Presentation at 2nd International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations; Kerala, India; 2008

1. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Progress in South Africa since Cape Town 2002 2nd International Conference: Responsible Tourism in Destinations Heidi Keyser ICRT South Africa

2. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Telling the SA story Sketching the context The actors at play What has the impact been? What should the future hold?

3. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” South Africa – The Good News GDP growth rate Decrease in unemployment Increase in fixed capital investment Tourism growth rates Construction of houses Investment in education Ratification of international environmental protocols Designation of national parks & World Heritage Sites

4. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” South Africa – The Good News GDP growth rate Decrease in unemployment Increase in fixed capital investment Tourism growth rates Construction of houses Investment in education Ratification of international environmental protocols Designation of national parks & World Heritage Sites Cause for Celebration

7. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Cascading down … Gauteng RT Planning Framework & Manual for RT Planning Six district tourism plans formulated within RT framework Eastern Cape ECTB destination management strategy Free State tourism policy underpinned by national RT guidelines

8. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Cascading down … Western Cape principles of RT incorporated into Provincial Tourism Development Framework Limpopo Limpopo Parks & Tourism committed to sector wide training and monitoring and evaluation - focus on tourism and poverty alleviation Kwazulu Natal & Mpumalanga Tourism sector plans formulated ito of RT planning guidelines

9. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” And filtering through …

10. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” South African Tourism Services Association SATSA member contributions Hotels Housing Trust (1999) & Habitat for Humanity (2007) Tourism Mentorship Programme (2003) Jobstart (2007) 2007 Annual Conference theme = RT – building momentum 2008 Energy Saving Scorecard Project (ESSP) – moving towards measurability “SATSA means business: Responsible Tourism for 2010 and beyond”

11. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Federated Hospitality Association of SA Launched in 2002 Adjudication based on RT guidelines Categories: Social involvement programme Economic impact Environmental management system Single resource management programme: Energy Single resource management programme: Water Observations Growing environmental and social consciousness amongst members BUT, need to move beyond the ‘usual suspects’

12. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa Established mid 2001 under IUCN Evolves into autonomous NGO 2004 Certification of tourism enterprises Fair wages and working conditions Fair distribution of benefits Ethical business practices Respect for human rights, culture and the environment Rigorous certification process: self assessment questionnaire  certification panel  on-site evaluation  adjudication certification

14. 2007 Sex tourism workshops – raising awareness & galvanizing action

16. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” More good news …

17. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Credibility through impact measurement

18. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” More action … Environmental rating scheme for accommodation sector Tiered rating system: Environmentally aware Environmentally responsible Environmental excellence 7 themes of assessment Piloting in Western Cape; national by 2010 To be expanded to other sectors Measurement & Verification

19. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” On the world’s stage Responsible Tourism Awards (WTM 2004: Calabash Trust and Tours; Grootbos Private Reserve 2006: Bicycle Empowerment Network; Tswalu Kalahari Reserve; Dyer Island Cruise 2007: Grootbos Private Reserve WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow 2008: Grootbos Nature Reserve; Fair Trade in Tourism

20. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Have we made progress in terms of the Cape Town Declaration? Cause for Celebration but … fragmentation parallel efforts pockets of excellence often the same faces opportunistic ‘greenwashing’ an inside story and…

21. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” The other part of the story … Creating better places for people to live?

22. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” The closing act Balancing act Refocusing on interrelated and interdependent parts of sustainability Upping the audience numbers broader awareness in the sector and destinations at large Lights, cameras, ACTION equipping industry with practical toolkits Getting our act together Increased co-operation, more partnerships Working at destination level to create RT landscapes “So, why should we believe you?” Measure, verify, report

23. “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Heidi Keyser ICRT South Africa heidi.keyser@mweb.co.za “Creating better places for people to live in and better places to visit” Closing credentials: FTTSA SATSA WOSA FEDHASA Individual enterprises GreenStaySA team TCD Trust Provincial Tourism Organisations