Southern Cone Journeys: UNWTO

Showing posts with label UNWTO. Show all posts

3/8/12

Celebrating Women in Tourism

Silvia Vogel, owner of Alpacas Machalí, a rural tourism entrepreneurship in Chile.

by Marcela Torres

March 8 marks International Women’s Day and at Southern Cone Journeys we’d like to honor all the women who work hard each day to develop tourism around the world, sometimes under very trying circumstances.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in most regions of the world, women make up the majority of the tourism workforce, they also tend to be concentrated in the lowest paid and lowest status jobs in tourism, and they perform a large amount of unpaid work in family tourism businesses.

That’s why the UNWTO and the United Nations Women Organization are developing a joint Action Plan to Empower Women through Tourism that seeks to enhance the positive impact of tourism development on women’s lives, and, in so doing, contributing to the achievement of the Third Millennium Development Goal – "promote gender equality and women’s empowerment".

The Global Report on Women in Tourism 2010 –which was launched during the ITB 2011, in Berlin- was the first concrete result of this collaboration. Among other things, the study revealed that women are well represented in employment but tend to be working at a service or clerical rather than professional or decision-making level. It also showed there are proportionally fewer women graduates in services than in other fields.

One of the study’s most interesting findings is that in Entrepreneurship, women are almost twice more likely to be employers in the tourism industry than in other sectors, and often employ more women than men. That’s exactly what we see in Chile, particularly in rural areas.

During my visit to the WTM in London last year, I had the good fortune of meeting an Italian journalist, Iaia Pedemonte, who runs a very interesting website to promote gender responsible tourism around the world and to help women by spreading ideas and good practices in tourism. We had a lengthy conversation about the role of women in tourism and she kindly wrote an article about Southern Cone Journeys and another about some of the wonderful women entrepreneurs we work with in Chile.

After a decade of work on responsible tourism, Iaia put together this unique initiative that, among other things, is contributing to collect experiences, knowledge and tools , promote handicrafts and products made by women in tourist destinations, and bring together supply and demand, local people and institutions, southern and northern hemisphere countries. The site also has a forum for networking in Gender Responsible Tourism, which is a great space for all stakeholders involved to exchange experiences and get to know each other.

It’s inspiring to see how many women around the globe are pushing forward the principles of responsible tourism and also making progress with alternative livelihoods that can be sustainable and, at the same time, help conserve natural and cultural resources that are valuable for all.

Happy International Women’s Day!

9/26/11

World Tourism Day: Bringing Cultures Together

by Marcela Torres

Each year, on September 27, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) celebrates World Tourism Day, with the purpose fostering awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value. In 2011, the celebrations are focusing on tourism and bringing cultures together.

According to the UNWTO, in 2010, 940 million tourists travelled to a different country, coming into direct contact with tangible – art, monuments – and intangible – music, food, traditions – culture. World Tourism Day 2011 (WTD 2011) is a celebration of this unique interaction and aims at furthering understanding of the values of cultural diversity.

“The message on this World Tourism Day is that, thanks to tourism, millions of people from different cultures are being brought together around the world like never before,” says UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “This interaction between people of different backgrounds and ways of life represents an enormous opportunity to advance tolerance, respect and mutual understanding”.

WTD 2011 also draws attention to the importance of preserving and promoting the cultures of the world in all their forms. Culture, which compels millions of tourists to travel and spend, is of immense value in itself, but is also a vital tool for the development of a sustainable tourism sector. As such, it must be thoughtfully managed and protected, as set out in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism which states that: “Tourism policies and activities should be conducted with respect for the artistic, archaeological and cultural heritage, which they should protect and pass on to future generations”.

Ancient cultures in Chile

In Chile, the State acknowledges and Chilean indigenous peoples are the descendants of human populations that have been present in the national territory since Pre-Hispanic times, that conserve ethnic and cultural traditions and have the land as the basis for their existence and culture.

The State acknowledges the following as Chile’s main ethnic groups: Mapuche, Aymara, Rapa Nui or Easter Islanders, those of the Atacama or Lickan Antay communities, Quechuas and Collas in northern Chile, and the Kaweshkar or Alacalufe and Yamana or Yagan in the southern fjords.

According to the last census carried out in Chile in 2002, 4.6% of the interviewees identified themselves with one of these ethnic groups. Of these, the majority (87.3%) declared to be descendent of the Mapuches. They are followed by the Aymaras (7%) and the Lickan Antay (3%). The rest (Colla, Rapa Nui, Quechua, Yamana and Alacalufe) add up to 2.7%.

Protecting cultural wealth

Tourism is an economic sector based on human interaction, exchange and dialogue. WTD 2011 is a call to all those involved in tourism to act in a way that is conscious and respectful of culture, which promotes intercultural dialogue and ensures that local communities fully participate in, and benefit from, the development opportunities of tourism.

“Culture is one of our most precious assets and needs protecting. As we launch World Tourism Day 2011, I call on all people to conduct tourism in a way that preserves and enriches the cultural wealth of the world for future generations,” says Mr. Rifai.

6/22/11

Can Tourism Be Sustainable?

by Marcela Torres

We believe it can! That’s why Southern Cone Journeys is joining the 2011 campaign of the World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD), which is celebrated every year during World Travel Market – held in London and one of the most important gatherings of the tourism industry- with support by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The WRTD was launched in 2006 to promote practical action by the industry and other stakeholders in light of the need for a more responsible attitude in tourism, especially towards host communities. Responsible Tourism is an important consumer and corporate component of triple bottom line of sustainability, which involves economic, social and environmental factors.

Throughout this blog, we will explore current trends, studies and best practices for the tourism industry to walk the path to sustainability. How do we reach this goal? By promoting the principles of responsible tourism as defined in the Cape Town Declaration (2002):

To minimize negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
To generate greater economic benefits for local people and enhance the well-being of host communities, improve working conditions and access to the industry;
To involve local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;
To make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world's diversity;
To provide more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
To provide access for physically challenged people; and
To be culturally sensitive, engender respect between tourists and hosts, and build local pride and confidence.

Come join us in this challenging but rewarding journey!