailed project work programme should be prepared for plan preparation. This

programme specifies the time schedule when each work activity should take place along

with the inter-relationships and sequence of the activities. It also indicates project report

completion target dates. Adhering to the work programme helps in coordinating the activities

to maintain the schedule. The WTO has suggested several types of reports that are necessary

for preparing the plan. In a sequential order these are:

♣ Inception Report: The project team leader prepares the inception report after assessment

of field conditions. It includes a detailed work programme and schedule and various

team member’s responsibilities related to it.

♣ Interim Report: The preliminary objectives and results of the survey and analysis,

steps of the planning process, opportunities and constraints which have been identified,

etc. are presented in this report.

♣ Draft Report: This report presents the objectives, results of the survey and analysis,

conclusions and preliminary tourism development policy, structure plan, etc.

♣ Draft Final Report: This report presents the final policy, structure plan and other

recommendations. The implementation programme prepared by the planning team, along

with all the background survey and analysis is also a part of it.

♣ Final Report: This report presents the recommendations and implementation

programme agreed to between the planning team and all other committees.

At each of these sequential steps discussions are held among the team members, problems

identified and addressed to and if necessary, experts are consulted. The final report is

presented to and reviewed by the project steering committee. Other interested parties, like

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the tourism industry segments, give their feedback. Differences, if any, are reconciled. An

agreement is reached on the conclusions and recommendations. It is the plan. This has to be

approved by the authority, i.e. the Government/ Parliament/Assembly or in the case of

corporate sector the board of directors/shareholders.

Till now we have emphasized the importance of the planning process along with its linkages

with the goals for development. Enhanced visitor satisfaction, improvements in economy,

protecting tourism resources and assets, etc. were discussed as part of planning goals. While

going through the planning process one must have the knowledge of the various components

of tourism, their inter-relationship and importance in tourism development. Different experts

are taken as members of the planning team which prepares various reports. The end product

of planning is generally a formal document or plan that is intended to guide further activity.

The basic requirement for understanding the planning of tourism is the knowledge of the

components of tourism development and their inter-relationships. There are various categories

of these components, but some basic components are always included in any plan that is

prepared. For the purpose of the planning approach used in this course, the components are

classified as:

♣ Tourist Attractions and Activities: All those natural, cultural and special features

and related activities of an area that attract tourists to visit it.

♣ Accommodation: Hotels and other types of facilities and their related services where

tourists stay during their travel.

♣ Other Tourist Facilities and Services: Other facilities and services necessary for

tourism development, including tour and travel operations, restaurants and other

financial facilities and services, tourist information offices, medical facilities and

services, public safety facilities and entry and exit travel facilitation.

♣ Transportation Facilities and Services: Transportation access into the country, region

or local development area, the internal transportation system linking the attractions

and development areas and transportation within the development areas.

♣ Other Infrastructure: In addition to transportation the other necessary infrastructure,

includes water supply, electric power, sewage and solid waste disposal,

telecommunication systems, etc.

♣ Institutional Elements: The institutional elements necessary to develop and manage

tourism, including manpower planning, education and training programmes, marketing

strategies and promotion programmes, public and private sector tourism organisational

structures, tourism related legislation and regulations, public and private sector

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investment policies, economic environmental and socio-cultural programmes and

impact controls.

All these core components are to be taken care of in the plan and their linkages too have to

be established. Further, destination specific features are also incorporated in the plans. The

terms community-based tourism and community-based ecotourism are commonly used to

describe the type of tourism that, recognising the significant social, environmental and

economic impacts tourism can have, primarily focuses on tourism’s benefits to the local

communities.

According to WWF International1 , community-based ecotourism takes the social dimension

of ecotourism a stage further, by developing “a form of ecotourism where the local community

has substantial control over, and involvement in, its development and management, and a

major proportion of the benefits remain within the community.” Community-based

ecotourism, therefore, fosters sustainable use of land and natural resources. Moreover, it

embraces both collective responsibility and individual initiatives within the community.

While the definition and usage of the terms community-based tourism and community-

based ecotourism may vary from one country or region to another, what matters most are

not the names, but the principles of social and environmental responsibility behind the

action.

3. ECO-BRANDING AND ECO-LABELLING

For successful tourism planning, there has to be a successful technique. There has to be a

set of processes and ideas that can be finally implemented. Even though, planning approaches

and processes have varied in the past, all planning processes have begun with some study of

the existing characteristics of land and development. Often, this is called inventory. Most of

the studies often begin with lists of services and facilities, numbers and categories of lodging,

food service and attractions, etc., i.e., the basic requirements for tourism. Others begin with

statistics on economic impacts, i.e., numbers of people employed in tourism, income and

tax revenues produced, etc. Still others identify a broad range of factors, both natural and

cultural.

These techniques are intended to lay the foundation for the creation of plans that move

forward from the existing situation. Let us discuss on supply-side planning techniques.

Further, we attempt to explain the importance and types of surveys in tourism planning. The

significance of area characteristics in tourism planning is an other aspect dealt with.

1 WWF International, Guidelines for Community-based Ecotourism Development, 2001.

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Supply – Side Planning Technique

A very simple yet a comprehensive supply-side plan formulation technique is a fire step

process. It is an implementable technique. Yet, it needs to be modified keeping in mind the

specificities of tourism that is to be planned. Let us see what these five steps are:

Step 1. Setting Objectives: The key objectives of any plan should be to provide planning

action on:

1) solutions to constraints and issues,

2) identification of destination zones with greatest potential, and

3) action objectives and strategies.

However, one can also add optional objectives and these might include concepts for projects

or policy statements in new areas. Objectives are set keeping in view the desired results and

hence, they are crucial for any plan formulation.

Step 2. Research: This is an important step and can be accomplished through use of primary

or secondary data, existing reports, maps, literature, and surveys, etc. Research is absolutely

necessary for many reasons. For example, it is essential for determining the potential

destination areas and it also helps to place the region in proper geographical and competitive

context.

Step 3. Synthesis and Conclusions: Many project teams use this step in the plan formulation.

Instead of going directly onto recommendations, it is wise to evaluate what the research

step has revealed. The main purpose of this step is to derive meaning from mixing together

with the findings from the research stage. This finding can be based on both quantitative as

well as qualitative analysis. Conclusions from both programme and physical data are then

derived.

Step 4. Concepts: It is at this step that creativity and idea formulation have their impact on

plan formulation. The local citizens, the public and private developers and professionals

review the findings and conclusions. This requires many meetings and workshops to have a

dialogue among the varied groups. The final recommendation depends on how well all

parties can visualise change in order to produce the desired results.

Step 5. Recommendations: Once the earlier steps have been followed it is logical to make

recommendations. Recommendations should be such that the plan should make the tourism

system more smooth and productive. This five step technique till date, is one of the most

time tested techniques as far as development of tourism plans is concerned.

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This technique relies on the creation of a checklist specifying the elements that should be

included in a comprehensive national or regional plan. We reproduce here the elements of

checklist provided by the WTO in their publication National and Regional Tourism

Planning, Methodologies and Case Studies, (Routledge, 1994, p 66-71).

Tourism development objectives

♣ Economic, environmental, socio-cultural and other objectives.

General background analysis

♣ Brief historical background of the country or region,

♣ Brief geographical description of geology, land forms and hydrography with

identification of areas geographically suitable for tourism development,

♣ Climate patterns,

♣ Natural resource areas, and existing land use and land tenure patterns,

♣ Environmental quality generally and especially in existing and potential tourism areas,

♣ Existing national and regional development policies, plans and programmes, with

evaluation of their influence on tourism development,

♣ Demographic patterns of the number and distribution of the population,

♣ Economic patterns of the existing economic sectors and growth trends, Gross National/

Domestic Product (GNP and GDP), per capita income, employment/unemployment

patterns, and other economic characteristics, with identification of any particular

problems such as location of economically depressed areas,

♣ Cultural patterns of traditions, religious and social values and other relevant

characteristics, and effects of development on cultural traditions and values.

Infrastructure Analysis and Recommendations

♣ Analysis of access to the country or region by air, land and related transportation,

♣ Analysis of the internal transportation system of facilities and services as related to

tourism use,

♣ Analysis of other infrastructure of water supply, electric power, sewage and solid waste

disposal and telecommunications,

♣ Review of any already approved plans and programmes for improvements to

infrastructure,

♣ Identification of any particular infrastructure constraints on developing tourism.

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Tourist Attractions and Activities, and their Improvements

♣ Survey and inventory of existing and potential attractions and activities,

♣ Evaluation of the tourist attractions, with identification of primary and secondary

attractions,

♣ Recommended improvements (and conservation) required of the attractions,

♣ Identification of any particular positive or negative influences on attracting tourists

such as strong or weak image in the market countries, recent political instability or

natural disasters, extent of crime in the area and travel time, distance and cost from the

major market countries.

Tourist Facilities and Services and their Improvements

♣ Survey of existing and already planned accommodation by number, type, location and

quality level,

♣ Survey of existing and already planned other tourist facilities, including tour and travel

operations, restaurants, banking and money exchange, handicraft, speciality and

convenience shopping, medical and postal facilities and services, public safety and

tourist information services,

♣ Evaluation of tourist facilities and services, with recommendations on improvements

required.

Recommended Extent and Forms of Tourism

♣ Determination of tourism carrying capacities of various potential tourism areas and

the entire country or region, based on environmental, socio-cultural, infrastructural

and tourist satisfaction considerations,

♣ Determination of the most appropriate forms of tourism, by location, based on the

inventory and evaluation of tourist attractions and activities, carrying capacity and

market analysis and other considerations,

♣ Determination of the most suitable amount or extent of tourism (by type of tourism),

based on the carrying capacity and market analysis, importance of tourist attractions

and other considerations.

Market Analysis and Projections

♣ Review of global and inter-country regional tourism patterns and trends,

♣ Analysis of tourist arrival patterns and trends in the country or region being planned,

♣ Evaluation of the effect of existing or potential competing tourist destinations,

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♣ Determination of the major influencing factors on the types and extent of future tourist

arrivals, and determination of the primary and secondary markets,

♣ Establishment of market targets by number, type and extent of origin, socio-economic

group, touristic interest groupings, length of stay and other relevant characteristics,

♣ Consideration of local residents’ use of tourist attractions, facilities and services,

♣ Projection of the number, type and quality level of accommodation, other tourist facilities

and services and infrastructure required based on the market targets.

Recommended Tourism Development Policy and Structure Plan

♣ Recommended policy statement including economic, environmental and socio-cultural

factors,

♣ Recommended structure plan including type and location of tourist attractions, designed

tourism development regions or areas (tourism zones) and the transportation linkages,

♣ Recommended staging of development by time periods,

♣ Recommended tour patterns and programmes indicating tourist excursion routes or

circuits.

Economic Analysis and Recommendations

♣ Determination of the present and projected tourist expenditures by amount and type,

♣ Calculation of the present and projected economic impact of tourism by the standard

measurements of contribution to GNP or GDP (or contribution to the regional economy),

gross and net foreign exchange earnings, extent and types of national or regional

economic leakages, income generated, the multiplier effect, direct, indirect and induced

employment generated and contribution to government revenues,

♣ Recommendations on ways to enhance the economic benefits of tourism at the

community, regional and national levels.

Environmental Considerations and Recommendations

♣ Identification of any present environmental problems generated by tourism and

recommendations on ways to lessen them,

♣ Recommendations on measures to prevent future negative environmental impacts and

reinforce positive ones,

♣ Recommendations on ways to improve the overall environmental quality of tourism

areas,

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♣ Recommendations on environmental protection and conservation policies and

programmes needed, and application of environmental impact assessment procedures

to specific tourism projects.

Socio-Cultural Considerations and Recommendations

♣ Evaluation of any existing and potential positive and negative socio-cultural impacts

resulting from tourism,

♣ Recommendations on ways to lessen negative impacts and reinforce positive ones,

♣ Recommended public awareness programme on tourism and a tourist information

brochure to inform tourists about the local culture, traditions and expected tourist

behaviour, a Recommendations on ways to achieve community involvement in all

aspects of tourism at the local level.

Institutional Considerations and Recommendations

♣ Review and evaluation of present public and private organisational structures for

tourism,

♣ Review and evaluation of present legislation and regulations related to tourism,

♣ Manpower planning analysis for tourism,

♣ Evaluation of present travel facilitation procedures.

Marketing and Promotion Recommendations

♣ Specification of the marketing objectives and strategy,

♣ Recommended specific promotion programmes with cost estimates and possible sources

of funding,

♣ Recommendations on respective and joint roles of the public and private sectors in

promotion,

♣ Recommendations on overseas promotion representation,

♣ Recommendations on provision of tourist information services.

Plan Implementation and Monitoring

♣ Recommended development or action programme, with cost estimates and identification

of responsible parties,

♣ Specification of implementation procedures including the respective roles of government

and other agencies and the private sector,

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♣ Specification of tourist facility development and design standards, and how these should

be applied,

♣ Recommended use of incentives or disincentives to encourage development according

to the plan,

♣ Recommendations on establishing a tourism information system, or improving an

existing system,

♣ Preparation of detailed area plans and project feasibility studies for the first stage of

development, including demonstration projects,

♣ Identification of possible sources of funding for project development,

♣ Specification of the techniques and procedures to monitor plan implementation and

the progress of tourism generally. For the development of every tourism plan it is very

important to thoroughly undertake surveys without which not only the plan but also

the resulting development can be faulty. Essentially, there are two kinds of surveys

which are of a general type but contain sub-surveys which take care of the particularities

of the destination surveyed. These two surveys are:

– Survey of Area Characteristics

– Survey of Institutional Elements

Survey of Area Characteristics

The general geographic characteristics of the country or region should be surveyed to provide

the background for overall understanding of the area and to provide the basis for specific

research and analysis in relation to plan formulation.

This general survey requires both documents and map research and also field visits. These

can often be combined with the specific surveys carried out for various exponents of the

plan such as for tourist attractions, facilities and infrastructure. Except for the type of

information observed on field visits, much of the basic survey data required will already be

available in map or report from the government and other special studies already completed

and published. However, the availability of data varies among countries and regions – and

in some cases, estimates will need to be made based on observations.

Location

The location of the country or region should be specified and mapped, relative to its regional

and global situation. Location becomes an important consideration with respect to distances

from major tourist market countries at the national planning level and from other regions in

the country at the regional planning level. This provides a vital input to the market analysis.

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For tour programming, locational analysis reveals the opportunity to include the planning

area on multi-destination tours. This helps in exploring the possibilities for complementary

tourism product development with nearby countries or regions as partners.

Natural Environment

Several characteristics of the natural environment must also be surveyed:

i) Climate

Climate patterns include rainfall, temperature, humidity, extent of sunshine (or

cloudiness), fog, wind speed and direction, and the seasonal variations of these factors.

Climatic seasonality can be particularly important consideration where climate is a

major type of tourist attraction.

ii) Topography

Topography refers to the surface features of the land, particularly the land configurations

and slope, such as flat, hilly, and mountainous areas, and the hydrography of lakes,

rivers, and wetlands (swamps, and so forth). At the national and regional planning

levels, detailed mapping is not required, but topographic characteristics can be

generalised into, for example, lands of less and more than 20 per cent slopes, which is

often used as the dividing line between developable and nondevelopable land, and the

major water features. Areas prone to flood ing, erosion, and landslides should also be

identified.

iii) Wildlife and Vegetation

Wildlife is indicated by type, extent, and general location. For most wildlife, the habitat

range must be considered beside their present location. Conservation problems of

wildlife, such as existence of endangered species, etc. should be researched. Similarly,

conservation problems of the vegetation should also be accounted for.

iv) Coastal and Marine Areas

Coastal and marine characteristics to be surveyed include types of coastline with the

location and characteristics of beaches, reefs, and offshore islands. Any existing

conservation problems such as reef damage and endangered species should be

investigated. The marine areas should be examined for any hazards they present, such

as strong currents and underflows that are dangerous for water recreation.

v) Geology

Aspects of geological characteristics that are important to consider include locations

and extent of underground water and mineral resources and suitability of areas for

development in terms of stable foundation material.

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vi) Ecological Systems

Important ecological systems, usually comprising a combination of climate, topography,

vegetation, and wildlife and ecological systems of both land and water areas should be

identified and their scientific and conservation value evaluated. Mangrove swamps,

for example, are important eco-systems providing sea life and plant habitats, slowing

water runoff, and preventing coastal erosion.

Historical Influences

Knowledge of the history of an area is important in tourism planning. This is because many

aspects of the history are visually expressed as tourist attractions such as archaeological

and historic site and places of historic events, and have influenced contemporary life-styles,

customs, arts and handicrafts. The history of an area also has influenced social value systems

and attitudes that are significant sociocultural considerations in tourism. The history of the

planning area need not be presented in complete detail but should highlight the background

needed for understanding relevant elements of the tourism planning analysis and plan

formulation.

Socio-cultural and Economic Patterns

Socio-cultural and economic factors to be considered for tourism planning include:

i) Population Characteristics

The number and geographic distribution of population, which are important

considerations in any type of development, can be shown in tabular or chart form for

the past and present population figures with the population distribution shown on

maps.

The distribution of age-sex groups may be a consideration in determining the availability

of labour supply in certain areas. Education levels, also important to know for manpower

planning, can be shown in major categories such as completion of primary school,

secondary school and university and technical college. Indication of literacy levels

may be relevant in some areas. Employment categories and level of unemployment

and underemployment should be researched, including employment in tourism-related

activities, as related to the manpower planning component of the tourism study.

ii) Cultural Patterns

Cultural Patterns including social structure, value systems, customs, life-styles, and

attitudes as related to development of tourism and residents working in tourism should

be identified. In some large countries and regions there are various different cultural

groups, each with their own cultural systems and different sets of cultural values and

attitudes.

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In strongly traditional or tribal areas, an in-depth study may be required to understand

local cultural patterns and how best to develop tourism in those areas. Religious values

such as constraints on consumption of alcoholic beverages and dress and behavioural

codes must be understand. Local lifestyle, music, dance, drama, ceremonies, dress,

arts, and handicrafts should be observed both as possible attraction features for tourists

and for consideration in the socio-cultural impact evaluation of tourism.

iii) Economic Patterns

The economic profile of the country or region should be researched, including the

major components of the economy, gross national product, income, levels and

distribution, type and value of exports and imports and the balance of payments, and

other economic factors that relate to the economic analysis of tourism and establishing

linkages between tourism and other economic sectors.

Land Use, Settlement and Tenure Patterns

At the national, regional or local planning levels, the general land use patterns such as

agriculture by type, industry, designated park, recreation and conservation areas, and the

settlement patterns of rural, village, town and city along with the transportation network

should be mapped. Land use and settlement patterns are important to know the relative

selection of tourism development areas. Land tenure (the type of land ownership or use

rights) may be a very important consideration in determining the availability of land for

tourism development. The overall level of environmental quality of the country or region

and especially of the existing and potential tourism development areas is an important

consideration in attracting tourists, as well as being important for residents, and should be

surveyed and evaluated. Environmental quality factors to be considered during the survey

include the following:

♣ Air quality

♣ Quality and quantity of water supply

♣ Cleanliness of public places

♣ Landscaping

♣ Congestion levels

♣ Open space, parks and conservation areas

♣ Scenic views

♣ Environmental diseases, etc.

There may also be other environmental quality factors in a particular planning area that

should be surveyed and evaluated.

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Survey of Institutional Elements

The institutional elements to be surveyed and evaluated in the planning process include

present development policies and plans, government and tourism organisational structures,

political ideology and its influences on the development process, investment policies and

availability of capital, tourism-related legislation and regulations, and tourism employees

training programmes and institutions. These are researched generally at this point for

subsequent input into the planning analysis, policy and plan formulation, and the

recommended implementation approaches. Survey of the institutional elements require both

document research and discussions with government agencies and the private sector.

1 ) Present Development Policies and Plans

Most countries and many regions of countries, especially States or provinces, have

some form of adopted development policies and plans. These may be long-term or

medium-term, commonly for five-year periods, and sometimes include a tourism sector.

Especially, one should consider the basic economical, physical and social development

policies and strategies of the country or region. These should be carefully reviewed to

determine any overall policies that may influence the formulation of tourism plan. It

may well be the case that, based on its findings, the tourism planning study will

recommend changes or refinements of these policies and development, but the present

policies and plans must first be understood.

2) Government and Tourism Organisational Structures

The overall system of government and its organisational structure should be understood

as one of the considerations for determining the most suitable organisational role of

government in tourism development. For example, tourism would be some what

differently organised in a country with a highly centralised government structure than

in one with a more decentralised government. The organisation of government agencies

whose functions relate to tourism such as transportation and communications,

environmental protection and cultural development, and immigration and customs, as

well as any central planning departments should particularly be examined, including

their interagency coordination arrangements.

The structures, functions, and staffing of any existing tourism department, bureau,

development corporation, advisory board, or committee should be surveyed and

evaluated relative to their appropriateness and effectiveness for managing tourism and

implementing the tourism policy and plan.

3) Investment Policies and Availability of Capital

The present investment policies for investment in development projects, including for

tourism projects, should be researched. Investment policies refer particularly to

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provision for joint venture development between outside and local capital resources

or between the government and private sectors and incentives allowed to encourage

private sector investments.

4) Tourism Legislation and Regulations

If tourism already exists in the country or region, some tourism-related legislation and

regulations may have been adopted and should be researched. There may be a basic

tourism law and specific regulations, such as on hotel standards and classification

systems, tour and travel agency operations, and tour guide services. Also, some general

regulations such as on building construction and hygienic standards of restaurants are

applicable to tourism development. All these need to be investigated and evaluated as

inputs to determining the future legislation and regulations required for the successful

implementation of the tourism plan and continuing management of tourism, including

any modifications needed to present legislation and regulations.

5) Tourism Education, Training Programmes and Institutions

If there is already some tourism development, there may be existing tourism education

and training programmes and perhaps training institutions that should be surveyed and

evaluated, as an input into the manpower planning and development component of the

planning study. These programmes may include hotel, catering, tour and travel

operations, and tourism management subjects such as on planning, marketing, and

research techniques, etc.

The survey stage of developing tourism plans involves collecting data, both quantitative

and qualitative, on all relevant aspects of tourism. The most important part of survey is

to include as many factors/aspects that influence tourism in that area. For many of

these elements – such as tourist attractions and activities, accommodation, other tourist

facilities and services and some types of infrastructure – field surveys are required.

These surveys should include evaluation of the elements along with noting their

characteristics which would then finally make the plan more implementable. One must

note here that the planning techniques are applicable to international as well as domestic

tourism. The requirements for domestic tourism may vary but it should not be forgotten

that they form the basis for international tourism.

4. GOALS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Experience has demonstrated that for betterment of tourism there are atleast four planning

goals which form the components of development:

i) Enhanced visitor satisfaction

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ii) Improved Economy and Business Sector

iii) Protected Resource Assets

iv) Community and Area Integration

Enhanced Visitor Satisfaction

Tourism begins with the desires of travellers to travel and ends with their satisfactions

desired from such travel. But, as we all know, complicated characteristics of modern tourism

tend to reduce these satisfactions from the desired possible level. Planning should not only

attempt to eliminate all problems that come in the way of visitor satisfaction but also provide

the positive mechanism whereby land acquisition, design, development and management

have the greatest chance of providing user satisfactions. In this sense, planning aims at

both, user problem solving as well as user problem avoiding. Planning should provide a

check on interrelationships of development to make sure that the participant’s desires, habits,

wishes and needs are satisfied to the extent that physical development and management can

do so. The worth of the planned development is not to be judged by the satisfaction of the

owner or the planner but of the visitor. This standard demands a user-oriented planning

policy. Therefore, one major goal of collaborative tourism planning is the provision of user

satisfactions. However, caution should be taken that this goal is not stretched to the level

where the local residents and resources get adversely affected.

Improved Economy and Business Sectors

For planning purposes, one must take note of the factors that influence tourism’s success.

Such factors as geographical relationship to markets, attractions and attractiveness, resources

for development, and involvement of all sectors need to be examined for their potential in

developing tourism. Planning, thus, should address itself to the provision of positive rewards

to those who identify, design, develop and manage areas for tourism. In other words,

cooperation, collaboration and co-ordination must foster, not destroy, individual creativity

and innovation in development to meet new needs. It must be socially responsible. Private

enterprise should be guided into locations and programmes in which it can be more and

more successful. Public agencies should be guided into locations and programmes that

meet their special governmental mandates and yet are compatible with commercial enterprise

and non-profit organisations.

Therefore, another goal of collaborative tourism planning is the provision of increased

rewards to owners and developers of tourism products and services.

Protecting Resource Assets

Tourists have always sought destinations with attractive scenery, protected wildlife and

historic and archaeological sites. All of these require environmental protection. This is

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more so if they are to serve as sustainable attractions as desired by visitors. Yet, tourism

business for a long time was seldom planned for resource protection. Every player in this

field was out to exploit the resources. It was only when many destinations started loosing as

attractions a realisation came that both, tourism economy and visitor satisfaction depend

upon the absolute necessity of stopping resource degradation. This called for a change in

attitudes and policies of tourism businesses, government agencies and non-profit

organisations involved in developing tourism.

Hence, it is essential for all types and levels of tourism planning to incorporate the new

commitment of resource protection as a goal. Resources have to be treated and managed as

permanent assets.

Community and Area Integration

Many communities and regions view tourism as an elite activity and a separate social layer

is simply added to a community. Engaging in tourism from this viewpoint can be

disappointing. Such an approach fails to integrate tourism into the social and economic life

of the community. The aim of the overall plan should include increased work opportunities,

high quality of life and sufficient public and private services. The official plan should be

reviewed and renewed periodically. All local authorities and organisations should be involved

in discussions on issues that need changes before any revisions are made.

An important goal of tourism planning, thus, is integrating tourism with the cultural, social

and economic life of communities and areas.

These four goals — enhanced visitor satisfaction, better business, resource protection and

community integration should be the motivating force for all stakeholders in tourism planning.

5. INTERNATIONAL SUCCESSES STORIES AND LIMITATIONS

The following are some examples of initiatives, Successes stories and Limitations across

the world that focus on local communities.

1) REST – Best of Community based tourism in Thailand

The Responsible Ecological Social Tours (REST) Project works to assist local Thai

communities in developing their own small-scale sustainable tourism projects which aim to

develop the skills and confidence of local community members, create an opportunity for

host communities and their guests to share their knowledge and experiences, and develop

their commitment to protect the natural environment.

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According to REST, one of the most important aspects of Community-based tourism (CBT)

is that “communities choose how they wish to present themselves to the world.” REST’s

CBT projects support grassroots conservation activities and promote environmental

awareness. Best examples include:

♣ In Koh Yao Noi, CBT income has directly supported a local conservation club’s coastal

patrols to prevent illegal fishing.

♣ In Koh Yaow Noi, CBT has helped improved the local environment through mangrove

rehabilitation plots and seagrass protection.

♣ In Mae Hong Son, local farmers have begun re-introducing wild orchid species into

areas of the forest which had previously been deforested.

2) Award-winning Himalayan Homestay Programme in Ladakh, India

Himalayan Homestays, an innovative community-based ecotourism programme by the Snow

Leopard Conservancy, was a winner of the Global Vision Awards, 2005 in recognition for

its “exceptionally farsighted programme” that links tourism with conservation through

culturally and environmentally friendly homestays. The homestays serve as a means to

support local mountain communities and protect the endangered snow leopard, a species

endemic to the region. The programme has also transformed the common perception of the

snow leopard, from that of a dangerous predator that attacks livestock to an animal whose

presence draws travellers and provides important economic opportunities to villagers

throughout the region.

With locals now increasingly involved in efforts to protect the snow leopard, Himalayan

Homestays is a model of a self-sustaining and profitable conservation programme. The

programme aims to ensure that hosts are able to develop unique mountain experience though

Homestay, and obtain a fair return for their services and investment, and to contribute to

conserving local cultural and natural heritage.

3) Experience Tourism Differently with Go Differently

Go Differently is a UK-based ethical tour operation specialising in small group and tailor-

made trips, as well as volunteering/voluntourism itineraries primarily in Southeast Asia

(Thailand, Cambodia, India, Laos, Bhutan and Indonesia). Go Differently offers unique

community-based tourism experience that combine CBT and volunteer programmes,

including homestays in tsunami affected villages on Thailand’s North Andaman coast, which

aim to educate the participants about traditional ways of life and contribute to the conservation

of the natural environment; and a tailor made voluntourism tour in Southern Thailand

supported by the local Kiriwong Community-based Tourism Club.

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“Community-based tourism does not simply seek to maximise profits for investors. Rather,

it is more concerned with the impact of tourism on the community and the environment.

CBT emerges from a community development strategy, using tourism as a tool to strengthen

community organisation through community-wide participation.” (From Go Differently

website: What is Community-Based Tourism?)

4) Sustainable Pro-Poor Tourism with SNV

SNV, a Netherlands based international development organisation, provides advisory services

to governments and local organisations in developing countries. SNV currently works in 31

countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. SNV Asia operates in two sub

regions: the Mekong (Vietnam and Laos) and the Hindu Kush Himalayas (Nepal and

Bhutan).2 In 2001, SNV Vietnam launched the very first community based tourism initiative

in Vietnam.

This Sustainable Tourism pilot project in Sapa aims to establish mechanisms for more

equitable sharing of the benefits of tourism, to support the active participation of the

community in decision-making and implementation, and to increase the capacity of local

stakeholders in reducing the negative cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. The

pilot project was successfully implemented, with enthusiastic support from the local

stakeholders, serving as an important lesson for the national and provincial authorities on

the benefits of responsible tourism and its potential for poverty alleviation.

5) Asian Encounters - Helping IT Help Rural Communities

Specialising in empowering poor communities in Asia with information and communication

technologies, Asian Encounters helps promote responsible community-based tourism that

is sensitive to the needs of the local community, its culture and its environment.

Asian Encounters’ recent projects include constructing a user-friendly content management

system to help CBT operators build websites, holding a seminar on e-marketing of CBT in

Nepal; and contribution of a paper “E-Community-Based Tourism for Asia’s Indigenous

People,” to be published by Idea Group (www.idea-group.com) in the book Indigenous

People and Information Technology.