RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL G ADVENTURES CONTEST
ns two ‘Ambassadors’
travelling as a traveller not a tourist.” Mel identified two clear target markets for responsible holidays: the “Dad Packers – parents who want to give their kids enriching experiences”, and “Silver Nomads – older people getting younger and wanting to explore the world in luxury, without guilt and responsibly”.
CHARLOTTE SMALLMAN Uni-Travel, Lancaster Charlotte had been an agent for only a few months since leaving university but already
had a strong grasp of responsible travel. “It’s how we tread on the Earth,” she said. “And not just about not having a negative impact, but actually leaving a positive impact.” Charlotte said she believes in “collecting moments and not things” and said her role as a consultant, promoting responsible travel, meant “making sure my customers understand where they are going, why they are going and who and what will be waiting for them, so that they can immerse themselves into the cultures of others”.
DAVID D’ARCY, Barrhead Travel, Paisley David was another contender who has been a travel consultant for only a few months and
he had noticed how infrequently responsible travel is raised in his day-to- day job. “I don’t think responsible travel is brought up enough,” he told the judges. “Most agents are just concerned with hitting targets and making as much commission as they can and that’s something we really have to address as a sector.” David added: “Instead of worrying just about what we’re going to get, we should be worrying about the experience customers are going to have
and how that will affect locals in the destinations we’re sending them to.”
PHIL HINDLE, Midcounties Co-op PTA, Taunton Phil started his presentation admitting he did not know much about responsible travel.
He said he did not think it was top of anybody’s agenda when buying a holiday. But he said he admired the idea that there were certain operators, such as G Adventures, which were as interested in enriching the life of their customers as they were about enriching the lives of the local people in the destinations they visit. He said he didn’t think customers had to be hippies or hipsters to be interested in travelling responsibly, but believed agents need to show initiative. “This is relevant to everybody, but we have to make the first move,” he said. This is important long term; we can’t just continue to fly and flop. For tourism to be acceptable, we have to do more.” Phil added that pushing responsible travel could be a business selling point for agencies. “It’s
THE WINNERS
The judges were torn over which two agents to choose as their Responsible Travel Ambassadors, as all six pitches had been so detailed and impassioned. In the end, they chose Mitzi Voase and Phil Hindle to represent G Adventures and the responsible travel movement. Phil said: “I entered having had my interest piqued by trips to the likes
of Dhaka and Kinshasa. I struggled to write a submission that reflected my interest in responsible travel but also recognised the limitations I felt in being able to offer suitable options to clients. This seemed like a way to learn more, and so be able to promote the idea better.” Mitzi said: “I have been involved with community-led, grassroots
charity projects for the past few years and it’s a cause I feel passionate about. I was completely gobsmacked to be told I had been shortlisted for the final. And when I heard I’d won I almost exploded with happiness and I haven’t been able to take the smile off my face since.”
a differentiator,” he added. “There will be more and more demand for this so we need to be ready.”
ROSIE GRIMWOOD, Flight Centre, Aberdeen Rosie, a graduate in tourism management with a specialism in sustainability, said her life had already
been changed by G Adventures. She said travelling on one of its tours had “inspired” her “to guide people in the right direction to become more conscious of the environment”. Rosie has form: her parents took her backpacking around India aged nine; she has helped rehabilitate animals in Costa Rica; and she has taught English in Fiji. She said: “I believe in staying in local accommodation, visiting locally owned shops and travelling off the beaten track to get a greater understanding of the environment and the local community. Of G Adventures, she said: “It’s so refreshing that a company can base its entire ethos on focusing on the positive impacts responsible tourism can have on the traveller.”
10 November 2016
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