World Tourism Day: Sustainable Energy

by Marcela Torres

Today marks the celebration of the 2012 World Tourism Day (WTD) under the theme “Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development”, with the aim of highlighting tourism’s role in a brighter energy future; a future in which the world’s entire population has access to modern, efficient and affordable energy services.

Through this blog, we have highlighted several initiative or issues related to energy sustainability in tourism. One outstanding example is the construction of the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in Chile, in the Soncor Sector (Chaxa Lagoon) of the Los Flamencos National Reserve in the Atacama Salt Flat. The project included the architectural design and construction of the Visitor Center, incorporating techniques such as reuse of grey water and electricity generation through solar panels and wind mills.

We have also analyzed the international trend of travelers preferring “green hotels”, highlighting the opening in Santiago of Chile’s first green hotel which, among other things, using solar panels to provide electricity for its rooms and promotes recycling among its staff and guests.

In terms of transportation, we have covered topics such as the use of biofuels by airlines, regarding the implications of increasing costs of fuel and energy in the future. We have also talked about green transfers, thanks to an article republished from The Travel World blog which describes the experience of Green Path Transfers as a global provider of eco-friendly airport and intercity transfers.

Finally, we’ve provided useful tips for tourists to reduce their carbon footprint while traveling, through measures such as saving unnecessary energy expenditure when they’re not at home, avoiding disposable batteries and choosing day flights which use less fuel and emit fewer amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

We celebrate this World Tourism Day inviting everyone to contribute to a greater sustainability in the industry!

International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) 2012

Celebration of Cultures Party, ESTC 2012

by Marcela Torres

Last week I had the opportunity of participating for the first time in the International Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference, held in Monterey, California and organized by the International Ecotourism Society (TIES).

It was a great honor for me to be able to deliver, precisely on the day of Chile’s Independence, a presentation on the experience of contributing to developing ecotourism at the Chaxa Lagoon, in Los Flamencos National Reserve in the Atacama Salt Flat. The project, which we developed for CONAF Antofagasta and the Lickan-Antay Indigenous Community of Toconao with the Torres Asociados Limitada consultancy firm, consisted of building the first sustainable Visitor Center in a protected area in Chile and implementing a set of bilingual materials to interpret the natural and cultural values of the area.

The interest of attendees in learning about this experience gave me great satisfaction because it was that project which made me realize that I wanted to dedicate my life to ecotourism and motivated me, first, to study a masters in the topic and, later on, to set up my own inbound responsible tourism company –Southern Cone Journeys- with my sister, Paula.

The International Ecotourism Society has been promoting ecotourism for over a decade and working to ensure that tourism activity generates benefits for both the host communities and the environment of the destinations where it operates. This version of the Conference was attended by representatives from such diverse countries as Argentina, Botswana, Canada, Ecuador, Guyana, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya and the United States, to name a few. All of us analyzed issues such as how to fund sustainability initiatives, development and empowerment of local communities, the role of ecotourism in promoting the conservation of endangered species and the unique opportunity of the travel industry to contribute to eradicate poverty.

During the meeting, the International Ecotourism Society also launched the guidelines to regulate “voluntourism” (volunteer tourism), which it developed together with the Planeterra Foundation. The document can be downloaded from the TIES website.

The Celebration of Cultures party, the closing event of the Conference, was the highlight since it allowed attendees to share with the rest some aspects of their culture, such as music and typical outfits, and it emphasized the importance and the great potential of tourism to unite people from so many different countries around a common goal: A better quality of life for all.

Hope for Torres del Paine

Native forests in Torres del Paine National Park.

© HernánTorres

by Marcela Torres

The disastrous fire that razed 17,606 hectares (43,505 acres) of forests in Torresdel Paine National Park between December 2011 and January 2012 inspired many people in Chile and other countries to help.

For example, some fire fighting brigades from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Australia, came to provide assistance in controlling the emergency. Other people, in turn, raised their voices through the social networks demanding greater responsibility in tourism and support for the reforestation of Patagonia. Response was quick and in this entry we highlight two initiatives that bring hope for Torres del Paine National Park.

Rotem Zinger and the “Black to Green” Campaign

Who is Rotem Zinger? The Israeli tourist who caused the last fire in the Park. To avoid extending the trial against him, in February 2012 Zinger settled with the Puerto Natales Court a payment of 10 thousand United States dollars in compensation for the damages resulting from his actions and he will have to work as a volunteer between one and two years for the international non-governmental organization Keren Kayemet LeIsrael –which specializes in reforestation and has an office in Chile- taking over the role of coordinating the campaign “Torres del Paine, from Black to Green”.

The aim is to raise funds to reproduce at least 50,000 plants of native forest species in greenhouses in Puerto Natales that are owned by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) –government agency that manages protected areas in Chile- in order to use them in the reforestation of the National Park. Zinger is forced to promote the initiative through different media, particularly among the Jewish community in Chile and its website, replicating the campaign carried out in 2011 to reforest Mount Carmel in Israel. In addition, he will need to present progress reports every three months to CONAF.

Although public opinion in Chile did not initially believe he would see this campaign through, something has already been done. On April 22 the initiative was officially launched with a call to the Chilean Jewish community in to continue showing its loyalty to Chile and Israel by supporting this effort to bring back the green to Torres del Paine.

Donations are being received in the following account:

Corporación Keren Kayemet Leisrael FNJ Chile

RUT 65.009.118-3

Banco Corpbanca

Cuenta Corriente Nº 3331692

Let’s Reforest Patagonia

At the beginning of May, a campaign called “Let’s Reforest Patagonia” was launched by several governmental institutions and non-governmental environmental organizations. This original initiative seeks to organize citizens to donate 1 million native trees that will be planted in the Torres del Paine and Laguna San Rafael national parks and in the Lago Carlota and Cerro Castillo national reserves during 2012.

How does this work? For each US $4.00, people making donations will be able to have a tree under their name in Patagonia. A grid is displayed on the website with green trees and burnt trees. To make a donation, a person must click on a burnt tree. Once the transaction has been made, the person receives a certificate with the coordinates of the place where the tree will be planted.

So far, the campaign has obtained funds to reforest more than 67,000,000 trees, according to the website’s counter. Therefore, there’s still time to help restore the beautiful Chilean Patagonia.

Let’s do it! Hope is not lost yet!

Self-Assessment for Sustainable Tourism Certification

Buying locally-sourced products is one way to contribute to sustainability.

© Marcela Torres

by Marcela Torres

Remember we announced that we had begun the process to obtain Sustainable Travel International’s (STI) STEP certification for tour operators? Well, we are making progress and were happy to achieve very good results on our self-assessment, which is the first step for application.

As I mentioned in my previous post, when we first saw the long questionnaire we needed to fill out we were a bit overwhelmed, but the STEP platform is very friendly and the exercise was great because it allowed us to clearly identify what we are doing right and what aspects we can still improve on.

What types of elements are assessed? The first set of criteria focuses on the company’s clarity on its business. For example, if it has a documented business plan that includes a mission statement, business goals, product offerings, operational budgets, and management structure. You may ask: “What does this have to do with sustainability?” Actually, a lot, as a company’s capacity to stay in the market is one of the three elements of the triple bottom line, which consists of economic, environmental and social sustainability. The questionnaire also asks if the company has a Sustainability Policy and Action Plan, monitoring its performance and impacts, and demonstrating continual improvement.

The company’s efforts to promote sustainability principles are also evaluated. These include: Communicating to guests a “do-no-harm” code of conduct which relates to responsible travel and socio-cultural sensitivity; interpretation programs that are locally relevant and are delivered accurately by competent, knowledgeable employees; and encouraging a positive interaction between the company’s clients and the local community.

Specific criteria related to environmental sustainability cover aspects such as waste management and recycling activities, reduction of energy and water consumption, efforts to prevent air, water, noise and visual pollution, and conservation actions, among other variables. The social aspects of sustainability measured in the questionnaire include whether or not the company has a fair labor policy, clear guidelines regarding its supply chain purchases to increase the amount of locally-sourced, recycled, fair trade, and/or eco-friendly products, and a policy and plan to ensure its clients and employees are always briefed on socially and culturally appropriate behavior to minimize their negative impacts.

The most interesting feature of the self-assessment is that is fosters an incremental long-term approach, allowing companies to begin with the simpler actions and progressively take on more complex initiatives depending on their available time and resources. To that end, the questionnaire identifies different levels of compliance for each criterion, such as Required/Baseline, Intermediate, Advanced, and Industry Leader.

How did we do? We were pleased to find out that we comply with all of the Baseline requirements for aspects that are applicable to our business and we are at an Intermediate and Advanced level on several fronts, particularly in terms of our business plan, our promotion of sustainability principles and our guidelines regarding supply chain purchases. Indeed, there are still many things we can improve in our operations and we will strive to reach an Industry Leader status in the next couple of years.

In the meantime, we will apply for Step 2 in order to obtain the Bronze (Baseline) certification by submitting the Required Policies and Documentation for review by an STI-Accredited Assessor. Stay tuned for our next post on how we move forward in this process!

Tourism Initiatives to Save the Earth

Turtle hatchling in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

© www.viceroyzihuatanejo.com

by Marcela Torres

If you’re still not convinced that the tourism industry can actively help save our planet, you’ll be surprised by the initiatives we’re covering in this week’s blog in anticipation to this year’s Earth Day celebration, on April 22nd. From recycling to hands-on conservation projects, tourism companies and not-for-profit organizations across the world are contributing to conserve the environment for future generations. Hopefully, you will be inspired to play a part! 

Just a Drop

Did you know that 1.4 million children die every year from diarrhea because of unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation? That is 4,000 children per day. “I started to think about how I could encourage businesses in the travel and tourism industry to give back to the places in which they operated – thus improving the lives of children and their families,” says Fiona Jeffery, who launched Just a Drop in 1998 at the World Travel Market (WTM), in London.  

Fiona named the charity ‘Just a Drop’ to reinforce that it only takes a small amount of money to help prevent the unnecessary loss of life that occurs many developing countries due to the lack of safe, clean water. Until now, Just a Drop has funded projects in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East, providing water and sanitation to marginalized communities.  

To ensure sustainability of the projects, the organization works with beneficiary communities from start to finish, building local capacity and directly linking funders to specific projects in the field, so they can see very clearly the difference their support has made.  

In fact, Fiona is also the Chair of the WTM, where she has promoted the celebration of World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD) since 2007, stressing the unique opportunity the tourism industry has in helping reduce poverty and conserve natural and cultural resources throughout the planet. “We have the means and the responsibility to help the local communities of the places that we visit,” she states.  

Clean the World

Have you ever wondered what happens with the bits of bar soap you leave behind in hotels when traveling? Well, Shawn Seipler and Paul Till did. They were shocked to find out how many bars of soaps are thrown away and how much they could help prevent millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every day. So, they created the Florida-based Clean the World Foundation in 2009.

What do they do? They collect, sort and process discarded soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion product donations from participating hospitality partners and hygiene products from manufacturers. They recycle these product donations at the facilities in Orlando, Florida, and then deliver these recycled products to domestic homeless shelters and impoverished countries suffering from high death rates due to acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease. 

Until now, Clean the World has put over 9.5 million soap bars and 200,000 pounds of shampoo and conditioner back into human use, while eliminating over 600 tons of waste. Check out their video to learn more!

Saving Turtles and More

Many tourism businesses are undertaking initiatives to conserve wildlife throughout the world. In Mexico, for example, several eco-resorts have successfully developed marine turtle conservation programs –some of them since the mid-1990s- in which guests, staff and local community volunteers help move turtle eggs to a protected area on the beach and then release hatchlings to find their way to the sea.

And in the State of Queensland, in Australia, tourism companies with permits to operate in public protected areas collaborate with local authorities to monitor the environmental conditions of the places they visit. Among other things, they record visitor numbers, campfire facilities, road kills, number of species and feeding sites and any disturbance they encounter during their trips. This helps park authorities to act quickly in case of any emergency and keep updated information on the sites.

These are just a few examples, among many others carried out in other places. Are you feeling inspired? I bet you are! So, get out there and find out what you can do to save our beautiful planet and leave it even better for the next generations.

Happy Earth Day!

Patagonia with dams?

Poster of the "Chilean Patagonia without dams!" campaign. 

© www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl

by Marcela Torres

The Chilean Patagonia’s landscape may change forever. Why? Because the recent ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of the HydroAysén project may bring about the flood of a large portion of one of the most pristine areas in Patagonia, which according to many people would cause permanent environmental damage and affect the region’s tourism, which promotes its untouched nature.

What is HidroAysén?

HidroAysén seeks to build and operate five hydroelectricity plants, two on the Baker River and three in the Pascua River, located in the Aysén Region in southern Chile. It is, no doubt, the largest energy project ever evaluated in the country until now. If the works are carried out, which would take approximately 12 years, it could have an average generating capacity of 18,430 GWh.

Besides the power plants, the project requires setting up more than 1,500 high tension towers between the towns of Cochrane and Chaitén. From there, the lines are designed to go underground to Puerto Montt and then overground again to Santiago, where the energy would enter the Central Interconnected System, which extends from the Atacama and Los Lagos regions and does not cover Aysén.

HydroAysén is managed by a joint venture between the largest power companies in the country, ENDESA and Colbún S.A., which own 51% and 49% of the company, respectively. Thus, they would control 80% of the country’s electricity generation, establishing a duopoly in the Chilean power market.

Civil society rejection and legal battle

Since the project was presented in August, 2007 it has been rejected by large part of civil society and the environmental movement in Chile. So much so, that 70 national and foreign non-governmental organizations established the Council for the Defense of Patagonia, better known for its “Chilean Patagonia without dams!” campaign, to avoid the construction of these power plants.

Why do they oppose? Because the development of HidroAysén requires flooding 5,910 hectares (14,603 acres) of natives forests and habitat for unique species, such as the Huemul, one of the two deers found in Chile and faced with the danger of extinction. The organization also argues that the project contravenes all regional development strategies for Aysén, which emphasize the need to boost high-quality tourism products and sets the goal of positioning Aysén as a “Life Reserve”. For example, more than USD 500 million have been invested in tourism –mostly by small entrepreneurs-  in the Baker River Basin.

Civil society’s rejection and the organization’s persuasive campaigns were not enough, however, to convince the regional government authorities, who approved the project on May 9, 2011, setting in motion a series of demonstrations throughout the country that brought together people from the entire political and social spectrum. In fact, a poll conducted that month showed that 74% of Chileans oppose HidroAysén.

A legal battle began in June, 2011 when several injunctions were filed against the Environmental Assessment Commission of the Aysén Region, who approved the project, and to prevent HidroAysén from initiating the construction of the dams. The Puerto Montt Court of Appeals voted against the injunctions, however, and these were later also rejected by Chile’s Supreme Court on April 4, 2012 in a split ruling of 3 votes against 2.

So, what happens with tourism?

In September, 2011 the vicepresident of the Federation of Tourism Companies of Chile (Fedetur), which groups 28 large and medium-sized companies in the country, stated that “in the end it will be proved that the dams do not have an impact on tourism” and that HidroAysén can “add value to tourism” in the Aysén Region.

These comments caused fury among environmental organizations and particularly in Aysén’s tourism sector. Several chambers of tourism in the area issued a joint public statement indicating that “neither Fedetur nor Achet can feel they have the right to appoint themselves as ‘representatives of the tourism sector’ of Aysén and they cannot presume of expressing our feelings because their visions are very far from what is real.”

Uncertain future

So, why does HidroAysén receive support from the Environmental Assessment Commission, Chilean courts and a trade association that gathers large and medium-sized tourism companies if almost the entire country is clearly against it? The most likely explanation is in the power of large corporations. In fact, it has been revealed that one of the Supreme Court judges who voted in favor of the project owns 109,804 shares of Endesa, which amount to more than 97 million pesos (approximately 200,537 United States dollars).

The real issue, though, is Chile’s energy policy and the need to harmonize the development the country requires for achieving progress and the moral responsibility of preserving our natural resources for future generations. This is especially true if we consider the recent social movement to demand better access to energy in the region, which extended from February 8 to March 23, 2012 and resulted in the removal of the Ministry of Energy.

HidroAysén states that its Project “will only flood 0.05% of the Aysén Region” and that, in compensation, it will improve 187 kilometers (116 miles) of highway, it will build a dock and a cattle slaughter plant and it will buy equipment for three public health posts. However, all of these works are mainly intended to supply the people who will work in the project. In addition, its website announces that the power plants will require “a monthly average of 2,260 workers for an estimated period of 12 years, reaching a maximum of 5,000 workers, of which at least 20% will be local labor, a figure that is expected to increase over time.”

Although the Supreme Court ruling in favor of HidroAysén to build the five power plants is a tough blow on the civil society movement, there is still a long road ahead. Environmental organizations hope they can stop the approval of the high tension towers supply line that HidroAysén needs to transport the energy it will produce, since it will go through 780 private properties and it will require cutting down 100 hectares (247 acres) of forests and intervening another 600 hectares (1,482 acres).

Not everything is lost. We hope that this project is not approved in the end and the country will search for other means of satisfying its energy needs, so that Patagonia will not lose the charm that inspires thousands of people in Chile and all over the world to come visit.

Green Transfers for All!

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

by WHL Group

The word of mouth is encouraging: More and more travelers are being responsible. Ever greater numbers are taking seriously the importance of hitting the road with more than just pure business or pleasure in mind. They may not think of themselves as fitting cleanly into some of the niche tourism categories – ecotourism, sustainable travel, responsible travel, local travel, voluntourism – but the mindful choices they’re making are meaningful.

Fittingly, the industry has been slow to respond. Some sectors have, however, been even slower than others. One of them – in which there appears to be a need for a global steward – is airport and intercity transfers. You know, ground transportation. What you need when you land at an airport and want to get to town – often your very first introduction to a place – or what you may desire when you’re ready to travel between destinations and don’t wish to rely on public transport.

Into this breach has stepped Green Path Transfers, which launched as a global provider of eco-friendly airport and intercity transfers. The newest subsidiary of the WHL Group, Green Path Transfers answers the needs of leisure and business travelers seeking cost-effective ways to reduce their carbon footprints. Through GPT’s straightforward online booking system, travelers and businesses can now hit the road confident that, for rates equal to those of other global providers, their transfers are in good hands and that they’ve made a beneficial earth-conscious choice.

Powering a Green Engine

In keeping with a vision to help build a sustainable and responsible travel industry, Green Path Transfers is on a mission to go green. In contrast to other global transfer-service providers, some with green leanings, the company has taken a novel approach to building its network of quality local operators.

This involves placing significant emphasis and focus on partnering with transfer companies that are already using low-carbon-emission vehicles, wherever possible, to operate transfers. Green Path Transfers has therefore only recruited established, service-minded transfer operators with a demonstrated commitment to a greener future, either through their pioneering use of zero- or low-emission vehicles or their movement toward adoption of sustainable practices and clean technology.

The green technology currently in use by Green Path Transfers partners includes:

• Vehicles powered by recycled vegetable oil by Portland, Oregon’s ecoShuttle and San Diego, California’s Wherever Shuttle;
• Engines running on renewable, non-toxic and all-natural fuels like biodiesel and ethanol in Colorado’s Vail Valley by Green Limousine, and Il Viaggio Travel in Costa Rica;
• Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEVs) and alternative-fuel cars using compressed natural gas (CNG) by Los Angeles-based Naturalimo;
• Hybrids on the streets of Toronto under the Eco Taxi label.

Offsetting Carbon Emissions

Green Path Transfers further neutralizes any presently unavoidable emissions by 100% carbon offsets through reputable organizations like atmosfair and Blue Ventures Carbon Offset. This responds to the company’s recognition that “many of the local suppliers we work with are just starting the journey to using carbon-neutral transfer vehicles and hence we have decided to work with two organizations we believe offer innovative and extremely accountable/transparent offset options, in order to fully offset 100% of the emissions produced by our transfers.”

These partnerships with third-party carbon-offset organizations bring added peace of mind to travelers with the knowledge that their trips are helping to fund meaningful clean-energy projects worldwide. From solar energy programs in India to hydraulic irrigation systems for rural farmers in China, the initiatives Green Path Transfers supports through its carbon-offset partners extend far beyond tree planting.

Meeting Consumer Needs

“It’s crucial for us to embrace green and cleaner technologies and modes of transport for the long-term health of the planet,” says Adrian Cordiner, CEO of Green Path Transfers. “As transport is a main emitter of carbon, it’s a natural place to start in order to try to make a dent in global carbon emissions.”

The company recognizes, however, that its chosen green path is a long and challenging one. “We started this business because we want to change the way transport is done, whilst also making sure we offer unparalleled service and extremely competitive fares,” says Cordiner. “We are passionate about a greener future for the planet, and we love working with like-minded customers, operators and organizations to help shape that future!”

Local service providers and partners are chosen and vetted based on their ability to meet local and international green certification standards. To that end, Green Path Transfers has put in place a range of incentives and supports to move all local partners toward a greener future that includes upgrading their fleets to include any lower-carbon options available to them.

“Every little bit helps,” Cordiner adds. “We believe that, by being an industry leader in the use and support of cleaner technology, both in transfers and through offsets, we will inspire others to follow suit.”

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.

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.