Enter the London 10km Run & Represent Tourism Concern!! Join today
There is still time for you to enter the famous London 10km Run and represent Tourism Concern!
The London 10km run takes place on July 12th, 2015 with the race starting at ~9:30am. The run has a fantastic atmosphere and can be run/jogged individually, or in a group of friends. Throughout the course there are plenty of spectators to cheer you on and support stations with refreshments to keep you going.
The run takes place in the middle of summer and provides greats views of many London landmarks. The event starts on Piccadilly outside The Guards & Calvary Club, passing the new WW2 Bomber Command Memorial with Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner as backdrop. Runners will then run past St. James’s Palace, Trafalgar Square, the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, Big Ben, the British Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and finish on Whitehall (the portal of British Government) at the junction of Royal Horse Guards and Banqueting House.
Participants are asked to raise money via sponsorship for the London 10km run to support Tourism Concern. We have a fundraising target, with the funds raised going straight to our current campaigns. If you are interested in getting involved, or have any further questions regarding the event or fund-raising targets, please don’t hesitate in contacting Kai at campaigns@tourismconcern.org.uk.
Tourism Concern also have many other events that you can get involved in this summer, check out this link for more details: http://tourismconcern.org.uk/help-us-to-make-tourism-better/
Paris bookstore disappear
The booksellers has been a staple of Parisian culture for centuries, known as a go-to supply exhausted or unusual reading material - but their life is threatened.
An office with a view
One of the most important monuments of Paris are the famous bookshops: booksellers who sell their products every day along the River Seine. Bargaining dates to 1400, the booksellers have been known for centuries as a go-to source for reading material exhausted or rare among locals and travelers who come here to find titles like in Vagrant author Colette biting and controversial or the first edition of the French comic strip The Mischievous Lili, from the early 1900s and has never been reissued. The cultivation of about 20 vendors at the turn of the 17th century, there are now about 240 booksellers in Paris. Their traditional green wooden boxes that dot both banks of the Seine, the Musée d'Orsay in the Arab World Institute, with the highest concentration is at the entrance of the Latin Quarter, home of the famous Sorbonne University. (Credit: Nick Kozak)
The traveller challenge
But even with 240 vendors lining the banks, competition does not come often in close positions. The 'booksellers biggest challenge over the past 20 years has been the proliferation of e-readers and Internet access, reducing sales of books and make materials outside the print easier to find. To offset declining sales, many have resorted to booksellers supplement their income with memories, which are technically permitted under the regulations of the city that allows the sale of commercial products from four green boxes is assigned to each vendor. But the movement did not sit well with some of the Items population, triggering a debate between suppliers in about what can and can not sell - and it will change a tradition that has been a staple of the Parisian culture. (Credit: Nick Kozak)
Price growth
At the end of 1980, Jean-Pierre Mathias left his job as professor of philosophy to become a bookseller. "When I came to my store, I started selling my old books ... I liked the idea of following the philosophy here without having to be a teacher," he said. Mathias only sells books and engravings; He refused to comply with the increasing number of foreign tourists selling souvenirs. "For me, a book will always be a book, and people who love books continue to buy them. The theater did not disappear with the beginning of the film, "he says with a big smile (Credit: Nick Kozak).
From comics to keychains
Robert Francis was selling comics in his shop for over 35 years. At first, he said, people came to him, if you were looking for a particular comic story. If you do not, then they do online would. Now it is the opposite: they only come if they can not find online. To compensate, Robert memorabilia collection - including ubiquitous statues Eiffel Tower - has increased in recent years. As residents still come to buy a book or two, he said most of his customers are abroad and are more likely to buy his memories of his comics, which are mainly written in French. (Credit: Nick Kozak)
A job with benefits
Items Each is required to maintain their boxes, but beyond that, the work has a lot of freedom. Merchants can set their own hours of light (the stalls are locked once the sun sets); choose the reading material they want to sell; and spend the day enjoying the best views of Paris. Yet many booksellers believe that the city should do more to support tradition as lower sales. One suggestion is that the sellers of electricity installed so it can expand its hours of the night. (Credit: Nick Kozak)
Standing strong
Bernard Carver entered the business of selling rare books, 20 years after the arrival of Lebanon without much money. Soon he began living on the streets, he said, and chose comfort in books instead of alcohol. Passion, it binds with certain booksellers. To sell their products, he said, you must be familiar with, boasting that he read everything on your shelf. But even that did not stop the decline in sales, and expressed his anger to the proliferation of sold trinkets. Some marketers have even added folding tables in front of their stalls to expand its collection of memories - a tactic not covered by the regulations of the city. (Credit: Nick Kozak)
A creative solution
Many booksellers selling trinkets made in China, including the Eiffel Tower key chains and mugs I love Paris. One of the young traders, George Roman, chose instead to sell antique prints ads created by him and his father, and paintings by students of the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts, conveniently located just behind his store. Therefore, he said, he can sell souvenirs that are made both in France and linked to local culture - a solution, perhaps, taking the best of both worlds. (Credit: Nick Kozak
5 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Travel Agent
While internet booking motors have made it simpler for voyagers to purchase their own particular flights or lodging rooms, travel specialists still offer a level of administration and skill not offered by a pursuit bot. "When you book on the web, the booking motor or site just comprehends what information you data," brings up Chuck Flagg, proprietor of a Cruise Holidays office in Canton, Georgia. "They don't comprehend what is really critical to and your gang. It doesn't know whether you are a 60-something who still likes to move it up with local people at the club or in the event that you are OK being around children." Travel specialists likewise may have exceptional livens or evaluating not accessible to the overall population.
Here are a few inquiries that can help you pick the right travel specialists for your needs.
Have you gone to my destination? Whether you're making a trip to Paris or Puerto Rico, inquire as to whether your specialists has been there (and provided that this is true, how as of late?). While manuals and sites offer bunches of point of interest on a given destination, they don't generally measure up to being there in individual. "Book information or internet preparing courses by suppliers is entirely unexpected from encountering it firsthand," Flagg says. Lisa Griswold, co-proprietor of the Atlanta-based Pixie Vacations, who represents considerable authority in arranging Disney get-aways, concurs, including that "you don't know how superb a Disney voyage is until you've encountered one: the delight, the tender loving care, the little additional items, the character association."
What is your reaction time? On the off chance that sitting tight a few days for a reaction to a messaged inquiry is going to make you on edge, ask potential operators when they're accessible and how rapidly you ought to expect a reaction. "A few operators are low maintenance specialists, and they work in the nighttimes," Griswold says. "Some are accessible amid the school day. Others do this full time. It's unquestionably shrewd to see whether your calendar can organize with what your specialists can give."
What administrations do you offer? Specialists give differing levels of administration. Some will just book inns and flights and abandon you to fill in alternate points of interest, so in case you're expecting help with supper reservations or ground transportation, inquire as to whether he can deal with those. "A decent specialists is going to help you with any points of interest that you need," Griswold says. "We offer schedule arranging down to what rides they plan to go on, which stops to go in which days and direction that with their suppers."
Do you have any confirmations or accreditation? Flagg recommends getting some information about preparing or confirmations to get a vibe for the specialists' skill. For example, in case you're occupying a journey, you could search out an operators guaranteed through the Cruise Lines International Association. Griswold includes that you additionally can ask how regularly the specialists goes to classes to stay current in the business.
What charges would it be advisable for me to anticipate? A few specialists charge a level expense or an hourly expense for travel counseling, while others acquire commission from the air transport or lodging booked. "Get some information about charges, whether there are occupying expenses or any sort of retraction expenses," Griswold says. "There are some high rates out there, and a few organizations would prefer not to converse with you unless you're willing to submit."
Helping Tourism work for Nepal – An update from our partner in Nepal Join today
By Arjun Limbu – Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) Nepal
Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) is a registered non-profit, non-governmental organization listed on the Tourism Concern online Ethical Travel Guide. KEEP’s mission is to ensure the future ecological and cultural prosperity of Nepal and its people, by maximising the benefits and reducing the negative impacts associated with tourism.
Tourism has always been vital to Nepal’s economic growth since the mid 1960’s. People come from all over the world to enjoy this country’s diverse natural beauty, its World Heritage sites, and the exceptionally welcoming people.
Unfortunately, the country of Nepal is situated in a vulnerable area for earthquakes and two of those earthquakes have come very recently causing much devastation for the people of Nepal.
Despite the recent devastating Earthquakes in the country, the most popular trekking destinations in Nepal are open and safe. Nepal’s mountains, jungles, trails, and other aspects of this country’s rich natural beauty are still here for the world to see.
Things are also slowly beginning to go back to how they were before. To view the situation here more positively, the Nepali people are more welcoming now to tourists than ever before, as Tourism can play a direct part in supporting the local people’s livelihood.
We hope that the recent natural disaster does not slow down tourism, as it is still safe to travel here. Also, our country is especially welcoming of tourists now so that we can rebuild what has been destroyed and give aid to those in need.
All over the world, people want to help the situation here, and the most direct, sustainable way of doing so is by coming here, visiting our beautiful country and supporting our tourism industry.
So, KEEP would like to welcome to all again in Nepal and support the peoples who suffered from the Earthquake.
To learn more about KEEP go to – http://tourismconcern.org.uk/keep/
Alleppey backwaters tourism – May update Join today
When I visited Kerala in April I was heartened by the enthusiasm shown for the initiative amongst all the stakeholders, including government departments and many of the houseboat operators. This has continued, with an understanding having recently been signed regarding the setting up of an Implementation and Monitoring Committee. It is proposed that it comprises a total of 16 representatives of stakeholder groups, including the houseboat owners themselves; government departments – including the Tourism Department, the Pollution Board of Control and Alleppey Municipality; NGOs representing fishing and farming communities; and the project partners: Tourism Concern and the Environmental Collaborative. The full list will be published later this month, when it has been finalised.
Currently we are consulting with stakeholders in order to define clear terms of reference for the committee – vital for keeping the project on track. This includes outlining the next steps and realistic timings for their completion. The role of the committee is to co-ordinate the consultative process, to collate the feedback and thoughts that emerge, to start to outline the code, and to consider what support might be required (training, facilities etc) and who might help with that provision. We hope to have a draft of the Code prepared in about two months time, with a view to being able to launch it in time for the next tourism season in the autumn.
Ideally the Kerala government would like ALL boats to sign up to the Code. This shows fantastic support for our work and represents a real commitment to change. However, we feel that the Code should represent a continual improvement process and believe that it is vital for boats to demonstrate genuine compliance with its principles. Realistically, relatively few boats will be able to do that in the short term. Our proposal is hence that boats initially enter the process voluntarily and are offered help – including one-to-one training – in return. We are also hoping that we may be able to have one or two ‘model’ boats, who demonstrate exemplary practices. Ongoing support and monitoring will also be required and it is likely that the Code will continue to evolve and standards to improve. We have further agreed with the Kerala government that those adopting the Code will also be promoted as ‘ethical operators’, including here in the UK.
In the UK the initiative is supported by the Association of Independent Tour Operators AITO), by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and by the Travel Foundation as well as by a number of individual Tour Operators who take guests to Kerala. Many of the houseboat operators these organisations use are already contributing to our work in India.
Graduates assist Indonesian homestay network Join today
Founded in 2011, by the Eco Flores Foundation, the network promotes the island as a green tourist destination. Flores was recently voted as one of the top 50 green destinations in the world.
Supported by volunteers, villagers living in poverty in Flores have the opportunity to share in the benefits of international tourism through renting rooms in their homes to visitors.
Supported by volunteers, villagers living in poverty in Flores have the opportunity to share in the benefits of international tourism through renting rooms in their homes to visitors.
For the past three years, upon completion of a module in International Tourism Development in their final year, new graduates have been offered the opportunity to volunteer in Flores, applying the knowledge acquired on the module to advise villagers on both the benefits and negative consequences of tourism growth.
The graduate volunteers have the expertise to advise the villagers on land rights, gender equality, leakages and linkages, waste management, disabilities, and basic finance for small businesses. Before joining villagers they attend a four day workshop to discuss these issues and to learn basic Bahasa, the local language.
The volunteers work with two or three villages for a period of one or two months to establish the homestays which must meet the agreed basic criteria including: waste management, working towards gender equality, providing a clean room with minimum facilities. Each village is marketed through the network and the volunteers regularly meet together to share good practice and report back to the project co-ordinator.
Such has been the success of the project, Network Supporter, Dr Stroma Cole, a senior lecturer in tourism geography at UWE Bristol, was recognised with the award for Tourism in Globalisation: Understanding global complexity through tourism at the Association of Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE) annual conference.
Explaining why the network is such an important learning tool for these graduates, Dr Stroma Cole, comments, “The experience is an excellent example of international service learning, you can learn the theory in the classroom, but the only way to really test out the extent of your knowledge and demonstrate your abilities to future employers is to apply it in a real life situation. What the graduate volunteers are taking away from their Flores experience is hugely beneficial to their professional and personal development.
“They learn not only how people build livelihoods in the majority of the world but also how to live in another culture and speak another language. They learn how to train and motivate, and to help manage the villagers’ problems, like recycling. One of the island’s biggest issues is waste; one student built a wooden press to compact plastic waste into bricks. These can then either be used for building public facilities or be taken by tourists to towns that have waste facilities for disposal. It’s a simple, practical solution that is making a real difference to these communities.
“Flores is a beautiful island and sometimes local assets, such as white sand beaches, caves and hot springs, are often overlooked by tourists. The graduates highlight these attractions on the website to invite tourists to remote parts of the island, spreading their interest in and economic support of these less visited areas. Together, the villagers and tourists connect, share and learn. Without a higher education in tourism this project could not function. It will enhance the lives of many of the poorer villagers, as well as the lives of the students that take this valuable opportunity to work with them.”
In the first two years of the project, nine graduate volunteers who studied International Tourism Development and thirty villagers from fifteen villages took part in the homestay network.
UWE Bristol graduate Gemma Sollis, completed her studies in Tourism and Management in July 2013. For the past nine months, she has been working as a volunteer for the Flores Homestay Network (FHN). Describing the challenges and highlights of her experience, she says, “I love volunteering here as we are making a difference to local people’s lives, to help them protect themselves from the negative side of tourism and to preserve their cultures and traditions.
“At first it was hard to think like a local, but you adapt quickly as you learn the culture and history. It takes a while for changes to be made in the communities, but the villagers’ appreciation of our visit is enough to make it all worth it.
“The main challenges I’ve faced is the difference in culture between Indonesia and Europe. Being a woman here is a challenge as the attitudes of local men towards woman are completely different to the attitudes of most men in Europe. I found it hard not being able to go places by myself, which is mostly likely because I’m a Western woman but now I understand they are trying to protect me. Being a Western woman, the men give me more respect than the local woman, but not the same respect as a Western man. The Flores Homestay Network’s work is so important, not only to develop the homestays, but also to develop the community as a whole through gender equality and land rights.
“Volunteering has allowed me to gain experience in the tourism industry which is where my passion lies, it’s a great opportunity to see how places adapt with tourism, as well as being able to work in beautiful surroundings and meet friendly local people who embrace you as one of the family. Learning from books and other people’s experiences is one thing, but to go out and use your knowledge and experience it for yourself is a different thing. During my university course I learnt about the positive and negative effects of tourism and the benefits of a sustainable and community based tourism. Sustainability is a very important concept, that I’ve been able to use during my time in Flores to help ensure the homestays are sustainable to protect the local people.
“From this opportunity, I’ll take away the experience of being on the front line to help communities build community based tourism and protect themselves from ending up like Bali. I’ve developed my skills through learning new languages and working with people who have different views and still maintain cultural traditions, which I will also take away. This will be useful for me in the future so I can work with people from around the world and understand our different ways of working and thinking. Finally, I will also take away my changed attitude and thinking that happiness can be found in the little everyday things, no matter if you have no money.”
Andy Bil studied Geography and Tourism and spent six months volunteering for the network. He adds, “Stroma’s lectures and the International tourism development module really prepared me for this experience. It simply takes all your knowledge from the class room and applies it to real life. What we are doing in Flores is the best practices in Community-based Tourism development. It’s not going to the destination to paint a boat, dig a hole in the ground or do any activities which locals probably could do better themselves i.e. voluntourism. It is meaningfully helping locals in poverty alleviation, waste management, education and empowering woman. It’s a real project, it is not a joke, volunteers must take responsibility for their community and invest all their effort to introduce and prepare locals for the project and work together to achieve project objectives.
“I loved the life I was living in Flores, super friendly people always smiling and approaching you to get to know you. I have been in places where ordinary tourists will never be. I shared good times and sad times with local community it was very emotional when I was going back to the UK. Some of the challenges were to adapt to the Indonesian/Flores culture, the lifestyle of the locals and to the weather. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge was the scope of the project, there was lots of job where other organisations would employ professionals. Due to a lack of education about the tourism sector in the community, I had to constantly monitor and ensure that the project was on the right path simultaneously motivating and tutoring participants of FHN.
“I could not have asked for more, this project taught me how to successfully implement and run a project on foreign soil, develop skills which will benefit my future career or prepare me in continuing my academic path. What is of a great importance for me, is that after 6 months I have been able to communicate freely in the Indonesian language and still continue to study it. I am most delighted that I was able to help the people of Flores to engage with the tourism industry and motivate them so they can also directly benefit from it. I believe that in the future FHN will be successfully running businesses which will improve local people’s living standards, generate greater economic benefits while protecting the environment.”
The Eco Flores Foundation hope to consolidate the project concentrating on the villages in the network and are looking for investors to take the project forward. Indonesian graduate volunteers are set to join the network, for the UWE graduates this presents an excellent opportunity to help each other with language and compare and develop experiences and skills.
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