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As
2020 quickly devours the last few hours of the month of January (how
did that happen...?!?!), we want to wish everyone a year of unrivalled
success, both in your work and personal lives.
May you be grateful for all that you and your 'tribe' have achieved and
be energised to tackle the new goals you set and the challenges that
appear. And may your commitment to doing Tourism the Fair Trade
way and prioritising social and environmental objectives serve you well.
2020 - the year of clear vision! Or of perfect hindsight...? Either way,
let's all learn from our past and create a better future.
#FTTFamily
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KHWELA HELPS WOMEN CLIMB TO SUCCESS IN TOURISM
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Founded
in 2017, Khwela (meaning "climb" in isiXhosa) Youth Tourism Stars
bridges the gap between youth unemployment and challenges in recruiting
reliable, well-trained and enthusiastic talent for the tourism industry.
Khwela's training academy provides an experiential learning curriculum
that comprises 10% theory, 20% network and 70% experience. It equips
young women (ages 18 - 35) from under-resourced communities with
industry-relevant skills and personal development training through an
online learning platform, weekly group workshops, a 3-week road trip
through South Africa, and a 6-month paid internship.
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If
you think you can handle all the dazzle that a Khwela graduate has to
offer, contact them to provide an internship for one of their youth
tourism stars. They just might be your next employee of the month and
heart of your business.
www.khwela.org.za or +27 61 365 8554
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Image (c) Khwela Youth Tourism Stars
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YOUTH IN TOURISM LEADERSHIP IN TSITSIKAMMA!
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Since
we last reached out, something very exciting happened for the tourism
community in Tsitsikamma. Lee-Marque Jansen was appointed at the
Chairperson for Tsitsikamma Tourism at their recent AGM.
For
those of you who haven't met Lee-Marque yet, he is the Marketing &
Public Relations Manager for Fair Trade Tourism pioneer, Stormsriver Adventures. The 28-year old was born and bred in Tsitsikamma so is a great choice to lead and represent local interests.
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Lee-Marque
is confident in the leadership and interpersonal skills that he has
built through his career in tourism and he looks forward to engaging a
diverse group of people to work towards a common goal for destination
marketing and grow tourism in the region. "I am humbled and eager at the
opportunity to lead, but at the same time learn from the rest of the
board."
Congratulations, Lee-Marque! We wish you every success!
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Image (c) Stormsriver Adventures
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SPEKBOOM: THE CLIMATE-SEXY SUCCULENT
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The Vineyard Hotel & Spa
combined its love for the planet with its love for its clients over the
festive season, gifting them 2,050 air-purifying spekbooms in
biodegradable pots!
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Grown
from cuttings in its lush, 8-acre garden, The Vineyard reports that
this "carbon sponge" is very easy to propagate. What's more is that its
rainfall requirement is quite low - between 250 and 350 mm / year,
making it well-suited to more water scarce areas.
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Did you know that spekboom - Portulacaria Afra
- is 10 times more effective per hectare at fixing carbon than a
tropical rainforest, its leaves are edible, it can live up to 200 years
old, and its traditional medicinal properties range from quenching
thirst to providing relief for blisters?!
A great planting and gifting idea for any time of the year...
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Image (c) The Vineyard Hotel & Spa
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EXCLUSIVE QUALITY ACCOLADE FOR SHAMWARI
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Shamwari Private Game Reserve
proudly shares that its collection of 7 lodges and its Explorer Camp
have been accepted into the luxury travel portfolio of Virtuoso.
“Virtuoso’s acceptance process is incredibly selective, so becoming a
preferred partner is a true honour,” said Shamwari CEO, Joe Cloete.
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The
quality accolade of Virtuoso complements a Fair Trade Tourism certified
business well - demonstrating that luxury travel does not mean you must
compromise on responsible and Fair Trade Tourism.
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Image (c) Shamwari Private Game Reserve
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FTT PARTNERSHIP RESULTS IN ACCESS FOR ZIM
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Travelife Partner level award was granted to Tiritose Sustainable Travel
in Harare, Zimbabwe, recognising its compliance with more than 100
criteria related to the corporate social responsibility themes of
environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relations (covering
ISO26000).
Tiritose
focuses on fostering relationships between high school and tertiary
learning communities through cultural and educational experiences in
Zimbabwe for volunteers, interns, and educational institution faculty
members.
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Travelife
works with Fair Trade Tourism as its exclusive implementing partner in
southern Africa to offer sustainability training and certification for
tour operators, enabling them to access the biggest network of
Travelife-certified tour operators.
Contact Ana Lemmer to join this drive for better tourism or for more info (ana@fairtrade.travel / + 27 82 868 7838).
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WHO'S WHO AND FTT-APPROVED?
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As
many of you know, FTT's approach to accessing the consumer market was
to create a brand for like-minded tour operators to sell under the
concept of FTT holiday packages.
This has given an edge to the operators as they can market a package
that is unique and has a recognised label and concept associated with
it, while giving FTT-certified businesses exclusive access to the
travel-trade segment that is accessing the market. Win-win!
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We
welcome them to the family and encourage FTT-certified businesses to
get in contact to craft some new itineraries for Fair Trade Holiday
packages!
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WTM AFRICA APPROACHES - ARE YOU READY?
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No
sooner has the silly season passed than the tourism and travel
professional starts packing his / her bags for the trade show marathons
to showcase their product.
WTM Africa
is one of the main meeting places for the southern African market, and
while this makes it great for business, it also has a designated
responsible tourism platform and is hosted in one of the country's
greenest venues!
Seems like a great spot to reconnect again. Have you booked your place...? #WTMAfrica2020 See you there!
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Why sustainable tourism is within reach
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This
vision of sustainable tourism is well within our reach, and there are
many incentives to realize it. [...] But there is a downside...
Full article on Travel Tourism News here.
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Creating a sustainable food future
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To achieve a Sustainable Food Future by 2050, the World Resource Institute suggests 10 innovative solutions to be more environmentally conscious.
Full article on the World Resources Institute website here.
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Time for something different...
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Travel
is moving into a time where it isn't so much about the place, but more
so about the experience, shared with loved ones, that will be
treasured.
Full article on World Travel Market's Responsible Tourism blog here.
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Ideas for climate emergency plans
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The
Tourism Declares Network is an industry response to climate change
whereby signatories commit to publishing a Climate Emergency Plan within
12 months. Here are some initial ideas of what you might include.
Full article on the Tourism Declares website here.
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Toronto to power rubbish collection trucks with city's waste
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Toronto
will soon power its city's refuse collection thanks to organic
waste. Such an amazing model for other cities to adapt!
Full article on the World Economic Forum's website here.
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Launch of the global tourism plastics initiative
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The
Global Tourism Plastics Initiative aims to articulate, support and
scale-up action by tourism stakeholders and is building a global
alliance to fight plastic pollution.
Full article on the UNWTO website here.
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