International Centre for
Responsible Tourism
Rethinking Responsible
Tourism: 10 years on.
Harold Goodwin
Tweet #RTD5
www.icrtourism.org
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What is the purpose of
tourism? What is it for?
More: Growth
Arrivals/spend
Individual
Business
Community
Government
 Conservation
 Development
 Creation of
Employment
 Maintenance of
Heritage
 Taxation
 Regeneration
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“… better places for
people to live in
better places for people
to visit”
Engaging the mainstream
Taste the difference
That is what drives
repeats and referrals
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Responsible Tourism
Krippendorf
 Noticed the changing
demands of tourists
 Authentic and more
meaningful
experiences
 Not prohibition but the
feeling of
responsibility –
infectious
responsibility
“Rebellious
tourists and
rebellious locals”
Cape Town Declaration
 Diverse world
 Tourism takes places
in particular places
and has to be
managed locally
 Local priorities
 Taking responsibility
for triple bottom line
sustainability
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Tipping Point 2006
 1200 nomination for RT Awards
 Google “R. Tourism” 29,200,000
 First Choice published its objectives and
progress on Sustainable Tourism – at
home and abroad.
 Need to maintain the concept and push
the envelope – integrity is now the
priority
 First plagiarism of RT Policy
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A “movement”
 Broad range of individual groups, a
spectrum of groups
 Moving at different speeds but in one
general direction using a variety of
approaches
 Global Code of Ethics & Cape Town
Declaratio
 Moving from A => B: CHANGE
 All forms of tourism can be more responsible
 diverse: particular to cultures, places and
organisations
 Means different things in different
destinations and originating markets;
informed - active – consumers & producers
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A broad movement
Leaders
Followers
Laggards
Free
loaders
Exploiters
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Stepping up - we can so we should…..
Tourism is a human activity.
Tourism is what we make it.
Ask not what your country can
do for tourism, ask what tourism
can do for your country.
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Taking
Responsibility for
Tourism
by Harold Goodwin
www.takingresponsibilityfortourism.info
www.haroldgoodwin.info
www.icrtourism.org
Taking Responsibility for
Tourism by Goodwin ISBN 978-1-906884-39-0
© 2011 Goodfellow Publishers
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Pressing imperatives
Environmental carbon/energy,
water and waste in a finite world
Tourism cannot and should not
expect to be treated as a special
case – most people do not go on
holiday.
Creation of “shared value” –
ensuring that local people benefit.
Mainstreaming sustainabilty
www.icrtourism.org
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Rebellious Locals - Destinations
 We do take our tourism in their homes
 Respect that – the destination does not
belong to the visitor
 Local governance- the planning
authority
 De-commodifying tourism –
differentiation for competitive
advantage
 Paying the full price of tourism
 Creating shared value
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Choose your guests
 Destinations can
influence who they
attract
 Choose guests who
will “fit in”, spend
on locally produced
products, and who
are likely to
 Repeat and
recommend
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New Zealand
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Four successive consumer
sensibilities
availability – access to reliable
supply
cost – affordable supply
quality – product performance
Authenticity – “conforming to selfimage”
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You can taste
Experiential Tourism the difference
 The experience
economy
 Seeking
memorable
experiences
 Driving increased
tourism
 Viral marketing
 Engagement in
culture,
community and
the environment
 Shared product of
host and guest
 Quality, depth,
create memories
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Originating Markets
Domestic and international
Recognise that there are different
consuming cultures
Authenticity and responsibility
And that the case for taking
responsibility for tourism has to
made and won consuming group
by consuming group.
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I always take environmentally friendly
tourism considerations into account when
making a decision about where to travel to
Mexico
88%
China
68%
Korea
60%
France
56%
Germany
33%
Japan
33%
USA
31%
Canada
30%
Australia
28%
Where is the UK in this?
www.icrtourism.org
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I always take environmentally friendly
tourism considerations into account when
making a decision about where to travel to
Mexico
88%
China
68%
Korea
60%
France
56%
Germany
33%
Japan
33%
USA
31%
Canada
30%
Australia
28%
UK
23%
www.icrtourism.org
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tie breaker
For an equivalent experience I am more
likely to choose an environmentally friendly
travel option over one that is not
Mexico
88%
65%
China
68%
80%
Korea
60%
72%
France
56%
62%
Germany
33%
39%
Japan
33%
45%
USA
31%
38%
Canada
30%
43%
Australia
28%
32%
UK
23%
29%
www.icrtourism.org
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As part of an authentic experience that explores a
destination’s natural and cultural heritage I am
willing to pay a higher price for an environmentally
friendly travel option over one that is not
Mexico
88%
65%
53%
China
68%
80%
56%
Korea
60%
72%
57%
France
56%
62%
45%
Germany
33%
39%
37%
Japan
33%
45%
41%
USA
31%
38%
31%
Canada
30%
43%
28%
Australia
28%
32%
25%
UK
23%
29%
26%
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www.icrtourism.org
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Tourism and livelihoods
Image of tourism jobs
Retention
Creating rewarding quality jobs
Rates of pay
Promotion and progression
Low barriers to entry –
entrepreneurial opportunities
www.icrtourism.org
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Governance
Sustainable Production and
Consumption
Tourism is special BUT so is every
other special interest.
Need to engage beyond the silo
Tourism more dependent than
most on multi-stakeholder
partnerships
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Products
Resilience
Accommodation, attractions and
services
Beyond Certification: Enabling
consumers to taste the difference.
Transparent Reporting –
demonstrating achievement rather
than effort. Moving beyond
www.rtreporting.org
process.
Part of the consumer’s contract
www.icrtourism.org
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Two rebellious questions
 What is the
purpose of
tourism?
 Who benefits:
mainly tourists
and the
businesses
 Or the destination
and the people
who live there
These are critical questions as tourism competes
for the benefits of assistance from government
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Rebellious consumers
 Need to work in
other originating
markets
 Work with people
with disabilities
 Increase the
literacy of
consumers
 Encourage them
to be more
demanding
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REBELLIOUS PROFESSIONALS
 Encouraging
positive deviance
 Encouraging the
taking of risk and
offering support
 Building
leadership
 It is about
demonstrating real
change – it has to
be more than
ticking boxes
 Engaging with
other cultures
(BRIC)
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www.aRTyforum.info
www.icrtourism.org
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www.irresponsibletourism.info
We need to see more exposure of
misleading claims – from more
educated and demanding tourists.
There is an excellent cheating site ………
www.icrtourism.org
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“New” priorities
 Access for all
 Aviation
 Cruise
 Skiing
 Diving
 Wildlife
 Antarctica
 Regulation
 “transfer pricing”
 Taxation on
tourists and on
second home
rentals.
 Giving back –
philanthropy
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Need to demand evidence
• Need to raise the quality of the debate
• Evidence based claims
• Certification is opaque – need to know what
has been achieved
• Need transparent reporting
• Global Partnership – “knowledge based
platform”.. “not projects for projects sake”
• Honest reporting and sharing
• Expect funders to demand evidence that the
objectives have been achieved
Taking
Responsibility for
Tourism
by Harold Goodwin
www.takingresponsibilityfortourism.info
www.haroldgoodwin.info
Taking Responsibility for Tourism by Goodwin ISBN 978-1-906884-39-0
© 2011 Goodfellow Publishers
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Further information
 www.haroldgoodwin.info
 www.icrtourism.org
 www.wtmwrtd.com
 www.aRTyforum.info
 www.responsibletourismpartnership.org
 www.icrtourism.org/capetown.shtml
 www.icrtourism.org/Kerala.shtml
 www.irresponsibletourism.info
 www.responsibletravel.com
 harold@haroldgoodwin.info
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The Business Case for Responsible
Tourism
 Market Advantage
 The right thing to
do
 Minimising risk
 License to operate
 Product quality
 Cost savings
 Staff morale
 Market Advantage
 Experience
– richer
– more authentic
– guilt free
 Differentiation
and PR
 Reputation
 Referrals
 Repeats
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