Why it's time to champion community-based tourism
With communities around the world affected by lack of tourism due to Covid-19, it’s vital clients choose trips that support local people when travel resumes, says Abra Dunsby
As defined by G Adventures during a recent webinar, community-based tourism is “a way of travelling that directly benefits the people and places we visit”.
Or, as guest speaker Judy Kepher Gona, director of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda put it, it’s “tourism by and with the community, for the community’s benefit.”
With many populations suffering from loss of tourism income due to the coronavirus pandemic, community-based tourism can help support recovery in developing countries, while also offering clients a more authentic and enriching way to travel.
Abta has reported a growing appetite from members for this type of travel, while consumer research for its recent Tourism for Good report revealed that almost two-thirds of people agree that travel companies should ensure their holidays help local people and economies, up from just over half in 2011.
Here, we speak to the operators championing communities through travel for their insights and updates.
ETHICAL ETHOS
Expert insight
Justin Francis, chief executive of Responsible Travel, offers personal insight into community-based tourism:
“I visited a community-based tourism project in Zambia 20 years ago. Some of the residents of Kawaza Village worked in nearby lodges, but felt they could earn more money if they invited some tourists to spend time with them. It was incredible: they’d built a school and health clinic from the proceeds of tourism. Villagers were paid for guiding, meals and home visits, etc, but some money was held back for community-wide projects. The villagers agreed the priorities between them. The main benefit of CBT is that local people set the terms, and their income is increased because they are the hosts, rather than employed in the supply chain.”
“Many travellers want to immerse themselves in local communities to form a deep connection with local people, but it is important to do this in the right way and ensure the communities are directly benefiting,” says Heather Magnussen, responsible travel and sustainability manager for Audley Travel.
It’s therefore vital for agents to recommend operators that have a proven track record of offering responsible trips and that possess a responsible tourism policy.
Clients visiting Thailand with Audley can stay at community-owned Lanjia Lodge, located in the northern village of Kiewkan. Proceeds from the stay go back into supporting community projects to improve local living
conditions for the hilltribe villagers, and have enabled them to pave the local road for the first time.
Clients can also join a new sustainable living tour in Chiang Mai that visits a local fishery and several local artisans. “Each is paid for the visit, and clients can try their hand at making something themselves,” says Magnussen.
Book it: A 13-day tailor-made Thailand trip includes two nights at Lanjia Lodge, from £4,200pp based on two sharing, including flights, transfers, full-board accommodation and a sustainable living tour of Chiang Mai. audleytravel.com
Promoting sustainable practices
Intrepid’s new range of closer-to-home Retreats include interactions with local people, from cooking meze with a local family in Turkey to spending time with Berber people in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains.
“These provide an authentic and memorable experience for travellers, while bringing much-needed income to local communities,” says Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid’s managing director for EMEA.
On the operator’s Croatia Retreat, clients stay on the remote island of Lastovo and spend a day with local fishers, helping them with their catch and enjoying a freshly made seafood lunch onboard while learning about sustainable fishing. “The money earned allows the fishers to take fewer fish from the sea, helping preserve the ecosystem and supporting the community,” says Bencheikh.
Book it: Prices for the Croatia Retreat: Lastovo Island start from £750pp for five days excluding flights, departing 15 September. agentportal
CHAMPIONING CULTURE
Selling tips
Chris Crampton, chairman of PATA UK & Ireland, busts myths and offers selling tips:
“Perhaps the biggest barrier to customers choosing community-based tourism is assuming it's for backpackers and a lack of comfort, but there are a wealth of boutique and luxury options. There are dozens of community-based tourism programmes in Pacifica Asia promoting everything from local guides and tours to family-run accommodation, ensuring direct financial support for often-rural communities.
Look out for eco and community-based tourism programmes that list authentic, accredited products and book through specialist DMCs [or operators] to offer customers something unique.
Encourage customers to eat in local markets and restaurants, shop from local co-operatives, get involved with conservation initiatives, enjoy ethical animal interactions and consider eco-friendly accommodation.
Suggest authentic experiences over staged attractions – destinations, DMCs and hotels are working harder than ever to highlight local communities with unique cultural interests, so always ask if they have a community-based tourism policy.”
“Many of the communities in countries visited by Rainbow Tours are dependent on tourism income for their existence, and in Africa the presence of tourists is also crucial in maintaining the very fine balance of human-wildlife conflict,” explains product manager Candice Buchan.
Rainbow has introduced a series of tours with input from in-country experts. One example is its Conservation Small Group Tour with Dr Gladys Kalema Zikusoka, which takes visitors under the skin of Rwanda and Uganda, with insights on the workings of the national parks and the rangers responsible for them.
The trip also includes visits to a Batwa settlement in Bwindi Impenetrable national park and time in the remote hills of northern Karamoja to visit Uganda’s small Ik community. “These experiences offer the chance to understand the communities in a way that is neither exploitative nor staged,” adds Buchan.
Book it: The 17-day tour departs in October 2021 and is priced from £9,275pp including international flights, transfers, accommodation and all permits and fees. rainbowtours.com
PASSION PROJECT
In 2015, G Adventures and non-profit partner Planeterra announced Project 100 – a commitment to establishing partnerships with 100 community tourism enterprises. As well as operating as standalone enterprises, each project will be available for clients to visit on G Adventures’ tours in 2021 and beyond.
Added as a project last year, Berracas de la 13 is a women-owned restaurant located in Comuna 13 in Medellin, Colombia, an area once known for being one of the most dangerous in the world.
A Planeterra grant has helped improve facilities and train staff in hospitality. Clients can enjoy a lunch there on G Adventures’ Cartagena to Bogota trip, with the chance to chat to local guides, visit local shops and try local food.
Book it: Cartagena to Bogota: Colonial Cities & Trekking starts from £2,139pp for 21 days, excluding flights.
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Four more experiences to recommend
On Contiki’s 13-day Best of USA trip (from £2,604pp), clients visit two initiatives – Flourish Forever’s community gardens in Miami and Green Bronx Machine in New York – which support local low-income communities and enable them to access fresh produce. contiki.com/agents
Wildlife Worldwide’s India’s Big Cats trip (from £7,795pp, launches 2022) includes five nights at Snow Leopard Lodge in Ladkah, with proceeds going directly into local hands, strengthening the conservation of snow leopards in the process. wildlifeworldwide.com
The Conscious Travel Foundation is a not-for-profit member organisation set up to champion the positive impact of travel on local communities and the wider environment. One of its mentors is Ang Tshering Lama, owner of Himalayn Lodge The Happy House in Nepal. Clients who visit The Happy House will contribute to social projects including Phaplu Biking Club, which supports local children through creative and inclusive programmes.
The Happy House costs from around £305pppn through Beyul Experiences. For every booking of four guests, a local family of five receives medical insurance for a year at Phaplu Hospital. beyulexperiences.com
Chocal Chocolate Factory is a women’s cooperative in the Dominican Republic that cultivates, makes and sells chocolate, empowering women through job creation and education. Clients can take half-day tours of the factory to meet the women and have a go at making some chocolate. The tour is offered as a Carnival shore excursion and is also visited by AMStar DMC on their Puerto Plata city tour ($70pp). goccl.com/Login; amstardmc.com
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