Can Myanmar begin the journey to sustainable and quality tourism?

The Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business today published a sector-wide impact assessment on tourism which highlights some of the positive and negative impacts tourism can have on the country, and the choices to be made.

The second sector-wide impact assessment (SWIA) by the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (MCRB), follows on from the SWIA on oil and gas highlights a number of actual and potential impacts of tourism development. The MCRB is co-founded by the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

Some of Myanmar’s flagship sites such as Bagan, Inle and Kyaiktiyo, are already under environmental and social pressure from the effects of tourism, which is affecting the livelihoods of local inhabitants and long-term viability of these places as tourism destinations.

The SWIA makes recommendations to government, businesses, civil society groups, tourists and other stakeholders intended to increase positive impacts and reduce negative impacts.

Myanmar already has in place a number of government policies to encourage responsible tourism. However, a lack of capacity and resources means that implementation of these policies is incomplete. Launching the report, MCRB Director, Vicky Bowman, said:

“At the moment, there’s too much focus on hard infrastructure and in particular, hotel construction. Myanmar needs to rein in the rush to create so-called ’hotel zones’, where land is compulsorily acquired for multiple hotels, often on environmentally sensitive sites. Our field research repeatedly showed that many of the negative impacts we found were associated with hotel zones. What is needed – as the government’s own Master Plan identified – is participatory destination management and a ‘zonal planning’ approach, which is not the same thing as establishing a ‘hotel zone’”.

The assessment also found that local communities were still not sufficiently engaged in decisions on tourism development. “Engagement, consultation and participation of stakeholders should form the basis of tourism development projects from the very start.  This is particularly important in ethnic minority and post-conflict areas where tourism businesses should take the time to understand the conflict and communal dynamics, and how local people would like to see the destination opened to tourists and benefits shared”, said Allan Jørgensen, from the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

The SWIA highlights the significant job creation and poverty alleviation potential of tourism. It also highlights potential threats, drawing on experiences from the region such as Cambodia and Thailand.  For example, children are vulnerable to the impacts of tourism through phenomena such as ‘orphanage tourism’ and some types of ‘voluntourism’.  On this, and other issues, the SWIA identifies relevant international standards and initiatives, and highlights relevant good practices both in Myanmar and other countries.

Download the report: Myanmar-Tourism-Sector-Wide-Assessment

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Responsible travel in Myanmar (Burma)

Last week I spoke at the Tourism Concern Annual Meeting on the subject of Myanmar (Burma) and in particular our responsible travel policy there – which included avoiding hotels owned by members of the regime or those close to it. After accepting the kind invitation, I reflected that this was no longer our policy. On a recent visit to Myanmar, after much discussion with our local partner in country, we decided to drop any attempt at calculating who was benefiting and make decisions based on our normal criteria of quality and sustainability.

Which left me a little short of anything to talk about. So I decided to outline why we had changed the policy and thought it might be good set out why we made this change, so others can better understand our thinking. We looked at the historical perspective, the reality of the situation on the ground, what a policy such as this meant in practice and what our goals were for our holidays within Myanmar.

To put the decision in its political and historical context, I think it’s important to note just how far Myanmar has come since 2009. Not even the wildest optimist in 2009 would have predicted that we’d be where we are now. Aung San Suu kyi, of ‘the Lady’ as she is known in Myanmar, was released from prison in 2010 and 100’s more political dissidents followed. The military regime was brought to an end and a new government introduced under President Thein Sein came in. Some degree of free elections have been introduced as well as a level of freedom of press. Opposition parties, such as the NLD, were permitted to operate relatively normally. Anecdotally, people seem far freer to express political opinions and there is much less of a general climate of fear. Myanmar has seen an explosion in tourist numbers – from 300,000 in 2010, to 2 million in 2013 and a possible 3 million expected in 2015.

It is important to qualify this. The government can best be described as ‘semi-civilian’, with Thein Sein himself and many of the leading figures ex or serving military. Freedoms have been introduced, but are in no way unqualified and many political prisoners remain in jail (see this link here). The constitution is still firmly tilted towards the military junta and Aung San Suu kyi herself cannot officially become president, due to a technical disqualification squarely aimed at her (baring anyone from office with children holding a foreign nationality. Her children are British). The problem of endemic poverty remains and, if anything, the various conflicts between the state and armed ethnic groups and communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims, has got worse (perhaps as a direct result of the increased freedoms).

The point remains though, that Myanmar is an a very different place to where it was in 2009 or even 2011 when tourism really started to open up. Indeed, put in the SE Asian context,(a military regime in Thailand, one party states in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) the progress is startling.

Which brings us back to my visit in November last year and our decision to change our policy. Our partner in Myanmar is a man with a very strong mission. He was brought up in Bagan, the child of poor but educated parents. He left the country in 2002 at the height of the repression, seeing no future for his career in tourism, but returned in 2009, having built up a successful business in Cambodia. He has a passion for equitable development and building sustainable relationships which benefit the whole country, rather than just an elite few, foreign companies or large corporations. He believes that Myanmar can be so much better than it is and is completely intolerant of shoddy service and poor finished product. He also thrashed me at chess, but that’s another story.

His argument is one of political expediency. He argues that it’s hardly possible to make moral judgements on who owns which hotel and what form of transport now and how close they are to which part of the regime. The minefield that you are entering there is just too complex. It is also not the case that tourism dollars are ‘propping up the regime’ – as could have been argued (just about) in 2009. There are huge profits to be made from mining, logging and other natural resources and the economy has opened up massively over the past 3 years. There is however, a real and persistent problem with poverty which is shifting very slowly, if at all. Myanmar is by some distance the poorest country in the region and indeed, one of the poorest in the world.   He convinced me, that the economic benefits of tourists visiting Myanmar, spreading their spending as widely as possible and generally engaging with the local population was far more of a net gain than any marginal contribution to unsavoury political characters.

The best way to help the local economy, he argued,  was to get off the beaten track, eat at local restaurants, engage local guides, stay if possible in locally owned hotels, purchase local crafts and encourage sustainable use of cultural and natural capital. Most visitors to Myanmar visit the same 4 destinations, namely: Bagan, Lake Inle, Mandalay and Yangon. His passion is to get visitors to those areas, but to see them from unusual angles and also to get away to out-stations such at Kengtung in Shan State, Mawlamyine (setting of the Gorge Orwell short story, ‘Shooting an Elephant’), the Murgui Archipelago in southern Myanmar, Putao in northern Kachin state and many, many more less visited places. If you want to go to these places and the only option is a hotel associated with a figure close to the previous or current regime, should you not go? Of course not. The people of these regions should be able to benefit economically from tourism and tourism can have a benefit when it provides an economic incentive to preserve natural resources.

Putao itself is an interesting case in point. There is a high end lodge style hotel there called Malikha Lodge, which was originally set up by the foreign team behind ‘Balloons in Bagan’. It was acquired by a man called Tay Za a few years back. Tay Za is head of the Htoo group and would be exactly the person who might be referred to as a regime ‘crony’. He was a close associate of the former president, Than Shwe and has all kind of interests in logging, mining and tourism. His big breaks came before the country opened up. Whilst I know very little about him, when I asked about him to various people in tourism in Myanmar, thet said that he had a decent reputation among his 40,000 or so employees and in fact, in the travel industry, Htoo Group were seen as high payers – perhaps as over generous employers!

Whilst I don’t want to paint him as a paragon of virtue, I offer the example only to stress that the situation is not black and white and that any moral judgements we make from a distance are fraught with danger and hypocrisy.

To my mind we should approach Myanmar from the same approach we should come to any of our destinations. We’d like to provide our guests with life enriching holidays, built on sustainable, lasting relationships and meaningful human exchanges. We want our holidays to take nothing, exploit no one and give back. We want them to be a force for positive development in Myanmar and beyond and we strongly believe that the type of passionate travellers that come on our holidays want to be a part of that. Whilst we believe in ethical travel for its own sake, we also believe that holidays built with sustainability as part of their DNA, make for more insightful, more interactive, more illuminating and ultimately of course, for better holidays.

Here’s to a brighter tomorrow.

Sam Clark, Experience Travel Group

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Animals in tourism – stay safe, stay insured and know when to stay away!

It’s challenging for adventurous tourists and animal lovers not to fall into the many common traps awaiting them when travelling overseas. As well as the issue of ‘photo prop’ animals (animals that vendors in the street, bars or hotels carry around and then charge tourists to have a picture with), there is also the age old problem of animals being used as attractions. As a nation of animal lovers, the temptation to get up close to such exotic animals as gibbons, slow lorises, snakes, bears and even lions and tigers is often too much for us. But, by doing so, tourists can inadvertently be supporting a lifetime of abuse for these animals and encouraging an industry that causes suffering, killing and cruelty for the exact creatures that we profess to love.

One of the most famous animal attractions, and probably the most controversial, is the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The Temple is a popular tourist destination and every day a hundred tourists or more visit, hoping for a chance to get up close and personal with ‘rescued’ tigers. The Tiger Temple website describes itself as a sanctuary, started when locals brought some orphaned cubs to the temple for care and the Abbot took them in and cared for them. The official website claims that there are seventeen tigers at the temple, seven of them orphans and ten bred on site.

But the reality is very different. In 2008, wildlife charity Care for the Wild International released an undercover report called ‘Exploiting the Tiger’. The report used information gathered from a variety of sources between 2005 and 2008 and uncovered disturbing evidence of serious conservation and animal welfare concerns, including illegal tiger trafficking, systematic physical abuse of the tigers held at the temple, and high risk interactions between tigers and tourists. In 2013, promoted by a wave of media concerns about the Tiger Temple, their CEO went back to see if things had changed.

Unfortunately, not much had. The key issues at the time of the visit centred on animal welfare, health and safety and false marketing.

Animal welfare issues included man-handling of the tigers such as hitting or rough handling and constant disregard for the needs of the tigers, inappropriate housing facilities that fall severely short of international standards, over exposure to tourists and over handling, plus much more. Health and safety was a serious concern also – no alarm systems or emergency refuse areas were visible, tourists (including children) could sit within bite reach of the tigers and many even posed for photos with the tigers’ heads on their laps. Also, tourists were encouraged to walk the tigers on a lead – without any training or capability assessments.

In addition to all this, it is clear  that the Temple’s positioning and marketing strategy, based on its identity as a temple come sanctuary with a conservation agenda, is built on a web of lies. None of the tigers at Tiger Temple have ever been released back into the wild, nor can they be under current conditions, and there is no evidence to suggest that Tiger Temple has contributed to conservation in any other way – financially or non-financially. In addition, despite their assertion that there are just 17 tigers at the temple, the actual figure from staff on the day was 114! Nearly all have been bred on site, although the Tiger Temple is not part of any internationally recognised tiger breeding program. In fact, no tiger that has been raised in captivity in this way and interacted with humans in any way can ever be released into the wild. Breeding, therefore, serves no other purpose other than income. The other thing of note is that the Tiger Temple is actually licensed by the Thai Government…..as a zoo!

The investigations also revealed something that may make even the most hard to convince tourist stay away – by going to the Tiger Temple (where you sign a safety disclaimer on entry) you are voiding your travel insurance for the duration of your visit to the Temple. This means that should anything happen you will not be covered and will need to pay for your own emergency treatment – including any repatriation to a hospital in your own country.

So, in summary – if you love tigers, care about animal welfare and want to be a responsible tourist we recommend that you do not visit Tiger Temple. You can find out more and read the full report at www.RIGHT-tourism.org/destinations/asia/thailand where you can also find out a host of animal friendly travel advice by destination.

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Nature and Ecotourism

Latvia is among the few countries left in the world where natural ecosystems, largely untouched by man, still thrive in half of its territory. It is a paradise for tourists seeking to discover a land where nature and tradition have coexisted in harmony from time immemorial.
The country we now call Latvia has long attracted foreigners - at first, invaders of all kinds and later travelers and adventurous. For example, since the 1830s the region surrounding the city of Sigulda has been called the "Switzerland of Vidzeme" by German travelers who compared the sandstone banks of the old Gauja valley of the river Elbe in Saxony.
Unfortunately, in the 20th century Latvia suffered two world wars, and from 1940 to 1991 it was occupied and isolated behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union. Therefore Latvia has been relegated to a "blank spot" on modern European and world tourist map. Today this country largely unknown waiting to be discovered, ready to be revealed as the colorful mosaic that is Latvia.

One Man’s Path of Discovery Fuelled by Ecotourism

As I sit here looking out across the Messenian Bay, I can’t help smiling about how much my life has changed since I was last on this bench two years ago.

Back then I was still working as a lawyer in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Life was comfortable; perhaps a little too comfortable. I had a 10 minute commute to work by bike, money to travel at the weekends, great colleagues and I was living in the centre of a beautiful old French city. But something wasn’t quite right; I no longer felt passionate about my work.

As I watched the glow of the rising sun creep up the face of Machhapuchhre near Pokhara, Nepal, a part of me already knew that I had to make a career change.

At first I thought it was just a passing phase. I had recently been on an amazing trip to Nepal, where I saw the positive effects ecotourism was having on local communities and the environment, and it was proving difficult to settle back into my daily office routine. But this was more than just a phase. Something inside me changed during those three weeks in the Himalayas and deep down I knew that I should be doing something other than sitting behind a desk working with legal documents. I had to make a change, but I didn’t know how or in what direction.

A couple of months later, sitting on this very bench, I read some great advice on how to find out what you are truly passionate about. The author said that you should think back to your childhood and what you loved doing then – before you faced the pressures of adult life like finding a well-paid job, being in a relationship, paying the rent etc. It made me reminisce about mountaineering trips with my father in the UK – I literally grew up in the back of his rucksack.

I have always loved being outdoors, especially in the mountains – I feel my best when I’m surrounded by them. I pondered how I could find a job involving mountains and it brought me back to my trip to Nepal. It was then that I realised how I had inadvertently stumbled upon something through which I could combine my childhood passion with my newfound interest in sustainability: ecotourism.

But how does a lawyer with no ecotourism training or experience set off down that untrodden path? And, most importantly, what exactly was it that I wanted to do? Ecotourism is a global and diverse field – finding out specifically what kind of project I wanted to work on and where I wanted to be proved to be the greatest challenge of all. I was excited to have finally found something I was passionate about, but I had no idea where to start – it was all rather overwhelming.

So I did what anyone would do: I Googled “ecotourism” and discovered The International Ecotourism Society. Attending their annual Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in the USA was an amazing experience, and proved to be the push forward I needed to get started on this new journey of discovery.  As a result of the contacts I made at the conference I was offered two internships – one with Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality in Costa Rica, where I worked in every department of two luxury sustainable hotels – and the other at Maho Bay Camps in the US Virgin Islands, regarded by many as the place where the ecotourism movement began back in the seventies, a part of ecotourism history which tragically closed in May.

Working in ecotourism heaven, Costa Rica, I was able to play an active role in local conservation and community projects. The sustainability departments of the hotels I worked in encouraged guests and staff to get involved in a series of projects that were all about giving back. We worked closely with local schools and villages, educating the younger generation about sustainability, listening intently to what the communities’ needs were and working in harmony to preserve the country’s stunningly beautiful natural heritage. Tree planting, beach cleaning, collecting garbage to prevent dengue fever, supplying equipment to local schools, working with indigenous communities to promote their handicrafts: just a few examples of the inspiring projects implemented by some of the top ecotourism destinations in the world.

Helping a local school in Costa Rica.

Maho Bay Camps was a different story – although just as fascinating. After the luxury of Costa Rica’s resorts, Maho showed me a different side of ecotourism: the “roughing it” side. Living and working in simple tent structures in the forest of St John, I was in constant contact with nature. Bananaquits woke me up in the morning, lizards crawled though my belongings, and sea turtles swam with me in the crystal clear waters. I walked, lived and breathed the surrounding nature – something that I feel is an essential part of any ecotourism experience.

My home at Maho.

Getting out in the field and gaining practical experience is essential for anyone considering such a radical career change, and it proved extremely beneficial in my case. Working at such legendary ecotourism destinations provided me with a clear understanding of how the field functions, and a wealth of experience. It confirmed that my decision to change was right for me. Being involved in such projects made me eager to learn more, to do more and to give more. When I was faced with the decision about what to do next (Should I do more internships? Should I find a job working at an eco-resort? Should I work with a company organising ecotourism holidays?), my new-found experience in the field allowed me to feel confident in my choice: I wanted to create my own project. This dream that had been at the back of my mind for some time started taking shape. It sounded crazy, but I felt compelled to give it a go. So I started thinking, preparing, and planning.  And the first thing I needed to figure out was where I wanted this project to be.

Ecotourism is a concept most commonly associated with exotic, far-away destinations, and I was amazed to see the relatively low number of projects in Europe compared to other places in the world. I had always felt that Southern Europe has a lot to offer in terms of ecotourism, with the added perk (for the European market) of not having to fly 12 hour flights to get there, thereby massively increasing the carbon footprint of the holiday.  Even though there is a growing awareness of sustainable tourism issues in Europe, it seemed that there was still a gap in the market as far as ecotourism destinations are concerned. So I decided to explore countries that fit the criteria I had in mind: amazing natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and a mild climate.

Greece seemed like the perfect fit. I’d recently travelled around its lesser-known mainland and was amazed at what I saw. The current crisis makes such a sustainable project even more necessary for the support of the local economy and communities. An ever-increasing number of people are leaving the cities and turning towards a simpler, less stressful life. The countryside is slowly being rejuvenated,  with many creative young people wanting to work and live away from the city. All we hear in the news is how the crisis is tearing the country apart, but what we rarely hear is how the crisis is making the country more alive, more active, and the people more caring, more creative and more productive. It has always been a place of amazing natural beauty – and now is actually a great time to be there, a great time to start a new project.  Currently trying to find the ideal site for development and build a network of contacts in the now forming Greek ecotourism community, I feel more and more convinced that this is the place to be.

Incredible scenery in mainland Greece.

Trying to get a project off the ground in a flailing economy is and will be a challenge. But the people are warm and welcoming, both within the global and the Greek ecotourism world. I don’t yet know what obstacles I’ll find down that path – I know now, however, how much more energy you have when it comes to fighting for what you believe in.

My past life as a lawyer seems like a distant memory today and I don’t regret a thing. I don’t know about my lawyer self, but I’m pretty sure my 13-year-old self would be proud of me now. That is enough to make me happy. And I can’t help wondering how much further along this path of discovery I will be when I come back to this bench in another two years.

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Oasis in a Sea of Humanity: Sea Turtles of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

“We may have to walk a bit to see a turtle,” I told my 11-year-old daughter Karina as the huge supermoon rose over the Caribbean. My family was standing on X’cacel beach, one of Mexico’s most important nesting beaches for green turtles, located in a national park near Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

As it turned out, we only had to walk about 20 feet before a dark round shape appeared in the surf.  The turtle emerged right in front the research station run by local organization Flora, Fauna y Cultura de Mexico. To give the green turtle space to find a good spot to lay its eggs, we retreated back up the walkway, only to have the turtle follow us up the path. It eventually changed its mind, however, and made its way back to the water.

It wasn’t long before several other turtles came up on the beach. We waited until the closest turtle was laying its eggs before approaching to avoid disturbing it at a sensitive point in the process. This was also a green turtle, a female weighing probably over 200 pounds. Its multicolored shell appeared faintly white in the moonlight. Though I’ve worked with sea turtles for more than a decade, this was the first time Karina had seen one laying eggs, and she was entranced by the spectacle of the ancient ritual.

X’cacel is located on a nondescript road; no signs promote this incredible place, which in tourist-friendly Mexico may be a good thing. Turtles nest all along the stretch of beach from Cancun to Tulum known as the Riviera Maya, but this is one of the only spots where the beach is free of large resorts and hotels. Lights, beach furniture, and crowds all reduce the number of turtles that come up to nest, so undeveloped stretches like this are critical to keeping these ancient reptiles around.

Flora, Fauna y Cultura has spent the past 30 years protecting three turtle species that nest on more than 10 beaches in the region. These turtles face an array of threats including human consumption of their eggs and meat, and here – perhaps more than anywhere else in the world – coastal tourism development. Despite being a national park, known as Santuario de la Tortuga Marina Xcacel-Xcacelito, Xcacel still faces a threat of having its natural coastal area developed into big resorts.

The next morning, we headed over to Akumal (Mayan for “Place of the Turtles”), which has a bay well known for the green turtles who feed on the seagrass. We got there early to beat the crowds and put on our snorkels and headed out in search of the ancient reptiles. Before long, my wife found a turtle calmly grazing on the grass and we quietly watched it at a distance. Its beautifully patterned orange, brown, and gold shell was much more clear than the one we’d seen the night before on the beach.

We had the young green turtle to ourselves for about 15 minutes before other snorkelers moved in. The reptile moved slowly along the seagrass, occasionally rising gently to the surface to fill its lungs before sinking back to the bottom. Most of the observers gave the turtle enough space, though one overzealous snorkeler eventually drove the turtle away by getting too close and trying to follow it with a video camera. Exhilarated by the experience, my daughter said later that watching that turtle go about its business gave her hope for the future of this species.

By the time we were done, dozens more people were getting into the water. After we got out, we had a chance to chat with Paul Sanchez-Navarro, the tall scholarly director of Centro Ecologico Akumal, an organization that works to protect turtles both in the water and while nesting in this area. He explained that the large numbers of people swimming in the bay have a real impact on the turtles that feed on the seagrass, causing them to eat less and increasing stress. The good news is that a new management plan should be in place soon to enforce how visitors and tour guides act while around the turtles.

That evening, we headed south to Tulum. Everything slowed down as we turned off the main highway and drove our rental car over the frequent speed bumps along the road towards Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. At Hotel Nueva Vida de Ramiro, a local hotel that works to minimize its ecological footprint while creating an inviting setting, most of the grounds are planted with native trees.  The small resort hosts rangers from Flora, Fauna y Cultura and a hatchery to protect the eggs laid by turtles that come up this stretch of beach.

After settling into the hotel, I met up with Lluvia Soto, the young and friendly Country Director for SEEtheWILD partner Global Vision International (GVI). We hopped into her SUV, a requirement for traversing the rough road into Sian Ka’an, the only major protected area along the coast south of Cancun. GVI is partnering with Flora, Fauna y Cultura to monitor a formerly unprotected stretch of nesting beach (used by loggerhead and green turtles) inside the park.

After more than an hour of navigating the flat dirt road through coastal forest and mangrove, we emerged onto a thin peninsula of land, barely wider than the beach and the road, sandwiched between turquoise ocean and a dark blue lagoon. This beach would be one of the more beautiful I’ve ever seen if it weren’t for the stunning amount of trash, washed up here from around the world. Learn how trash affects sea turtles here.

Even in this oasis of nature, the turtles need to crawl through trash to find a place to lay their eggs, and the emerging hatchlings are smaller than the plastic bottles and flip flops. Part of GVI’s work in the area is to reduce this waste; their staff and volunteers do weekly clean-ups in the reserve, which can result in up to a ton of trash collected in a day. They have also set up a recycling center in the nearby town of Punta Allen, located within the refuge. Learn more about this sea turtle volunteer program.

That evening, back at Nueva Vida, the rangers knocked on our door to let us know that a turtle was nesting right in front of the hotel, one of the few to turn off its lights that face the water during nesting season and remove furniture from the beach at night. Such common-sense measures are a necessity when sharing a beach with sea turtles, but unfortunately, many resorts here do not make the effort.

This turtle, a green, headed towards the resort’s hatchery but changed its mind and returned to the water without nesting. Fortunately another green turtle emerged just a short walk down the beach, so we were able to see the whole nesting process, from digging the nest and laying the eggs to camouflaging the nest to hide it from predators. My wife, also a turtle conservationist, helped the ranger collect data on the turtle while I explained the fascinating process to a couple of tourists who happened upon the scene.

On the way back, we saw a fresh set of tracks that led to a lounge chair in front of a brightly lit resort. It was clear from the tracks that the turtle had turned around without nesting once it met the chair– further evidence that resorts like this one have replaced poaching on this beach as the biggest threat. Learn more about how coastal development affects sea turtles.

Our tour of the area’s turtle beaches finished up with a meeting with our friends at Flora, Fauna y Cultura and a group of Mayan youth who patrol a beach in nearby Tulum National Park, near the town’s famous ruins. This beach, with its location near the town, is a hotspot for egg poaching. Our Billion Baby Turtles program and our partners at Lush Cosmetics (through its Charity Pot program) are helping to fund this program, which provides employment for these young men while helping to protect an important nesting beach for green turtles and hawksbills.

During our visit, we walked with the turtle protectors over to the beach. While my daughter buried her feet in the water, the young mean told us about their hard work. Each night, they spend the entire night on the beach, walking up and down the sand in search of emerging turtles. At dawn, they are picked up and return home to rest and recover. It’s this kind of dedication that is needed to keep the turtle returning to these beaches year after year.

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Bruce Poon Tip and the Future of Tourism

What is the Future of Tourism? Well that is a question no one can answer for certain, however we can form an educated outlook. One company, G Adventures, powered by the entrepreneurial guru known as Bruce Poon Tip is changing our planet for the better.

Bruce Poon Tip at the South Pole.

Bruce Poon Tip, was not a backpacker, however in 1989 he had no other options but to backpack to see the parts of the world he wanted to. It was from these experiences that he discovered the need to provide organized travel that gave cultural immersion, freedom and comfort to the masses.

“Many areas of tourism are being held accountable for environmental and cultural impact,” says Bruce. “The travel industry is under fire, they need to be educated. Travel agents need to provide a professional service; they need to know where the money is going locally.”

Bruce Poon Tip receiving an Amazon Clense. Photo Credit: G Adventures

By 2020 the United Nations World Travel Organization predicts that annual international tourists will reach 1.6 Billion. Ten years ago 1 in 5 people taking a holiday chose an all-inclusive; today that number has grown to 75%. In most all–inclusive package tours more than 80% of travellers’ fees go to the airlines, hotels and other international companies, not to local businessmen and workers.

Tourism has the power to affect cultural change. Successful development of a resource can lead to numerous negative impacts. Among these are overdevelopment, assimilation, conflict and artificial reconstruction. While presenting a culture to tourists may help preserve the culture, it can also dilute or even destroy it. The point is to promote tourism in the region so that it will provide both incomes and create respect for the local tradition and culture. There is a natural tipping point, where tourism often grows into mass-tourism. Mass Tourism leads to the over consumption, pollution and lack of resources.

G Adventures is one of the biggest tour operators that utilizes a sustainable tourism model and sets a benchmark for others. With their non-profit organization Planeterra, they not only support local businesses on the ground, they also create an opportunity for these same businesses to prosper from tourists. Let’s look at Peru, G Adventures is the largest tour operator on the Inca Trail with over 30% market share and 500 local people employees. The Inca trail sees hundreds of traveler’s daily, many of whom using products that harm the natural environment around Machu Picchu. Esencia Andina is a micro enterprise owned and managed by two local Peruvian women. With the support of Planeterra foundation they are producing biodegradable products for travelers and staff to use while they trek along the Inca Trail, making travel and tourism more sustainable.

Esencia Andina owners and their biodegradable products. Photo Credit: Planettera Foundation

Some things will never change. Airlines base their routes around business travelers. Sure they also offer carbon offsets to their guests to say they have one foot in the door of environmentally sustainable practices. Some airlines such as Air Canada have even gone as far to experiment with bio fuels. But is that enough? Many critics of carbon offsetting claim greenwashing, that it gives the perception of environmentally friendly practices when in reality the business fails to meet such claims.

There is a way the Airline industry could go one step further by rewarding the travelers who choose to travel responsibly. Let’s say they provided discounts to travelers who chose to travel with a responsible tourism operator such as G Adventures. The airline industry could regulate fares based on the type of travel a person does. Surely that connection is tangible and something the everyday consumer can see as an environmentally friendly way of travel that promotes sustainable tourism.

So how do you choose a tour operator that offers sustainable tourism? You can visit TIES and research those companies that are making a difference in sustainable community development. Those companies that are connecting with local business owners, hotels and bus drivers in a region. Companies that pay fair trade prices. Those companies that are fulfilling and maintaining a cycle that supports the local people and don’t take money out of the country.

So does the future of tourism include Bruce Poon Tip? Yes it does, and for that we should be grateful. Here is a man who is leading by example, who created a movement and has many other organizations following his lead on sustainable tourism practices. If you have the opportunity to hear Bruce speak at any of one of the various Future of Tourism conferences hosted by G Adventures around our globe, do yourself a favor and attend.

Bruce Poon Tip speaking at the Future of Tourism. Photo Credit: G Adventures

Bruce is a visionary, a man passionate about helping others and changing our planet for the better. We can assure you that his first book entitled “Looptail” is the heart and soul of a sustainable model. A book that combines his passion and entrepreneurial instincts that shaped his highly successful international travel company into the phenomenon it is today. A book that reveals his unusual management secrets that keeps his employees engaged and customers extremely happy. Looptail will be released on September 17, 2013 and is available now on Amazon.com and Chapters.ca for presale.

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The Responsibility Tourism Professionals have to Stop the Exploit of Child Sex Tourism

Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. It draws billions of dollars to destinations worldwide. While it provides significant economic benefits for many countries, its rapid expansion has also had unfavorable economic, social, cultural and environmental implications. As a result of this, the paradigm of sustainable tourism has emerged as a mean to make minimum impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people.
Within the sustainable tourism-umbrella is responsible tourism, which also is based on the elements to promote environmental integrity, social justice and economic development. What mainly differs sustainable tourism from responsible tourism is that in responsible tourism, individuals, organizations and businesses themselves are asked to take responsibility for their actions and the impacts of their actions. This shift therefore indicates that everyone involved in tourism – governments, local communities, product owners, transport operators, NGOs and other travel and tourism professionals and businesses – is responsible for realizing the goals of responsible tourism.
Watchdog organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Tour Operators Initiative and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council are some of the actors actively working to promote responsible tourism.
Despite the fact that human rights’ topics including child protection are very important component of sustainable tourism, oftentimes a main part of a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda; it is, regrettably, an issue that is not always properly implemented or on the forefront  when speaking of responsible tourism.
In Bangkok, the initiative, The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism [The Code], has become an essential responsible tourism tool for the industry to integrate child protection into its responsible, sustainable tourism and CSR.

The Code, which was developed in 1996 by ECPAT Sweden, is a multi-stakeholder organization with the mission to provide awareness, tools and support to the tourism industry as a mean to help them prevent, identify and report any suspicious cases of sexual exploitation of children.
As part of this mission, The Code employs six criteria which members of must adhere to once they join The Code: establish a policy and procedures against sexual exploitation of children; train employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation and how to report suspected cases, and inform travellers on the same clauses; develop a zero-tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children; support, collaborate and engage stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children; and lastly, to report annually on their implementation of Code related activities
Since 2004, The Code has operated as an independent non-profit organization led by committed board members coming from the tourism industry and other sectors. Today, the network has more than 1,200 signatories across 46 countries around the world.  Companies such as Kuoni, Delta Airlines, Thomas Cook, Lotus Travel, Hotelplan Suisse, Resfeber (Travelocity Sweden),  Melià Hotels International, TUI Travel, SRV Schweiz Reisebüro Verband (Swiss Federation of Travel Agencies)  and leading hotel operator Accor are among The Code-members.

“Why would all tourism companies not join The Code or take action against the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism?” (Quote from a tourism professional)

By providing tourism professionals with adequate training on how to handle cases of child sex tourism – whether it is to train a housekeeper at a small hotel or a flight attendant at an international airline – staff learn ways they can protect a child from exploitation, how to report a suspicious case to authorities, and simultaneously it sends out the message that they and their establishment condemn any kind of such acts.
“Tourism professionals are crucial allies in protecting children from sexual exploitation,” says Andreas Astrup, General Manager of The Code.
Commercial sexual exploitation of children is a global crime consisting of the prostitution of children, child sex trafficking, child sex tourism and the production of child abuse images or child pornography. ECPAT International defines child sex tourism as “the sexual exploitation of children by a person or persons who travel from their home district, home geographical region, or home country in order to have sexual contact with children. Child sex tourists can be domestic travelers or they can be international tourists. Child sex tourism often involves the use of accommodation, transportation and other tourism-related services that facilitate contact with children and enable the perpetrator to remain fairly inconspicuous in the surrounding population and environment.”
Although recent media reports have highlighted the issue of hundreds of convicted child sex offenders travelling, the exact number and nationalities of travelling sex offenders is difficult to identify. In Australia, the federal police’s statistics reported that in the first two months of 2012, 195 of the 143,000 offenders registered on the Australian National Child Offender Register travelled internationally, with many offenders travelling to known, “vulnerable” countries. In the United State, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which participates in investigating and capturing child sex tourists, arrested in 2003 more than 11,000 child sexual abusers, including more than 1,100 outside the United States.
It is not older men only who exploit child sex tourism. There are several reports showing that also young men and women can be abusers, who themselves directly sexually exploit children or facilitate the abuse by acting as ‘pimps’ or mediators. For example, in recent years, it has been brought to light that many Western women travel to Jamaica and the Gambia in West Africa for child sex tourism involving young boys.
The number of victims of child sex tourism is unclear. This is due to the crime being underreported, involvement of organized crime, sensitivity of the issue, the lack of understanding of the crime by the public and the lack of data being kept and shared by law enforcement, government and NGOs. However, the United Nations Study on Violence against Children estimates approximately 2 million boys and girls less than 18 years of age around the world are victims of sexual violence and sexual exploitation
Available tools, such as the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, aimed to help companies addressing this problem is, unfortunately, many times overlooked and not utilized or promoted. Reasons being denial or ignorance to the issue of child sex tourism taking place in a specific company’s country or establishment. Another reason is as though signing The Code, a company admits to having the problem at their establishment or among its customers. These arguments hold no validation as signing The Code solely is a way for businesses to demonstrate that it is responsible and equipped to protect children.
“Challenges in working with the tourism companies are tied to the sensitivity of the crime,” says Patchareeboon Sakulpitakphon, Project Manager at The Code.
“Others are afraid to take action because they do not feel a sense of responsibility, are afraid of legal consequences or retaliation from organized crime or the criminals,” Sakulpitakphon continues.
The Code’s effectiveness is continuously affirmed as success stories from across The Code network demonstrate how various members now knowing when, how to and to whom they can report suspicious cases for further investigation. In Colombia, a hotel member is working closely with taxi drivers who are helping the hotel to pay attention to suspicious cases of child sex tourism.
The Code-member, Studiosus Tourism Munich is glad to have the opportunity to be a part of network, as it gives them – by its guidelines and criteria – “good base to build up tools and an effective system for the prevention of child prostitution and trafficking,” says Ruth Hopfer-Kubsch, Corporate Social Responsibility Officer.
By assisting The Code member companies to implement and commit to its six criteria efficiently; a line of online services has been developed.  The Code’s services include a member portal for companies providing step-by-step guidance on implementation and reporting; and interactive e-learning modules for tourism professionals from different sub-sectors and positions within the industry.
Tourism development, like any industry, must be appropriately managed to ensure sustainability, profit and positive benefits for society. A lack of protective mechanism for children in tourism development could result in the increased exposure of children to child sex tourists and traffickers; negative impacts on the destination’s reputation; and vulnerable parts of society not benefitting from profits earned through tourism. For tourist destinations wanting to genuinely develop and sustain a destination as a place for tourists to want to visit; it must focus on developing destinations that are responsible, sustainable and positive attractive.

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July 11: World Population Day – Is It Getting Crowded Here?

It’s 2013 and you’re a global citizen. You are a whole mechanism, requiring your own support system.

As of today, there are over 7 billion of us sharing this planet. That means a consistent and continuous interconnectedness and interdependence of people and resources. Everything we individually and collectively do reflects on our surroundings.

Think about it: how much effort and energy is used to get you through the day effortlessly? Your morning coffee, 2 eggs, the newspaper ink, words, information, its delivery, the water you brush your teeth with, your clothes washed and tumble-dried, the gas for your car, the servers supporting the hundreds of emails you send, that stirring stick for your takeout coffee, the waste you throw, the ball you chase across a field, the music you listen to as you fall asleep – were all created and made available for you by someone, somewhere!

Global population is growing by approximately 70 million each year. That’s 1.3 million people – a city the size of Prague – every WEEK.

As might be expected, there has to be a limit to how many people we can fit on this planet. What is that limit?

F A C T O R S

SPACE AND DENSITY

Indeed, it seems that we are living in some pretty crowded times: 7 billion is a large number. However, the perception of such volume and size is relative. Apparently, according to National Geographic research, standing shoulder-to-shoulder all 7 billion of us would fill the city of Los Angeles. That’s all! Even throwing a ‘come-one-come-all’ party with room to dance requires a tiny speck of land – 1500 square miles, the total size of Rhode Island. How intimate.

GLOBALIZATION

The buzz word of the 90s, globalization, is a concept that is still ambiguous in terms of what impact it has had on our civilization, as its accelerated force and sweeping power can be perceived both positively and negatively. It enabled us to travel and experience so much more and in the farthest reaches of the planet. This movement of people, for business or leisure has become pivotal in the overall state of communities (in particular, in underdeveloped societies).

Until now, the growth in population and the growth in capitalism have gone hand in hand. Population growth meant more consumers and greater market demand, for the purposes of turning profit. The spread of global markets and the speed and reach of trade propelled growth and changes in all the corners of the world.

CONSUMERISM

There is an immense environmental and economic toll from accumulating mass-produced goods – in the extent of production and consumption, as well as a heavy cost to us – measured by the time and effort spent investing into these things and using/consuming them.

We must radically reduce the scale of consumption and restore life more to a human sense of proportion and perspective to help the planet balance out between its capacity and our needs.

We need to – individually and collectively – align our desires with necessities, consciously produce less waste, reuse and share existing things and resources, re-sell and donate, eat less, eat unprocessed foods (vegan mostly), be more in touch with nature, and aspire to pursue practices that contribute to its conservation.

I S S U E S

In fact, as advances accelerate, so do the problems, unfortunately. We are, simply, living beyond our means. For a number of reasons: our natural resource use is inefficient and, as our supplies plummet, so does their quality.

TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY

A car singlehandedly changed not only the cities we live in, but also the way we live. Our behaviour, our communities, our mentality, and our needs all changed as a result. We live in bigger cities, commute longer hours, and have became much more reliant on personal cars.

Traffic gridlocks are a huge waste of time and resources, and they are very polluting.

Transportation connections affect everything in the city: productivity, connectivity, amenities, diversification, culture, safety, sprawl, density, pollution, property development, values, and land-use variability.

But, the problem is not only in the number of cars on the road in any one city, it’s also about international travel and the transportation of goods and resources.

Just as total population increases, so does the percentage of people on the move: going after better opportunities and improvements in the quality of life, for business, leisure, tourism, etc.

We want to move, we need to move.

The future of mobility must be made sustainable: Functional and efficient; available, well-connected, wide reaching, easy to use, and affordable. The solution is not in more smart cars, more roads or shiny rail systems, it’s in the efficiency and inter-connectivity of a network of these solutions (source: TED).

URBANIZATION

Rural to urban shift, where a higher percentage of us live in cities, happened around 2008. The number of megacities (cities of 10million+) has boomed in the past few decades. Cities grew. It has gotten denser and cozier. Urban population is projected to grow further, while rural population is expected to decrease.

Intense urbanization and rapid urban growth affect basic infrastructure, services, social circumstances, and environmental conditions. Small, more compact cities should, by logic, be more efficient. However, they also tend to lack planning and implementation capabilities, while experiencing the most growth.

As such, not all growth has been positive or well executed. The greater the competition, the more compromised the availability and quality of opportunities. Infrastructure is suffering, the gap between affluent and impoverished communities is growing. Demands of the rich (for things, services and energy) is contributing to that rupture. The poorest 3 billion people, just short of half the total global population, account for about 7% of carbon emissions, while the richest 7% of people produce about half of all emissions and use up a majority of natural resources (source: Guardian).

City planning and policies unable to offer basic, low-end, affordable and adequate accommodation and conditions, such as social housing, and access to proper water, electricity, sewage, and waste disposal leave the poor to fend for themselves.

The welfare of the poor communities is as crucial for urban appearance, condition and development as that of the medium or upper class. One fades at the expense of the other.

GLOBAL CITIZENS: YOU. ME. US. THEM.

The developed and the developing world are tackling dramatically different issues.

Funding and support from richer nations can assist underdeveloped countries on their path to sustained stability and progress, thus contributing to the overall health of the world.

With the responsibility of the international community and our commitment to the improvements for the larger benefit of the future of humanity, we can have a realistic prospect of a healthy and thriving global village.

After all, we live in the same world. Cooperation, not competition; creation of opportunities, not their impediment; and sustainable solutions make a world of difference.

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Ottawa Eco Zones

It seems like the idea of a sustainable city has caught a lot of attention in the developed world. The notion of “greening” a city in terms of improving environmental, social and economic initiatives is not a new idea. Cities all over the world are boasting about increasing the number of bike lanes, improving public transit and building more energy efficient buildings that positively impact the quality of life for their citizens. Though the notion of a full-fledged eco-city is still theoretical in many senses, some cities are more active than others in making this a reality.

Ottawa -Canada’s capital- is already known as one of the country’s most environmental cities, but they are looking to improve and make the downtown core more sustainable. The idea of the “Ottawa Eco-District” is an ambitious plan that will find ways to engage the Ottawa community in order to highlight and improve business, improve social cohesion and increase jobs in an economic and sustainable manner. Though the Eco-District may sound like a pipe dream, it is important to note this idea has already been successfully modeled in the American cities of Portland, Oregon, Washington D.C and Seattle, Washington.

This initiative being lead by the “Ottawa Eco-District Steering Committee” has already overcome their biggest hurdle: convincing the city council that this is a necessary enterprise to spur growth. Not only has the city agreed to support the Eco-District but it has agreed to help fund it as well. City surveys have already been completed to identify the number and conditions of the buildings in the down town core and possible strategies for business development.

When speaking to Don Grant, Executive Director of the Ottawa Eco District Inc., he illustrated where changes can already been seen. Visitors and locals alike have access to Bixi bike rentals strategically positioned all over the city, Ottawa University has built Canada’s biggest green wall and the office building at 180 Kent Street has achieved one of the highest levels of LEED  certification -CS  Platinum status. The Minto Suites Hotel is the city’s leader in sustainable accommodations.  Not only does the hotel have a 4-diamond rating for its luxury offerings, but it is also has a five “Green Key” rating for their innovative green initiatives. Minto Suites Hotel also actively engages in car sharing and bike rental programs and has just started a plant a tree program to offset their environmental impact.

Museums also participate in eco initiatives. The Canadian War Museum and Museum of Civilization utilize a dynamic system that allows them to use recycled river water to control the building’s temperature and run restroom facilities. The Canadian War Museum even sports the country’s biggest green roof!

Though the Ottawa Eco District is only in the starting phases it is showing promise for locals and tourists alike. For a city as small as Ottawa, with defined neighbourhoods and diverse sub cultures, projects like this can only make the city better. For those interested in seeing what sustainable projects already exist in Ottawa, contact the tourism board for a self guided tour and mention your interest.  Personally I look forward to the development of micro-breweries, new community walking tours and more sustainable forms of transit like Light Rail Trains (LRT), which will make Ottawa even more exciting to live in and visit.

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Indigenous tourism in Mendoza: Meet the Huarpe community

We were greeted with a huge smile as we stepped off the bus at La Asunción, a tiny village in the Mendoza region of Argentina. Our guide, Humberto – an active member of this indigenous Huarpe community – was waiting for us with open arms, tagged along by his energetic son Joaquín. There was an evident sense of relief in the air as the area had just had its first rain in over six months, an early Christmas present in this extremely arid environment. Dry it may be, but what a striking landscape it was as we walked along the dirt road towards our new home for two nights, with a spectacular lightning display illuminating the horizon. Only two hours earlier we had been in the beautiful city of Mendoza sampling some of the world’s best wines, yet now, just a stone’s throw away it seemed as though we were in complete isolation.

There was a melody of burps and strange sounds coming from the hundreds of frogs that had also come out to enjoy the recent rainstorm, and a rather noisy owl perched on the telegraph pole. He was slightly less pleased to see us though. Our home was a masterfully constructed building made out of clay bricks, teeming with character which beautifully blended into the natural surroundings. All the building materials in the community come from the land, and it is as though they are born out of the earth. We were not the only ones staying for the night, however: a frightening-looking tarantula was standing in our way. Fascinating, but we were somewhat relieved when Humberto ushered it away to safety.

Carmelo’s Puesto
Once settled in, Humberto took us over to Mr. Carmelo’s house where a beautiful spread of roasted goat, chicken broth, homemade bread and red wine was waiting for us. We sat down to enjoy the feast – which had almost entirely come from his land – after another warm welcome. Most of the P. Guaquinchay community raise goats for a living, the other half make beautifully handmade artisan gifts which they sell to tourists as far as Buenos Aires. Conversing over dinner with Carmelo and his family in his cosy clay-built house was a special moment as we exchanged cultural differences before a power cut unfortunately cut it short. Making the short way back to our house was even more spectacular than before as the lights had died and all we could see was the spectacular night sky, giving us the opportunity to do some star gazing in blissful silence before bed.

After a good night’s sleep we woke early and headed over to Carmelo’s house for breakfast, mate and some more of his homemade bread. He was wide awake, enthusiastically showing us around his home. Hanging outside on his wall was a magnificent puma skin, his chairs were decorated with goat skin and the table was made from a native hardwood by a neighbour. On top of the table were some brightly coloured fruits called chañar, drying in the sun. These fruits are vitally important to the people of La Asunción: they act not only as a sweet snack but can also be dried out and turned into flour. Growing everywhere throughout the village, they have been part of their diet since as long as Carmelo and his ancestors can remember. ‘Everybody has their specialty trade in the pueblo village or neighbouring communities,’ he explained, whether it be making arts and crafts, furniture, bricklaying or making sweet bread. ‘It’s how we sustain our community.’

Carmelo was a man who got things done, not a moment had passed after serving breakfast and giving us a tour of his house before he was getting his hands dirty and showing us how to milk his 150 goats, each one selling for 400 pesos (approx. £40). Milking done, he then proudly showed us his new project, a house he was building to welcome more tourists. The process was incredibly resourceful, everything from the bricks to the cement was produced from the very earth we were standing on, mixed with horse manure. After knocking up a fresh batch of clay cement in a type of well also created out of mud, he then swiftly and precisely began laying bricks. Asking him whether he prefers working with tourism or the old way of raising livestock he explained, ‘tourism represents 60% of my income nowadays, I don’t just do it to make money but because I want to share our way of living and make tourists feel welcome here by way of cultural exchange.’

Home is where the heart is
Leaving Carmelo to get on with his work, Humberto then took us on a guided tour of the village, carefully explaining each and every tree and its medical purposes. These days they have a government health post but it was only installed two years ago and natural medical remedies still have an important part to play in people’s lives. In need of a pick-me-up, Humberto took us to the saloon belonging to him and his brothers where he prepared some mate on the open fire. The yerba mate – a type of bitter green tea infusion – was prepared with etiquette. This caffeine-infused hot drink is believed to have been originally consumed by the indigenous Guaraní people and later spread throughout southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Sharing it around, we chatted about Humberto’s previous job as a construction worker in Mendoza, ‘I used to earn a good living but I didn’t like it so I came back to the village,’ he said. ‘Tourism here has only been around for four years, they thought we were crazy when we first started but now we believe it’s the best way to maintain the community.’ After fighting hard for the right to be accepted as part of modern society by the Argentina government, the people of La Asunción can now work in everyday jobs. Yet, it is here in the village doing what they know best where they feel most at home.

Proud Traditions
After another traditional lunch of empadas and a well earned siesta of course, we went to José’s leather workshop where we made our own bracelets out of dry goat skin. José is a very interesting, inquisitive man, as curious about our culture as we were with his. After teaching us how to make bracelets he explained how he has to travel all the way to Buenos Aires to sell his work. The 15 hour long journey is not a chore for him – he is very proud to raise awareness of the Huarpe community not only to foreigners but to Argentine people as well. ‘It’s a satisfaction to show my work to tourists from around the world, I’m very proud. The only problem is the language barrier,’ he said.

We finished the afternoon with two workshops: wool-weaving and sopaipilla – a type of fried sweet bread. A lovely family affectionately welcomed us into their home and showed us how to make a range of woollen artisan souvenirs. They are another family who rely on their age old handcrafts trade for income. Their eldest daughter, however, is studying to be a nurse alongside her work in the community. As we tucked into our freshly made sopaipillas accompanied by homemade peach jam, I felt extremely privileged to be welcomed into their family environment and to experience a small part of their unique lives. Comparing and talking about our cultural differences I asked them what they liked best about living here, ‘the peace, tranquillity and security,’ the eldest daughter said with no hesitation. Looking around and listening to the rich birdlife singing all around us, I couldn’t agree more.

Altos Limpios
On our last day in the village we woke at the crack of dawn to witness a spectacular sunrise before making our way to Altos Limpios with Humberto’s brother, Sergio. A nature reserve, 40 minutes drive from the village where we trekked over sand dunes in the early morning breeze, spotting endless animal tracks in the sand. Sergio has been working for several years as a guide in this reserve, which he believes to be a natural phenomenon: ‘it’s a complete mystery as it’s the only spot in the whole area that is covered with sand’. He loves this place and feels completely at home here – I could completely understand why as we rested at the top of a dune looking over the stark horizon, once again in blissful silence whilst a magnificent eagle soared over our heads.

Regretfully, it was time to leave this wonderful community and move onto the next step of our Argentina Adventure: indigenous tourism with the Mapuche communities of Patagonia. In such a short time spent here I feel like I’ve learnt a great deal from these incredibly resourceful people. What strikes me most is their warm hospitality and how proud they are of their community. Their traditions, values and way of life date back to the fifth century, yet, they have found a way to move with the times and have adapted wonderfully to modern society. By keeping their strong traditions, passing it on from generation to generation, raising awareness with the help of the local tourism board and welcoming international tourists they have found a way to be sustainable and live the lives they so desire. The future for this charming little community looks bright.

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Bal de Neige Dans mon baluchon j’apporte…

Crédit photo: Patrimoine canadien

Alors, vous avez décidé de venir à Ottawa au mois de février pour le Bal de Neige. Très bonne idée!

S’il s’agit de votre première visite en hiver à Ottawa, nous vous conseillons vivement de consulter le présent guide qui vous aidera à profiter au maximum de l’événement. Parce que malgré la beauté des sculptures sur glace, le romantisme d’une promenade sur la patinoire du canal Rideau et les formidables glissades au Domaine des flocons, vous ne vous amuserez aucunement si vous avez froid aux pieds!

À NE PAS OUBLIER POUR LE BAL DE NEIGE

• Sac à dos : parfait pour y placer vos bottes lorsque vous irez patiner sur le canal Rideau (un ou deux sacs de plastiques aideront à réduire l’humidité) et vous aurez les mains libres pour déguster une queue de castor!
• Collations : raisins, chocolat, barres d’alimentation — vous devez manger quelque chose pour conserver votre énergie pendant que vous patinez, skiez, faites de la raquette ou vous promener en ville.
• Bouteille d’eau : même s’il fait froid, vous devez vous hydrater! L’idéal est une bouteille d’eau isolée.
• Vêtements d’intérieur : apportez un ou deux morceaux de vêtements de plus, de cette façon, s’il fait plus chaud ou plus froid que vous ne le pensiez, vous serez prêts — c’est essentiel! Les chandails minces qui chassent l’humidité sont les meilleurs et en plus ils prennent moins de place.
• Vêtements d’extérieur : il vous faut absolument un manteau ou un parka chaud. Idéalement, il devrait être fait d’un tissu qui bloque le vent et repousse l’humidité. N’oubliez pas de vous habiller en couches pour rester au chaud. Empruntez un manteau à un ami si vous n’avez rien d’adéquat. N’allez pas croire que ce qui vous garde au chaud lorsque la température est au dessus de zéro continuera de le faire quand le mercure chute!
• Pantalons de ski : les raisons sont nombreuses : ils bloquent le vent et ajoutent de la chaleur, ils protègent vos pantalons de la neige et de la gadoue et vous évitent d’être mouillé et donc d’avoir plus froid, mais le plus important, ils vous aideront à glisser encore plus vite sur les glissades du Domaine des flocons. Si vous portez des jeans, vous resterez coincé, ce qui est vraiment gênant!
• Accessoires : une tuque, des gants ou des mitaines et un foulard sont essentiels pour vous garder au chaud. Ne vous préoccupez surtout pas de votre apparence — la ville entière se promène avec une tuque! Et plus elle est colorée, mieux c’est! Les chauffe-mains (comme les sachets Hot Shots) que l’on peut placer dans les mitaines ou dans les bottes pour garder les mains et les pieds au chaud sont aussi une superbe idée!
• Bottes : pas le moment de lésiner! Des bottes et des bas chauds sont indispensables (placer une paire de bas supplémentaire dans votre sac à dos). Les talons Stiletto et les bottes haute couture ne font pas l’affaire — vous profiterez des activités extérieures uniquement si vous vous habillez chaudement. En hiver, la majorité des femmes à Ottawa arrive aux soirées avec un sac à souliers. Vous portez vos bottes pour vous rendre, puis vous enfilez vos talons aiguilles une fois sur place. Pratique et sexy!
• Argent comptant : vous voudrez sûrement déguster une queue de castor, un chocolat chaud ou une autre gâterie, alors ayez de la monnaie ou des petites coupures sur vous.
• Patins et traîneaux : si vous n’apportez pas vos patins, vous pouvez en louer une paire à Capital Skates, soit au canal du côté du centre ville près du Centre national des Arts du Canada, soit à mi chemin sur le canal près de l’avenue Fifth. Capital Skates loue également des traîneaux, poussés par les patineurs, dans lesquels jeunes enfants et non-patineurs se laissent transporter. Pour obtenir les tarifs, visitez le www.capitalskates.ca
• La location est aussi disponible au Pavillon du Lac Dow à l’autre bout du canal.
• Pansements adhésifs : si vous n’avez pas patiné depuis quelque temps, vaut mieux être prêt en cas d’ampoules (même si les patins d’aujourd’hui sont BEAUCOUP plus confortables qu’avant).
• Lunettes de soleil, crème solaire et baume pour les lèvres : pensez-y — le soleil reflète sur la neige et la glace, il est donc très fort. De plus, les lunettes de soleil aideront votre look sans tuque une fois à l’intérieur.
• Mouchoirs et lingettes : le froid est souvent synonyme de nez qui coule; vous serez contents d’avoir apporté quelques mouchoirs.
• Cellulaire, appareil photo, piles et chargeur : vous voudrez sans aucun doute enregistrer ces moments inoubliables avec vos amis. Placer votre cellulaire ou appareil photo dans un endroit sécuritaire et au chaud — idéalement dans une poche intérieure de votre manteau et non pas dans votre sac à dos où il pourrait geler! Apporter des piles supplémentaires puisque le froid peut parfois réduire leur durée de vie.

CONSEILS POUR LE BAL DE NEIGE

• Utilisez le Bus o Neige pour vous déplacer. OC Transpo et la Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) offrent un service de navette qui relie les sites du Bal de Neige : la patinoire du canal Rideau et le parc de la Confédération à Ottawa ainsi que le parc Jacques-Cartier à Gatineau. Cherchez les autobus rouges et blancs d’OC Transpo qui roulent entre le parc de la Confédération et le lac Dows (le long du canal Rideau) — ils passent normalement à toutes les 10 à 15 minutes de 10 h à 20 h les samedis, et de 10 h à 17 h 30 les dimanches. Les passagers qui se trouvent au lac Dows doivent prendre l’autobus en face de l’Hôtel de Ville. Les autobus bleus et blancs de la STO vont du parc Jacques-Cartier au parc de la Confédération les samedis et dimanches de 10 h à 17 h 30.
• Si vous voyez les mascottes du Bal de Neige, la famille des glamottes, n’hésitez pas à aller leur dire bonjour. Mme Glamotte, M. Glamotte, Noumi et Nouma ne parlent peut-être pas, mais ils adorent donner des câlins. Ce sont des animaux poilus et magiques que l’on retrouve normalement au nord, mais pendant le Bal de Neige, ils visitent la région de la capitale nationale pour répandre les joies de l’hiver.
• Il y a 4 chalets (endroits chauffés pour mettre vos patins ou pour prendre une pause) le long de la patinoire du canal Rideau. Certaines personnes y laissent leurs bottes, mais la plupart les transportent dans leur sac à dos.
• Il n’y a rien de plus canadien que de patiner sur le canal Rideau, queue de castor dans une main, chocolat chaud dans l’autre. Prenez une photo pour Twitter, Instagram ou votre page Facebook ou téléchargez une vidéo sur YouTube! Suivez @NCC_Skateway pour les dernières conditions de la patinoire et utilisez #CanalMoments ou #MyOttawa pour partager vos expériences.
• Si dame nature ne coopère pas et si la patinoire est fermée, ne désespérez pas! Vous pouvez patiner gratuitement à la Patinoire des rêves installée devant l’Hôtel de Ville d’Ottawa, près du canal Rideau au centre ville. Il y a aussi plus de 250 patinoires extérieures dans les parcs de la ville d’Ottawa un peu partout dans la collectivité.

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La scène de bière artisanale à Ottawa

Que vous soyez un tout nouveau venu sur la scène de la bière artisanale ou que vous soyez un fin connaisseur, Ottawa regorge de brasseries artisanales qui vous surprendront et vous délecteront. Des nouvelles brasseries aux festivals de la bière et événements spéciaux, la scène de la bière artisanale à Ottawa continue de prospérer et de se développer. Elle offre une vaste gamme de bières et propose des endroits intéressants pour les savourer!

Le Brew Donkey

Que vous souhaitiez être initié à la scène de la bière artisanale locale ou que vous vouliez simplement élargir vos horizons en matière de bières, une tournée de dégustation au Brew Donkey est impérative. Trois tournées de 5 heures ont lieu en général durant la fin de semaine avec une collation gratuite à la fin, soit dans un pub à bières, soit dans un bar à bières artisanales.

Montez dans le bus du Brew Donkey à un point de ramassage de la région centre, ouest ou est d'Ottawa. Dans le bus, vous en apprendrez davantage sur les ingrédients qui entrent dans la composition de la bière. Une fois que vous descendez du bus, vous rencontrerez les brasseurs artisanaux locaux et encore mieux, vous pourrez goûter des échantillons gratuits de leur marque de commerce ou de nouvelles bières! Le tarif pour une tournée du Brew Donkey varie de 70 $ à 75 $ par personne. (Le Brew Donkey offre également un service de livraison de bières artisanales pour les résidents d'Ottawa.)

Nouveauté pour l'été 2014! Le Brew Donkey proposera une option plus courte pour les visiteurs durant la semaine à un point de ramassage situé dans le centre-ville, à proximité de nombreux hôtels.

Le Mill Street Brew Pub d'Ottawa

Le Mill Street Brew Pub a ouvert en janvier 2012 et se trouve au bord de la rivière des Outaouais dans un moulin à broyer le grain vieux de 170 ans, à quelques pas du Musée canadien de la guerre. En soirée, des tournées des brasseries supplémentaires sont offertes tous les jours, et 14 bières artisanales sont disponibles sous pression. Les bières du Mill Street Brew Pub ne sont disponibles qu'à Ottawa et reflètent les traditions, la culture et l'histoire de la région. Par exemple, la Portage Ale de Mill Street est confectionnée en s'inspirant des brasseries LeBreton Flats des XIX^e et XX^e siècles.

Ce bâtiment possède un charme historique certain et est l'endroit idéal pour passer ses jeudis soirs lorsque des groupes jouent en direct et que le Mill Street propose ses soirées Cask & Cheese (tonneaux et fromages). Des échantillons de fromages artisanaux locaux servis avec d'excellentes bières artisanales! Durant les mois d'été, profitez de votre bière sur la terrasse du Mill Street! Prenez une bouffée d'air estival et dégustez votre bière au doux bruit incessant et relaxant de la rivière des Outaouais.

Le Clocktower Brew Pub

Il existe 4 Clocktower Brew Pub à Ottawa, vous pouvez donc prendre une bonne bière artisanale pas loin de là où vous vous trouvez! La bière vedette du Clocktower est la Kölsch qui offre un arôme de céréales avec en arrière-goût une légère touche florale. La Kölsch est idéale pour les personnes qui goûtent à une bière artisanale pour la première fois! Le Clocktower est aussi connu pour sa Pumpkin Ale, l'une des bières locales préférées au goût de citrouille uniquement disponible en automne. Le Clocktower d'origine est situé au 575, rue Bank, dans le quartier The Glebe, le deuxième au 422, rue Mackay, à New Edimburgh, le troisième au 89, rue Clarence, dans le quartier du Marché By et le nouveau au 418, chemin Richmond, à Westboro.

The 3 Brewers

Cette microbrasserie-restaurant est située au 240, rue Sparks, à proximité de la plupart des hôtels du centre-ville d'Ottawa et offre 5 bières « classiques », ainsi qu'une bière spéciale tous les mois. The 3 Brewers propose à son menu une gamme de plats raffinés pouvant être mariés avec ses bières blondes, ambrées, blanches, brunes et Indian Pale Ale. Les clients peuvent déguster d'excellentes bières artisanales dans cet établissement lumineux et aéré aux grandes fenêtres tout en observant l'effervescence de la rue Sparks, l'une des plus importantes rues patrimoniales d'Ottawa.

Big Rig Brewing Company

Située à l'extrémité ouest d'Ottawa, Big Rig Brewery et son pub à bières sont la propriété conjointe du joueur des Sénateurs d'Ottawa, Chris Phillips. Le nom est d'ailleurs tiré du surnom de ce joueur : Big Rig. Chez Big Rig, les amoureux de la bière artisanale peuvent choisir parmi une sélection de 16 bières artisanales! La bière vedette est la Big Rig Gold, faite à partir de malt canadien et allemand.

Kichesippi Beer Co.

Tirant son nom du mot autochtone d'origine désignant la rivière des Outaouais, Kichesippi est situé juste au sud du quartier Westboro Village d'Ottawa. Cette brasserie est spécialisée dans la fabrication de la bière artisanale à Ottawa, pour Ottawa. Sa marque Natural Blonde ne se trouve que dans la région. Des tournées gratuites de la brasserie sont proposées tous les samedis à 14 h.

Beyond The Pale

Cette brasserie qui n'a pas encore 2 ans est située dans le quartier tendance d'Ottawa, Hintonburg, à seulement quelques minutes à l'ouest du centre-ville d'Ottawa. Beyond The Pale propose différents types de bières artisanales, notamment celles aux noms originaux Party Animal et Imperial Super Guy. Cette nanobrasserie qui est devenue populaire en très peu de temps fait tout son possible pour répondre aux demandes de bières artisanales! Nous avons entendu dire que les locaux de Beyond The Pale allaient s'agrandir bientôt dans le quartier.

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company

Vous venez par la route de Montréal? Arrêtez-vous à Beau’s à Vankleek Hill, situé à environ une heure de route à l'est d'Ottawa; il pourrait se trouver sur votre chemin. Beau's est une entreprise familiale et l'une des plus grandes brasseries artisanales de la région d'Ottawa. Beau's propose régulièrement plus de 13 bières artisanales différentes, ainsi qu'une série de bières spéciales de saison. Leur bière caractéristique, la Lug Tread Lagered Ale, est délicieusement rafraîchissante et a gagné plusieurs prix, notamment celui de la meilleure bière d'Ontario lors des Golden Taps Awards!

Plus récemment, Beau's s'est associée au comédien Tom Green, originaire d'Ottawa, pour produire une bière stout laiteuse appelée la Tom Green Beer! Jimmy Fallon a encensé cette bière quand Tom Green est passé à son émission.

Beau's propose des tournées quotidiennes de la brasserie ainsi que des produits tels que leurs fameux maillots de hockey. La brasserie Beau's accueille aussi chaque année l'Oktoberfest, l'un des plus grands festivals de la bière de la région. Ce festival propose de la nourriture bavaroise issue des meilleurs restaurants d'Ottawa, la bière Oktoberfest de Beau's, de la musique en direct et des activités familiales. Il aura lieu les 3 et 4 octobre 2014. On peut trouver la bière de Beau's dans de nombreux restaurants d'Ottawa et dans tout l'Ontario. Cet été, les résidents de New York pourront également déguster la bière de Beau's, car l'entreprise commence son expansion aux États-Unis!

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