The Business of Responsible Travel An Indian Perspective
The Business of Responsible Travel An Indian perspective Published by:
The Blue Yonder and The Alternative Content and Editorial:
The Alternative Content Associates:
Pink Lemonade
Design and Layout:
Heya Basu (www.heyabasu.com) Puja Garbyal (www.garbyal.com) Printers:
Printo, Bangalore The Alternative #48, 1st Cross, Domlur Layout, Bangalore – Karnataka 560071 India
www.thealternative.in contact@thealternative.in
Email:
The Blue Yonder Blue Yonder Holidays Pvt Ltd 23 Sri Guru Nivas, #6 Amarjyoti Layout Bangalore – Karnataka 560094 India T: +91.80.4115.2218 M: +91.98860.53286 Email: info@theblueyonder.com Pictures:
All courtesy the destinations/organisations/ license-free images and reproduced with permission.
image: http://ladakhtourism1.blogspot.com/
‘The curse of a popular destination is that it is one.’ The travel industry in India constantly looks forward to giving its tourists a unique experience – moments that are cherished forever, beauty that is unspoilt, and journeys that are full of discovery. The latest figures on the tourism industry in India present an exciting picture; opportunities to showcase the country’s treasures, culture, and spirit to its people and the rest of the world, is immense. Yet, as millions continue to visit India every year and its incredible monuments, temples, mountains and beaches, it is true that our destinations are beginning to slowly wear down- resources are scarce, forest cover is depleting gradually, locals continue to face growing challenges, cultures are threatened, and climate change is a pressing reality. Now more than ever before, is perhaps the right time to examine the impact travel has on the places visited and the people in them. Responsible Tourism has been a widely practiced, promoted and popular movement outside India, but it is now slowly growing in the country as well, and among Indian travellers. We present, in this booklet, snapshots of renowned Responsible Tourism initiatives in India that demonstrate that business viability can co-exist with tangible social change. We talk about how tour operators can go from being arrangers to changing the face of a destination; we discuss the potential of travellers being directly involved in grassroot development efforts. We firmly believe that Responsible Tourism offers exciting opportunities for businesses, social organizations, travel providers, travellers, and the ecosystem to come together, innovate, and “Create better places for people to live in and for people to visit.” Happy Reading! The Alternative & The Blue Yonder
CONTENTS:
Responsible Travel Spotlight Hodka: Desert Jewel Sham-e-Sarhad, Rann of Kachch
Top of the world on a wheelchair Journeys without Barriers, Ladakh
Keeping Manas Wild Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES), Assam
The Smell of Green Spice Village, Kerala
An ode to the past Neemrana, Rajasthan
Oyster Opera: Hooked to Success Farmer Homestay, Kerala
The (S)Pithy Life Spiti Ecosphere, Himalayas
Interviews Going beyond tour operation - Gopinath Parayil, The Blue Yonder
More than just travel - Claire Prest, Grassroutes Journeys
Endogenous tourism in the Rann of Kachch
Hodka: Desert Jewel Sham-e-Sarhad, Gujarat
In Hodka, located at the edge of Gujarat’s Rann of Kachch, amid the vast and arid desert, time stands still. Sparse shrubbery and endless salt marshes greet the eye in every direction. And like an oasis, Hodka rises out of the horizon, its mud-caked homes and glittering mirror adorned doorways calling out to the weary traveller.
| Oct 2011
H
ome to an ethnically diverse community, Hodka is a unique cultural mosaic of cattle herders and traditional crafts persons. Tourists, drawn by the haunting landscapes of the endless Rann and the bounty of its local handicrafts, get a chance to experience village life in the desert first hand, with the Hodka Village Resort. Sham-e-Sarhad, literally meaning Sunset at the Border, is an initiative by the Endogenous Tourism Project (ETP), a collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and one of 36 UNDP village projects promoting rural tourism. Endogenous or ‘transformative’ tourism aims to broaden the traveller’s horizon by transforming perspectives and promoting a mutual environment of appreciation and learning between the local community and visitors.
Experiencing the local Owned and operated by the Village Tourism Committee of Hodka, the resort is run by local community members and offers an authentic yet incredible experience of the local culture, crafts and heritage. Built in the region’s traditional architectural style, Sham-e-Sarhad offers guests the option of staying in Bhungas, circular mud huts with sloping roofs; or tents, decorated with crafts of the area, with solar water heaters. Guests can partake in simple traditional meals cooked at the resort’s kitchen by local village women. Every evening the resort comes alive with live indigenous dance and music performances. During the day, local youth act as wildlife guides to the Rann’s incredible biodiversity that is home to wetlands, salt marshes and a wide range of fauna. Tourists at Sham-e-Sarhad get to explore villages in the area, watch artisans working at their crafts, even learn about time-tested traditional
A
Craft of the locals as seen at Hodka water harvesting techniques. They can sit with craftsmen to create mud and mirror decorative pieces and textiles. From leather products to exquisite embroidery, and pottery to wood carving, the resort taps the unique cultural experience of the region for the conscious traveller. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 5
An oasis of hope
Mud-caked homes amidst vast and arid desert. Winner of the 2010 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for Best Rural Tourism Project, Sham-e-Sarhad is a glimmering example of the potential for rural tourism and its role in empowering local communities. At Sham-e-Sarhad, sustainable visitor strategies based on art, craft, culture, natural heritage and environment care, have led to larger tourism yields, which in turn have contributed to the conservation of Hodka’s unique ecology and its community. The beneficiaries have been the area’s rural poor, women and unemployed youth. The formation of rural self help groups and local stakeholder participation has been a success-
ful exercise in sustainable capacity building. The Hodka Village Tourism Committee that owns and operates the resort has representatives of 11 villages in the region, including women. The revenue generated is used for the upkeep of the resort as well as the development of villages in the area. By facilitating engaging experiences of rural life for the paying visitor, who is the direct income source for the local communities, Sham-e-Sarhad has helped improve the local people’s quality of life, and created an opportunity for conscious eco travellers to experience a whole new perspective.
www.hodka.in
A better way to see India through Hodka • • • •
Local livelihoods promoted: artists, craftsmen, naturalists Culture and Heritage of region preserved Environment friendly: traditional architecture, solar heating, water harvesting Local economy benefits: Community owns tourism, SHG managed.
6 | Oct 2011
Barrier-free travel
Top of the world on a wheel chair Journeys without Barriers , Ladakh
Home to monasteries and towering mountains, crimson robed monks and turquoise jewellery laden natives, Ladakh is a popular tourist destination. The Himalayan region is prone to extreme climates and most people take time to acclimatise to the thin air and vertiginous heights.
I
t is at this place, popularly called the ‘Roof of the World’, that a revolution in true accessibility is taking place. A new initiative has embarked to make a trip to Ladakh a possibility to those who face the challenges of accessibility the most: the differently abled. Journeys without Barriers (JwB) is an enterprise that seeks to provide the experience of barrier-free travel for an emerging global market: persons with
disabilities and senior citizens. JwB’s patrons enjoy all the benefits of leisure and travel, while contributing to the growth of the tourism industry and the economy at large. The program is inspired by ‘Himalayas on Wheels’, an inclusive travel company promoted by the People’s Action Group on Inclusion and Rights (PAGIR), a community initiative of people with disabilities and their families. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 7
Breaking down barriers JwB’s primary focus is to make sure that differently abled travellers enjoy the experience of visiting a new place, are comfortable in their stay, and are able to absorb the culture and environment of the area, with minimal restrictions to their travel and mobility. Travellers with JwB benefit from careful planning, which includes step-free entrances, narrow wheel chairs, ramps, height appropriate furniture, ample turning space, user friendly equipment and fittings, grab-bars, etc. All tourists are accompanied by a JwB helper and driver, to negotiate problem areas such as transferring into vehicles or crossing roads; and are given a handbook that talks about the history and accessibility issues of the places on the itinerary. Through an ecosystem of partners and local community members, JwB ensures accessibility in travel and accommodation. The second focus of JwB is to ensure that the local economy benefits from the effort. According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, over 600,000 disabled people are registered with employment exchanges and special cells, looking for jobs. JwB’s primary affiliates are mostly persons with disability/disabled groups. Entrepreneurs with disabilities, JwB believes, will add value to the experience of inclusive tourism and promote the image of the disabled as productive members of society. Most of the stakeholders that JwB works with have little or no experience in the tourism industry but are willing to pioneer this initiative and its unique responsibilities. Through its ‘Design For All’ philosophy, JwB encourages service providers such as hotels, restaurants, tour operators, taxi operations, clubs, architects, etc. to address access issues. Further, audits, trainings and discussions, help raise the awareness for barrier-free travel in India’s travel industry.
8 | Oct 2011
A step free but steep access route to the Gompa.
Jungkwa Shrungkyob - the store where waste to craft items made by disabled members of
PAGIR are sold.
Inclusive growth Himalaya on Wheels is India’s first professional inclusive travel package, and is a successful commercial venture. JwB’s primary stakeholders and affiliates are from Ladakh’s local communities. The income they generate by making their hotels, home stays, and services accessible, benefits and
• • •
•
sustains them and the local economy. The result – accessible travel has become an empowering tool, both for tourists and for the industry at large. And the Himalayas, one of India’s most inaccessible areas has been made barrierfree, by the power of intention and planning.
A better way to see India with Journeys without Barriers
Inclusive tourism is a hugely untapped market. India has over 70 million disabled people and 91 million elderly citizens, most of whom are not able to travel comfortably today. JwB believes in promoting employment among the differently abled – their guides, local facilitators etc are all sourced from among local populations who are differently abled. Travel Another India works with local partners and groups on a 50:50 profit share. Revenues get ploughed back into training, building capacity and infrastructure to support the differently abled. Since they started this May, and considering Ladakh has a short tourist season, 48 room nights have already been sold. They are looking to break even in 2-3 years. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 9
A success story in forest conservation and community reform in Assam
Keeping Manas Wild Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES), Assam
The Manas river is at the centre of conservation activity in the National Park. 10 | Oct 2011
At the peak of the Bodo movement, as guns roared in the battle between the Bodo separatists and the State, a question began lurking in the minds of some youth; a question of survival. Even as they waged war against the state to protect their identity, anxiety about how they would sustain themselves once the new day dawned began to take hold. The struggle had led to large scale poaching and rampant logging in the forests of Manas National Park, an intrinsic part of Bodo life, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in danger in 1982.
T
hrough the Chapaguri Koklabari Anchalik Committee Union, the youth raised alarm and called on the Bodo central leadership to take action. The restoration of Manas National Park was tabled as a demand during negotiations with the Union of India, accepted in February 2003, and the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES) formed.
A bio-diversity hotspot today
Supported by over 200 volunteers, NGO MMES is one of the finest examples of how a successful conservation program could co-exist with promotion of eco-tourism. Today, the Manas National Park, a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve, spread across 950 sq. kms, is out of the UNESCO danger list and has been commended for conservation efforts. The national park is one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the country: home to over 550 species of plants, 60 mammals, 400 birds, 42 reptiles, 7 amphibians, 54 fishes, and at least a 103 recorded species of invertebrates. It’s perhaps the last place on earth you could go to spot the critically endangered pygmy hog, the assam roofed turtle, and the hispid hare. Conservation volunteers, hardened former poachers and loggers, under employment with the MMES, run twelve anti-poaching and anti-
Manas is today a bio-diversity hotspot. logging camps in the forest in joint patrol with the forest officials. The premise is genius in its simplicity – the intimate knowledge gained over years hiding out in the jungles is utilized now to protect them. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 11
An involved community A large part of the Society’s success can be attributed to their community programme:
MMES spent considerable time and effort creating awareness on the need for conservation among the villagers. Door to door campaigns against killing of wild animals was run. When MMES started, there were no roads to go patrolling on. A strong road network of over 60 kms in the jungle, central to the patrolling efforts, was laid with help from the locals. MMES educates the children of men previously engaged in poaching and logging, ensuring that the next generation is not forced into crime by lack of options. Locals keep a tab on any illegal poaching or felling activity. The locals, who now see the forest as their own, inform on the miscreants and Panchayat leaders decide the case. Poachers are caught and publicly reproved.
A folk performance in the forest. Thatching
Manas guard lodge
While most of MMES’ activities are geared towards conservation, the villagers earn a bulk of their revenue through eco-tourism. MMES, in association with HELP tourism, runs an eco-travel facility with trekking, river rafting in the river Manas, jungle safaris and a range of other activities. Tourists can indulge in the local Assam flavour either by taking in a performance of the local dances, visiting a local home or going on guided walks through one of the villages on the fringe of the park. This helps not just in supplementing income in villages but also ensures that ancient culture and heritage is preserved. Given that many of these programmes involve the local women, it restores their agency to some extent. All profits from the eco-tourism are ploughed back into community programs by MMES. Ex-poachers and loggers are employed as tour guides. Not only do they know the forests very well and how to spot animals, they are also equipped to handle emergency situations, having dealt with them first hand on many occasions. 12 | Oct 2011
A happy jungle story The Society’s work
INTACH Anirudh Bhargava Environmental Award, 2005
has been recognised
The Prestigious Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award, 2006, from the Ministry of Environment & Forests
in the form of
The Award of Excellence in Conservation, 2006, from the Kolkata Conservators of Nature.
multiple awards:
Jungle camps at Manas Protectors of the forest. MMES has helped revive the Manas National Park, increased tourism and hence sustainable local livelihoods, bettered the socio-economic life of communities in the area and categorically proving that local involvement in conservation and the travel industry at large is the way forward.
A better way to see India through MMES •
• • •
MMES’s conservation work has helped make Manas National Park a biodiversity hotspot today: home to over 550 species of plants, 60 mammals, 400 birds, 42 reptiles, 7 amphibians, 54 fishes, and at least a 103 recorded species of invertebrates. A 100% conversion rate: None of the poachers and loggers recruited by the Society has gone back to their old way of life. All profits from the eco-tourism are being ploughed back into community initiatives – health, education and so on. Taking encouragement from the work being done by MMES, 6 other NGOs with a similar model have started operating in other areas in Manas. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 13
Protecting nature, respecting culture and empowering communities in Kerala
The Smell of Green Spice Village, Kerala
I
t’s a smell that launched journeys and expeditions. It’s a smell that drew the world to India. It’s the smell of warm, potent spices, mingled with wet, quiet, earth – synonymous with Spice Village in Kerala.
Set amid vast plantations of teak, cardamom, tea, rubber, and coffee, and owned and operated by ‘green’ brand CGH Earth, Spice Village is an eco-resort that has perfected the art of gentle codependence with nature. For centuries, tribal cultures in the region have built their own unique habitats in these mountains. This ancient way of living that sustained itself from nature without corrupting it, is at the heart of the Spice Village experience.
The resort is buit with traditional ecofriendly materials
| Oct 2011
Gentle on the earth A sustainable ecological initiative begins by understanding and respecting the uniqueness of the place. The resort’s brick and log rooms with elephantgrass thatch roofs and terracotta floors have not only aided the revival of traditional cottage industry, but also kept the rooms naturally cool. No chemical pesticides are used in the resort’s organic vegetable gardens and herb gardens: instead, natural bug repellents such as neem and lemon grass oils are sprayed. Mosquitoes are controlled with neem, lemon grass shoots, camphor burners, and incense sticks, while strings of aloe vera plants hanging from the thatch keep flying pests at bay.
A solar powered boat.
gestors in the resort, helping produce up to 2,000 kgs of natural fertiliser every month. Plastic is recycled for synthetic textile factories, and waste from the elephant grass roof is turned into biomass and paper.
Conserving energy
Near to nature cottages.
Minimising waste Most products are recycled or reused: for example, newspapers are recycled into paper bags for gift shops. Food scraps and bio-degradable waste is turned via earthworms in a plant with 78 bio-di-
With a firm commitment to renewable energy, Spice Village is among India’s first solar powered hotels, and is on its way to completely disconnect itself from the State grid! Understandably, there are no air-conditioners, television sets here. The focus is on the smells, sights, and feel of the great outdoors. Throughout the resort, environment friendly Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), that use one-fifth the electricity of a normal bulb, are used. The resort will soon provide battery-powered carts to chauffer guests to the boat landing instead of guests driving their cars into the Periyar forest. A sewage treatment plant recycles water from sinks and showers for gardening and irrigation. Wells and catchment ponds help in rainwater harvesting. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 15
Travellers get to experience the culture and traditions of the place during their visit.
Interactive experience
In step with nature
Close to the resort, the famed Periyar Reserve is home to the majestic tiger and other exotic animals. The resort offers jungle/plantation tours, picnic lunches, lessons on spice/tea cultivation, workshops on local cuisine, fishing, and river-rafting, and activities like herding and bee-keeping. From half-day treks to overnight jungle halts to herbbased Ayurvedic treatments, the focus never shifts from an ecologically sensitive experience.
Spice Village is an ideal eco hotel: low-impact, nature-based, financially sustainable and protective of sensitive neighbouring areas. For the tribals in the region, the resort is a source of employment – they get excellent rates for spice harvests and provide fresh produce for guests. Many tend to the resort’s organic plantations. Some have found employment to drive bullock carts for guests, as part of the resort’s rehabilitation programme, run in association with local
16 | Oct 2011
authorities. The resort buys pepper from the indigenous communities at rates that are 25% higher than the market, and exports them to Germany via an organic export venture, Natural Harvest (India) Ltd. Resident naturalists hold talks at schools and conduct resort tours for schoolchildren to learn about nature conservation and eco-friendly practices. Spice Village is a successful example of how tourism can be planned, designed, constructed and operated in an environmentally and socially sensitive manner.
The local economy benefits greatly from the resort’s presence.
www.cghearthhotels.com/spice-village.html
A better way to see India through Spice Village •
• •
• •
•
Farmer sustainability: Pepper farmers can market and sell their produce for a 25% premium in overseas markets via the Nature Harvest Organic (Pvt) Ltd company created by CGH Earth. Over 500 families around the resort are assisted with healthy organic farming practices. Local livelihoods: Forest loggers now earn an honest income either as jungle guides or by taking tourists around in bullock carts. Energy: The resort is in the process of converting completely to total photovoltaic energy. 650 solar PV panels being installed. Spice Village will be the first resort in India to go off the grid. The resort conserves over 140 varieties of native plants. Recycle: All paper is recycled and water harvested. Houses first of its kind food waste digestor using earth worm which absorbs food waste of over 250 to 300 kgs a day, producing 1500 to 2000 kgs of organic compost every month. Annual savings achieved in Spice Village through composting over last 7 years is 5.6 lakhs, and looking to break even on equipment and operations soon. Composting has been recognised as a standard by Kerala State Pollution Control Board, Kerala State Tourism Ministry, and won the resort Organic certification. Winner of Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards 2007 and PATA Global awards for sustainability in 2009. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 17
Neemrana : Turning ruins into compelling heritage experiences
An ode to the past Neemrana, Rajasthan
18 | Oct 2011
The journey of Neemrana began with love at first sight, in 1977. When Aman Nath, a historian, and Francis Wacziarg, founding member of INTACH, chanced upon the beautiful palace of the erstwhile Maharaja of Neemrana, Rajasthan, while looking for wall frescoes, it was in ruins. The dilapidated and massive building stood abandoned, frequented only by bats and civets.
W
Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg
hat began then as a passionate journey to save a 15th century fort has not only become a profitable business today, but is also synonymous with authentic heritage tourism – a brand of hospitality that hinges on preserving and promoting history and architectural grandeur in its intended essence. Neemrana has worked dedicatedly towards creating a niche for travellers looking to experience Indian history and its architectural treas-
ures. Converting ruins – India’s dilapidated links to its past glory –Neemrana today offers interactive experiences spanning the 14th century to the 19th century. Guests at Neemrana’s properties get a chance to live the ‘rich’ life: a life filled with books, music, architecture, and art, a life in pace with the chimes of India’s past.
The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 19
Applying passion to reality
The Neemrana property - Fort Kesroli at Alwar. As with life, being truly passionate with something always pays off. Today Neemrana operates 23 ‘non-hotels’ across 17 destinations, ranging from four-roomed houses to nine-floor palaces. The company has grown at an average of 20 to 25% every year since its inception. The business model is simple enough: they take properties on a long-term lease, buy it out, or get into a revenue sharing arrangement with the erstwhile Maharaja owners. They restore it in phases, opening up the restored portion to guests. The money earned is ploughed back into restoring the rest of the property. What can typically take 8-10 years to break even in the hotel industry takes 2-3 years with Neemrana, also because they run a tight ship. Properties are selected for aesthetic appeal and financial viability before being restored. Restoration is often done with local masons and traditional materials like lime and mortar. Minute attention is paid to details: from the overall look and feel of the property, to its furniture and art. Uniquely, some of these properties could be just four or five bedroom hotels. In such cases, Neemrana operates multiple small properties in the vicinity, to maximise business profitability. 20 | Oct 2011
Properties offer comfort rather than luxury, and the service personnel are strictly from among the local people - encouraging the local economy, keeping costs reasonable and preventing attrition. The empowered team consisting of regional managers, individual property managers, food and beverage managers etc., undergo extensive training in-house at Neemrana.
Bungalow on the beach at Tranquebar.
Multi-layered impact
Neemrana’s social contribution is measured in the change they have brought about in the field of restoration in India. Suddenly, old ruins were no longer places to be pulled down to make way for concrete and steel monoliths, but rather, gateways to peek into, experience, and relieve the past; “time machines” as they call it. Many of these projects have been awarded and recognised for their conservational philosophy, including the Aga Khan Award for architecture for the restoration work done at the Neemrana Fort and the INTACH-Satte award. Their work has since inspired a wave of heritage hospitality in India. By employing traditional craftsmen and masons for building, carving, and restoration, Neemrana
has helped create demand for threatened trades and helped sustain the livelihood of artisans. Nath and Wacziarg have also painstakingly documented their work through Neemrana for the purpose of preservation and spreading awareness. The duo has written books on Indian art and culture, including documenting the frescoes of Shekhavati, and the arts and crafts of Rajasthan. It is a journey that began with the idea of representing the culture of an area with as much authenticity as possible, without hurting its past and present components. And therein lies the charm and success of Neemrana’s properties.
A better way to see India through Neemrana • • • •
•
Neemrana takes old ruins and turns them into compelling heritage experiences. The hotel industry takes about 7 years to break even, Neemrana does it in 2 or 3. All costs – restoration, maintenance and management – are kept low with the duo personally overseeing it. Restoration may take years, but it is done in stages to keep it viable. The company won the Aga Khan, INTACH-Satte award for restoration work They run the non-profit Neemrana Music Foundation to promote classical music in India – imparting music education, conducting classes, workshops, recitals and producing repertories. 200-300 local youth get trained in hospitality every year at the Neemrana Training Institute. A recent tie-up with ITDC has been signed to train rural communities. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 21
Sustainable living in the high reaches of the Himalayas
The (S)pithy Life Spiti Ecosphere, Ladakh
Spiti sees harsh winters and short summers, making agriculture viable only during one half of the year. 22 | Oct 2011
Home to the elusive Himalayan snow-leopard and valleys filled with ageold fossils, Spiti belongs to an indigenous race of people who have learnt to live with its fragile ecology for centuries.
L
ife in Spiti is tough - the cold desert landscape of the Himalayas provides only a 5-6 month window for agriculture. Winter sees the area get completely cut off due to thick snowfall. Resources like water, food and electricity are scarce. Life is rough, but people are happy. In the last decade, Spiti has opened up to tourists in a big way. The number of merchants from the foothills, workers and labour from the plains increases every year. New diseases and unchecked development have made their way to the valley. There are a lot more cement houses now, and cement is not a good insulator, a fact the occupants soon learn when they need more and more firewood to survive each winter. Hospital records
show an increase in the number of infective diseases, stomach ailments, and alcoholism over the years. And it is in this fragile valley overrun by tourists that Spiti Ecosphere operates, to work with the community on alternative livelihoods, sustainable living and conservation, while offering tourists a chance to travel, live, learn and help conserve the high-altitude Himalayan desert. The collective of adventurers, local community members and professionals from diverse backgrounds offers a range of trekking, mountaineering, biking, rafting, cultural and spiritual holidays in the far flung areas of the Himalayas.
TSering products being packed. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 23
Sustainable tourism
ings (Himalayan wolf and snow-leopard), there are plenty of options to not just sight-see, but experience a culture far removed from urban India. In order to promote local livelihoods, Ecosphere has been working at creating a market for the region’s indigenous crops including barley and black peas. The enterprise has constructed greenhouses in the area so vegetables can be grown through the year. Organic farming is encouraged and a range of Spiti-grown products including jams, crushes, and teas with Seabuckthorn, an exotic berry that is found in the region, have been launched under the brand name Tsering. Through its store, Ecosphere also sells handicrafts, apparel, and art created by the locals. The company has successfully forayed into alternative energy with the use of solar energypowered appliances and installations. Energy efficient houses integrate solar power to gain heat and reduce fuel consumption during winter by almost 60%. Ecosphere has also set up community bathing facilities in the villages, for use by both villagers and tourists. Solar parabolic cookers are used for cooking and solar lanterns for lighting. The various products that run on solar energy are also available for sale at Spiti’s store.
The first parabolic Solar cooker installed by Spiti Ecosphere. Spiti’s homestays offer tourists a chance to stay with local families and experience the realities of a demanding climate. Staying in a traditional house is an intrinsic Spiti experience; building a house is a community event where everyone in the village pitches in. Houses are made of mud and wood, which are good insulators in summer and winter. The dry toilet concept, popular in most highaltitude terrains, is an excellent example of sanitation in water-scarce areas like Spiti. Guests partake of the local cuisine and participate in activities that are planned and managed by the locals. From fossil hunting trips to yak safaris and wildlife sight24 | Oct 2011
A native
Balance in Spiti Valley Through its interventions in organic farming, tourism, and renewable energy, Spiti has helped create livelihoods for the local community, especially women. The money that tourists spend on the home stays and various activities goes to the local community, rather than to external tour operators or middlemen.
From staying in a local house, to fetching their own water, from using a dry toilet to eating local cuisine, Spiti Ecosphere offers travellers a learning experience that helps them respect the local culture, even as the region’s communities benefit from tourism and retail. A win-win all the way!
http://www.spitiecosphere.com/
A better way to see India through Spiti Ecosphere • • • •
Re-thinking travel: 55 out of 66 villages in the Spiti valley have seen a 50% rise in incomes through Ecosphere’s trekking and homestay activities. Carbon reduction programme: 520 tonnes of CO2 are saved every year through sustainable initiatives and use of alternative energy. Over 500 women are involved in the Seabuckthorn, wonder berry programme. Ecosphere founder Ishita Khanna won the 2009 CNN-IBN real heroes award for her work in Lahaul and Spiti Valley. The company has won several awards and recognitions, the latest being the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards 2010 for Best In a mountain environment. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 25
In the home of the green Mussel farmer
Oyster Opera: Hooked to success Farmer homestay, Kerala
Located in the northern Kasargode district of Kerala, there is more to Oyster Opera than the mud-hut dotted mangroves and palm fringed emerald back waters that greet the eye.
A
bout three-fourth India’s total mussels’ production come from the farming cooperative that manages this beautiful eco
resort. The Green Mussels Farmers Society, founded The Oyster Opera Homestay at Kasargode
| Oct 2011
by Gul Mohammed in 1996, today offers livelihood to 6,000 farmers, a majority of them being women. The total production of mussels by the Society for the year 2008-2009 was 20,000 tonnes, as compared to the one tonne produced in 1996.
Women farming Mussels.
Mussel Innovation
Gul has set many records along his path to success. He first garnered attention for developing an innovative and eco-friendly method to breed mussels with half their normal gestation period through the use of locally available products such as coir. Innovation has been the key to Gul’s success. When the European Union (EU) banned the import of Indian mussels, Gul hit upon the idea of fostering the latent demand in the domestic market. From getting local farmers to carry mussels on bicycles to nearby villages, to truckloads of mussels being demanded by the local market, the Green Mussels Farmers Society, consisting of farmers from four villages, has now diversified into new ways of farming mussels as well as tapping into newer areas such as sea bass farming and carrageen algae cultivation, which has a huge demand in the soft drinks industry.
Staying with the farmer
Oyster Opera, a theme village consisting of 10 cottages on a 6-acre beachfront property, is another step towards supplementing local livelihoods. Oyster Opera is managed by a group of villagers trained in hospitality services. Visitors can choose to stay in traditional accommodation on land (huts), water (houseboats) or air (treetop cabins). The eco-friendly accommodation is built from locally available and sustainable resources such as bamboo and mud. Like Gul quips, “Even nails haven’t been used here!” The cottages all have the mark of Gul’s award winning imagination - showers coming out of a tree, bamboo being used instead of metal pipes, basins made of terracotta, and roofs that are all thatch. Solar power is used for water heating. Guided tours to historical sites in the vicinity are arranged and guests can participate in daily fishing activities, learn traditional dances, or indulge in Kerala’s famed ayurvedic treatments.
The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 27
The resort benefits the local economy in multiple ways.
Running a cost effective resort Another innovation from the Gul stable has been to keep his employees “on call” – local people trained in essential skills like housekeeping and cooking, who can be commissioned on demand. For the locals, it is a way of supplementing their agri-income; and Oyster Opera gets to run a lean outfit in tune with the vagaries of seasonal and fluctuating demand. Gul is clear that running more than 10 cottages will not help sustain the quality of his venture. He is looking to scale up by using empty rooms in existing farmer homes 28 | Oct 2011
where people can stay at 1/5th the price (Rs. 1000 per day), and farmers seeing increased incomes. Main costs have been the infrastructure used to build the resorts; Gul is confident of breaking even in 2-3 years.
Supplementing local livelihoods Be it steady income from mussel farming, or the fostering of local tourism through home stays, from honing the entrepreneurial skills of poor communities to helping them market themselves better, Gul’s work has brought local farmers steady
employment, sustainable livelihoods, and the capacity to empower real change. By facilitating the interactive experiences of rural life for the paying visitor, Oyster Opera has
helped improve the local people’s quality of life, and created an opportunity for conscious ecotravellers to experience a whole new perspective, a taste of a life unknown.
Over 5000 Mussel farmers are engaged in green production in Gul Mohammed’s initative.
http://www.oysteropera.in/
A better way to see India through Oyster Opera • •
•
•
Nearly 5000 men and women are trained to be Mussel farmers, producing over ¾ of India’s Mussel production – over 20,000 tonnes. The resort is built to be eco-friendly: solar power is used, thatch roofs, terracotta basins, bamboo showers etc blend into the natural surroundings while minimizing their impact on the ecology of the coast. Tourism directly contributes to the local economy - all material for building and running of the resort is sourced locally. The resort is completely managed by locals trained inhouse. For his efforts in Technology innovation in oyster farming, Gul won the Agriculture Ministry’s Karshaka Shiromani Samman (national award). Oyster opera has been chosen by the Kerala Govt. as one of the 10 most interesting responsible tourism ventures. The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 29
Going beyond tour operation Gopinath Parayil (Gopi) is the founder and chief executive of The Blue Yonder. Gopi set up the Nila Foundation in 2004 out of the passion for the region he comes from and a concern for a unique river civilization. While exploring sustainable financial support for the foundation, he came up with the idea of The Blue Yonder (TBY), which is now one of the most innovative responsible travel companies in India. TBY has won multiple international awards and recognitions for responsible tourism. Gopi has been involved closely with multiple responsible tourism initiatives in India and abroad, and is regarded as one of the frontrunners in Sustainable Tourism worldwide. Gopi talks about how tour operators can go from being destination arrangers to actually impacting the place and the people they provide travel for. In what ways can a tour operator make a difference to the destinations offered as holiday experiences? Last year at the World Travel Market in London, a leading destination management company from India asked us: “All your talk about responsible tourism is fine. It’s easier for a property to be responsible than it is for a tour operator like us. They can make simple changes like installing energy saving bulbs or setting up rainwater harvesting in their property. Even if we had aspirations to be a responsible tourism operator, how do we even go about it?”
dation, room nights and discounts, or fabulous restaurants. Some go a little further to talk about historic places or art and culture. If the focus of destination expertise can expand to also looking at local issues, you will be surprised at how different a destination can seem to an operator. Many things that we take for granted in our day-to-day life might be an attractive experience for a traveller..
Tour operators underestimate their potential to be change drivers in their areas of operation. Irrespective of size, most restrict their core competency to providing vehicles and arranging accommodation. Destination expertise unfortunately seems to be confined to figuring out accommo-
If you travel through the Malabar region in Kerala, it’s dificult not to see the presence of ‘palliative care’ as a movement. This initiative is supported by a network of more than 35,000 trained and skilled local volunteers who have cared for more than 45,000 terminally ill patients. Institute of
30 | Oct 2011
Palliative Medicine, which functions as a hub to connect volunteers, was recently recognised by WHO as its only collaborating centre outside the developed world. Local students involved in palliative care have been instrumental in setting up micro-loans and raw materials to assemble ecofriendly and easy to make souvenirs from jute and banana fibre. These products have in turn fetched over Rs. 1.5 million for supporting patients and their families. There are travellers who come to spend time in
closed, demarcated resorts, but more are increasingly looking for an experience. Tour operators could bring travellers together with such initiatives, run workshops, and help design or market produce. These hands on experiences at a destination are value additions to a holiday. If designed efficiently, it’s a win-win situation. Local volunteers gain knowledge, the initiative gains financial support through the purchase of souvenirs, the traveller is happy, and that makes business sense for the tour operator.
How feasible is it to go from being a conventional DMC to a ‘social enterprise’ that can foster the well-being of a place and provide its tourists a great experience? It is a fact that there are very few travel companies in India and the world over that focus on sustainable tourism. Companies like Help Tourism, through their work in the Eastern Himalayas and the North East, have shown that one can function as a social enterprise right from day one. From livelihood solutions to preserving cultural heritage and natural resources, they have been constantly innovative. This was possible only because of their understanding of the ethos of their destinations. They focused first on sustainable destina-
tion development, and then looked at linking it to tourism.
Becoming a social enterprise isn’t possible overnight. However thoughtful engagement with the destination is the first small step. If a small company like “Mumbai Magic” can think about training street kids to be enterprising story tellers who can guide discerning travellers through the city of Mumbai, why can’t more travel providers in India think differently?
How easy is it to find someone with a Responsible Tourism background to begin the effort? It isn’t. There are very few universities or colleges in the world that provide training for such niche requirements. Even in places where courses are being offered on Responsible or Sustainable Tourism management, students find it difficult to get a job that fits their education or aspiration. Industry
is slow to respond to such needs everywhere.
What would be ideal in Indian scenario is to look at people with a background in development who also have a decent understanding about the functioning of the tourism industry.
Isn’t responsible tourism far too academic for the travel industry to consider it practical? Certainly not. We believe that any form of business should be responsible. This isn’t rocket science or something defined by professors sitting in ivory towers. Responsibility can be defined and practised in different ways. There are organisa-
tions looking at the triple bottom line to ensure positive economic, socio-cultural and environmental impact. At the end of the day, it is also about how true you can stay to your claim.
The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 31
Intersight travels, a well-known South Indian DMC has recently taken a decision to provide 20 of its drivers with initial instalments to purchase a car. They are committing business to their drivers so that they can pay EMI and over time, own the car. It is a win-win relationship – guests are happy about being with a company that looks after its
employees and Intersight ensures that they have higher retention rates among drivers. It might be too early to talk about the success of this initiative, however there is no doubt that such innovations are small steps in building a sustainable destination.
Does certification or an audit help? What are your recommendations on quantifying or qualifying impact? Yes and no. If certification was the solution to sustainability or responsibility, tourism all over the world would have been different. Look at the number of certifications - Europe itself has more than 60. Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) has compiled and compared standards of more than 160 such labels and organisations. The question to ask is how have they helped create a positive impact?
Expecting tourism to work like Fair Trade coffee isn’t practicable – our supply chains are not at all uniform. What we believe would work in emerging markets like in India is for companies to let travellers be their judge. Making claims on responsibility and defending them by being transparent and accountable is the key to building a responsible industry.
Volunteer Tourism in India
More than just travel
G
eorge Bernard Shaw once said “I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad”. I second that. What is the point of leaving your city, your home and heading into the distant unknown if you are looking to live the same life elsewhere? Travel after all is about learning new things, meeting new people, discovering our connected humanity. This is the very spirit of things at GrassRoutes Journeys, a responsible travel company based in Orissa. Of the many interesting experiences the company offers, their Village Volunteer programme is particularly interesting. Claire Prest, co-founder, talks to us about it. The experience is devised on the idea of Voluntourism – “Tourism that incorporates volunteering. Village volunteer is a healthy mix of travel and 32 | Oct 2011
learning experiences. Participants get involved in local development projects focused on sustainable agriculture and education. Rural and indigenous communities enjoy the interaction with travellers”, explains Prest.
Claire Prest has lived & worked in the Indian Subcontinent since 2000. She have travelled its length & breadth connecting with people of various quirks and guises. She is co-founder at GrassRoutes Journeys, an enterprise that conducts community-based tours in Orissa. Grass Routes is an ethical effort to encourage ancient livelihoods and works in partnership with local communities employing sustainable tourism to revive local arts & crafts and breathe fresh life into traditional cultures. Working on social impact programs Grass Routes partners with three local NGOs on these tours – Wida, which focuses on integrated rural development and indigenous people’s welfare, Friends, that works in the area of organic agriculture, and New Hope, working in the area of HIV/ AIDS. Other than visiting and spending time at local villages and these NGOs, travellers actively participate in its activities, be it helping out as educators or lending a hand on farms,
ploughing with buffaloes, planting saplings among other things or spending a day helping out the fishing community near lake Chilka. As of now these programmes are evaluated informally through conversations with the NGOs and are not long term commitments but the Grass Routes is looking to deepen their engagement with these organisations.
People come to learn I ask Preston why people choose to engage in this form of tourism, why not lay on the beach and sip mojitos? With a laugh she declares that it’s because people learn more than they teach. A humbling experience, one would imagine. Travellers “learn about different approaches to common problems. Why some things worked in one village, but couldn’t be replicated in another. How indigenous solutions are spread among communities. Interactions spark new ideas and forge connections that remain”, she adds. Most people who book such journeys are seasoned travellers looking for newer experiences.
They are looking to engage with local communities and tend to be from creative industries, informs Prest. To reduce conflicts arising from mismatched expectations, Grass Routes Journeys ensures that each client is provided adequate and transparent information about what to expect. Emails are exchanged, long phone calls are made to ensure that everybody is on the same page. If not, Grass Routes recommends other tour companies which may be better suited to the tastes of the individual in question.
Potential for Voluntourism in India Though it is a new idea to the Indian market, it has potential, she says. So far though, no Indians
have participated in the village volunteer programme. This, she suggests, could partly be beThe Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 33
cause Grass Routes Journeys focuses its marketing effort towards foreign tourists, but there are other organisations who offer such programmes, and this growing.
responsibly is on the increase, says Prest firmly. There are some who are looking towards rural India as well. Most such travellers are from the metros, especially Mumbai and Bangalore.
Overall, the number of Indians looking to travel
www.grassroutesjourneys.com
Responsible Tourism Coalition TBY Consulting, Sattva and Niiti have partnered to offer research and consulting service offerings in the sustainable destination development and responsible tourism space. This advisory practice is focused on helping stakeholders in the travel ecosystem to become economically, environmentally and socially more sustainable. We prefer to take a hands-on approach and work with organizations in implementing the recommended strategies as well, thus sharing the risk and the reward of the success. The coalition comes with proven expertise and hands-on experience in executing responsible tourism initiatives, optimizing and scaling enterprises and working hand-in-hand with progressive and resultoriented customers. Write to us at krishna@sattva.co.in or gopi@theblueyonder.com
34 | Oct 2011
The Business of Responsible Travel | Oct 2011 | 35
Š Sattva Media and Consulting Pvt. Ltd 2011