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STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR VIRTUAL CONSULTING PROJECTS WITH THE BELIZE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY

GW IITSSeptember 16, 2020December 21, 2020Leave a comment

“We created a COVID-19 Digital Toolkit Video Series for tourism businesses in Belize to help them better position themselves using online tools and platforms in response to the pandemic. It was very meaningful to be able to create a useful resource and provide it directly to small and medium tourism businesses and the Belize Ministry of Tourism at such a critical moment.”

Beth Wright, Team Un-Belize-Able

“Our team’s most significant contribution was initiating a deeper conversation around digital transformation for the Belize tourism sector. I hope that conversations around the topics we recommended, including introducing digital payment systems and digitizing data collection, will continue in the coming months.”

Monica Schmidt, Team Un-Belize-Able

“Our Accommodations Toolkit provides the hotel sub-sector in Grenada with recommendations on how to react to the global pandemic and prepare for the reopening of tourism. The toolkit was signed off on by the CEO of the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association because of its great benefits for this industry."

Jess Wilson, Team Pure Grenada

“I appreciated that I got the chance to apply what I learned in the class to a real-world case by working with the Grenada Tourism Authority. Our team received invaluable feedback from our professor, classmates, clients and coaching panels throughout the consulting process. This experience gave me a realistic understanding of what consulting for tourism destinations is like."

Nuo Li, Team Pure Grenada

Why this travel company is committed to reconciliation with First Nations Australians

GW IITSAugust 19, 2020December 16, 2020Leave a comment

The Australia-based responsible tour operator Intrepid Travel has always been committed to making a real difference in travel destinations by investing in local communities, human rights initiatives, wildlife conservation projects and the environment. As Intrepid's website states: "We’re all about operating in a responsible manner and incorporating principles of sustainable tourism and development into the way we provide our travellers with real life experiences."

Intrepid is not only a sponsor of the Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas—an initiative organized by the International Institute of Tourism Studies along with the Organization of American States and the Bureau of Indian Affairs— but the company's commitment to creating more opportunities for First Nations people provides valuable learnings for all of us.

By James Thornton, CEO Intrepid Travel

The current crisis is an exceptionally challenging time for travel, but it is also a chance to consider how businesses can rebuild more responsibly – environmentally, economically and socially, which includes fostering stronger understanding with Indigenous communities. Intrepid Travel is headquartered in Australia and we formally started our reconciliation journey by committing to a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Reconciliation is about building stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

In July 2020, our 'Innovate’ RAP was endorsed by national body Reconciliation Australia. This built on our ‘Reflect’ RAP,
which was endorsed in 2019. While our experience is uniquely Australian and we’re still in the very early phase of our reconciliation journey, we wanted to share our experience so far to help encourage other organisations to take their first step. This is particularly important at a time when the global conversation is centered on discrimination and social justice, including for First Nations peoples.

For us, as a responsible business and a certified B Corp, developing a RAP was an important step. Intrepid is a truly diverse business with offices all over the world, but we were founded more than 30 ears ago in Melbourne, where our head office is. We also run trips in every state and territory in Australia (except Australian Capital Territory), including tours that visit remote Aboriginal communities and culturally significant places such as Uluru.

Intrepid Travel acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognizes their ongoing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future, and support the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices.
But we cannot reflect on Australia’s history and our place in it without acknowledging the devastating and lasting effects that colonialism, land dispossession and racism has had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We know we need to play our part to close the gap that this legacy has created.

Developing a RAP, in consultation with First Nations advisors, is a way that a business can start to address inequalities, as it provides a formal framework and time frame for a business to take specific actions.
Since adopting our first RAP 18 months ago, we’ve introduced several changes – some of these are simple to implement but are significant nonetheless.

Brian Swindley, owner of Janbal Gallery in Tropical North Queensland – Intrepid started working with the gallery and including it in itineraries as part of its commitment to partner with more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism operators.

Personally, I now begin all important meetings, including company updates, with an Acknowledgement of Country. Our global websites also include an Acknowledgment of Country and at a product level, we banned alcohol on our visits to Uluru and started working with some new Aboriginal tourism operators in Queensland.

Under our Innovate RAP, we’ll take further actions over the next two years. This includes exploring internship opportunities for young people interested in a career in sustainable tourism and amplifying First Nations voices in our marketing and platforms.

We very much continue to be on the journey, but I’d like to share some of the things we’ve learnt so far:

Do your homework and be open. We have a lot of learning to do. This is an ongoing process and it’s something that we’ve committed to at every level of our business. Engage First Nations advisors and do the work to understand the issues at play, and how inequalities are present in your business.
Form a working group. Seek out people at all levels of your business who are passionate about reconciliation and who are committed to making change. These people must be empowered and made accountable. Ideally the working group would include First Nations people – this is something we continue to work on. Personally, I am updated regularly by our RAP working group lead.
Build awareness. To be truly effective, everyone within the business needs to be on the reconciliation journey. You will need to dedicate time and resources to internal communications and continually share
information. We’ve found one of the most important parts of this process has been to listen, learn, engage, reflect and build respect for First Nations cultures and histories. We continue to work on this aspect, and we are fortunate that in Australia, there are many excellent resources
available.

As we rebuild from this crisis, we hope other tourism businesses will be open to change and starting their own reconciliation journey. Together we can rebuild more responsibly to benefit all communities, including First Nations peoples.

As an Australian-owned business, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to their Elders past, present and future.

Guest Editorial: Ed Hall III, Transportation Specialist & Tourism Coordinator, Bureau of Indian Affairs

GW IITSAugust 10, 2020August 26, 2020Leave a comment

The Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs have organized a virtual gathering, October 12th through 16th, that will give Indigenous, business, and government leaders a platform to explore the ways in which tourism can drive economic recovery and sustainable development. Participants will meet for five days via Zoom webinar to exchange experiences, share knowledge, re-trace ancient trade networks and re-establish connections.

For millennia, Indigenous peoples engaged in trade and commerce throughout what is now known as the Americas.

This vast and complex exchange network that produced food, medicine, ceremony and knowledge, evolved over time and can only be authentically shared by the Indigenous people whose ancestors lived it.

Unfortunately, this history is largely left out of the history of the Americas as it is widely shared today.

Tourism has an important role to play…it can provide Indigenous communities with economic opportunity while allowing visitors to learn about the Indigenous experience.

But because Indigenous communities have limited access to the resources needed to develop, manage, sustain and control tourism on their own terms, they’re largely left out of the conversation

Indigenous communities using their own cultures and traditions to shape their economic future and share it in a way that enhances quality of life and cultural expression is what this Indigenous Tourism Collaborative is all about.

We are creating the framework for a network of Indigenous representatives to join forces to discuss, share, and inform us and other resource providers and industry experts on how to better support the development of tourism on their terms as they take control of their own narratives.

The recent coronavirus pandemic has not only brought the tourism industry to a halt around the world, but it’s exposed the vulnerability of Indigenous communities —their lack of infrastructure and access to resources to prevent transmission of the virus and care for the sick. The resulting lock-down of many communities is a means of self-protection and cultural survival that indigenous peoples have been practicing for years.

Because so many Indigenous communities have a deep knowledge of and dependence on their environment, these natural resources are helping to sustain them now, just as they have historically, particularly when access to commercial food resources are impacted. Yet, for those Indigenous communities that have been displaced from their homelands and access to their indigenous food resources, food sovereignty is a goal of paramount importance.

The Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas was designed to provide a platform for community leaders, policy-makers, and business owners to share their experiences to learn from one another and to better understand how to drive change through tourism. The George Washington University, International Institute of Tourism Studies reached out to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Organization of American States to discuss the idea of building a network of Indigenous development organizations and leaders along with a network of tourism industry and government resources to identify how we can better identify the issues and needs of Indigenous development and the resources necessary to address them.

The forum was intended to be the first step in an Indigenous Tourism Collaborative, long before COVID-19 appeared. Now we see this effort as needed more than ever—to bring together Indigenous people from across the Americas to re-establish their historic connections, drive understanding, and create new opportunities for people everywhere.

Who better than the First Peoples of this hemisphere to lead the discussion of true sustainability for future development in the tourism industry and help define the resources and guidelines to achieve it?

We are also inviting tourism industry representatives and government resource representatives including academia, non-governmental organizations, development organizations, and others to advise and be advised on our initiative.

To learn more and to register for the forum, please visit www.indigenoustourismforum.org

NEW REPORT RECOMMENDS CARIBBEAN ISLANDS TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO PLAN FOR POST-COVID ECONOMIC RECOVERY

GW IITSJuly 10, 2020July 13, 2020Leave a comment

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted tourism more than any other industry. While people everywhere have been instructed to stay home, lock down and even quarantine to stem the spread of the virus, in the places most dependent on visitors, people have watched their primary source of income dry up. This is particularly true in the Caribbean—the most tourism-dependent region in the world.

According to a recent survey conducted by the George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies (GW IITS) and the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), destination management and marketing organisations must take immediate steps to recover from the economic fallout of COVID-19 and its impact on tourism. Along with crisis management and communications, the Destination Organization Responses to COVID-19 report stresses the need for CTO member countries to find additional sources of funding for destination organizations in order to withstand future crises.

As Seleni Matus, Executive Director of the International Institute of Tourism Studies urged, “It’s essential that destination organisations act now to work with local governments and businesses to find ways to create public and private partnerships that will benefit all parties involved, from hotels, tour operators and restaurants to local residents and tourists—immediate investment is urgently needed.”

The main findings of the survey indicate that COVID-19 had affected the financial health of the tourism organizations; nearly all of those polled either had already experienced or anticipated cuts to their operating budgets. “This is an ominous signal,” concludes the report.

“This study brings into sharp focus the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the very institutions that will likely be tasked with leading the recovery of the tourism sector at the national level,” noted Faye Gill, Director of Membership Services for the CTO. “It will be critical that the tourism recovery plans take into consideration the resourcing of the destination organizations to adequately meet the demands that will define this period.”

The report called for advocacy on behalf of the destination organizations for financial support in order to remain strong and help to lead tourism’s recovery and rebuilding efforts. It also said these entities would have to find creative ways to do more with less, especially with regards to marketing.

“Moving forward, destination organizations will need to consider how to diversify their funding sources, which are mainly based on lodging and cruise taxes, to ensure that they can withstand future COVID-19 waves and future shocks to the tourism industry,” GW IITS recommended.

Despite these financial constraints, most respondents had not reduced their employment levels and do not foresee having to do so. “The commitment that the destination organizations’ showed to their employees throughout the pandemic is commendable," said Gill. "Even in the face of reduced budgets, the majority managed to keep their teams intact.”

At the same time, the report recommended that the tourism organizations needed to remain vigilant and advocate for continued support to tourism businesses. “Without sustained financial assistance, tourism enterprises that are operating at less than full capacity will be challenged to remain in business through 2020,” the report said.

The online survey, designed and analyzed by GW IITS students, was disseminated in mid-May amongst CTO’s 24 member countries. The GW IITS also inventoried tourism destination actions from mid-March to early May on mobility, economic relief, destination management and community support, crisis communication and destination marketing.

The university reviewed the websites and social media channels of various destination marketing organizations, industry associations and destination websites to better understand the tourism industry’s response to COVID-19, and compiled data on mobility and economic relief from various secondary sources. Forty-three countries in the greater Caribbean, including CTO’s 24 member countries, were included in this phase of the research.

Interested in learning more? Check out this podcast featuring GW IITS Executive Director Seleni Matus and CTO Communications Specialist Johnson Johnrose discussing the report’s main findings. Download the full report here.

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THAT RELY ON TOURISM ARE FINDING WAYS TO COPE WITH COVID

GW IITSJune 8, 2020June 9, 2020Leave a comment

Across the world, COVID has been taking a devastating toll on both the tourism industry and Indigenous communities. First Nations groups like the Heiltsuk of British Colombia—along with many Indigenous tribes—are enforcing strict lockdown measures in an attempt to keep their people safe from the virus. A recent BBC story quoted Marilyn Slett, chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Tribal Council: “Our laws and traditions are oral. They’re passed down by our Knowledge Keepers, a group of Elders who have learned the Nation’s customs, traditions and protocols. We only have 30 fluent Hailhzaqvla-speaking Elders left. We’ll uphold Heiltsuk laws and do everything we can to protect them.”

The Heiltsuk are not alone in their determination to do what they can to keep their traditions and people alive. What does COVID mean for tribes who’ve been generating income by hosting visitors?

On April 29^th, the Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies in collaboration with the US Bureau of Indian Affairs held a webinar to discuss the issue. Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada; Magi Williams, Public Relations Director for Wind Creek Hospitality; and Alfreida Littleboy, owner of Native Grill Navajo Soul Food shared their insights.

Financially, the impact of COVID-10 on Indigenous communities and tourism in Canada has been devastating. As Henry pointed out, 40,000 jobs and roughly $900 million GDP were lost in March alone. He has been advocating for Indigenous-led financial solutions as many of the stimulus funding options currently offered are not available to Indigenous tourism business owners. In April, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada announced that the federal government would be committing $306.8 million dollars in stimulus funding to support the 6000 small-medium Indigenous businesses across the country. Of these, more than 30 percent, or 1875, are Indigenous tourism businesses.

In the US, with the closing of tribal casinos, tribal revenue has been severely impacted—not only for the tribes themselves and the individual members who’ve lost their jobs at the casinos but for the people who own and work for nearby businesses, including restaurants, spas and hotels, which have also been closed. While the US government authorized $8 billion for tribes in March, when the casinos closed, it’s been slow to distribute the money.

Alfreida Littleboy, a member of the Navajo Nation who owns a food truck in Cameron, Arizona, described the challenges her community is facing, particularly due to a lack of infrastructure, access to medical care and the long distances tribal members need to travel to get even basic supplies. Because the Navajo lack running water and electricity, many people including tribal Elders, often live 30 miles from the nearest water sources. And because only 17 grocery stores serve the entire Navajo Nation, tribal members have been coming into contact with sick people on their way to get food and water. According to a recent article on the NPR website, if the Navajo Nation were a state, it would have the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita after New York. Planeterra, the foundation arm of the travel company G Adventures, in partnership with local business owner Alfreida Littleboy, has been fundraising to provide the Navajo with supplies.

The webinar group agreed that good communications and networking are key to coping with the very difficult situation now and to recovery planning. Magi Williams of Wind Creek Hospitality, which manages casinos and racetracks for Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians—the only federally recognized Indian tribe in the state of Alabama—described how her office has been proactively keeping in touch with guests through direct outreach and by sharing information on a regularly updated website. The key is to keep guests connected and relationships alive.

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada has also been focused on communications and networking, which as Keith Henry stressed are vital to making tourism work as a tool for cultural revitalization and to driving sustainable economic development.

A recording of the webinar and additional resources referenced in the webinar are available here.

If you would like to join us in our support of Alfreida Littleboy’s work with Planeterra Foundation and the local area’s Chapter House to increase access to locally-sourced sanitizers and cleaners, as well as basics such as food, in the Navajo Nation, please click here.

To continue the discussion, please join our Facebook Group.

We look forward to seeing you in June for our next webinar, which will focus on Indigenous tourism in Latin America; stay tuned for details.

THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TOURISM STUDIES PARTNERS ON TWO REPORTS CRITICAL TO HELPING DESTINATIONS REASSESS AND REBUILD POST-PANDEMIC

GW IITSJune 2, 2020June 3, 2020Leave a comment

Of all the industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has been most devastated. Because one in ten jobs globally is tourism-dependent, the industry’s collapse is profoundly impacting communities and economies everywhere. In fact, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that the crisis will cost 100 million tourism jobs worldwide.

What’s the key to rebuilding, once travelers feel safe enough to take to the skies, roads and rails again? As International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus explains, “An intentional and sustainable future is critical now more than ever. We need to ensure that people living in travel destinations—whether they’re coastal, rural or urban— benefit financially from visitors and that they have the incentive to conserve their environmental and cultural resources for now and the future.”

For thirty years, George Washington University’s International Institute for Tourism Studies has been working with destination stakeholders—including tourism managers, business owners, policy makers and local community members—to guide the sustainable development of tourism generally. As part of this work, the institute has partnered with the Adventure Travel and Tourism Association to produce the Adventure Tourism Destination Index (ATDI), which ranks destinations according to criteria including health care, protected areas and environmental performance. These key indicators help to determine how ready a destination is to host visitors seeking adventure experiences.

While the index is designed as a tool for anyone working in tourism development, it’s particularly relevant for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). As Matus notes, “Given current needs and realities, the newly released ATDI 2020 is particularly timely and important for adventure destinations preparing for the arrival of post-pandemic visitors.”

This year’s winners for destination competitiveness: Iceland and the Czech Republic remained in the lead, and Iceland held the distinction of first place for the third year in a row.

In addition to the ADTI, the International Institute of Tourism Studies partnered with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to produce the Global Destination Sustainability Report—a companion to the ADTI— with a specific focus on 24 destinations ranked on criteria such as waste management, wildlife protection and the preservation of cultural heritage, for example. While the GSTC report is not adventure destination specific, it may be used by any destination manager seeking insights into sustainable management, which basically leads to a balance between the short-term benefits and the long-term interests of local communities.

Over the past few years, destination managers, business owners and policy-makers have had to contend with an additional reality, if they are to remain competitive in the marketplace. That is their ability to adapt to climate change. As the GSTC report concludes, destinations everywhere need to put in place a plan to address the impact of more frequent and intense weather-related events, water shortages and carbon emissions, for example.

While during the year leading up to the pandemic destinations were focused on managing for overtourism—or the unsustainable influx of visitors—those same destinations must continue to manage strategically and intelligently, no matter how many visitors they’re currently hosting, so that they remain competitive in the marketplace. As Matus stresses, “Only destinations that are healthy and have a solid sustainable management plan in place are likely to remain viable over the long term.”

MTA Student Nuo Li Shares Her Reflections on the Coronavirus

GW IITSApril 1, 2020Leave a comment

Nuo Li, an international student from Beijing, China, is earning her Masters degree in Sustainable Tourism Management at GW. While a number of international students have returned home since the coronavirus pandemic closed the university, Nuo opted to stay in the States for a number of reasons. She's not only concerned about visa restrictions but the fact that studying online is tricky in China. “Most importantly, I believe staying where I am now is the safest choice. I live in a friendly community here in DC, and I’ve received tons of care and support from professors and classmates …I’ve never felt alone or left out. I’m also blessed to have one cherry blossom tree growing right outside my window to bring me a sense of spring and hope.” Given Nuo’s unique perspective, we invited her to submit the following blog:

In early January, a few days after returning to Washington DC from China, where I spent the winter break, I first heard about the coronavirus. In the beginning, people seemed somewhat curious and confused. But when the government issued a shelter at home order just before the start of the week-long Chinese Spring Festival, which was scheduled to start on January 24, I realized the virus was quite serious. Nothing before had ever stopped us from celebrating the most important festival in China.

I video chatted with my parents during those early days, just to make sure they were well-prepared. Fortunately, both of them understood the situation and were taking good care of themselves.

At about the same time, I heard the news of the first few cases in Washington State. At that point, my family and friends in China started to worry about me and offered advice, based on their experience. One friend suggested, jokingly, that I: “Buy some potatoes as you can grow them in an emergency.”

I read the news every day, in both Chinese and English and prepared to stay at home, by stocking up on essentials along with carrots, celery, and sweet potatoes for my two guinea pigs and a Nintendo Switch for my own exercise. I even packed a small suitcase with IDs and basic clothes, just in case of emergency. At that point, while most people around me seemed less concerned, I skipped a midterm exam before the campus had officially closed. Having grown up in China, where we had already dealt with disasters including SARS, I was prepared from the beginning.

As a tourism student, I’ve been paying close attention to how businesses can remain resilient and creative during this global pandemic. For example, the hotel in my neighborhood has started to provide take-out meals for local residents. Not only are they providing a service for the community, but they’re finding a way to generate income and stay relevant.

I also came across this piece, How Chinese Tourism Operators Survive In The Crisis. While the article is written in Chinese, it basically describes how Chinese tour operators are finding creative ways to survive during the crisis, including selling and delivering fresh local produce from various destinations to people quarantined at home. For example, they’re sourcing bamboo from Fujian, rice from the North East, millet from Shanxi, and mango from Hainan. The point is that these businesses are staying nimble by staying relevant and figuring out new ways of supplying demand.

In Chinese, the word “opportunity” literally translates into “threat-opportunity”. I believe everything that comes with a threat, comes with an opportunity as well. And for now, staying apart is to stay united.

MANAGING CRUISE TOURISM IN BELIZE CITY: GW Helps Lead The Way Toward A More Sustainable Future

GW IITSDecember 5, 2019January 31, 2020Leave a comment

Post by Taylor Ruoff

The International Institute of Tourism Studies provides Master of Tourism Administration students with unique opportunities to participate in ongoing research and consulting projects that support sustainable tourism development all over the world. Last year, recent graduate Taylor Ruoff went to Belize City to work on a project designed to help the country better manage its growing influx of visitors and their impact on the country's resources. Here are her reflections on the experience and the future of tourism in Belize.

Belize City is not only the country’s largest urban area, but also serves as its commercial and cultural epicenter, and the main port of call for cruise tourism. Nearly 850,000 passengers arrived by ship last year to explore the country’s barrier reef, offshore islands, cave systems and Mayan archaeological sites.

While the industry has grown steadily and fostered entrepreneurship and economic growth in Belize, tourism is bringing an influx of people to the city, which is increasing pressure on resources, infrastructure, transportation and other services. Despite noticeable improvements in recent years, “crime-ridden”, “unsafe”, and “dangerous” are adjectives commonly used by outsiders when describing the city, and the reason that a number of tourists don’t ever venture past the port.

ASSESSING THE SITUATION

To help Belize City identify and overcome these challenges and plan for a sustainable future, I recently participated in the development of a destination assessment and sustainability plan. Along with International Institute of Tourism Studies Executive Director Seleni Matus and fellow graduate student Amanda Reiser—as well as Belize’s Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Board, industry associations, conservationists, tour operators, attraction managers, and other key local stakeholders—we helped to facilitate dialogue and exchange between these different groups. While they are key influencers and decision-makers, they're often not at the same table when it comes to discussing tourism.

“This sustainability assessment, the first ever of its kind for Belize, is a great step in elevating the importance and path towards responsible development and management within our cruise destinations,” noted Abil Castañeda, Chief Tourism Officer for the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation of Belize.

SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING

As part of the assessment, a team of graduate students from George Washington University’s Master of Tourism Administration program analyzed reviews on TripAdvisor and Cruise Critic to better understand visitor perceptions of the destination. “Our results revealed that visitors appreciated the wealth of knowledge and stellar service provided by local Belizean guides, and greatly enjoy the diverse natural tourism products the destination has to offer,” shared Reiser. “However, visitors also noted that a lack of accessibility, safety issues, and overcrowding at some popular attractions and sites degraded their overall experience, which was further confirmed by our site visits while in-country.”

In May, the GW team presented the results of the social media analysis and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Assessment in Belize City. We also facilitated the development of a sustainability action plan with input from local stakeholders. As a result, stakeholders agreed that in the near-term, they would take measures to better understand and mitigate against the negative impacts of tourism on visitor attractions and natural sites. For example, we discussed the production of guidelines to protect and properly interact with wildlife. Stakeholders also agreed to drive local action and policy-making around tourism development more generally by, for instance, measuring maximum capacities and limiting visitation to minimize overcrowding.

THE FUTURE OF CRUISE TOURISM

Following the assessment, the Belize Tourism Board held the country’s first cruise conference this past August, which brought together cruise line executives from Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian, and other cruise tourism experts to discuss new trends and key issues pertaining to the sustainability of the industry and Belize. I had the opportunity to present the findings of our team’s online visitor perception assessment at the event, stressing the importance of tracking visitor experiences to better address safety, accessibility, and overcrowding challenges at popular attractions and sites. The assessment and conference are major milestones for Belize and are part of a larger effort to promote destination stewardship and cruise tourism sustainability throughout the country.

This destination sustainability assessment of Belize City was sponsored by the GSTC, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) with funding and support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

TRIBES JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURISM

GW IITSNovember 18, 2019November 18, 2019Leave a comment

From cultural and historical sites, to parks and preserves to pow wows and traditional festivals, North and South Dakota are rich in opportunities for visitors seeking to experience Native American places and ways of life.

While in general, a growing interest in authentic and cultural heritage travel is fueling an uptick in Indigenous tourism, many tribes and communities throughout the US are not yet convinced of tourism’s potential benefits, which go well beyond economic development.

As Seleni Matus, Executive Director of the George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies explains, “We know that tourism is often the most promising way for many Indigenous communities to generate income while giving these groups the financial capability to protect their lands and cultural traditions.”

Three years ago, the Masters of Tourism Administration students, under the auspices of the International Institute of Tourism Studies, helped to establish the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance. The idea was to bring together the state’s five Indian Nations—the Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock, Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Spirit Lake— to collaboratively design tourism opportunities and develop their own individual strategies around cultural heritage tourism.

While the project, developed with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development and Division of Transportation, is building the capacity for tourism and economic development generally, this year’s focus in particular has been on developing actual tourism products and experiences that will appeal to visitors from the US, Europe and Asia. For example, these include pow wows, visits with community elders and interpretive tours of historic and cultural sites.

In addition to working with community leaders to identify and develop products and experiences, the IITS team is helping tribes to establish pricing, market their products and train guides and interpreters. They’re also identifying tour operators and potential entrepreneurs interested in working with the tribes. And, also as part of the project, the GW teams helping to strengthen micro-enterprises, including those owned and operated by local artisans, storytellers and dancers.

“The International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) has been an instrumental partner, helping to inform and shape our program design and delivery,” explains Ed Hall, Tourism Coordinator at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. They designed the approach now used in our work in the Dakotas to create long-term investment in sustainable cultural tourism development for tribal communities. Our partnership provides graduate students with an opportunity to work in tribal communities and share their expertise while learning from the communities themselves. The project works with state representatives to identify existing resources, which can support tribal capacity building and facilitates coordination and access to these various resources, while identifying gaps or barriers that require additional support. Ultimately, however, it is the sovereign tribal nations and communities that must control their own tourism efforts and deliver products and experiences that are authentic to their own cultures and traditions.”

This year, the Institute expanded its reach to South Dakota, where it’s working with nine federally recognized tribes. Stakeholder meetings to establish the projects have been well received by the South Dakota Department of Tourism as well as officials including David Flute, Secretary of Tribal Affairs and Jim Hagan, Secretary of Tourism, both of whom attended recent gatherings. State representatives Senator Red Dawn Foster, Representative Shawn Bordeaux, and Representative Tamara St. John, all of whom are Native American, have also been attending meetings and publically endorsing our work.

In South Dakota, the initial goal is to develop a regional tourism strategy and build a regional alliance, similar to the approach taken in North Dakota. For now, the group is focused on addressing several challenges inherent to the state, including the concentration of tourism attractions in and around Rapid City and the Badlands National Park and the general lack of connectivity between these areas and the tribal nations.

Participants at recent meetings expressed their hope that tourism would be the vehicle to reestablish connections and reunite the Oceti Sakowin, the People of the Seven Council Fires. Until the arrival of trappers and settlers during the 1600s, these bands of the Sioux were united by language and kinship.

As meeting attendee Randy Ross, from the Alliance of Tribal Tourism Advocates said, "Tourism isn't just about money. It can make light and open a path to knowledge. Then, our future generations will have a place to hang their hat on. They will have a legacy. Tourism is a vehicle to humanity.”

Kansas Middletent from the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe added that, “This initiative is important in so many ways but overall, it allows us to control our narrative. We get to share our way of life through our own lens, our own perspective, that often isn’t told to in fullness or in truth.”

To explore the ways in which tourism can drive opportunity and contribute to a better quality of life for Indigenous communities, the Organization of American States and the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies, in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, are organizing a two-day Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas scheduled for March 17^th to 18^th, 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Visit the forum website to learn more and register.

TOURISM IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE

GW IITSNovember 13, 2019Leave a comment

Rising seas, melting snowcaps and rampant wildfires make destinations increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. While the tourism industry is certainly responsible for contributing to the emission of greenhouse gases that lead to a warming climate, the solution is not to stop travel. Because tourism plays a vital role in driving economic growth and development, as well as conservation, travel companies, tour operators and individuals need to find new approaches to responsible travel in the face of climate change.

On October 30, The George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies and the Adventure Travel and Trade Association (ATTA) co-hosted AdventureConnect, which brought together adventure travel industry leaders, educators and students to discuss the future of sustainable tourism. The event was moderated by attorney Chunnie Wright, who provides legal counsel to adventure travel companies, and featured panelists Karl Egloff, Director of Travel & Conservation at the World Wildlife Fund; Jeff Bonaldi, founder & CEO of The Explorer’s Passage; and Russell Walters, who serves as ATTA’s North America Strategic Director and AdventureEDU Educator.

Panelists and participants addressed a number of key issues during a lively discussion that drew an engaged crowd. The following are some of the key takeaways from the evening:

SUSTAINABILITY MUST BE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.

While the tourism industry as a whole—including airlines, cruise ships and hotels— needs to take the lead on adopting practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consumers must do their part to drive efforts by demanding more of businesses and supporting those that demonstrate good environmental stewardship and leadership.

TOUR OPERATORS HAVE A KEY ROLE TO PLAY.

By fully understanding the sustainability of their own supply chains—including guides, vendors, and other suppliers—and by engaging with those companies and individuals who are demonstrably reducing their environmental footprint, tour operators can wield significant influence. They, too, can drive environmental initiatives internally by offsetting all of their trips.

TOUR OPERATORS AND DESTINATIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO EDUCATE TRAVELERS.

Around the world, tour operators are partnering with destinations to increase public awareness through climate-focused, educational trips. For example, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall recently joined a group to plant trees at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, an area that is exhibiting the harsh effects of climate change, partly due to large-scale deforestation. The expedition, a partnership between adventure travel company The Explorer’s Passage and conservation group ClimateForce, raised proceeds to fund large tree-planting projects. And in Iceland, where higher temperatures are melting glaciers, companies like Into the Glacier, which leads visitors through ice tunnels, are educating the public about the impacts of climate change.

TRAVELERS SHOULD MAKE INFORMED CHOICES WHEN FLYING.

While overall air travel is responsible for 2.5 percent of the world’s gas emissions, studies estimate that by 2050, aviation could take up a quarter of the world’s total carbon budget—or the amount of carbon dioxide emissions permitted to keep global temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Tour operators and travelers can contribute to lower emissions by adhering to the NERD rule: Choose NEWER aircrafts, buy ECONOMY seats, fly on REGULAR (medium-sized) jets and fly DIRECT, without layovers.sus

SPREAD THE WORD.

Because it can be challenging to understand—much less adopt—sustainability-oriented solutions, small businesses in particular often need support. Destinations and experienced businesses could help to scale sustainability by sharing their stories, experiences and recommendations for best practices.