Building your Reputation and Making a Difference: Taking Part in World Responsible Tourism Day 2013

Booderee National Park winners of the world Responsible Travel Award – Best Conservation of Cultural Heritage 2010

Free consultation and mentoring for Australian participants to World Responsible Tourism Day (WRTD) is being offered this year by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism-Australia. “We are very encouraged by the growing Australian interest in WRTD and we want to assist business to create a competitive advantage from their efforts,” says Christopher Warren, director for the International Centre for Responsible Tourism-Australia.

 

Over the last three years Australia has seen a growing participation in World Responsible Tourism Day with more businesses signing up to participate in this United National World Tourism Organisation supported initiative. There have also been an increasing number of Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Award winners (announced on the same date) like Booderee National Park, (2010), Moonraker Dolphin Swims (2012), Kangaroo Valley (2010) and more.

WRTD coincide with the World Travel Market in London, one of the world’s largest (B2B) travel exhibition and conference programme which will now also include a Latin American event in Sao Paulo earlier in the year (April).

 

“For the first time, this universal initiative has brought the industry together in a way that has never been done before. All agree:  without a sustainable world, the future success of travel and tourism is in doubt,” says Professor Harold Goodwin, advisor to WTM/WRTD.

 

The realisation that tourism must support more sustainable initiatives is encouraging tourism providers to plan and implement actions which might include nature conservation, wider community economic benefits from tourism or reducing their environmental footprint.

 

This year the ICRT-Australia is offering tourism providers in Australia, who want to participate in WRTD, a free 1 hour mentoring support programme (can be taken in multiples of 15 minutes). The aim is to assist tourism providers plan and implement a successful activity that will make a difference.  The mentoring is provided by Christopher Warren MSc, a qualified trainer and assessor.

 

There is a strong business case for tourism providers to join WRTD. “In an ever more competitive world, consumers seek businesses with good reputations, who also offer active experiences that give genuinely positive memories. By integrating a WRTD initiative into the main thrust of your sustainability programme, it will enable you to highlight your efforts on a world stage and importantly help to build Australia ‘s reputation as a responsible tourism destination with caring committed players,” explains Christopher Warren.

 

The ICRT-Australia recommends that tourism providers consider their initiative as part of a long-term plan to improve their business performance as demonstrated in a recent study by one of last years cooperative projects,  read here

Here are a source of inspiring examples

Find out more about what is entailed to become a participant in WRTD 2013

What are the Virgin Holidays Responsible Travel Awards – find out more

The free mentoring session is subject to availability. Candidates must have a Skype connection. Please email Christopher Warren to request a Mentoring WRTD Information Pack: [email protected]