Robyn Eckhardt

What is responsible tourism? Ever since we started realizing that our travels were having unexpected consequences on the lives of the people whose countries we visited we've asked ourselves the same question. Essentially, the ideas and practices behind responsible tourism attempt to minimize the detrimental economic, social, and environmental impact of the ever-growing travel industry. And a massive industry it is. One out of every eleven jobs across the world is directly related to tourism. Ten percent of the world’s total GDP is derived from the industry, and that number has been growing annually (Covid years aside). As a multi-trillion dollar business tourism has the power to mold the landscape of our favorite (or yet to be discovered) destinations. And yet, as the years have gone by, the more we travel the more we see people acting like absolute barbarians. Shoving for selfies, defacing local works of art, ignoring locals as if they were NPCs, littering, shunning local dress codes, treating destinations like private playgrounds...the list goes on. The problems of mass tourism, and the in-and-out nature of swarming destinations for IG status, are all getting seemingly worse. What can YOU do to try and offset some of this? We don't pretend to have all the answers, and we don't pretend that we haven't acted badly ourselves from time to time. But we should all try to do better. We're not here to preach, or to scold. If you find this article informative and if it makes you pause to think about how you could be a better tourist then we consider that a huge win. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Happy travels all. Be kind to your next destination. https://lnkd.in/dJtsMFvB

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If the upstream village protects the water, downstream villages can develop waterfront ecotourism and provide compensation—both share the rewards of protecting the environment. This is a simple case of eco-compensation. Starting from June 1st, local practices like this will be elevated to the level of national regulations in China. Read the full news digest on Dialogue Earth

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Travelers/Travel Writers, I'm soliciting literary stories about CITIES for the Decolonising Travel section of global journal, Panorama: The Journal of Travel, Place, and Nature (though we publish all genres and forms). No payment, no straight travel guides. I'm specifically looking for a personal reflection piece on the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama by a BIPOC author to pair with another perspective. I'm also seeking essays or visual stories that take us into, around, atop, or below the city. Sensory maps that offer new ways of experiencing neighbourhoods. Guides to navigating contested urban territories. Passage through ancient cities and floating cities. New takes on mythologised cities that have lured travellers for centuries. Meditations on megacities and temporary cities. Portraits of cities as characters. I am committed to working with underrepresented voices and those from the global majority, and seek writing that interrogates travel privilege and imperialist language. Please send completed works (preferably 1,000-3,000 words) via Submittable by JUNE 14:

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#Japan has been ranked #third in the list of destinations in World Economic Forum’s travel and tourism development report, praised for the natural and cultural resources and transport infrastructure. Japan, however, fell short in price competitiveness and tourist service. This ranking marks the country as the top destination in the Asia-Pacific region, with the United States and Spain occupying the first and second spots, respectively.

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Bangkok — The global travel & tourism industry is waiting with bated breath to see what happens next in the Middle East. After ignoring the rising geopolitical tension for months, the industry was jolted out of its comfort zones by a sharp escalation which threatened to again bring the entire house crashing down. Climate change and AI have faded on the radar screens. As the threat is set to loom large for years ahead, the question is how should Travel & Tourism navigate the geopolitical storms and start charting a course towards true sustainability, especially SDG #16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Read more: https://lnkd.in/gAKkH_uH

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https://lnkd.in/gKM5X8yJ At TokudAw Inc, apart from the regular touristy spots, we try to incorporate experiences which involves interactions with the local Japanese, and also actively work with companies who help maintain the sustainable tourism ecosystem. Read our latest blog article to find out more how you can explore Japan sustainably. Our guide covers the best green travel experiences for environmentally conscious explorers. #sustainabletravel #sustainability #japan #japantravel

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Thanks to The Travel Foundation for highlighting this very good ExpatGo article that constructively challenges conventional stereotypes about “high value” travelers.  As TF points out, wealthy tourists are not necessarily better for the environment – a strong case can be made for the value of youth and other budget travelers.  And a recent study underwritten by Hostelling International USA (HI USA) with WYSE Travel Confederation uncovered a compelling economic argument: our global survey found the average trip spend for inbound youth travelers to the USA in 2023 was $2987, 16% higher than the average visitor to the USA ($2576).  And on the other side of the world, Tourism Australia for 2023/2024 has targeted travelers under 35 years old on working holiday programs as "high yield travelers”.   Why?  Youth, student and educational travelers on average have longer stays so spend more in destination economies.  And that’s not taking account of the value-added “soft diplomacy” benefits of youth travel, which profit all of us!  #youthtravel #studenttravel #strongertogether

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Getting your language in a twist. Love this episode from RFA Insider about changes in Chinese and Korean languages and RFA Lao' shift from traditional to modern Lao. https://lnkd.in/esCnuFqc

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What are the top destinations in 2024? You can find out in today's article. #sustainablecities #sustainabledestinations #sustainability #sustainabletourism

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Here’s a short little reflection on the ingredients of great travel writing - and how they might be utilised to craft better wine writing.

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How often do we hear the phrase "women's empowerment" in tourism? It sounds good in theory, right? Unfortunately, the tourism industry has continued to fail women as well. According to UN Tourism, women make up the majority (54%) of the tourism workforce, yet they remain “concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paid, and often informal employment.” Just as they are universally uncompensated for duties related to the home and family, women do most of the unpaid work in family tourism businesses as well. Men might be the visible frontline providers tourists encounter, but women keep the beds made, rooms booked, and coffee on the table. We see this play out in those positions removed from the frontlines as well. Tourism industry conferences still tilt in favor of men; I recently attended one where only 16% of speakers were women. Women may hold managerial positions, but men still dominate the top leadership roles. And this is to say nothing of intersectional identities that continue to disadvantage women across race, age, religion, ability, and passport privilege. Clearly our commitment to "women's empowerment" is still severely lacking, and to understand why that is, let's get to the core of what women *really* need in order to address gender bias and gender inequality. Dive in with the latest Rooted article. https://lnkd.in/gD7DwBDq

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"My dinner with Kermit" is an article first published in Wine Lovers Page in March 2001. Go to https://lnkd.in/gT9iPfRG It is indeed an accounting of one of the numerous memorable dinners I've enjoyed with Kermit Lynch between the late '80s and early 2000s. A snippet from our conversation that particular night: "Like fast food, says Lynch, modern day winemaking is all about 'pop'... Big companies, and even small farmers and winemakers, are asking, 'what kind of wine is popular today?' And so they manipulate the vineyards and add chemicals to the wines to make that kind of wine. In the future they're going to be able to add a chemical called the 'Romanee-Conti' to flavor a wine... Who cares about what wine is best for a particular vineyard site? Nowadays it's all about uniformity, or else flavor descriptions like 'power' and 'explosiveness.' Somehow, Rambo has taken over the wine world.'"

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In many ways, Japan is ideally suited to lead in making increased tourism more eco-friendly. There has long been a focus on sustainability in Japanese culture, cuisine, and social order. Rather than focusing on speed and convenience in how things are made and done, there has been more of a focus on what is "mottainai" or unnecessary. (post-war hypergrowth period excepted) There are already non-Japanese becoming active in providing more eco-friendly tourism, and with firms like Sustabi founded by the former senior managing director of H.I.S. getting involved, it is clear that we have growing momentum. If any firm disrupted tourism, it was H.I.S. (mostly for the best) so we can assume that he is not planning to create some JTB clone. The opportunities for tourism startups and entrepreneurs are tremendous.

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Explore the evolution of Japanese "tourism" and "travel," highlighting the modern appeal of "fasting" accommodations. These innovative wellness retreats offer a unique blend of relaxation and health management, meeting the growing demand for health-conscious travel. Discover how this trend is reshaping the travel industry. #tourism #travel #wellness #fasting #health

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Sandra Carvao, Director of Tourism Market Intelligence, Policies and Competitiveness World Tourism Organisation UN Tourism. She said: “We know that tourism helps us reach our SDGs.” She shared that there is good news - tourism levels are predicted to finish 2% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels. But expressed that resilience need to include conservation. Extreme weather is the third issue for tourism and destinations after economic environment and higher travel costs. Let that sink in. Following on from that she also said we need to empower women, youth and vunerable groups. There is no future without them and communities. This and Multi lateral corporasiation is needed to work together to continue growth. #Travo #news #UNTourism #travel #tourism #destinations #events

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