Sustainable Wines and Harvest Festivals 2012

Grape stomping during the 2008 wine harvest festival in Isla de Maipo. 

© islademaipo.cl

by Marcela Torres

March and April are the wine harvest (“vendimia”) months in Chile and all wine-producing regions hold festivities to celebrate and promote new lines of wine of participating vineyards. This is a great opportunity to learn about the country’s sustainable wineries and taste some of their best organic wines.

Sustainable Wineries

Last year, the wine industry in Chile began applying the National Sustainability Code, established by the Sustainability Program of the Wines of Chile trade association, together with the Vinnova and Tecnovid technology consortiums.

Companies that apply to this certification process must undergo an evaluation of different sustainability practices and procedures throughout the Chilean wine’s value chain, focusing on three dimensions: “Green-Vineyard”, “Red-Cellar” and “Orange-Community”. So far, 20 wineries have received “green” certification and are allowed to use the 2011 sustainable management seal. These are: Anakena, Arboleda, Caliterra, Casa Silva, Cremaschi Furlotti, Emiliana, Errázuriz, Montes, MontGras, Santa Cruz, Santa Ema, Santa Rita, Ventisquero, Vía Wines, Miguel Torres, Maquis, Pérez Cruz, Carmen, Nativa y Sur Andino.

This is a big step for the wine industry in Chile, which last year saw its exports increase in 9.6% compared to 2010. The main destination markets were the European Union and Asia, which concentrated 41% and 16.6% of total exports, respectively.

Festival Calendar

Although some festivities have already been carried out, in the Colchagua Valley and Chillan, there are still other celebrations programmed for people who want to enjoy these events, which besides wines include handicraft exhibits, typical food, live music and some local traditions such as grape stomping.

March 23rd through 25th: Fiesta de la Vendimia de Curicó, Maule Valley.

March 24th: Fiesta de la Vendimia de Rengo, Cachapoal Valley.

March 30th and 31st: Boulevard del Vino en Talca, Maule Valley.

March 31st and April 1st: Fiesta de la Vendimia de Peralillo, Colchagua Valley.

April 13th through 15th: X Fiesta de la Vendimia del Valle del Maipo, en Buin.

April 14th and 15th: Fiesta de la Vendimia de Isla de Maipo, Maipo Valley.

Enjoy! Cheers!

Celebrating Women in Tourism

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

© Marcela Torres

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!

STEP 1 to obtain Sustainable Tourism Certification

 

Tourists visiting the Valdivian Rainforest in southern Chile. 

© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

We have very exciting news this week! Why? Because we have just begun the process to obtain Sustainable Travel International’s (STI) STEP 1 certification for tour operators.

You may say: “So, what’s the big deal?”  Well, to begin with, let’s agree on the fact that all tourism can have positive or negative economic, environmental and social impacts. In order to mitigate, and hopefully avoid, negative impacts caused by our activities on the destinations and local communities we work with, through our operations we strive to: 

• Minimize our impact on the environment during our visits.
• Generate incomes for local communities by visiting locally owned attractions and hiring local guides.
• Take economic, environmental and cultural factors into account when considering new destinations.
• Encourage our clients to act responsibly and respect the local community, its culture and traditions

Therefore, it’s important for us as a responsible tourism operator to have an independent certification of our standards to achieve these goals. However, there are no eco-certification schemes currently in place in Chile. In addition to that, we decided that if we were going to go through this lengthy process it should lead us to obtain an internationally recognized eco-label so that nobody could accuse us of “green washing”.

We chose STI’s Sustainable Tourism Education Program (STEP), because it is a suite of online tools that help businesses and destinations of all sizes manage their impacts based on a comprehensive set of sustainability criteria and indicators, including components such as education and training programs, a self-assessment framework for measuring and benchmarking, and an independently-verified eco-certification process.

We also liked STEP because it is the only global eco-certification program in the travel and tourism industry managed by a non-profit organization and it is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and quickly becoming the gold standard for the industry.

I must confess, when we first saw the long questionnaire we need to fill out we were a bit overwhelmed. But to be honest, the STEP platform is very friendly and the process is great because it allows businesses to successfully integrate sustainable practices into their operations by taking an incremental long-term approach, ramping up their initiatives as time and resources allow. STEP helps facilitate this process through its three primary components or "steps."

Step 1 is the completion of a comprehensive online self-assessment tool that helps businesses begin to identify and measure key impacts, as well as become more informed about how to implement industry best practices. Companies can then go on to Step 2 and apply for the Bronze (Baseline) certification by submitting the Required Policies and Documentation for review by an STI-Accredited Assessor. Upon approval, applicants may proceed to Step 3, which consists of a third-party on-site assessment, performed by a local STI-Accredited Assessor who will verify adherence with STEP criteria and recommend Silver (Intermediate), Gold (Advanced) or Platinum (Industry Leader) certifications.

Well, we’re just starting with STEP 1 and will probably learn a lot from this experience, which I’ll be sharing with you on this blog as we move along. The important thing is that we have begun this crucial process, even if it’s by taking baby steps for now. Hopefully, we will soon be the first Chilean company certified by Sustainable Travel International. That would be an honor!

Viña del Mar and its International Song Festival

Vergara Palace, Viña del Mar's Fine Arts Museum. 

© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

The 53^rd version of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival kicked off last night and I thought it might be a great opportunity to talk a little bit about this famous resort city in Chile’s Central Coast.

A Bit of History

Viña del Mar is one of Chile’s youngest cities. During colonial times, the territory was divided into two estates. The first, called “Viña del Mar” (Vineyard by the Sea), was located on the northern bank of the Marga Marga stream and had its own vineyard. The second, called “Siete Hermanas” (Seven Sisters), extended on top of the seven hills of the area.

A rich Portuguese investor bought the Viña del Mar estate in 1835 and the Siete Hermanas estate in 1840, thus owning the entire Viña del Mar valley. These properties were inherited by his daughter and her husband, Francisco Vergara, who founded Viña del Mar in 1874.

The city flourished and became a favorite beach resort for affluent people from Santiago and the neighboring port of Valparaíso. Because of its many large houses with huge gardens, it soon became known as the “Garden City”.

Music in the Park

Each year, thousands of people swarm the streets of this city, which regularly has approximately 300,000 residents. However, this figure can reach up to one million during the summer, when tourists from the rest of Chile, Argentina and other foreign countries come to visit attracted by its beaches, mild weather and, of course, the Festival.

The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is held annually during the last week of February since 1960 at the Quinta Vergara (Vergara Park), which is what remains of the old estates. It is considered the most important musical event in Latin America. The Festival features a song competition in two categories (pop music song and folk song), combined with performances by international music stars from around the world. Sting, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Tom Jones, Sheena Easton, REO Speedwagon, INXS, Donna Summer and Bryan Adams are among the many artists who have performed at this beautiful and historical place.

The Festival has helped boost the careers of several singers, such as Shakira, who participated in the pop music song competition representing Colombia in 1993, when she was only 16 years old, with a song written by her. She came in third, but received a special award as best performer.

But the Quinta Vergara is more than just music. Its Venetian-style palace houses Viña del Mar’s Fine Arts Museum and is surrounded by a beautiful garden with trees from all five continents, which is definitely worth visiting.

Stay the Night

Unfortunately, most foreign tourists come to Viña del Mar for just a day trip, so they miss a lot of what this bustling city has to offer, starting with its active night life and fantastic restaurants. The Botanical Garden, the Fonck Museum and its amazing collection of artifacts from Easter Island, the neighboring port of Valparaíso with its World Heritage Sites and the nearby Mantagua Wetland, which is a bird-watching paradise in Concón, are just a few of the many surprises in store for you… if only you would stay the night.

The Travel 3.0 Era – Local Travel

This article was published by our friends at The Travel Word, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their blog.

Tourists and Rapa Nui locals sharing a Tunu Ahí (fish barbecue with sweet potato) in Easter Island. 

© Mana Tupuna

by Len Cordiner

There is no right or wrong about how we position the Local Travel Movement, but its relevance is obvious. As I look at the evolution of travel, we are at the leading edge of what I would call Travel 3.0.

Travel 1.0

Travel 1.0 was about the travel professionals and travel experts telling us about the great things to see and do. This was the travel agents (off- and later online), travel media, guidebooks, etc. It was a time of trusted brands (National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Four Seasons, Thomas Cook, Virgin Holidays, etc.). With the exception of some friends and family advice, travellers took counsel from experts and planned their travel accordingly.

Hence the world of travel information up to around 2005 looked very much like the image seen above right.

Travel 2.0

Travel 2.0, which coincided with Web 2.0, was (and still is) about travellers telling everyone about their travel experiences. This has caused major trauma for the travel industry, as brands are (largely) replaced by or created around traveller feedback, and push-marketing is replaced by social networks. The new big names in travel information are the likes of Tripadvisor and Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree.

From 2005 until very recently, the world of travel information became like this the image seen above left.

Travel 3.0

Travel 3.0 is about locals (and location). Locals are the ones on the ground every day – people with the intimate who-, what-, where-, when- and why-type information. Google’s relentless push to connect suppliers directly with buyers, geolocation, mobile Internet and the ‘when’ component added regularly by locals, along with a growing desire for experiential travel, are driving the next big shift in travel information… one driven by locals.

So from 2010, the world of travel information is looking more and more like this the image seen above right.

In keeping with this, the Local Travel Movement is all about locals – sharing stories told by locals, seeking out and writing about innovations in local travel and probing what all this means for travellers and local communities.

LEN CORDINER

In incubating and running numerous companies over 35 years, Len Cordiner has developed a passion for win-win outcomes. Most recently, he has made harnessing the power of the Internet and new communications tools central to his mission to change paradigms in travel, making it more accessible to all. In this vein, founding the WHL Group, of which Len is the CEO, is his latest and most ambitious global business initiative.

THE TRAVEL WORD

The Travel Word is a blog that showcases responsible, sustainable and local travel. It is committed to inspiring mindful and independent travelers headed off the beaten path with local businesses making responsible and sustainable decisions about their destinations. The Travel Word is the online mouthpiece of the WHL Group, the largest local-travel company in the world.

Tourism and Ramsar Sites on World Wetlands Day

The White-Necked Heron (Ardea cocoi), called "garza cuca" in Spanish, gives Cucao its name. 

© Hernán Torres

by Marcela Torres

February 2 marks World Wetlands Day and Chilean authorities used the date to announce the nomination of some sectors of Chiloe National Park as Ramsar Sites. If designated, Chile would surpass 500,000 acres of protected wetlands.

Chiloe National Park is located 64 kilometers from the city of Castro and covers 106,396 acres. The entrance is through the town of Cucao, from where visitors can go into the park. In addition to the wetland zone that is being nominated as a Ramsar Site, the park protects other ecosystems, such as native evergreen forests and beautiful beaches. Here you can also find some species that are unique to Chile, like the Pudu (Pudu puda), the world’s smallest deer.

Migratory Bird Paradise

Chiloe Island is known around the world as a paradise for migratory birds, many of which fly more than 9,000 miles from the northern hemisphere to reach southern Chile. For example, these wetlands provide shelter and food each year for the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) and the Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica). Both species reproduce in North America and are endangered, among other reasons, because infrastructure development along the coasts is reducing their habitat and affecting their source of food.

To mitigate these impacts, the Chilean Government and the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, in the United States, signed a cooperation agreement to implement joint actions to conserve Chiloe’s wetlands, as critical habitat for migratory coastal birds.

Ramsar Sites and Tourism

This year, World Wetlands Day was celebrated by the Ramsar Secretariat emphasizing the link between wetlands and tourism and the importance that the latter is carried out responsibly. According to the organization, wetland tourism has benefits both locally and nationally for people and wildlife. At least 35% of Ramsar Sites around the world record some level of tourism activity and this percentage is consistent throughout all regions.

Among other measures, the Ramsar Secretariat states that ensuring well-managed tourism practices in and around wetlands and educating tourists on the value of wetlands contributes to the health of the world's wetlands and the long-term benefits that wetlands provide to people, wildlife, economics, and biodiversity.

Chile ratified the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, known as the Ramsar Convention, in September, 1980. There are currently 12 wetlands of international importance (Ramsar Sites) in the country, which are distributed from north to south and cover from High-Andean salt flats to coastal lagoons.

We hope to be able to celebrate soon the designation of Chiloe’s wetlands as Ramsar Sites and that this will help boost the efforts to conserve these beautiful places and save migratory bird species from extinction.

Impacts of Fire in Torres del Paine

Tourist testimonial in Torres del Paine, 2012. 

© Sernatur

by Marcela Torres

More than 16,000 hectares (39,537 acres) were destroyed by the fire caused by the irresponsible conduct of a tourist that forced Torres del Paine National Park to close between Thursday, December 29, 2011 and Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Until last week, CONAF –the government agency in charge of managing protected areas in Chile- still had firefighters putting out new fires in different sectors of the park.

Although most of the fire is now under control and the park is slowly picking up its normal pace, a permanent environmental damage has been caused in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Because the only person accused or starting the fire is an Israeli citizen and this is the second time in 2011 that a tourist from that country caused a disaster in the park, the Government of Israel announced that it will send a delegation of experts in reforestation who will pass on the experience obtained from recovering forests in the Carmel area, a year ago. In addition, it will make a direct contribution in trees, by setting up a greenhouse especially designed for the reforestation of Torres del Paine.

However, the native forest that was destroyed is composed of trees that grow very slowly and reach maturity when they’re approximately 200 years old. They also need to be protected from the cold, the wind during the winter and the dryness during the summer.

Therefore, it’s not just a matter of replanting small trees, but also of providing them the necessary conditions to grow. In addition, it’s important to consider that large part of the fire was expanded underground and affected the area’s soil. Wildlife living in the park will probably return to the damaged sectors only to find them completely barren and will have to move elsewhere in search of food and shelter.

Several national and international teams of researchers are already studying the environmental impacts of the fire in order to contribute to prepare an effective recovery plan.

Economic Impact

The forced closure of the park also affected local economy, which largely depends on incomes generated by thousands of foreign tourists that visit the area during the high season, between November and February.

It is estimated that tourism business owners lost $2 million dollars, although this is still a preliminary figure to which we need to add what they will have stopped receiving during the season. Many of them have made great efforts to avoid lay-offs because their employees were relying on the salaries they would obtain these months.

Despite the park’s partial opening, data provided by the authorities reflect that visits have dropped 50% in January and the Chilean Government has allocated resources to support micro and small tourism enterprises in the area and has launched an aggressive international promotion campaign to maintain the flow of visitors to the park in 2012 and 2013.

Opportunity for Responsible Tourism

This sad experience in Torres del Paine National Park reminds us once again of the importance of promoting responsible tourism. The lessons learned apply both to the destination and its visitors, which shows the need to carry out awareness campaigns with all stakeholders involved in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy this beautiful place in Patagonia.