socialtours | Nepal

socialtours at ITB Berlin | 07 - 11 Mar 2012

2012-01-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Namaste!

For the fifth time, socialtours will be at ITB Berlin. As exhibitors, we have once shared the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs CBI programme stand with other participants from Nepal and Thailand, but as of last year we now come in with our own stand.

Who is socialtours?

Socialtours is a five-time award-nominated responsible soft adventure specialist with mentions in Lonely Planet and National Geographic Adventure. We run our operations from Kathmandu, Nepal, offering trips to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India.

What do we bring with us?

This time we have a whole new range of products classified as the GO LOCAL series, amongst other products. These hidden secrets of Nepal include cooking courses, pottery classes, organic farm stays, coffee farm visits, watching a city waking up, learning the process of converting elephant dung into paper, and even cross-border tours - an amazing collection of unique experiences in Nepal.

We will be available for meetings between 7 and 11 March at our booth no. 221 in Hall 4.1B, ITB Eco & Adventure Hall, the perfect location to find us.

Location of socialtours booth in Hall 4.1b

Raj Gyawali, Founder and Managing Director of socialtours, will give a presentation on the new products on Friday, 9 March at 13.00h in Hall 4.1, ITB Eco & Adventure Stage, right behind our stall.

You are cordially invited to come, learn and develop your new products around our suggestions. Please let us know if you are coming, so we can prepare for it.

You are also warmly welcome to the annual Responsible Tourism Networking Event taking place on Friday evening, 9 March in hall 4.1b. This happens right behind our stall.

Looking forward to see you at ITB Berlin!

Best regards,
Raj Gyawali and socialtours team

Yoga in the Mountains | 15 days | 25 Mar - 08 Apr' 012 | Nepal

2012-01-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Yoga outside the lodge at end of day | Sing Gompa | Day two

The Himalayas have long been known to be the abode of yogis and seekers, of mystics and adventurers alike. Join us on the journey of a lifetime, with Yoga in the Himalayas.

>> Facebook page

>> Booking Requests can be made here
>> Booking from Europe: use www.ethicaltravelportal.com

Yoga is a science of harmonizing one’s nature, of finding the balance between the many dimensions of our being-- physical, emotional, mental, energetic and spiritual-- and between our inner and outer worlds. Although ancient, Yoga and its sister science of Ayurveda are still very alive in Nepal, woven into the culture, food, daily rituals and traditions. As lived in Nepal, Yoga encompasses all facets of one’s daily life--from how to eat to best serve one’s unique nature, to what it means to be part of a community. In other words, yoga is responsibility-for one’s self and for others.

Embarking on this journey you will have the unique opportunity to take a dip into a land and people that- even in the throws of modernization- resonate with ancient yogic and vedic wisdom.

According to legend, Gosaikunda, in the Langtang range, is the dwelling place of Lord Shiva, the Greatest Yogi of them all. In this breathtaking setting we will indulge in the space and inspiration of Nature and explore yogic practices to restore balance and support overall wellbeing.

Make your health and wellbeing a priority this year, discover new landscapes, both outer and inner. Join us in Nepal.

About the instructor: Yogatara (Lisa Gaustchi) is director of Isha, a center of yogic learning and conscious living in Patan. Born in the U.S., raised in France, Yogatara began her journey in Yoga in 1996 when she first arrived in Nepal. With a B.A. in biochemistry, she turned from hard sciences to the life sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda in her search for healing and spiritual growth. Yogatara holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Yogic Sciences from Bihar Yoga University, the first accredited Yoga University, in Bihar, India and a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology. Yogatara now works as yoga therapist, instructor, and counselor. In addition, she is a freelance writer and leads yoga retreats and spiritual journeys to Nepal, India and Tibet. Yogatara strives to embody the teachings of yoga and to follow the example of her teachers, Swami Satyananda and Swami Niranjanananda-- to serve, love and give (www.yogavision.net).

She credits her five beautiful children with continually teaching her this real meaning of Yoga....the opening of the Heart and the art of Living.

Launch into the final spurt for the German Involvement Award / Deutscher Engagementpreis

2011-10-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

{EAV:400104519fefd4d1}

Please cast your vote until Tuesday the 1st of November ..... never before helping people has been as easy as that ... the award comes with prize money of 10.000 euro for an orphanage in Patan / Kathmandu

From the 28th of September tot he 1st of November there is no information on the state oft he ballot. The pupils’ Nepal project needs your support to win the German Involvement Award.

Please click on ....

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deutscher-engagementpreis.de%2Fprojekt_detail_ansicht_2011.html%3F%26id%3D14

Important information:
This is a serious request from a reputable organisation. The answer (address: Deutscher Engagementpreis) might get caught in your spamfilter but itis no spam. Please click on the link in the mail, only then your vote will count.

Contract Renewed with Save the Children

2011-08-22T03:56:00.000-07:00

Brian (left) and Raj (right) signing the contract

A renewal contract between socialtours and Save the Children International has been signed between Vishwaraj (Raj) Gyawali, Founder Director and Brian Hunter, Country Director.

"We are planting seeds today that will lead to a better and direct involvement of the private sector in development in Nepal" said Brian, referring to the direct relationships between socialtours and partner NGO's of Save the Children International that have been set up as part of this contract

"socialtours has always been interested in channelising travel philanthropy into development. This relationship gives us an opportunity to work with projects and priorities that have been vetted out by Save the Children, thereby giving us confidence that the small development investments made by travellers are made in the right projects" said Raj Gyawali

Several volunteering options with Partner NGO's have been identified in the past year by Save the Children and socialtours and currently, one short term volunteer has already been placed in a small village school supported by a Partner NGO called Tuki Sangh in Sindupalchowk. Robert Dillingham, who works for Microsoft in the US, and is aspiring to do a 27 months stint with Peace Corps, is teaching English and helping advance computer skills in this remote district. He will be here for three months.

socialtours has also launched on their website, fixed departures for Charity Challenge treks to Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp starting September 2011, aimed at supporting causes developed by the Partner NGO's. Clients coming to these treks have to pay the logistics costs, and will also have to fund raise per meter climbed during the trek to support these educational causes.

Work is also underway to find programs that will directly support the Save the Childrens Everyone campaign, and find traveller and Nepali funding through tourism for developing model birthing centres in Lalitpur that can be replicated all over Nepal.

Dancing with Shamans | All Womens Trek

2011-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

08th Aug | 0800 hrs | the group ready to set off

Not by design at all, but coincidentally, the yearly departure we have to Gosainkunda Lake for the August Full Moon, called Dancing with Shamans, this year, has taken an interesting turn. Its an all Womens' Group, and we are so proud of it!

It is led by Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, who is an accomplished mountain athlete; running extreme marathons, rock climbing, ice-climbing and mountaineering. She is leading a group of five women; two Austrian teenagers, one German (who is preparing for her 125+ days Great Himalaya Trail journey), one American teacher and a Nepali journalist.

They are of course also supported by men. Three porters and a small crew who will reach Gosainkunda with tents from the other side.

Every year, during the August Full Moon, Shamans and Nepali pilgrims converge at the 4300m lake at Gosainkunda for a full night of festivities. This is one of the most unique treks one can undertake in Nepal.

Lake Gosainkunda | 4300m

Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge!

2011-07-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Ride Statistics

Amounts Pledged:

1. For Max - GBP 4,095 (on justgiving.com)
2. For Shisang - GBP 225 + NRs. 40,400 (on justgiving.com & in Nepal)

Total distance of the Kora - around 50 kilometers
Time Taken - a little over six hours, with five punctures, a tea break and a lunch break
Total riders who started - 43
Total riders who completed - 34

Total distance covered by the riders - 34 x 50 = 1700 kms

Organisers: socialtours & Chain

Route:

Photo Gallery

Team Crank with the Challengers!

Riders on an uphill

The team from the British Gurkhas

Riding towards Kirtipur

A little downhill in Kirtipur

Waiting for the group

Lunch break at Boudha

Riders who completed the Challenge!

Press Release: Kathmandu Kora Bicycle Challenge

2011-07-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

60 K | 23.07.2011

In Buddhism and Hinduism a ‘Kora’ is a circumbulation, done clockwise, usually around a religious structure. It is said that a single Kora around Mt. Kailash in Tibet for example is enough for one lifetime. Kathmandu, with its myriad religious structures is a perfect location to do a circumbulation. It boasts two of the most revered Buddhist Stupas of Boudhha & Swoyambhu, and one of the top eight... temples for Hindus worldwide, Pashupatinath. This Challenge circumbulated the valley, clockwise, right at the edge of the valley, away from the hustle of the city, passing by picturesque rural settings, raising money per kilometre biked for a worthy cause.

Maxim Hooper and Shishang Khyungba Lama, both 16 years of age but from two different parts of the world, will be taking up the Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge on July 23 to raise funds for the OCCED (Organization for Community Child and Environment) Orphanage at Naxal and Samata School at Jorpati.

The charity cycling event is similar to the fund run events organized in Germany and other parts of the world.

About Max

16 year old Max came to Nepal with his mother Susan (who is CEO of SAGA holidays in the UK) about a year ago, and had a great time playing with the students at the SAMATA School and the OCCED Orphanage. On going back to the UK, his commitment to come back to Nepal and give something back was huge.

About Shisang

Also 16 year old, Shisang is a Nepalese who will be also accepting the challenge and will ride with Max. He has just completed his school leaving exams and has started his A levels in Kathmandu. He is a cycling enthusiast and a music buff. This is his first foray into Charity, and he is keen to see the results!

The ride is expected to bring in biking enthusiasts from all over Kathmandu on a first ever organized cycling Kora of Kathmandu.

Pledges can be made at 4412508 or 5000547 or by emailing binita@socialtours.com until Sunday 24^th July 2011. Donating from abroad can be done via the just giving page at www.justgiving.com/shisang-lama

Chain Bikes is Nepal’s first Cycle company who has designed bikes for Nepalis. It conducts several events through its charity arm, Chain Inc to promote cycling as a pure sport in Nepal. www.chain.com.np

Socialtours is a five time responsible tourism award nominated company specializing in soft adventure. It has also mentions in National Geographic Adventure and Lonely Planet. www.socialtours.com

Participation is free for this event. Cyclist should come to Chain Bikes in Bhanimandal, Ekantakun at 0630 am on Saturday, 23^rd July, get registered, and the ride starts at 0700 hours. It is expected to take about six hours in total. It’s a fun ride and there are no winners. The idea is to help Max and Shisang to complete the challenge and raise the funds for charity. Donating to this cause is completely voluntary!

We request all to support this event through participation, spreading the news, coverage of the event, and donating to the cause.

INFORMATION / PLEDGES : 4412508, 5000547

I know where your rice comes from....

2011-07-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Danielle Shapiro (www.danielle-shapiro.com)

How do I know? Because I planted it! Well, some of it. And just that part that you might get from Nepal, which, in all likelihood, is not very much. But let’s not get stuck on the particulars. The point here is that Ilaria, Isabella and I spent a lovely, messy, fascinating day this past Wednesday wading through muddy rice paddies planting with locals in a village called Chapagaun about 10 km outside of Kathmandu. The farmers we met are ethnic Newari, Kathmandu’s native population.

The Rotaract Club of Mt. Everest and a social event management company called Life Entertainment planned our venture. We were there because Ila is friendly with a wonderful guy named Raj Gyawali who owns Social Tours (www.socialtours.com), a travel agency based in Kathmandu. He worked with the other organizations to get the word out about the rice planting trip. He and his daughter Tara joined us too.

Turns out, that June 29, is the 15th day of the Nepali month and the first official day of the rice-planting season. However, because the rains have been so good this year – and we have seen a few good downpours during my visit – farmers actually started planting earlier. Nonetheless, the day is one of celebration.

We started our journey with a short trip to a Buddhist stupa dedicated to Shiva near Chapagaun and then made our way to the rice paddies. When we arrived, the fields were already full of brightly-dressed women (and a few girls) bent over at the waist, water up to mid-calf and hands full of long, thin, green stalks of rice. Men also waded through digging up mud and, it seemed, thus prepping the earth for the planting.

Dressed as we were to get filthy, we shed our shoes and cautiously descended into the paddy. Isabella was a bit scared and wanted to be held the entire time, but Ila and I got to experience that weirdly unsettling yet simultaneously pleasant squish of the mud between our toes and under our feet. Our walking was unsteady until later in the day when Raj gave us the all-important tip that we needed to lift our feet out of the water with each step forward.

Once we were in the fields, the local Nepali women approached with a bunch of rice seeds and showed us how to plant them. Take two at a time, at least, and place them deep into the mud, standing upright so the greens stick out. Ila went first, while Isabella and I watched. I followed. With the Nepali women planting next to me, it was clear what a novice I was. For every row of rice I managed to plant, I think they probably completed five, at least. They move quick! The result, as we saw throughout the day, are the delicately beautiful paddies full of bright green slivers bending gently in the wind.

In truth, Ila, Isabella and I spent most of the day watching, quite happily so, and I taking pictures. But the others on our trip – we were a group of about 20 – got so into the spirit of the day that they ended up utterly doused in mud, tossing each other in, wrestling and playing a game that sort of looked like tag. Isabella and Tara, Raj’s daughter who is just about Isabella’s age, loved that I started calling them “mud monsters” and ran from them each time one approached.

After the planting was done, we boarded our bus and headed to lunch. We ate a traditional celebratory meal with our hands, much to Isabella’s delight. The food started with beaten rice – pieces of rice that are flat and crunchy, and sort of look like cereal. To mix with this was an assortment of vegetable and potato curries, buff and chicken and as a dessert, fresh yogurt. With a touch of honey, that and the beaten rice was a surprising treat.

Thus muddied, fully-fed and exhausted, we made our way home. It was a wonderful sneak peak into the daily lives of Nepalis, especially now during the Monsoon. Raj told us they will spend most of the next few months in their fields. We saw how the farmers remained in the fields even when the rain pummeled down, with ponchos perched on their heads and covering their backs. Undaunted, unperturbed. Impressive indeed. A really special day.

COOK like a LOCAL

2011-06-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

Proud to announce that the GO LOCAL series product called Cook like a Local is doing fantastic. For almost every class (currently running at three times a week) we have some clients, and the feedback has started to pour in.

socialtours launched the GO LOCAL series a few months ago and this includes several different hidden secrets of Kathmandu, from special city walks such as the Kumari Trail, or nature walks such as the walks in Shivapuri National Park, or cycling around the city, or Newar village walks, the list is endless.

However, the one that is hitting the mark, and just what the doctor ordered, is the COOK like a LOCAL. At a small fee of 750 Rs, it is also a very high value product. One could learn cooking Aloo Parathas, momos and Dal Bhat.

A perfect way to get deep into Nepali culture!

Links:

socialtours website
Cook Like a LOCAL : on facebook, on the website
Testimonials of the GO LOCAL series
socialtours | nepal on facebook

Green Hiker - Green Planet Trek 2011

2011-04-25T04:04:00.000-07:00

As socialtours led the GREEN HIKER GREEN PLANET campaign trek in the Langtang Region of Nepal, it was both one of the few opportunities to engage with a very influential Nepalese audience and a recognition of the socialtours way of conducting business. Three Constituent Assembly members, top environmentalists, social entrepreneurs, development specialists, celebrities were all part of this short trek and the joint organisers of WWF and USAID both showed confidence in us as mountain leaders who can showcase responsibility in the mountains.

No holds barred! It was a full on Responsible Tourism trek from our side. We used local labour as porters and two of our guides were from the area, we used lodges to prepare food, even though a group of 23 meant that some had to sleep in tents, the food was local (to the point of hand made noodles in the Thenthuk, and maize pudding - dhindo - and nettle soup - sisno ko john, potatoes, local cheese), the soap was biodegradable, the tea was organic, you name it… was full on as mentioned above! We were even scolded by the villagers at Thulo Syabru because we were feeding the delegation 'local food'. We followed Leave no Trace principles in camping, and left our camps cleaner than when we came in

And the beauty of all this - everyone loved it, barring a few who were a bit desperate for the Dal Bhat, which we eventually provided at the very end of the four days.

On the main theme, the success was unprecedented.. we experienced sunshine, rain, snow, mud, slippery roads, extreme downhills, landslides, road blocks, extremely long meetings, hospitable villagers, and tons of time sharing experiences and having debates - political as well as environmental. And this had an actual output - a joint decision to work together, and start an active action oriented joint stance on climate change. Exactly what the WWF / USAID mission was.

What a great way to celebrate 50 years of WWF and 60 years of USAID in Nepal! A big thank you to all who participated!

News from the USAID site here

See pictures of the trek here

truly Inspired!

2011-03-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Just after writing the Microfunding for Tourism blog on the Far West Chamber of Commerce, (which incidentally is vying for the top five position in the RT Network Meeting in Berlin), I thought I will not go on and on about this area, at least for a while.

No can do! These people are really inspirational, and motivated. Just concluded the first training of tour operators, and we already have two products described, itineraries made, costed out and ready to roll. How cool is that? Some things make consultancies worth it!

The first one is a day trip to Badha Village (I promise I will bring it out here once its fully finalised) off Dhangadhi, either on jeeps, motorcyles, bicycles or for the more authentic lovers, on a bullock cart! Done via one lake, and a Shiva temple, with the drive passing through community forests, is really wonderful. What awaits at the other end is also fantastic... authentic Tharu culture, complete with dances, music and authentic food, not to mention a bullock cart tour of the village. What fun!

The second is a overnight trip combining a Ramsar site marsh, a river beach picnic and culminating in the forests of Bardia, where one relaxes into the night over a fire, and the next day does jungle activites in search of a tiger!

Rounded, well thought off, costed, itineraries developed to minute accuracies!

Could not have asked to work with a more motivated bunch of individuals. So far, this WILD west rocks!

So, here is a way to participate... get on this facebook page for Destination Far West Nepal... and befriend these amazing people!

Microfunding for Tourism: Inspirational story!

2011-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

NEPAL FAR WEST: A Case where microfunding is being used to develop Tourism in Far West Nepal

Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, award winning chamber in Nepal, won because of their innovative approaches towards tourism promotion in this far west district of Nepal, ravaged by about two decades of insurgency, but zealous to bounce back.

The Far West house the remotest districts in Nepal, and have over the years been deprived of development and attention. They get under 20000 visitors a year, most of them pilgrims and aid workers. Reason, Nepal’s big four – Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and Chitwan take most of the visitors. Just across the border from these districts, in the Indian state of Uttarkhand, over 9 million visitors come every year, almost 80 percent of them Indian pilgrims.

In one inspired move in 2008, the Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry, decided to take a lead. They started a campaign called Mission One Paisa (one paisa being the equivalent of less than 1 cent), whereby they rallied all industries, and salaried employees in the district to contribute towards a Tourism Fund to make these districts known to the world. The campaign started with a pledge of 25 paise per notebook sold by a printing house. Within a few months, this house had put Rs. 10,000 into the fund, which started a wave in the district, bringing in Hotels (who put Rs. 50 for each booking), hospital workers giving Rs. 10 per month from their salaries, Doctors giving 50p per prescription written, and other people also joined in including the public, bus ticketing, flour mills, rice mills etc, bringing in a whopping 1 Million Rs into the tourism fund.

Not satisfied with this, the Chamber conducted consumer fairs and added a Corporate Tax to companied to total the fund to over 4 Million Rs, in early 2009. This done, they invited professional photographers and got them to tour the districts, resulting in the publication of 26 different designs of posters, 3 coffee table books and postcards. These were then publicized using the same money in cities such as Kathmandu. Innovation was central. They even got the students in the district write to people they knew outside but ensured that the District postcards were sent. They printed scratch proof posters and put them in every long distance bus out of the district, so the message can be spread.

They are not stopping at this. They want to reach into the international scene with this “lets make Far West Reknown” drive.

Not the end! They then realized that the airport not being hardtopped could be a problem. Another microfunding campaign, this time including even people like rickshaw pullers upto industrialists led to people putting money as less as Rs. 2 to personal donations of Rs. 55,000, bringing in Rs. 6.1 Million, which was handed over to the government to match.

Eventually the hardtopping of the runaway commenced, and currently Dhangadhi has the second longest runaway in Nepal. They are applying for the status of the airport to be made international.

This is one of the few examples of how effective a Private Public Partnership can be.

For this effort, the Chamber was awarded Best Chamber in Nepal.

At the moment, this campaign has resulted in renewed interest in the Far west and there are trainings going on to develop the industry, including Destination Management, Branding and Tour Operator trainings… the plan is to bring these products to OTM in Calcutta in July 2011 and to SATTE in February 2012.

Many destinations can learn from this approach to development, and involving the whole community in tourism!

We want to hear inspiring stories from Destinations!

2011-02-24T02:33:00.000-08:00

Elephant Grass mats earn locals income in Chitwan, Nepal, preserving their traditional skills. photo: Fredrik Pettersen

Let the world know what you’ve been up to in your local destination.

Share your inspirational story about the destination you work in and have the opportunity to present at ITB Responsible Tourism Networking in Berlin. This is your chance to WOW industry associates and potential buyers with real life examples of how responsible tourism is powering positive change in your destination.

The Responsible Tourism Networking Event at ITB Berlin has grown substantially from its humble beginnings in a London pub. Four years on, this fringe event is now an official partner for ITB Berlin. Uniting dedicated initiatives around the world to propel the Responsible Tourism movement forward.

This year the Responsible Tourism Networking organisers from pocketvillage, Tripbod, The Green Circuit, The Blue Yonder, Vision and ITB Berlin are inviting inspirational stories direct from destinations. Story submissions are open to anyone with an amazing tale to tell. Successful selections will be based on the stories power to inspire responsible tourism in respective destinations.

Six successful entries will be selected to present their five minute story of local inspiration to kick off this years Responsible Tourism Networking Event at ITB Berlin on the 11th of March 2011 at 4:30 pm. In addition to presenting your story at the world’s leading travel trade show, selected applicants will be featured on the soon to be launched pocketvillage; an intuitive search engine to find and enjoy exceptional travel experiences.

Entries are requested to email their 5 minute stories (or 1 A4 page) to: stories@thegreencircuit.net by the 1st of March 2011. Successful applicants will be notified by email by the 5th of March 2011. Please mention the following information at the beginning of your story: Your Name, Email, Organisation and Destination.

Learnings in Responsible Tourism; The French ATR Certification

2011-02-20T04:02:00.000-08:00

So, the French Tourism Industry is making a mark in the Responsible Tourism with the ATR (Actors in Responsible Tourism - in French in another order) Certification, with 13 companies already certified and some others along the way. Marie Laure, who works for Cavalier Al Monde, and specifically works with the certification, was speaking at a small gathering in Kathmandu (at Bhojan Griha, an old Rana Palace restored and used as a theme restaurant having a very low carbon FOODprint), and over a delicious Nepali snack and some ginger tea
Was interesting to hear that over 88% of the French travelers were interested in Responsible Tourism and that this is a growing trend in France. Even though this is a still a very niche market, a movement is underway, and ATR is carving a path of quite a high standard, asking operators to report every year, and also demonstrate improvement each year. The certification also mandates that operators work with their suppliers in partnerships and also work towards improvement of responsible tourism practices at the supplier level.
There was also an interesting presentation by Pramod Khakurel (Mandap Travels, Kathmandu) who shared his experiences of bringing Fair Trade and Fair Tourism together and how he saw this as one of the avenues of approaching the market for Responsible Tourism.
Perhaps what was most interesting was the debate that happened after these presentations on the complications and implications of such a certification process, and how these could be applied in Nepal. Agreed that Nepal has to move and not wait to be kicked in the backside by the industry worldwide, but how was the big issue. Options that were floated
1. Work alongside a Certification Insitute worldwide and get a Nepali Chapter started and confirm to it
2. Get a Nepali Certification established, based on local expertise and geared to local standards
3. Keep it loose and set Nepali standards, and then work alongside an international label/certification
Then there was the fourth alternative, as described by Jenefer Bobbin (who currently works at socialtours, but is also working on her own Responsible Tourism Verification Scheme), where one works on a self verification of practices, then gets it externally checked. This is cheap, and flexible enough to fit Nepali myriad levels of companies.
At the end of the day, the participants agreed to agree, and take this forward, at one level or the other, in the coming days.
Thanks to
1. Subecchya Basnet and Bharat Basnet, Explore Nepal Group for sponsoring the event
2. Pramod Khakurel and Marie Laure
3. Jenefer Bobbin
Of course, thanks to those who attended too - namely - Ester Kruk (ICIMOD), Steven Dawa Sherpa (Asian Trekking), William Ma (Asian Encounters), Marcus Cotton (Tiger Mountain), Birgit Lienhart-Gyawali (Karma Foundation), Chhewang Lama (Responsible Treks) and Suomen Latu (NETIF)

Bhojan Griha, Kathmandu

ADDENDUM:

Just received an email from the students who attended the meeting. I did not edit it.

"First of all, we will like to thanks to the PATA Group for inviting us in seminar. From the program, we learn a lot of things about tourism and the progress, Program done by them. But one thing that the place was selected for the program was so conjusted and full of crowd. So we didn't hear sound of some speakers that what they said or what their done for the tourism. We feel so proud to be a student of tourism when we heard their work and their interest to the tourism. These are changing tourism into socio and responsible which was best point we like.
At last we wish you all best for your future plans for the tourism industry. If ever need any kind of help form us, we will step forward to help you. "

Name of the students
Sujita Adhikari
Sanjeev Adhikari
Kul Singh Thapa
Tara Poudel
Sophiya Gurung
Keshav Chandra Gurung
Raj Kumar Gurung
Chitiz Rana
Naina Ghale

Isn't that what is all about? I think the program might have been a success! Yay!

Inspiring the Next Generation - The RT Fringe Meet in Pokhara

2011-02-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

09th Feb 2010

The theme was to inspire the next generation and also to network amongst players in the industry, and what a success that was. About 30 people sat in a rather cramped corner of the Moondance Restaurant & Bar (which helped eventually, or we would not have heard each other at all - over the background noise of other customers, music, and a generator).

The 10 students from Nepal Tourism and Hospitality Management College, Pokhara were quickly asked to change their seating and intersperse with the industry people who came in, and that was an immediate hit. A buzz of conversation burst into life and Marcus and Raj were even discussing whether the inspiring words was required at all.

Moderated by Marcus Cotton, organisers of this event and from Tiger Mountain, Nepal, the group eventually heard a few words from:

Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong, on how his vision led him to start digging deeper into the responsibility of resorts to the community, and the wonderful work that they are doing now.

Lucky Chhetri, 3 Sisters Adventures, Nepal, on how her multiple award winning organisation has gone from strength to strength, from a vision of empowerment of women in the tourism industry.

Jenefer Bobbin, RT Verification consultant, on how the idea came of the verification scheme for tourism enterprises and how it works and where it is now.

Raj Basu, Help Tourism, on how his organisation went from one area of responsibility towards society to another, moving from using tourism for environment conservation to heritage conservation to now Tourism for Peace.

Ian Hall, Wild Asia Awards, on how his love of architecture and nature, led him into working in tourism and responsibility, one of the fields of work where something like this is possible, and how happy he was to see students and get a chance to meet with the future.

Later Raj Gyawali, socialtours, summed the presentations by mentioning how the different inspirational words proved the diversity of the field of responsibility in tourism, and how deep it can go. He also mentioned how his organisation brings all this together in its marketing of responsible tourism products and also how it attempts to dig deeper into the issues of responsibility, taking it to the office and the individuals in the workplace.

He went on to explained a bit about the history of these Fringe events, started in London by Sally (tripbod.com) and Gopi (The Blue Yonder) and how it now takes place in London, Berlin, Delhi, Singapore and since the last two years in Nepal.

There was an attempt made to bring Ron Mader, Planeta.com into the conversation using the internet and Skype, but the technology was drowned in the buzz in the restaurant. Ron did briefly come online to see the event.

The networking continued for a while after this, buzzing with conversation, before winding off.

Attended by:-

The students from Nepal Tourism and Hospitality Management College
Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong
Sophie, Production Tours and Travels, USA
Lucky Chhetri, 3 Sister Adventure, Nepal
Jenefer Bobbin, socialtours, Nepal
Travis Rabenberg, Trekking with Trav, USA
William Ma, Asian Encounters. Nepal
Craig, Kangaroo Travels, Brazil
Ian Hall, Wild Asia, Malaysia
Raj Basu, Help Tourism, India
Bharat Basnet, Explore Nepal
Subekshya Basnet, Explore Nepal
Fiona Marshall, KE Adventure Travel
Hannah, Explore, UK
Mircea Anitas, France
Jayne Low, Jet Airways, Singapore
Angela Gray, East West, Singapore
Markus, Germany
Sabin Shrestha, Tiger Mountain
Rajendra Shrestha, Tiger Mountain

The event was organised by Marcus Cotton, Tiger Mountain, Nepal and conceptualised by Raj Gyawali, socialtours, Nepal

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-23T22:50:00.001-08:00

Namaste from the socialtours team,

What a year 2010 has been and as we come to the end of this year, it gives us tremendous pleasure to wish you all the very best for Christmas and the coming New Year, and of course, eventful travels in 2011!

We started this year basking in the joy of having made the November 2009 edition of the National Geographic Adventure magazine (as a recommended operator for the Great Himalayan Trail) and also the September 2009 edition of Lonely Planet, along with having completed our first ever Responsible Tourism Audit report. This had an impact on our bookings this year, as a recognition from the markets is always something that gives you a boost, and we would like to thank each and every traveller / volunteer that came through us this year. To top it all, we got nominated for the fifth time this year at the Responsible Tourism Awards in the UK.

Over the years, we have been moving more and more towards the ultimate goal that we have, to build trips that are experiential, and of an immersive nature. This has sunk in even more in the product development this year, as we developed trips like the Dolpo Yak Caravan, being marketed by World Wide Active in Austria, or voluntourism trips like "Nursing the Giants" and "Inspiring the Future", both being marketed by Nielsen, through our long standing partners, People and Places, in the UK. We have also a week long voluntourism Village Stay component attached to a commercial trip that is being marketed by Explore in the UK.

These were just some simple additions to the trips like "A Responsible Peak into Nepal" and the Yoga Trek holiday being already marketed by Ethical Travel Portal in Norway.

We have also moved into providing holiday experiences for families, as we recognise the potential that Nepal offers for an active family. We have developed an active family vacation, that involves biking, yoga, cooking lessons and a hike to these active families.

The focus on immersive travel has been given a big boost this year, with the signing of the contract in April between socialtours and Save the Children Alliance in Nepal. Over the last few months, we have focussed in meeting partner NGO's of Save the Children in Nepal and developing volunteering options in schools, and also developing charity trips for some of their causes. We are concentrating on this at the moment, as this gives us a tremendous opportunity to bring the benefits of tourism and travel philanthropy right where the demand is, and get involved in development through tourism.

Voluntourism got a big boost this year as we received a steady stream of volunteers into the projects that we support - Samata School, OCCED orphanage and Antardristi Counseling Center. In the future, this will grow even more as we are preparing more projects, in Kathmandu and outside the valley, to take volunteers. Thanks to all the volunteers who have come this year and helped put in another layer of quality into the good works that these projects do.

At the regional level, the initiative that was launched in 2009 to bring responsible tourism operators together in South Asia, moved even closer, as we conducted joint participations at travel fairs, and conducted strategic meetings to solidify these partnerships under the name of the Green Circuit. You will hear more about this as we move into the New Year.

Special thanks goes out to all the travellers who believed in what we are doing. Your confidence and the feedback you have given is a pat on the back, letting us know that we are moving forward.

We would also like to thank the partners in the industry - Internationally People and Places, Tripbod, Ethical Travel Portal, World Wide Active, TUI Premium, The Blue Yonder, Grass Routes Journeys, Spiti Ecosphere, Help Tourism and nationally Tibet Hotel, Kantipur Temple House, Park Side Hotel, Barahi Hotel, Candle Inn, our excellent guides and porters, and all the other stakeholders in Nepal without whose support and confidence, we cannot achieve what we have aimed to do.

The team has been dynamically changing this year. Nima moved on to start a new company, and we wish him the best. Tassi moved to a bank, but we think she might come back, and Paljyor went into the Jeans marketing business. We have new members in the team like Devendra, Dikendra and Dibya, who are moving the wheels forward. We also have the pleasure of having Scott come in from the US, who will be with us till June 2011 and also Jenefer, from the UK, who will work with us till May. Its a great team, as we saw during our retreat weekend at Chitwan, which just ended.

The future is bright, as we move into Nepal Tourism Year 2011, our offers are increasing, as is the confidence of the travellers and the stakeholders in us. Together, we are confident we will achieve what our mission states - exceeding holiday makers expectations on one side and linked prosperity on the other. A win win situation, and a third win as we move ever deeper into Responsible Tourism.

Best regards and wishes for the new year.

The socialtours Team.

Nepalese New Year time again! its 2067 Bikram Sambat!

2010-04-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year! We thought it’s a great time to greet you and also update you on whats happened last year at socialtours.com

Socialtours.com started in May-June 2002, and we have come seven years now, soon entering into our eight year of existence. It has been a wonderful journey so far, working with a wonderful team and full of very rich experiences.

2066 BS was another memorable year. We had a new person addition to the team. Most of you already know Tassi, who looks after our international correspondence. We also, at the very end of the year, had our oldest member of the team, Nima Lama, leave us, to move on to another realm in responsibility, Climate Change. He is now heading a team working on climate change and indigenous peoples in Nepal. Kudos to his achievements and best wishes for the future, and warm memories of his wonderful work at socialtours since the very beginning.

We also stepped our responsible practices one notch this year, completed the first ever Responsible Tourism Audit, which was externally audited. This report is available online at our website and is a benchmark of our achievements and also helps guide the future of responsible practice in this company. We are proud of this achievement. Thanks to Jenefer Bobbin and Harold Goodwin for believing in us on this, and most of all, to the socialtours team for doing all the hard work.

Last year was also eventful in that we launched the Green Circuit initiative in London, bringing together five different initiatives in the Indian sub-continent under one Green initiative @ www.thegreencircuit.net

We also reached another landmark when we finally got ourselves mentioned in the Responsible Tourism section of Lonely Planet, and got recommended by National Geographic Adventure as one of the operators running parts of the Great Himalayan Trail, ranked among the 25 best new trips in the planet.

Our voluntouring programs are also taking a big leap this year. In the beginning of April, signed a contract with Save the Children, Nepal and Bhutan, which aims at increasing social tourism efforts of voluntourism and Charity Tours for the projects and schools that they support in Nepal. We are all very excited about that!

Last but not least, just before writing this note, I noticed that a lot of hits were coming through tripadvisor.com to our website. Tried tracing it down and found out that a wonderful review was left by one of our travellers, and basically that the travelling responsibly in Nepal section was entirely about us. Thanks. This sort of trust and confidence really helps us work even harder.

“Even though time there was brief ( 2 days) - the Socialtours.com staff provided amazing insight into the city and the country that travel books couldn't explain. Their compassion and sensitivity for the people and environments they interact with can help a traveler realize how rich, wise and generous the Nepali culture and people in general really can be.” – on tripadvisor.com

Well, so much for updates. We hope you have a smashing 2067!

See you in the mountains!

Raj Gyawali
for the socialtours.com team!

socialtours signs contract with Save the Children!

2010-04-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Children pose for Photographer Fredrik Pettersen, Sep 2009, Chepang Hill Trail

A historic day for socialtours as it reaches eight years of operation in May 2010. Today, Raj Gyawali, Founder Director, socialtours and Brian Hunter, Country Director, Save the Children, Nepal & Bhutan, signed a contract to promote social tourism and fundraise to support children's issues in Nepal. This is in keeping with both organisations long term commitments, Save the Children's commitment to support children's issues and socialtours commitment to find avenues to integrate tourism into social development.

This agreement will touch on two different inter-related areas of Voluntourism and Fundraising Tours.

Voluntourism

Volunteers from different sectors can be of help to contribute and transfer their skills for SC program through their support for partner NGO's, schools and children. Volunteers can be students, tourists, individuals, corporate or from any sector. This program will intergrate volunteering into stand-alone tourism packages (hence falling under the perview of Voluntourism) whereby visitors mix social engagement with leisure activities as part of their tour in Nepal. At socialtours, volunteering has always been an immersive way to travel, integrating social work with tourism activities, so this fits perfectly into this model.

Fundraising Tours

Fundraising tours in Nepal will be arranged specially for individuals and their groups residing abroad and in Nepal. Such tours value-add to existing stand-alone tourism packages for tourists in that it includes an element of giving back to the communities that they visit as part of their tour. Such tours may also be adapted to Charity Challenges, where a group of sponsored individuals undertake an adventure challenge. ST are experts in designing tailormade adventure tours, and SC is a perfect partner for incorporating a cause component.

Local Travel sets its sights on becoming a key trend in 2010

2010-04-07T01:33:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2010 – In mid-March, the Local Travel Movement trumpeted a call to people and organisations with a passion for local travel and commitment to local travel values. The promising early reverberations of this new, international, free-to-join movement have already inspired more than 40 organisations to join a growing list of partners at www.LocalTravelMovement.com.

The Local Travel Movement was initiated by a core coalition of people from companies that believe Local Travel is greater than the sum of its parts. The Local Travel Movement is now already a rallying point through which, by working together, Local Travel companies can help give locals a real voice, engage travellers and develop a stronger ethical dialogue within the travel industry.

Given the diversity of partner companies, the Local Travel Movement is not overly descriptive. Rather than define ‘local travel,’ the Local Travel Movement simply places value on an approach to travel that is mindful of local people, the local environment, local culture and the local economy. It proposes four easy steps to becoming a local traveller:

• connecting with local people before, during and after a trip
• travelling in a manner that is sensitive to the local environment
• respecting local heritage and culture
• spending money locally.

While these actions may seem self-evident, the Local Travel Movement prioritises this conscious and conscientious shift in attention to the direct connection between visitor and local host. For travellers it's a chance to get under a place's skin (and let it under theirs), while also making the most of their travel time and saving money by spending locally. For host communities, it is vital for enforcing the beneficial qualities of tourism, maximising a general awareness of the local culture and minimising 'leakage' from the local economy.

The partners of the Local Travel Movement believe now is the time to embrace, develop, promote and establish Local Travel as the responsible way forward in tourism.

###

For more information and interviews, please contact:
Ethan Gelber, WHL Group (www.whl-group.com), ethan@whl.travel
Bart van Poll, Spotted by Locals (www.spottedbylocals.com), bart@spottedbylocals.com

Tibet re-opened!

2010-04-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Tibet has been re-opened for travel. Anyone is thinking to do a nice Tibet tour, can plan for it now. The best time of course is from about April to October. We promote two trips and a third one is on the drawing boards

The Road to Lhasa - a 8 day drive in fly out, or fly in drive out trip to Lhasa, which gives you healthy overdoses of the magnificent landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau and Buddhism.

Trip to the Center of the Universe, Mt. Kailash - a 14 day land journey which also includes a hiking Kora - a circumbulation of this beautiful mountain, a religious site for Buddhists, Hindus and Jains alike.

Find these trips here

The one on the drawing board is another of socialtours initiatives in working together (we are working with a local agency in Humla (the remote western district in Nepal bordering the Mt. Kailash Region in Tibet), who will run a six-day trek in the remotest parts of Nepal before reaching the border, crossing over, driving to Mt. Kailash and then exiting through a road border near Kathmandu. This will give you the best of both worlds, compacted in a approximately, 21 day journey!

Well, basically giving you a heads up to start planning Tibet again!

How local travel benefits Nepal!

2010-04-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

Finally, a movement that will hopefully bring more and more travelers to travel locally. Over the years, this type of travel is growing. Am talking about the new website www.localtravelmovement.com, a website bringing together proponents of local travel all in one place, so it is visible and has a movement status.

socialtours just joined it as one of the partners from Nepal, as this is where we are based, and this sort of movement is crucial for us, as we market direct and have to rely on clients who are aiming to buy locally.

Alex Narracott (www.muchbetteradventures.com) has described quite adeptly in an article entitled The importance of 'travelling local' in adventure sports (read it here) and I completely agree with him when he summarises at the end in this way

"Experience, access and sustainability. Three very good reasons why the adventure world as a whole - traveller, host and intermediary - should all being looking to go local at every opportunity"

I like to focus on the sustainability part. This is crucial for the future of businesses and the stability of the economies in the long run. As more and more people travel locally, all aspects of the business, from marketing to operations to after sales, start being performed by local operators, giving them much needed capacity boost, pride, skill enhancement etc, which in the long run will serve them good.

Agents also have a very short bursts of loyalty towards a destination. It is only local operators who are dedicated to marketing and selling a particular destination. In Nepal, this came to the attention of the 'ground handlers' (spoilt by year and years of just ground handling for western companies) quite starkly when the Maoist insurgency and the negative Travel Advisories hit the industry. Agents in the West turned away much too quickly (even though not a single Westerner was targetted through the 15 years the insurgency went through), leaving a big void, and taking back the industry about 13 years in terms of arrivals. If the local operators were capable, this would never have happened.

It had desirable effects too, as the men separated from the boys and Nepal started taking reign of its tourism again. There are more operators now who promote local travel and are taking control of their own markets.

A movement such as this will go a long way in supporting Nepal and the sustainability of tourism in this tiny country. Kudos in starting this!

Photo Essay: Trekking Langtang in Nepal

2010-03-26T07:35:00.001-07:00

Photo Essay: Trekking Langtang in Nepal

Posted using ShareThis

An Astonishing Trip to Nepal - Results in 3 Life Changing Lessons

2010-03-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

Taken from an article @ www.yotran.com written by Walter Bauens.

After traveling to South & North India beginning 2010 we (my wife Viviane & I) arrived at Kathmandu February 23^thfor a tailor made trip. A Yotran Travel Your Dreams excursion. To Learn More Click Here.

It included learning from the Nepalese culture, challenging our own life’s and beliefs and having fun with spiritual & Yoga experiences. We had three weeks; we kept the initial days formal with our local Yotran partner, had a tentative schedule and then sat down and decided what to do. I personally suffered already from the famous bacteria, which caused severe diarrhea, a typical phenomenal when you travel through those countries.

Step 1: Go to a Tibetan Doctor and get healthy again
Step 2: Experience a guided heritage trip through Kathmandu
Step 3: Have unique local Yoga experiences and meet local people to exchange ideas
Step 4: Plan the trek of 8 days through the Himalaya (Helambu & Langtang region) with maximum height of 4.700 m (15,000 feet)
Step 5: Check your physical condition with an ayurvedic doctor and get a customized diet for our trekking
Step 6: Do meet the astrologist to challenge and understand your luck by the philosophy of the stars
Step 7: Warm up with a trial Hike Day to be prepared with an in depth briefing at the end for all practical issues of the trekking.

Continue reading this article here

A Responsible Peek at Nepal

2010-02-17T00:36:00.000-08:00

Following is an article one of our travellers, Fredrik Pettersen, wrote after he travelled with us to Nepal. Enjoy your reading;

The majestic snow-capped peak of the mountain range Himalayas is seen in the distance. I'm looking down on the small fields covering the hills around Nepal's capital Kathmandu. After 16 hours long flight from Oslo (with a stopover in Zurich, Switzerland and Qatar) the aircraft is approaching Kathmandu.

I travel with Ethical Travel Portal. This is a Norwegian tour operator specializing in trips out of the ordinary. Focus on their tours is learning experiences in responsible tourism. We travel off the beaten track and visit various projects. We meet local grass root operators to learn from them how tourism contributes to positive development for the people in their communities. And not at least it provides a lifetime of memories for us who travel. In Nepal, Ethical Travel Portals local partner is socialtours. This is a travel company that cares about people and nature in Nepal and takes responsibility thereafter. We get an insight in the work they are doing on responsible tourism. Ethical Travel Portal and socialtours base their business on the responsible tourism. We learn about this throughout the whole trip; from problems as plastic bottles to positive establishment like the community library for the local people in Chitwan.

Kathmandu is different and colourful. The traffic is chaotic. Crowded bus - decorated trucks and entire families on the tree that fills a scooter is a common in Kathmandu. The narrow alleys in the city centre are crowded with hopeful sellers with their stalls - as well as rickshaws who desperately offer its services for Western tourists. We cross the two rivers Manohara and Hanumante when the sun is setting. Along the river banks we see settlements consisting of tin sheds which reminds us that we are travelling in one of the world's poorest countries.

It is 05:00am and I enjoy a cup of coffee at a square in Bhaktapur, one of Nepal's largest and historically most important cities. This is definitely of the cultural treasures in Nepal. The streets are dark and wet after the night's rain showers. The city is beginning to wake up. Fresh produce fruits, vegetables and animals are in the process of putting colour on the town. I think of those people who have carried their products all the way to the city - often on their back using a rope that is fastened around the forehead.

Chepang Hill Trail is a good starting point to experience Nepal. There are days, often weeks between each tourist here which allows us an off beaten trekking experience. The profits from travellers are also therefore minimal - it is only an extra source of income.

We are walking in a lush landscape and the path that leads us up to the trip's first "home stay" is steep. Our porters are from one of the small villages on the trek. We hear their story and learn about the porters issues in Nepal. Most Norwegians are raised to "carry there own stuff". But by having a porter the traveller contributes to economic growth in rural Nepal. After passing schools and villages we arrive the village we where we will spend our night. There is no electricity and the locals are isolated from the outside world. The kitchen where they eat and store food acts as a bedroom at night. The dinner is today's highlight. Here the whole family - three generations –is gathered. They cook and serve Phapar Dhindo which is a typical Nepali dish that consists of buckwheat. The local wine made of rise and is served as beverage. We spend time with the family and hear about how it is to run a home stay here and the function of the homestays network in Nepal.

Our breakfast consists of popcorn and tea before continuing our trek. For generations, this track has been the hearth of the small communities along the hillside. The fog is thick as porridge and dark clouds threaten in the distance. The atmosphere is majestic. Day after we meet school children in freshly coated uniforms walk up and down the steep mountain slopes on the way to school. Women and man are carrying their harvest. We are close to Shaktikhor where our trekking ends.

Chitwan National Park is one of the major tourist attractions in Nepal. You can do the ordinary tourist bits, but Chitwan has more to offer than trips to the jungle! We got a responsible insight. Small projects have evolved like the Elephant dung Paper Project where they produce paper from elephant dung and sell the products. Deforestation is a major problem in Nepal. This is a project to prevent the use of trees to make paper by using an alternative method.

Another project is The Biogas Village. Cooking inside with open fire is not good for either your health or the nature. By using biogas as a source energy solves some of the problems. The biogas is developed from elephant and cow dung. This gives a better life for all who are lucky to be part of this project. Tharu Handicraft is a project in which women from the Tharu village have come together to create products of straw, like pot holders and baskets. These are great gifts and you are assured that all money goes directly to the women who create the products.

Back in Kathmandu we meet Bivor Lai Shrestha the leader of OCCED (Organization for the community, child development & Environment) in Nepal. They have several orphanages around in Nepal for children up to 15 years. In Kathmandu and Nepal in general there are a number of orphaned children. The parents of these children are in a situation where they are not able to take care of the children of different reasons or the children are brought in by the police. At this orphanage, we meet excited children and see that they are been taking very good care of.

I am left with many impressions. Travelling with Ethical Travel Portal I saw a different side of Nepal and received an impression how tourism can contribute to positive development for the local population. Nepal is a paradise for photographers - as a photographer it is important to respect the locals and a take no for a no. We had a guide from social tours during the entire trip as willing asked the locals if they could photograph or if it was ok to photograph the place we were. Travel in a country where cultural differences and living standards are so differently from Norway does something to you. It helps to understand and respect people from another culture and gives a good opportunity to make friends for life.

Ansvarlig Turisme: www.ansvarligturisme.org
Ethical Travel Portal: www.ethicaltravelportal.com
socialtours: www.socialtours.com

Text / Photo - Fredrik Pettersen

See some of his photos on Flickr.

Congratulations Lhakpa!

2010-02-10T22:15:00.000-08:00

Hearty congratulations to Lhakpa from all the team members at socialtours for grabbing the 3rd position in the Ice climbing training held at Phortse in Jan 2010.
Lhakpa is one of our few female guides and also an extreme marathon runner, who has has also won the Everest Marathon.

RT Fringe Meet, Kathmandu: Press Release

2010-02-04T02:08:00.000-08:00

03 Feb 2010

The Responsible Fringe Meeting held on 02 Feb 2010 at the Dechenling Garden Restaurant was a grand success. Over 50 individuals, including 17 students and faculty from three leading tourism institutes - SMSH, NCTTM and NATHM - participated in the event organized by socialtours.com travels and Silver Mountain Institute of Hotel Management, and sponsored by Everest Summit Lodges.

The meeting focused on inspiring students from the tourism institutes’ in Kathmandu on responsible travel and also giving them some exposure to what’s happening in the world of Responsible Tourism. This was the first event of its kind to be conducted in Nepal, inline with international events such as this conducted regularly at WTM London and ITB Berlin.

Apart from networking with industry professionals from Nepal and around the world, the ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ also got an opportunity to hear short inspirational words from dignitaries such as

Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts, Hong Kong: about the need for everyone to have a commitment to make a small change and giving back to societies
Bharat Basnet, Kantipur Temple Hotel, Nepal: about the need to respect local traditions and culture, which is the best asset we have.
Marcus Cotton, Tiger Mountain, Nepal: about the importance of perseverance, and working with local communities
Marianne Heudge, Travel To Care, Denmark: about the need to be trained, and having the proper education required, plus working towards a goal.
Chandra Ale, Initiative Outdoor, Nepal: about the importance of advanced experiential training to develop leadership skills
Tony Jones, Himalayan Encounters, Nepal: about the importance of just doing your very best.

The students got a unique opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals from Nepal, India, France, Bhutan, Denmark, Germany, United States etc. with a diverse range of industry experience, all with one thing is common – a passion for responsible and sustainable travel.

About the organizers

Socialtours.com travels (www.socialtours.com) are Responsible Tourism Award nominated soft adventure specialists based in Nepal. They are Nepal’s only travel company who has started a process of a responsibility audit, and are four time nominees for the prestigious Responsible Tourism Awards in WTM, London

They are a recommended operator by National Geographic Adventure magazine November 2009 for the Great Himalayan Trail, recognized amongst the 25 best new trips in the planet. They are also initiators of the Green Circuit (www.thegreencircuit.net), a circuit combining five responsible tourism operators in the Indian subcontinent, recognized by M Magazine, Delhi to be among the 10 best new experiences to look out for.

t: 4412508, e: info@socialtours.com

Silver Mountain Institute of Hotel Management (SMSH) (www.silvermountain.edu.np) SMSH prides itself on giving world class education offering a Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management recognized worldwide, in affiliation with an Educational Institute of American Hotel and Lodging Association (EL Of AH & LA), USA &Bachelor in Hospitality Management from Preston University, USA. SMSH has the finest facilities and infrastructure for its students within the premises for various subjects. The School endows students with the capability to "take the classroom out of the class room" with a hands-on experience of practical training.

t: 4415038 e: info@silvermountain.edu.np

Summit Lodges (www.nepalluxurytreks.com) offers the ultimate in luxury treks in the Himalayas amidst the world’s loftiest mountains. The lodges in Kathmandu,Lukla, Monjo, Tashinga, Mende, Pangboche and Kagbeni are all built with a strong awareness for the protection of its environment , local culture and its people.

Each lodge has a traditional style and local hospitality, is in exceptional locations, carefully chosen, away from crowded trails but surrounded by natural and scenic beauty.

t: 4371537 e: nepal@intrek.wlink.com.np

We are now members of muchbetteradventures.com

2010-01-29T22:28:00.001-08:00

We are delighted to have been accepted as one of the early members of muchbetteradventures.com, a carefully selected community of fantastic adventure providers who have a strong ongoing commitment to sustainability.
You can see us featured as part of their local travel directory, which puts you in direct contact (no commission) with handpicked active holidays, tours, courses and accommodation. The site also provides travellers reviews, the resources you need to book a low carbon journey, and have started a collection of community built guides to each activity or sport, where users are invited to share their favourite spots, useful info, ideas and inspiration.
Since going live a few months ago the site has grown quickly. Muchbetteradventures.com aim to build the widest and fairest selection of responsible adventure travel and equipment choices that outdoor lovers have ever seen, and bring support to many important conservation and community development projects around the world.
You can help us to benefit from this site by leaving a review of us, and by spreading the word to your friends.

The socialtours RT audit is out!

2010-01-04T06:51:00.000-08:00

Finally, the RT Audit report for 2009 is done! We have a record of the successes of the initiatives we have been working so far in terms of responsibility. This excercise has also helped us bring out some of the dirty laundry and helped us learn where we can make improvements.

Feel free to download a copy of this report, have a read, make comments / suggestions. We are welcome to feedback and / or criticism. There is one thing we know. This will go a long way in us living up to one of our important company values - continued excellence.

It has been exhausting, the biggest learning being that even a small, young organisation, committed to responsibility, has a difficult time making the nescessary adjustments, required for systems to be put in place for the collection of data to cover indicators of social responsibility. Reaching here, of course, is tremendously fulfilling though!

We are committed to do this excercise on a regular basis, measuring how we fare based on standards that we set for ourselves!

:: Read the full report here

Green Circuit Launched at WTM

2009-11-12T01:41:00.001-08:00

Press Release
London, 11th November 2009

Launch of the Green Circuit

“I hope initiatives like this also start in other parts of the world ”, said Fiona Jeffrey, head of World Travel Market, as she launched the official website of the Green Circuit, www.thegreencircuit.net

Raj Gyawali of socialtours.com in Nepal initiated the Green Circuit through a dialogue between specialist tour operators throughout the Indian Sub-continent. The key partners are Socialtours.com in Nepal, Help Tourism in North Eastern India, Grass Routes in Orissa, East India, The Blue Yonder in Kerala and Ecosphere in Spiti Valley, Northern India. Each tour operator, is an expert in their respective region and specialize in deep rooted community based responsible tourism initiatives.

Asit, Sandeep, Fiona, Gopi, Ishita and Raj Photo: Steve Dunlop

Now this is unusual and worthy of attention, because in South Asia most tour operators offer packages all over the country without having even set foot in the places they sell. However with the Green Circuit you have a unique collective of operators dedicated to ethical and sustainable tourism at a grassroots level. The accountability is much higher because they live, breathe and work in the very same communities they conduct their tours. In every instance responsible tourism lies at the core of the companies ethos and is reflected in their initiatives. Responsible Tourism is their reason for being and it’s what unites them to form the Green Circuit.

The Green Circuit is literally an eco-tourism loop that circles the Indian subcontinent. Made up of individual tours with a definitive focus on natural and cultural heritage; each tour (handled on the ground through respective operators) links together to explore the subcontinent's astounding diversity.

This is a really refreshing approach. Rather than competing against each other as traditional tourism businesses often do, the Green Circuit partnership exemplifies an invigorating spirit of collaboration. Each tour operator in the Green Circuit is a committed expert in their chosen field and offer unique tourism product specific to local environmental and cultural conditions. Each tour is the result of years of research and hard work. I’m not talking about long hours in an air-conditioned office here; these guys literally ‘walk the talk’ braving basic infrastructure and mind-boggling bureaucracy to create inclusive eco-tourism initiatives. This willingness to work together on the Green Circuit can only be the result of confident transparent operations and clear focused intentions. For partners of the Green Circuit this and their united approach to responsible tourism is something they share. Drawing strength from individual specialities, it’s only natural they collaborate on the Green Circuit to further develop, share and promote responsible tourism in the region.

And the benefits really are manifold. The Green Circuit creates a great learning opportunity as operators share advice and ground level experience. A lot of theory on responsible tourism already exists, but actual documented accounts and practical tips from the grassroots is rare, at least as far as the Indian Sub-continent is concerned. While each operator will have indigenous solutions for their respective areas, there is always scope for different perspectives to shed light on common problems. The Green Circuit opens a dialogue between operators traditionally isolated by geographic distance and a conscious decision to focus efforts on the field. It provides a perfect platform to share experiences, develop ideas and grow collectively.

Apart from helping each other the Green Circuit was really conceived to present travellers the very best eco-adventures from the Indian Subcontinent. Tapping into the Green Circuit links travellers to a trusted independent network. What impresses me most about the Green Circuit is the recognition granted by one responsible tour operator to another. That each operator finds faith and sincerity in the other’s work is a huge vote of confidence that speaks volumes about the integrity behind the Green Circuit and the circle of trust uniting each responsible tourism partner.

Contacts

info@thegreencircuit.net

www.thegreencircuit.net
www.socialtours.com
www.theblueyonder.com
www.grassroutesjourneys.com
www.helptourism.com
www.spitiecosphere.com

Green Circuit Celebrity Launch in London!

2009-11-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Green Circuit, an idea mooted by socialtours - Nepal is now a partnership between 5 responsible tourism operators in the India Sub continent. Social Tours, Grass Routes, Ecosphere, The Blue Yonder and Help Tourism are coming together to provide a unique network of responsible holidays in the subcontinent.

Green circuit proves the fact that tourism industry can work together and complement each other, rather than competing with each other other. Green circuit features various destinations covering Nepal, Eastern and Western Himalayas, West Bengal and North Eastern India and South India.

We welcome you to join us at the official launch of Green Circuit at World Travel Market - London. Fiona Jeffery - Chairman of WTM and Just a Drop, will launch the initiative on the World Responsible Tourism day on 11th November 2009 at the stand of International Centre for Responsible Tourism - India (AS4600 / 03).

The paradoxes of being Nepalese

2009-06-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

I was hoping that I would not write about this incident, but thought it best to record it, while it is still fresh in my mind. Have a previous post also that can be linked to this one, as that also are incidents which bring mixed emotions...

also read: a nation of contrasts

So, we are visited in Ghana by a Nepalese adventurer, Lok Bandhu Karki, who is cycling around the world and is somewhere in the middle of his trip (57 countries in 4.5 years so far). His target is 113 countries in nine years. So when some of our Nepalese friends here decided to call him for dinner and also invited us, we were naturally excited. What an adventurer. Big rush. Nepalese friends got together for the dinner.

Mr. Lok Bandhu comes in the door, in his daura surwal, with a big traditional Namaste and a folder in his hands. All is well so far.

Then expectant ears over drinks and dinner only heard, from this adventurer, a call for financial support, and we realise that the big folder is not a record of his experiences but a record of the letters of appreciation and the money that he has received so far, 40,ooo + dollars in all. He was not here to meet fellow Nepalese, and tell them of his travels and adventures. He had only come here to ask for money and wanted to pressure Nepalese around the world, whereever he went, into 'pushing' him forward financially, as he, according to himself of course, was a messenger of peace and brotherhood, and was distributing leaflets to this effect all around the world.

What a letdown! What does one do in a situation like this? Just another of those situations.

Would not have even written this blog post, but after 'begging' up 1345 USD from the Kofi Annan Center in Accra and the Indian Association, our messenger of peace and harmony wrote us a text message, saying that this was the city where he met the worst Nepalese so far! That after one of us put him up in his house for three days and gave him 160 USD for his visas (not to mention the Red Label bottle he emptied), one brought him to his house for dinner and also contributed about 30 USD, and me (stupid me) in my infinite "useless" wisdom, offered to build his online presence and support him doing that through facebook pages, twitter and blogs, for the next four and half years of his travels. Oh and yes, I did not give him any financial 'push'!

OK, me being me, I also gave him a little piece of my mind! Just told him about this very dilemma in my mind!

So, am still confused, am I proud of him or not?

Cylone Aila Update / Sunderbans

2009-06-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

Small gains in the support of victims of Cyclone Aila - Report from Asit Biswas, www.helptourism.com

-----------------------------------
Dear Friends,

1.With the initiative of the Sunderbans Affairs Department, repairing of embankment finally began today – especially in Gosaba, Basanti, Satjelia, Mollakhali and Kumirmari area. Our volunteers led by our coordinators Mr.Anil Mistry, Mr.Shambhu Sinha Roy, Mr.Arabinda Biswas, Mr.Subhash Mandal, Mrs.Archana Biswas, Ms.Moyna Poira, Ms.Nibedita Gayen, Mr.Subhashis Mistry, Mr.Chidam Mandal, Mr.Badal Mandal, Mr.Mahadeb Gayen, Mr.Dinabandhu Mandal, Mr.Debashish Mistry are providing supervisory support to speed up the repairing works in Bali. Ms. Madhu Reddy – a film maker who is in Sunderbans now and is trying to document the situation there accompanied our team who visited Dayapur, Pakhiralaya, Satjelia, Mollakhali and Kumirmari today to check the progress. Madhu reports that:

· Repairing of embankment could not be started at Lahiripur, Chargheri, Kankmari, Parashmani, Kalidaspur, Baidyapara area as the villages are still submerged and are inaccessible because of wide breaches in the dike. There lies nothing in between the water and people – not even a single tree. It is impossible to believe or imagine that there ever existed a dike that ran few kilometers before the Cyclone hit – she says!

· The villagers have taken shelter on the highland. They have lost everything and do not even have any utensils to cook food and store drinking water. There is shortage of man power and materials required for the repairing. Many interior villages have not received adequate relief support as yet as they are completely cut off. The fallen trees could not be removed from the village tracts making it impossible for the relief workers to reach these villages even by a motor rickshaw or bicycle.Our team is planning to return to these villages on Monday with appropriate relief materials.

· The only primary health centre at Mollakhali that caters to several villages is getting flooded with Diarrhea patients. There is shortage of medicines and saline. Our team has left 200 bottles of saline there today as an emergency support.

Government of West Bengal is seriously planning to construct concrete dikes for long-term solution to the breaching of clay embankments by tides and storms and is reported to have been in touch with Central Government as well as Government of Japan for financial assistance/ loan as the project requires huge fund.

2.Sunderbans Affairs Department is supplying free cloths and ration to the villagers who are engaged in the repairing of embankments.

3.Mr.D.P.Jana – a retired officer of Indian Administrative Service and former Member Secretary of Sunderbans Development Board carried a truckload of relief items such as cloths, rice, pulses, cooking oil, drinking water, and milk to Bali Island yesterday and handed over the consignment to our team there. Our volunteers have distributed the relief items today to some remote villages in Bali Island where relief support had not reached before. Today they visited few villages in Satjelia, Mollakhali and Kumirmari and distributed relief items there.

4.Mr.Gurudas Kamath – the State Minister for Telecommunications in the Central Government undertook a field visit to Sunderbans day before yesterday. He visited the affected villages of Gosaba and Basanti Islands and stopped for a while in Bali Island and met our teams and took stock of the present situation. He was particularly curious to know as to how the telecommunication and postal departments faired during and after the cyclone. He was accompanied by the officers of the state telecommunication department whose performance deserves special appreciation as the wireless phone system installed by the department was the only functional communication link between the delta and the mainland when the cyclone was at its peak.

5.Nearly 700 contaminated ponds in Bali Island have been totally dewatered as on date with the help of Sunderbans Development Board, local communities and our volunteers working round-the-clock. By Monday we hope to clean another 300 ponds making the number to 1000 and thus benefiting 6000 farmers provided we have a normal monsoon in the delta.

6.Mr. Patrick Francis and Ms.Sangeeta Ganeriwala – two Board Members from Samarpan Foundation visited our health camps in Bali Island yesterday. They carried a consignment of many useful medicines along and confirmed that they would adopt few damaged houses in the village and provide the finance for few new tube wells.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group
Asit Biswas, Calcutta, India.
13th June 2009.

Small gains, some progress - Aila Update!

2009-06-13T02:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

1. Several villages in Satjelia, Choto Mollakhali, Kumirmari and Patharpratima are still water-logged though pump sets are being used to take out the salt water from the ponds and farm fields. Many villagers here have taken shelter on the boats and are even using their boats for moving inside the Island since the roads are totally washed away and can not be reconstructed until the area remains under water.

2. While the relief operation is more or less organized now, the immediate task would be to clean up the fresh water ponds and pumping out the saline water form the villages and start the rehabilitation process – the people of Sunderbans feels. Another area that needs attention is the housing. No concrete and comprehensive plan has been announced so far. Villagers living in temporary shelters will face great difficulties once the monsoon hits the Islands. It is still not known if the Government is planning any specialized housing scheme keeping in mind that cyclones might hit the delta again in future. Dewatering of farmlands must be completed before the monsoon arrives so that villagers are able to plant crops and can manage to ensure the basic need of food.

3. Most of the inhabited Islands are now affected by Diarrhea. The hungry tide has rolled back its waves away into the sea, but the tide of patients continues to raise everyday with very limited number of doctors available to handle the situation. There is dearth of medicines and mosquito nets. In the absence of qualified medical practitioners quack doctors have been engaged to provide support though they may not be able to take the pressure for a long time. Supplying drinking water to remote villages has not been possible yet although many tube wells have been repaired and new ones are being erected.

4. A medical camp has been set up at the premises of WPSI Conservation Centre-Sunderbans Jungle Camp in Bali Island with a team of Doctors sent by Samarpan Foundation. The team will hold camps until 18th June and so far more than 800 villagers have received treatment. With generous support from WPSI, Kedar Bhide of Sumitomo Chemical Corporation, Samarpan Foundation and Sunderbans Jungle Camp medicines, saline and Olyset mosquito nets are being provided to patients from the camp free of cost.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group
Asit Biswas, Calcutta, India.

Appeal from Cyclone Aila 2009 Disaster Relief Support Group

2009-06-11T02:38:00.000-07:00

Seems like the most I can do to support the relief operations at the moment is spread the news, hopefully, and if you are reading this, it must be getting spread. Here is an reproduced appeal from the Support Group. The original of the appeal is here

---------------

An appeal to you:

Two weeks ago Cyclone Aila ravaged eastern India and Bangladesh. In the Sunderbans, the scenic islands and mangrove forests set in the Gangetic delta, the wind, the tidal waves and the flood destroyed or damaged over 500,000 houses. Over 150,000 people lost their homes, fields, work equipment and livelihoods. Many of them lost their breadwinners or other family members.

With the disaster killing their cattle and rendering their farmlands saline and infertile for many months or even years, it is a very grim outlook for the people here. In India and Bangladesh an estimated five million people are affected in one way or the other.

Heavy monsoon rains are predicted in few days to come – a grim forecast considering that many of the affected families are left with no proper shelter.

To prevent more floods, the local communities with support from the government, military and NGOs have been desperately trying to repair embankments to prepare for the monsoon.

Still effective disaster management is not on track yet. There is a lack of basic necessities like water, staple food and medical assistance. While some delta islands have received relief items, many others have got nothing. Health workers fear that lack of water and sanitation facilities may lead to outbreak of epidemics. Already there are cases of diarrhoea. Children will go hungry on under-nourished.

The media grossly under-reported the impact of the disaster and failed to predict its aftermath. It was actually a precursor another calamity with the fierce annual monsoon rains imminent.

In a rapid response to the appeal of our local partners in the Sunderbans, The Blue Yonder, Traveltocare.com and Help Tourism have set up the Cyclone Aila Support Group to help local communities in peril in the Sunderbans Region. Our local partner, the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT), was in the field during and immediately after the cyclone and is currently stretching its resources to reach out to people at the earliest.

The Cyclone Aila Support Group has partnered with the well-known Charities Aid Foundation – India (CAF India) to help manage an accountable and transparent fund raising process. The ACT and the West Bengal Voluntary Health Association (WBVHA) are co-ordinating relief efforts on the ground.

The Cyclone Aila Support Group is committed to supporting the long-term rehabilitation of the Sunderbans region and we need all your support – for now and for the future!

We urge governments, public and private organisations, and fellow human beings to wake up to this disaster and the impending tragedy that is about to unfold. Kindly support the people in need!!

A sample on how even small amount can make a difference.

Rs 50 or one euro: Drinking water for five families for one day.
Rs 50 or one euro: Epidemic protection for one week
Rs 250 or five euros: Buys 10 flashlights to protect against snakebites and accidents
Rs 500 or 10 euros: Food for 50 people for one day
Rs 500 or ten euros: Enough food supply for one family for two weeks
Rs 2500 or 50 euros: People in a small village do not have to sleep under open sky
Rs 5000 or 100 euros: Transportation and supplies with one boat

We can make a difference!

Check the website for more updates from field and on how to donate efficiently

http://rtnetworking.org/aila

Thank you!

For Cyclone Aila Support Group
Asit Biswas, Ashish Gupta & Gopinath Parayil

photographs: copyright Reuters, Andrew Biraj, Jayanta Shaw

Its all about Action! Cyclone Aila Update

2009-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Update from Asit Biswas from Help Tourism

1. With support from our partner Samarpan Foundation a team of Doctors along with a consignment of essential medicines left for Bali Island today. They will hold medical camps in Bali and adjoining Islands for next few days to attend the medical problems and diseases erupted in the aftermath of Cyclone Aila.

2. A second team will follow after three days.

3. With financial support from our Partner WPSI couple of pump sets has been already made available in Bali and other Islands for pumping the stranded saline water out from the village ponds and fields.

4. No further inundation is reported with the end of the spring tide on last Sunday. The next tide is expected from 22nd June.

5. The accumulation of saline water due to the tides and breaching of embankments followed by the contamination has given unprecedented rise to the mosquito population which in turn might spread infectious diseases in the Islands. Medical teams sent by Indian Army, government departments and NGOs have reached many Islands today although Relief and medical teams have not yet set foot in many interior areas. People there complained that the relief support was reaching to the bank of the Island only and not to the interior villages. There is unconfirmed report of five Diarrhea deaths in Satjelia Island.

6. Few defunct tube wells have already been repaired in some villages. Sunderbans Development Board has started to erect new ones as well.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group

Asit Biswas, Calcutta, India.
8th June 2009

Coordination finally & a little love on World Environment Day

2009-06-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Am again just spreading the updates from Asit Biswas, of Help Tourism... there are some interesting reads below, a wave a relief as special task forces seems to have a sembling of order in the relief operations and some coordination, stark drinking water shortages putting it back in our heads how acute the crisis is, and a little show of love by a village who rescued a banded krait taking refuge in their house.

Read on.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cyclone Aila 2009/Update/Sunderbans, India.

Dear Friends,

1. The Indian Army has already started sending special task force to Sunderbans. The special rescue, relief and medical teams from the Army reached to the Islands today to provide the much-awaited support for evacuation, relief operation and reconstruction. Common people are of the opinion that such steps should have been taken much earlier.

2. The government departments seem to have been able to establish a basic coordination concerning relief operations. Each consignment is now being sent under the joint supervision of representatives from the Police, District administration and village councils making the relief operation quite smooth and democratic.

3. The carcass of dead animals (cattle) could be removed from the rivers and many villages excepting places like Kumirmari, Choto Mollakhali, Shamshernagar. These areas are affected by the full moon tide as well. There is no report of any attempt to repair the embankments here. People are already being evacuated from Kumirmari, Choto Mollakhali, Amtoli, Lahiripur, Satjelia and Kachukhali. In the mean while Calcutta Port Trust which keeps track of the tides in Hoogly river has issued an alert saying that the next tide scheduled to hit the Islands on 22nd June would bring higher waves than the current one. The government is planning to procure a barge to extract soil from underwater to repair the embankments as there is acute shortage of clay locally. The embankments will have to brave few more tides before the proper repairing work can be started.

4. The drinking water situation continues to remain same with enteric spreading in many areas. There are contradictory figures supplied by government department and health NGOs working there as to the number of villagers suffering from the disease.

5. There remains huge confusion concerning the amount of ad-hoc compensation announced by the government for rebuilding the smashed houses in the villages. The villagers do not know how much money they will get, from whom, when and how.

6. While death follows as an obvious penalty when a snake sneaks in a house after flood sweeps away its nest and is eventually detected, the villagers of Bijayanagr 3 proved an exception by rescuing a Banded Krait today. It was trying to take shelter in Mr.Sunil Mondal’s house. They rescued the snake alive and handed over to the forest department officials. A little love made a positive difference on the World Environment Day.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group
Asit Biswas, Calcutta, India.
5th June 2009

Its the High Tide now! Cyclone Aila Update

2009-06-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Update from Asit Biswas, Help Tourism
___________________________________________________________

Dear Friends,

Our Principal Field coordinator Mr. Anil Mistry is currently touring to the Islands to check the condition – especially the progress of repairing of embankments.

He reports:

The full moon tide has once again inundated the worst-affected areas like Kumirmari, Ranipur, Choto Mollakhali, Puinjali today making the future of the ill-fated Islanders completely shattered. There is no hope for any immediate reconstruction work to take place after such consecutive disasters with roughly 15,000 villagers becoming homeless and without any livelihood option left.

Emergency repairing of embankments could not be initiated as materials required for emergency repairing (Gunny bags, sand/clay, bamboo etc.) have not reached to these areas. Most of the villagers have taken shelter on the bunds or in local schools or Panchayat buildings. Private contractors have declined to come forward and repair the embankments here.
Repairing work has started in Bara Mollakhali, Taranagar areas sporadically but the Islands are still not fully protected as the tide will continue to rise for the next couple of days.
The situation is slightly better in Sandeshkhali, Hingalgunj, Patharpratima, Basanti and Gosaba though the condition in the interior villages has not improved much.

Food and medicines have finally reached many areas but there is still immense shortage of drinking water.

Government has requested Indian Army, Navy and Air Force to send special task force for providing emergency evacuation support, relief operations, and medical help and also to support the reconstruction work.

The next 4/5 days would be crucial as the Met office has bad news for us. Heavy depression is reported in the sea which can gain strength any moment and turn into a powerful storm.

More updates will follow soon.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group
Asit Biswas, India.
HELP TOURISM

4th June 2009.

Cyclone Aila - Progress and Setbacks

2009-06-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

As is with disasters of this nature, you always have two sides... a immense feeling of goodwill and generosity, fantastic people doing fantastic work, people benefited, and the flip side and side effects - Irresponsible giving, unplanned rehabilitation works, and the resultant accumulation of inorganic wastes and damage to the environment. Some of it is already highlighted in Asit's status report from the field, that he posted on a latest update on the facebook support group

However, we all have to do something about it... Disaster management work is messy, but it is heartening to note that people like Asit, Gopi, Ashish, Karen, Marcus, Linda and countless others are there, who are concerned about minimising the negative impacts of this effort too... I am sure that will have an effect.

The update in full, taken from the support page on FB, reproduced below.

For more details, go directly to the facebook group page @ http://tinyurl.com/aila09 . There are updates, references to sites where you can donate, etc.

----------------------
Dear Friends,

A quick update from the field:

1.In the wake of the forthcoming tide set to hit Sunderbans from 5th June the Government machinery is gearing up. With government support and initiative of local NGOs and Panchayats, communities have started emergency repairing of embankments in few Islands namely Bali, Gosaba, Satjelia, Jharkhali, Basanti, Sandeshkhali. In some areas the progress has been good though in many areas the work is slow due to acute shortage of clay and manpower since many villagers have left their homes. Government’s appeal to private contractors for help did not yield significant response. No major repairing work reported from worst-affected places like Kumirmari, Mollakhali, Shamshernagar, Hingalgunj, Ranipur where most of the villages are still submerged. They have not received sufficient relief support as yet.

2.There is still acute crisis of drinking water in most of the islands although government vessels are ferrying water since last three days. The handful of tube wells that have been supplying potable water to several villages all these days may collapse any moment due to overuse.

3.Few medical teams have arrived finally but the requirement is so much that they can not really make any difference unless special task force of Doctors and nursing staff are sent urgently. There is acute shortage of emergency medicines as well. With generous funding support from our partners and WPSI Cyclone Relief Fund we have sent a truck load of emergency medicines and bleaching powder today. In Bali we organized training for 40 health volunteers today under the guidance, presence and leadership of Dr.Supada Mandal. The volunteers will now spread in different villages with stock of medicines we dispatched today. Such volunteer teams must be formed in other Islands as well to combat the epidemic which may surface any moment.

4.It has been observed that many individual and organizations are carrying relief items to the Islands that are not necessary. Many of them are just handing over the relief materials to the nearest communities and villages to the boat jetty prompting them to take easy escape by begging that never existed in Sunderbans. This could also encourage few rackets who would take undue advantage of the situation. It is not possible for the administration to keep a check on this in this crisis period. It is advisable that all donors or contributors who prefer to deliver the relief support personally to the victims should engage local NGOs, community bodies, panchayats for proper and fair distribution of the relief items.

5.Proper packaging of the relief items and selection of unit size, type and size of containers must be carefully done to avoid further pollution to the Islands and the park. Many villages and Islands are getting flooded with plastic bottles, empty plastic pouches and packets. Many non biodegradable items are floating on the rivers and channels which could turn out to be dangerous. Such environmental issues get diluted in the event of such devastation and we tend to pay no time to think about it and take these items back to the designated dumping ground in the main land. This must be addressed.

6.There is no stopping of people leaving their homes and heading to the main land. On an immediate basis we need to clean some of the village ponds and that can only be done by using pumps to drain out the water and then cleaning the tanks so that when the rains comes, they can be filled with potable water. The monsoons are due any moment but they are a double-edged sword, while they will provide some clean drinking water they will affect most of the population who are still in make-shift accommodation on the embankments on higher ground. As far as the eye can see the fields are full of salt water.

7.The local politics has created havoc in the actual rehabilitation work but there is nothing we can do about it. Rumors are running every corner of the villages, in the corridors of power and even in the Media about the rehabilitation and relief operations.

For Cyclone Aila 2009 Relief Support Group

Asit Biswas
3rd June 2009

Skip Beers, Save a life!

2009-06-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

Message from Gopi Parayil, The Blue Yonder.

Appealing to you...

A report from Indian Express,
"Nine-year-old Sandeepa Gharami survived Cyclone Aila, but succumbed in its aftermath. She died on an embankment near Lahiripur on Friday after several days of continuous vomiting and diarrhoea. She received no medical care. Her parents buried her by the river.

A week after the storm, the first signs of a severe outbreak of enteric diseases have emerged on the battered islands of Sunderban."

People are dying for silly reasons! Some died because they didn't have access to drinking water!

The donation we are asking for doesn't have to be in millions. If you can and if you can convince your friends and colleagues to skip a night out, or pay at least for the beer that you would be drinking otherwise, that can SAVE lives!

Look at this simple reality.....
--------------------------------------------

Pounded Rice 50 Kg - at the price of 8 beers
Puffed Rice 25 kg - at the price of 8 beers
Packaged Drinking Water- 20 litres - at the price of one beer!!!
Polythene Sheet - at the price of 2 beers
Bleaching Powder - 25 kg at the price of 3 beers
Torch - at the price of 3 beers
Condensed Milk 1 Kg for 2 beers -
Container for Drinking Water 50 liters - at the price of 1 or 2 beers
Geoline – 200 (Water purifier)(Liquid) - 2 beers price
Norflox+ Tiniadazole - 1 strip - 1 beer?

and many more????!!!!

A small push, and we can that difference to the people suffering !
Help spread this news around, please donate if you can!
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://rtnetworking.org/aila/donate.htm

We can ensure that your money is accountable and it is used well!

For Cyclone Aila Support Group

Gopi

Cyclone Aila: An Update from the field!

2009-06-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

Reproduced from Facebook Update from Cyclone Aila 2009 - Support Group

----------------------
Dear All,

Apologies for the delayed posting. Thanks very much for all your support and concern that you have so passionately expressed through this group.

I and Bikram Grewal (from WPSI) just returned from Sunderbans after a hectic field visit. In the last two days we visited some of the worst-hit islands such as Gosaba, Basanti, Bali, Satjelia,Choto Mollakhali and we met thousands of affected villagers and talked to hundreds of them.

It is difficult to describe the devastation in writing.

The situation is much worst than what we had imagined. Thousands and thousands of houses have been reduced to dust by the storm. With nearly 500 kilometers of embankments destroyed, more than a million people are still marooned – most of them without drinking water, food, shelter and emergency medical support even after a week since the Cyclone Aila had hit the Sunderbans. There is no correct figure as to how many hectors of arable agricultural lands have been inundated and what the extent of damage to the crops and livestock is. In most of the villages the grain storage which usually supplies food to a family is washed away along with the main house resulting lack of food security of the islanders. During the field survey it seemed evident that in most of the islands agriculture would be impossible in next 3 years. During the interviews many of the islanders confirmed they had never faced such a devastating cyclone in the last 20 years (the last super Cyclone had pounded in 1988).

A primary guesstimate suggests that:

•Roughly one and half millions people in Gosaba, Pathrpratima, Sagar, Basanti, Higangunj and Sandeshkhali blocks have lost everything and are facing a grim and uncertain future with no hopes to return to normal life unless something miraculous happens!
•Nearly Forty Thousand houses disappeared
•Crops, vegetables, farm fishes worth Rupees 30 Crores (3000 Millions) are lost
•Around Six Thousands people are already affected by the outbreak of Diarrhea

In every village or island we stopped, we saw endless queue of villagers including small children with empty pots - crying for a drop of drinking water. Many villagers are forced to hire boats everyday and travel half a day to fetch a pot of drinking water from another village where a tube well is working by chance! The Government relief that started trickling down since yesterday with personal initiative of few Ministers and elected Public Representatives and with the intervention of the Chief Minister of West Bengal who visited the affected areas yesterday, appeared to be way below what could be termed as adequate. There seems to be a lack of coordination and planning as far as distribution of Government relief is concerned.

Our visit to some of the interior villages produced horrifying pictures with house after house being abandoned by the dwellers and pile of rotting dead animals and fishes and decaying trees and plants lying everywhere. There is no one to clear the debris and remove the carcasses. The sweet water ponds already got contaminated with the surface color turned into deep black perhaps spelling out the message of death! All the drinking water sources are lying dead. There is no fodder available for the cows and goats to survive. The villagers are either shifting the animals to nearby towns or are selling them at throw-away prices. The only sign of life that punctuated our journey through the haunted villages was the occasional cry of the lonely dogs left by their masters. While driving to Gadkhali jetty we observed that driven by hunger and desperation thousands of Islanders started fleeing the only world they know the city of Calcutta. We do not know if the city that took 3 full days to restore electricity, water supply for its bonafide citizens after the Cyclone is still left with any more capacity to face this exodus!

A quick visit inside the National Park did not apparently reveal much damage to the mangroves and mud flats though we did not see much wildlife except few birds and a water monitor. There are reports of crocodiles to have slipped in with tides in few villages, but no attack, rescue or release was heard of.

The Project Tiger team, under the able and firm leadership of Mr.Subrat Mukherjee - the Field Director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, is doing excellent work and deserves high appreciation for their timely intervention and initiative. It was heartening to see and know how the team and Mr.Mukherjee immediately rushed to the affected areas and have been working tirelessly to support the villagers and also to protect the park and the wildlife simultaneously. I have posted pictures taken by Mr.Anil Mistry from WPSI of a Bengal Tiger being rescued by the forest department from a village in Satjelia Island to our friend Marcus Bauer who will upload the same on our Facebook group. The tiger had strayed in a village house to take shelter when the storm and tide was on peak. Both the family staying in the house and the tiger shared same space till the forest department got the information and reached there with a rescue team. Such co-existence only speaks of the gravity and power of the Cyclone that brought both together under a single domain. We must salute the villagers of Jamespur who extended their best support to the rescue team despite their unfathomable miseries. It is hoped that the striped cat will once again thrive in its mangrove kingdom.

The local NGOs with support from NGOs from nearby towns and Calcutta are also doing their best to standby the people of Sunderbans. Many of them are running temporary relief camps and are supplying essentials to the islanders by boats. Few are supplying cooked food as well. We feel that there should be a working cell in every administrative block with representatives from local administration, all local and partner/donor NGOs working there and set up a common agenda with specific task, responsibilities and targets instead of following individual plan and bringing many unnecessary items just for the sake of the relief. I think we should take lessons from the post-Tsunami situation in Andaman Islands. A proper documentation of the post-Cyclone situation could be a vital instrument for the human society to get a real picture and also to find remedies in future.

The three-storied concrete building of Bijaynagar Adarsha Bidya Mandir on Bali Island is now providing shelter, food and water to nearly 4000 villagers including many children and aged people everyday since 25th May. Mention should be made of the efforts and selfless service of the head teacher of the school Mr.Sukumar Paira and his colleagues supported by our coordinators Mr.Anil Mistry, Mr.Arabinda Biswas and Mr.Shambu Sinha Roy and the volunteers and the members of local Nature Clubs. Unfortunately, the
School building and its premises got partially damaged by the Cyclone.

The immediate support (relief materials) received from our partners such as WPSI, Samarpan Trust, Sanctuary Asia, Kolkata Birds, Delhi Birds, Bangalore Birds have already been distributed in the villages by our volunteers. Details will be available on the group in due course. More support is requested and is expected. The tube wells that exist in Bijaynagar Adarsha Bidya Mandir and in the premises of Sunderbans Jungle Camp are luckily still functional and are providing drinking water to nearly fifteen thousand villagers in Bali, Satyanarayanpur, Saterkona, Amlamethi, Gosaba, Pakhiralay, Dayapur, Satjelia everyday with the help of our motor boats.

The villagers of Bali 9 were surprised when a city-bred and leading West Bengal-based Industrialist Mr.Bipin Bhora arrived at their village at 3 A.M with three boat load of relief materials. He after reading reports in Newspapers and watching news on Television wanted to distribute the relief items himself and was accompanied by his wife and a team from his office. When asked by our coordinator Mr.Shambhu Sinha Roy how best the relief items could be distributed and to which areas, the villagers of Bali 9 unanimously told that they were in much better condition due to the immediate relief support they had received after the Cyclone. Based on their advice Mr.Bhora distributed the relief items in Satjelia, Lahiripur with the help and inputs from our volunteers.

What next?

•With another full moon tide approaching fast and set to hit the islands on 7th June, the first and foremost task lies with us, the villagers and administration is to raise alert call and confirm minimum repairing and protection of the broken embankments on war footing basis. Proper and long term repairing of the embankments can follow once we are able to protect the islands from further inundation by the forthcoming tide. If we can not do that, there is no chance that we can really do much later. We must reach the communities in the villages urgently and organize community groups and initiate action as fast as possible. If we can do that, we may expect that the legendary Sunderbans Islanders will once again prove their unputdownable fighting spirit and add another chapter to the history of their never-ending battle in the land of the hungry tide.

•Secondly, emergency Medical assistance and supply of primary medicines to combat Cholera and Diarrhea would be crucially important and must be made available immediately. Support groups may be formed with local youth who after receiving a very short and basic training/ briefing by a qualified Doctor (one such programme will be held in Bali 9 village on Wednesday for 30 local health volunteers) can provide emergency medical support with stock of basic medicines readily available with them.

We will get back to you soon with more updates.

Regards,

For Cyclone Aila 2009 - Support Group

Asit Biswas, Calcutta, India.
1st June 2009

Travel Philanthropy in Action!

2009-06-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Now this is a post that really suits the title of this blog..... ...be inspired!

Tourism companies are coming together to do "real" work on the ground to support rehabilitation efforts following the devastation caused by Cyclone Aila. Strangely enough, it has not been reported too widely in the western media, so no one knows about it, but this cyclone killed over 200 people and has widely displaced people, and in the reserves in the Sunderbans, wildlife, including the endangered Royal Bengal Tiger.

Some pictures of the devastation from the new search engine, www.bing.com is here http://www.tinyurl.com/ailapics ... I warn you that some of the pictures will depress you.

However, nature has a way to strike and there is nothing we can do about it, except follow in its wake and do the humanitarian thing. HELP! in any way we can.

In this particular case, the response has been inspiring. The Blue Yonder and Travel to Care were quick to respond to the actions initiated immediately by Help Tourism, all private tourism operations, concerned, responsible, and committed. Thats inspiring. And that is not all. Immediately across the world, Grace Tours in Denmark, Ethical Travel Portal in Norway and Respontour .net in Austria, chipped in and set up bank accounts and have started a campaign of fund raising to help support the rehabilitation efforts on the ground. Again, all private operations, concerned, responsible and committed.

Talk of Travel Philanthropy in action! Kudos, Asit, Raj Basu, Gopi, Ashish, Karen, Marcus, Linda ... You are inspiring a lot of people right now!

___________________________________
Letter from the organisers requesting support

Cyclone Aila hit Eastern India & Bangladesh on 24th of May 2009 and left a path of destruction in its wake directly affecting over 5 million people and reportedly killing 200 people. Although under-reported by western media, local aid agencies say that the true extent of the tragedy is gradually unfolding.

A number of districts in West Bengal, India are deeply affected as heavy rains and gale force winds tore into houses and trees, damaging roads, electrical & communication infrastructure. Further south in the Sunderbans Delta, over 400,000 people in 200 villages are marooned due to floods. With their homes under water due to breaches in embankments, schools and government offices are serving as temporary, but wholly inadequate shelter, while others are still at the mercy of the elements. According reports from UNDMT India, many villages in the worst-affected areas still remain inaccessible.

Asit Biswas from the NGO, ACT (Association for Conservation and Tourism) reported from the world famous Sunderbans, home to the Royal Bengal tiger, that “thousands of villagers are still stranded without food or freshwater in Bali and adjacent islands. Cultivated fields and fresh water bodies have turned saline due to breaches in embankments; carcasses of their cattle are still floating, leaving homeless communities to ponder about their livelihoods. “

Traveltocare.com in association with The Blue Yonder and Help Tourism has set up a “Cyclone Aila 2009 Support Group” on the social networking site ‘Facebook’. The group has launched a fund raising campaign to help the people affected by the cyclone. For more information pls see http://rtnetworking.org/aila

Karen Stigsen of Traveltocare.com said, “We have our partners, ACT in West Bengal, working closely with local communities and in conservation initiatives for several years. To help in their initiatives in disaster relief, we took up the responsibility to help raise funds for them.“ Our joint initiative has also partnered with Charities Aid Foundation in India (www.cafindia.org) so that funds we raise can be transferred to their account. CAF India will then redistribute the funds to assist in the work undertaken by ACT.

Based on daily reports from ACT and other local agencies, assessment of the damage is still going on and we are yet to receive the extent to which financial support will be needed in different locations. Four trucks of essential items and medicine have been sent to those most in need.

We invite all individuals and organisations to join us in this initiative and make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of people. Working closely with our local partners, we will send you regular updates on how the funds are being utilised & the status on the ground. Any surplus funds raised will be utilised for disaster mitigation, rehabilitation, conservation & livelihood support of the local region.

The bank details are in the hyperlink below. Please note that any transfers should have a reference code “FBCA2009”. This way, it is easy for us to track down the amount raised. We look forward to your support.

Donation details are available
http://rtnetworking.org/aila/donate.htm

Updates are also available on
http://rtnetworking.org/aila/update.htm

If you are on Facebook, you can follow it at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=85465385255

On twitter, follow the #aila2009 hashtag for activity and updates on how this is progressing.

Screencasts: virtual marketing

2009-05-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

So, I am experimenting with screencasting software called screenflow. Its pretty impressive and takes HD vdo of your screen, audio from mikes, and another vdo from your inbuilt camera... Man, I love macs!

Anyways, to the point!

I managed to make screencasts of two of our most recent products, the Green Circuit and the Responsible peek into Nepal.

Am lovin' it! Will come up with more screencasts soon.. great way to market your products I think.

So here goes

THE GREEN CIRCUIT

A RESPONSIBLE PEEK INTO NEPAL

in the NEWS: TravelMole

2009-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

There is nothing much to say! The GREEN circuit launch on www.travelmole.com

Its starts like this
---------------------------------------

The Green Circuit was launched ‘LIVE’ at the Responsible Tourism Network Meeting at SATTE, New Delhi. This is a collaborative initiative started by socialtours.com in February, which was pitched at ITB Berlin at the last network meeting.

This new product offers clients an opportunity to experience a selection of the best ‘responsible’ products in the Indian sub-continent. They can land at any of the many international airports, or arrive at a train station to start the journey....

>>>read more

Press Release - the GREEN Circuit

2009-04-24T06:18:00.001-07:00

24th April – The Green Circuit has been launched ‘LIVE’ today amidst the Responsible Travel Network Meeting at SATTE, New Delhi. This is a collaborative initiative started by socialtours.com in February, which was pitched at ITB Berlin at the last network meeting.

This new product offers clients an excellent opportunity to experience a selection of the best ‘responsible’ products in the Indian sub-continent. One can land at any of the many international airports, or arrive at a train station to start the journey, all of it is done overland within the sub-continent, so as to reduce carbon emissions. One can then finish off at an international airport or a train station, choose to continue the trip in one continuous circuit, or come back another time to continue on with the next product.

The product is being jointly marketed, meaning it can be booked individually, or together with any of the partner operators. It is also being offered in international retail travel portals. Again, working on responsibility ethos, it is customizable, so can be broken up into smaller trips to fit traveler requirements

We believe the scalability of the product, and it is meant to be inclusive, not exclusive, working on the ethos of responsibility, but at this stage, we are offering select products from these four operators, to smoothen out logistic challenges with zero compromise on visitor experience. Once this phase is over, we will open it to other products and operators, who are no doubt, also responsible.

The product can currently be viewed at

www.socialtours.com
www.theblueyonder.com
www.grassroutesjourneys.com
www.helptourism.com/blog

www.tourdust.com
www.traveltocare.com
www.responsibletravel.com

We invite international operators to talk to us to determine ways to market it. And also travelers to come into these websites, make enquires and/or book directly with us!

Namaste!

Vishwaraj Gyawali, Founder Director
socialtours.com travels

Product Launch: The GREEN circuit

2009-04-22T01:18:00.000-07:00

The Green Circuit is an initiative started by socialtours.com in February 2009. It tries to bring together some of the best ‘responsible’ products in the sub-continent together in a circuit, which can then be offered to travellers all around the world. The idea is to make this information known using each others websites and the promotions that we all individualy do, creating a mass awareness of responsible practices, and also generating business for all involved.

It is aimed to become a win win situation where ‘responsible’ operators and products hand hold, share, learn, link (which are all responsible practices in itself) to the betterment of the whole.

With an aim to also make the trip “greener”, we will also support by providing information and service support to connect to these products using train and ground travel. The products are also convieniently developed around international airport, so that access is easy.

View Green Circuit, Indian Subcontinent in a larger map

Nepal: the Tamang Heritage Trail

17 days, heritage sightseeing, moderate trekking, jungle safari
from £ 675 per person

About 150 years ago, Nepal fought Tibet over salt, and some of the biggest areas where this war took place is in the Langtang Region of Nepal, wherein lies the third most popular trekking trail in Nepal. This area is connected to Tibet and the trails in this region were used by traders from Tibet bartering in Salt and mountain goats for meat (changra) with foodstuffs from the south. Developed by the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, the “Tamang Heritage Trail” is the newly developed tourism product, off the beaten track, which highlights an ancient lifestyle combining it with picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot springs.
Read more…

Eastern Himalaya: Red Panda Tea and Elephant Trail

22 days, culture, wildlife and tea gardens
from INR 67,000 per pax nett

East Himalaya is a part of one of the EIGHT HOTTEST BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS of the world. This is a part of the Indo-Burma region. Other then India, the East Himalaya touches the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal occupies more than 100,000 sq. kms of East Himalaya approx. which is about 25% of the Indian Himalaya. This shows a major portion of the Himalaya is existent in the East. Similarly, the whole of Nepal and Bhutan are a part of the East Himalaya.
Read more…

East India: Orissa Odyssey

15 Days Kolkata - Visakhapatnam
from 980 Euros per person

An epic adventure through timeless India; stretching from the bustle of India’s renown cultural capital Kolkata, through vast tracts of pastoral plains and palm-fringed paddies, to dense mangroves and tranquil boat rides twisting though the tangled mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika National Park. From natural wonders to the irrepressible man-made marvels of ancient India’s earliest temples at Bhubaneshwar and Konark to the sea swept coastal town of Puri, one of India’s Char Dhams (four holy hotspots of Hinduism). Cruise along Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest salt lake lagoon and camp under a starlit sky.

Read more…

South India - The Malabar Holidays

14 days, culture, spice tour, beaches, homestays
from 815 USD net per person

Malabar was once a British Principality of India. After Independence, Malabar as a state was no longer recognized and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala. Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it still exists as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live. This is the spirit we capture in this package that begins with Cochin and goes along backwaters, River Nila, Mountains of Wayanad, and ends at the virgin beaches of Kannur in Malabar region.

read more...

Responsible Tourism Networking at new level!

2009-04-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Responsible Tourism Networking is geared to set new standards this week. On 24th, it will go into a live Webinar where pitches can be made from all over the world, and people can listen in from all over the world! Truly groundbreaking!

Check out the invitation below!

-----------------------

Join us online by webinar for the Responsible Tourism Network Event 24th April 14.30 DK time

Hello there!

The Responsible Tourism Networking at SATTE New Delhi Organisers in India ICRT India, ITB Berlin, Travel to Care and The Blue Yonder

Date : 24th April 2009
Time : IST 1700-1900 (Copenhagen 1330-1530)
Venue : Conference Hall 11 / SATTE Pragathi Maidan

In co-operation with Travel Mole, we are making this event available online as well. A max of 1000 online users can access the webinar and see the pitches made in New Delhi and EUME Croatia. If you are interested in following the webinar online, please click the following link.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/299384946\n\n2

The online event is in tune with Indian event. Please check your local time here and ensure you are online and on realtime.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

By IST (Indian Standard Time) 1630 the moderators Sally Broom of YourSafePlanet.com, Gopinath Parayil of TheBlueYonder.com, Ashish Gupta from Traveltocare.com, Raj Gyawali from SocialTreks.com, Marcus Bauer from respontour.net and Valere Tjolle of VISION on Sustainable Tourism – tourism-vision.com will be online.

Please give yourself half an hour preparation time before the actual event start.

Let us know if you have any questions, we will be glad to help you (info@theblueyonder.com )

Looking forward to meeting you in Delhi or online.

Sally, Gopinath, Ashish, Raj, Sajo, Marcus, Valere and Karen

Freakonomics: The problem with non-profits - A response

2009-03-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

This was written in response to an article that appeared in the New York Times Opinion column Freakonomics. The article is titled

The Problem With Non-Profits: A Reader’s View By Stephen J. Dubner

My comment:

1. Salaries need to be paid. And if you give peanuts, you will only get monkeys.

2. The problem with non-profits lies elsewhere hidden in issues of accountability and connected to this is the demands of donors to “perform” (whereas there is no objective definition of what that performance is nor an indicator to measure it) and the resultant misuse (not corruption, just ill management) of a valuable resource such as money, specially in poor countries.

The latter, in my belief is a much much larger problem for charities, and will require a sea change in philosophy and practice.

I think it is pretty clear and does not need elaboration at all.

Lately, though, through my various affiliations with charities (some started by private sector and some by the development sector) I am more and more convinced that the only type of development that seem not to waste this valuable resource is the one initiated by the private sector.. I am a private sector entrepreneur, and put 10% of profits into charity.. when I do my charity, I want every penny to go to the cause, in a right responsible way, and since it is my hard earned money (OK, my organisations hard earned money) I will make damn well sure that it is accounted for and is done right (at least, from my understanding of what is right and wrong)

- Raj Gyawali

The author suggest the following in his post

I am writing to suggest a blog topic about a book I recently finished reading called Uncharitable [by Dan Pallotta]. Uncharitable concludes that the constraints society places on non-profits leave them unable to solve the great social problems of the world. The book argues for the capitalization of philanthropy, including: competitive wages to attract the best applicants, increasing spending on advertising to build demand for philanthropy, and allowing investors to purchase stocks in non-profit organizations so philanthropy is not capital barren.

One of the key points of the book is that the method we currently use to evaluate charities, through efficiency ratios, provides no information about the effectiveness of an individual charity and leads an organization to focus exclusively on the short term (at the cost of long-term planning) and develop extreme risk-averse preferences (which leaves them unwilling to take risks which could lead to innovations).

----------

The comments eventually stray to the problems of non-profits and the wastage through high salaries etc.

Another milestone: our trips in Spain

2009-03-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

In another milestone achievement for socialtours.com we have started a working relationship with Maka Ecotourism from Spain.

The first trip will start in July with a couple going into Nepal and Tibet.

This is another success of the Fringe Responsible Travel Network which started at WTM two years ago and just recently had its third meeting at ITB. The next meeting is in April at SATTE, Delhi.

This is what Maka say of themselves on their website @ www.makaecotourism.com
__________________________________________

Makà Ecotourism is a travel agency, located in Barcelona and set up by a group of intrepid Ecotravellers with working experience in the fields of tourism, education and international co-operation. We offer you a great variety of routes and Ecotourism trips based in natural sorroundings, giving you the chance to discover another way of travelling.

Our themed guided tours are specially designed to take you to some of the most enchanting places in Catalonia, in small groups. We design tailor made itineraries escaping from the conventional, well trodden tourist circuits and we organice special trips for those having a hobby. With a personalised travel consultancy service, we offers you the opportunity to partake in sustainable and responsible tourism trips and holidays.

These include trekking, walking, horseback riding, bike tours, birdwatching, flora and fauna spotting, scuba diving and kayaking, activities in Natural Parks and Protected areas, rural tourism, cultural excursions and historical journeys throughout the whole of Catalonia.

______________________________

ethicaltravelportal.com - Partners in Norway

2009-03-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

As on today, we have started a partnership with www.ethicaltravelportal.com, who are based in Norway.

Ethical Travel Portal organizes learning experiences in responsible travel! Together with their local partners in destinations the trips aim to give a different kind of experience. One can take part in activities as a tourist and at the same time gain knowledge how responsible tourism is making a difference in local communities. They want to share the value of responsible tourism and give clients an eye opener experience to tell their friends and family back home. Feel free to contact them at info@ethicaltravelportal.com.
____________________

From the website, the about us section says:

Ethical Travel Portal was established to meet the growing demand for in-depth knowledge in the field of sustainable and responsible tourism. Passionate about responsible travel, we realized that the best way to close that gap was to bring travellers to the destinations and learn from the local experts.

This unique concept provides a learning experience in responsible travel to various destinations. The trips are tailor made in cooperation with our local partners who are specialists in their communities. They use tourism as a tool to 'create better places for people to live in and visit'. Travellers get an insight on how they have successfully created positive impact in the local community and the surrounding environment.

Our trips focus on giving the traveler a deeper understanding about responsible tourism and ethical issues. Travelers are encouraged to use the achieved knowledge in their future jobs, travels and daily life. Or simply spread the message about responsible tourism and how to be a responsibe tourist. Our destinations and partners are handpicked by Ethical Travel Portal. We are convinced that our travelers will benefit from the trips thanks to our and our partners’ knowledge of each destination.

Linda Veraasdal,
Founder and Director

_________________

socialtours is partnering with them to provide learning experience in responsible travel in Nepal. Currently we have one trip that will go on their website very soon. It involves a lot of cultural interactions, stay in eco-lodges, a small trek through the Chepang Hills, visits in Chitwan of a Tharu project besides jungle activities, and ending it with some responsible shopping with members of the Fair Trade Group Nepal. Of course, the whole trips is peppered with a lot of learning opportunities on responsible tourism.

www.ethicaltravelportal.com also offers similar trips to Gambia, India, Uganda and Norway.

Follow them on twitter here

Comment: the need for professional Adventure Graduates

2009-03-20T01:30:00.000-07:00

This is a comment on the article entitled New Zealand nurtures adventure students that appeared on travelmole.com .. read the article here

Finally the industry can get people trained for this purpose, not just interested people who have to be trained from scratch.

In Nepal, where my business is located, there is a big need (as opposed to demand) for professionals in adventure of all types... soft, medium and hard core.

We have tons of trained guides, raft guides, paraglider pilots, mountain bike specialists, etc... but all of them have learnt it on the job (which mind you is not a bad way to learn) but there is the other side of things... customer service, leadership skills, etc. which is greatly lacking. Our guides are excellent in just that... but what is required is leadership.

Hopefully a program such as this can produce future leaders, and not just workers... that is what the industry requires!

This is not a place to advertise, but Nepal would be more than willing to take in a few interns... I know my company would!

Profiling the Eco-Guest

2009-03-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

this is a comment made to the article on

Green is the new Luxury on Travel Mole written by Sally Broom, www.yoursafeplanet.com

I was at this interaction too, and it was very interesting. The one thing that really hit me was that no one really knew who the eco-guest was, and I love this fact.

Gone are the days when you can profile a consumer based on how much money he/she has and what the education level is. I used to be in the consumer market research business several years ago, and it will be interesting to see how market research will tackle this new challenge. The difference now is that people are basing their purchases on values and principles (and this is not income or education driven). Its fantastic and exciting.

We are so used to follow an old age approach of divide and rule (basically fit everyone into boxes and then market to them) that we forget that this is a wonderful opportunity to market to everyone. And the challenge to cater to such a vastly different clientele is awesome.

The initiatives mentioned at this interaction were also wonderful, albeit a bit targeted to only the rich customer, whose eco/non eco balance might be a bit skewed, but it was interesting / inspiring to hear this prespective.

The Green Circuit on TravelMole!

2009-03-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

TravelMole, the industry's leading newswire, put out a special report on the Fringe Networking of Responsible Tourism that happened at ITB on Friday the 13th (wow, did not realise that was the day).

Read the article on TravelMole here

There were some fantastic pitches, and the "green circuit" was one of the initiatives launched... and it got a mention. Read all about the Green Circuit here

Thanks Velere for putting it in there. Support such as this will help us take this forward. Watch this space for the developments as it happens.

As on now, I am working on working on the feedback we had, finding a better name for the circuit (getting out of the green), documenting it, so that we can report at WTM on how it went forward, tyring to get the players to meet up at SATTE next month, so that we can finalise the product and launch in India too and on our websites...

Lots of work, but so so exciting!

Response: Slum Tourism confusions

2009-03-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is in response to the article on the Worldhum website. Read the article by Eric Wiener here

Slumming It: Can Slum Tourism Be Done Right?

I think it is very well put Eric, and I appreciate that you have not only written about it from one side, I think though you have a clear opinion, the article is very balanced. It is very difficult to say when tourism starts becoming voyeuristic and unjust and irresponsible and what the borders are.

Using an example from my country, is going through a poor village in the mountains of Nepal and “looking” into their lives irresponsible? Some of these villagers are poorer than the Mumbai slum communities.

I think that we are too quick to draw a line in our minds between good and bad. What is important is that the practice needs to be right. A school for the slum kids can make a big big impact and difference in the lives of the people in the slums. Agreed, that if the tours were going to Tak Mahal and the donations to the slum school, it might have been better, but there are chances of making a bigger impact by taking the tours (responsible practices apply here) through the slums itself. There is a cross-cultural aspect of tourism that cannot be ignored, that understanding each others conditions can help foster a better global thinking between humans!

The Green Circuit - as on today!

2009-03-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

On the day of the pitch at the ITB Fringe Network Meet, this is the status of the "green" circuit.

Players:

Tour Operators involved so far:
socialtours.com
HELP tourism
Grass Routes Journeys
The Blue Yonder

The circuit connects select RT operations and projects in Nepal and India (at the moment) through train and ground transport (to reduce the carbon footprint as well give another very fulfilling experience of traveling over land).

The product is excellent, some highlights are included in the short descriptions in the posts below.

The theory behind the circuit is in the last post!

Eastern Himalaya - Red Panda, Tea and Elephants Trail - from Help Tourism

2009-03-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

22 days, culture, wildlife and tea gardens

East Himalaya is a part of one of the EIGHT HOTTEST BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS of the world. This is a part of the Indo-Burma region. Other then India, the East Himalaya touches the countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal occupies more than 100,000 sq. kms of East Himalaya approx. which is about 25% of the Indian Himalaya. This shows a major portion of the Himalaya is existent in the East. Similarly, the whole of Nepal and Bhutan are a part of the East Himalaya. The rich biodiversity and cultural diversity of East Himalaya has further reaching effects and extends the region in a compact zone from Bay of Bengal to the snow capped ranges of Mt.Kanchenjunga and Mt.Everest.

The topography varies from the estuarine landscape, passing through low foothills reaching upto the highest mountains of the world, the Mt. Everest and the Mt. Kanchenjunga. A massive area is covered with snow glaciers feeding a large network of rivers, the major ones being the Brahmaputra, Ganga, Lohit, Dehing, Jiabhareli, Koshi, Rydak, Torsha and Teesta. The areas below the snow are mainly used for forestry, agriculture, grassland habitations and infrastructure such as dams, reservoirs and roads. The forest cover is about 140,000 sq. kms even after losing about two third of the forest in the last few decades. The East Himalaya is the home of more than a hundred indigenous communities, with unique cultures & origin.

The biodiversity explored till date provides mind boggling figures, about 8000 species of angiosperms of which 3200 are endemic, 800 species of birds, 150 species of reptiles, 80 species of amphibians, 200 species of fishes and the list continues.
More than 80 wild relatives of crops belonging to cereals, millet, pulses, oil yielding plants, spices and fruits have been recorded here in scientific studies.

Keeping in view whatever little that has been described, the ecological importance of the region is beyond question. The ethnic diversity is so vast that more than 50% of the population and their cultures are still waiting to be explored.

Mt.Kanchenjunga, towering at 28,156 feet, the third highest mountain in the world is considered as the Guardian Deity of the region and dominates the landscape of the whole area including Darjeeling Hills, Dooars-the foothill forests, Sikkim state and the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Your experience in this tour includes unique opportunities to visit the picturesque and remote Himalayan villages, Tea Plantations, and some of the outstanding ecological sites, and interact with the local community. Enjoy a taste of their lifestyle and be a part of it while staying with them, experience local crafts, cuisine and even be entertained in their local cultural tradition. The people of villages are your hosts. They have proudly retained most of their cultural tradition and self-sustaining lifestyle.

South India - Malabar Holidays - The Blue Yonder

2009-03-08T01:08:00.000-08:00

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Malabar Holidays
14 days, culture, spice tour, beaches, homestays

Malabar was once a British Principality of India. After Independence, Malabar as a state was no longer recognized and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala. Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it still exists as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live.

This is the spirit we capture in this package that begins with Cochin and goes along backwaters, River Nila, Mountains of Wayanad , and ends at the virgin beaches of Kannur in Malabar region.. While most of Kerala is recognised as a traveller’s must–visit destination, Malabar is yet to be discovered. And hence to the uninitiated offers a plethora of delights ranging from a river cruise to legend trails to spice tours to tea estate visits to craft villages and heritage sites.

This is a Kerala where the everyday and exotic merge seamlessly. For a traveller who is weary of experiencing shrink wrapped plastic package tours, the Malabar leg comes minus hype and spin and instead is a way of life that asks little of the traveller except an open mind.

Catch some details of this trip on the Blue Yonder Website here.

Green Circuit - Nepal - The Tamang Heritage Trail

2009-03-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

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The Tamang Heritage Trail
17 days, culture and easy trekking

About 150 years ago, Nepal fought Tibet over salt, and some of the biggest areas where this war took place is in the Langtang Region of Nepal, wherein lies the third most popular trekking trail in Nepal. This area is connected to Tibet and the trails in this region were used by traders from Tibet bartering in Salt and mountain goats for meat (changra) with foodstuffs from the south. Developed by the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Program, the "Tamang Heritage Trail" is the newly developed tourism product, off the beaten track, which highlights an ancient lifestyle combining it with picturesque scenery and healing baths in natural hot springs.

This trip will be preceded by a trip to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, as you come across from India into Nepal. Once the trek is over, we will take you to the famous Chitwan National Park for some game viewing and jungle activities including Elephant back safari. You will also visit a project on papermaking from Elephant dung.

This trip is contributed by socialtours.com & socialtreks.com to the "green" circuit!

Orissa Odyssee - 15 days - by Grass Routes Journeys

2009-03-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

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Orissa Odyssey
15 Days Kolkata - Visakhapatnam

An epic adventure through timeless India; stretching from the bustle of India’s renown cultural capital Kolkata, through vast tracts of pastoral plains and palm-fringed paddies, to dense mangroves and tranquil boat rides twisting though the tangled mangrove forest of Bhitarkanika National Park. From natural wonders to the irrepressible man-made marvels of ancient India’s earliest temples at Bhubaneshwar and Konark to the sea swept coastal town of Puri, one of India’s Char Dhams (four holy hotspots of Hinduism). Cruise along Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest salt lake lagoon and camp under a starlit sky. Join festive weekly markets where indigenous cultures converge; interact with peoples imbued with centuries of independent traditions. Traverse rustic countryside and tap into the simple pleasures of village life in timeless rural India.

contributed to the "green circuit" by Grass Route Journeys. Check their website here

For lack of a better name: The Grand "GREEN" circuit

2009-02-27T02:50:00.000-08:00

This has been some years in the making, most of the time in my head, but it looks that its time has finally come, and I have to put it down, and take it forward.

I had been toying with an idea to bring "responsible" tour operators in the sub-continent (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, and even including Tibet) together to develop a "grand green" circuit (which I have not gone around to naming creatively enough). The idea is this

The trip passes through some of the "responsible products" on offer in the sub-continent, connecting all places through through "green(er)" transportation means, like ground transport, trains, ferry etc, trying to avoid flying basically, which is a big issue today. We thereby achieve three big things:-

1. Make available a wonderful product which also makes "conscious" clients aware of what all is happening in the realm of responsible tourism, and what is available out there, that they can choose from and experience.
2. Develop a trip that is "green(er)", thereby having a better pull in today's footprint concious markets.
3. Is a common platform where local operators can work together and support each others business, and also share experiences and learn from each other, which will result in better products and services for the clients again, plus harnessing the synergies of common learning.

So where are we with this:-

So far, and I will keep updating this post as it happens, so keep an eye on this:-

The players

socialtours.com, GrassRoutes and The Blue Yonder are together in this, so also is Travel to Care and the intiative will be launched at ITB (www.itb-berlin.com), actively supported by experts in local travel like Your Safe Planet. Getting good moral support on the idea from Valere from TravelMole

Keep an eye here, the list will keep growing.

The product

To date, we have a trip that starts in either Kathmandu, Kolkata, Visakapatnam, Delhi or Cochin (the idea being that clients can land at an international airport of their choice and join the circuit, and pop out whereever it is convenient for them)

This will be a small group adventure and culture trip with the minimum size of 2 and maximum of 6 pax.

If you start at Delhi, one takes an overnight train to Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, which is about 2 hours drive from the border with Nepal. You enter at Sunauli, where the first leg of your journey commences in Nepal.

NEPAL - Tamang Heritage Trail by socialtours.com travels

Day 01. Pick up at Sunauli and drive to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Rest at the hotel.
Day 02. Tour of the Lumbini gardens and visit to the monument at the birthplace of the Buddha. Visit to the Buddhist temples from various nationalities at the site. Back to Hotel for the night
Day 03. Travel to Kathmandu by land (Bus or car, depending on size of group). Taken to a welcome dinner to a theme nepali restaurant, and later back to hotel.
Day 04. Preparation day for the trek in Nepal. Detailed trip and safety briefings, and last minute purchases.
Day 05-11. Drive to Dhunche in the Langtang Region to start the Tamang Heritage Trail, a newly devleoped product in the Lantang Region, complete with homestays in Tamang houses. The Tamangs of Langtang were originally Tibetan and fled Tibet centuries ago and settled in Nepal. Since they were not recognised as Nepalese, they changed their surnames to Tamang, which is a Nepali surname. The 7 days trek meanders through Tamang villages, with overnights in homestays and immersion into the cultures of these wonderful people.

Read details of this trek here (The Tamang Heritage Trail)

Day 11. Back to Kathmandu and overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 12-14. Drive to Chitwan National Park for a Rhino safari. We will stay in small lodges here, support the work of the Nepal Green Society, visit an operation which is making paper out of elephant dung, besides going on elephant back safari, canoeing, visits to the elephant breeding center. More about the safari part here (Chitwan Jungle Safari)

Day 14. We will drive today to the Border of India at Raxaul, and get on an overnight train to Kolkata.

EASTERN INDIA - Orissa Odyssee by Grass Routes Journeys

Once in Kolkata, for another 15 days, your trip will be taken over by another Responsible Tourism partner, GrassRoutes, where they will take you on an expedition through Bengal and Orissa, before ending the journey at Visakapatnam. Read more about this journey here (The Orisssa Odyssee)

So on day 29, you will be at Vizag, boarding a train which will take you to Cochin, where the Blue Yonder will take you to the Nila River in Kerala and their product there.

SOUTHERN INDIA - The Malabar Holidays - from The Blue Yonder

Malabar was once a British Principality of India. After Independence, Malabar as a state was no longer recognized and the region was divided to form the northern part of what is today called Kerala. Though Malabar has no geographical boundaries, no presence on a map of India, it still exists as a state of mind: laid-back, slow, to live and let live.

This is the spirit we capture in this package that begins with Cochin and goes along backwaters, River Nila, Mountains of Wayanad , and ends at the virgin beaches of Kannur in Malabar region.. While most of Kerala is recognised as a traveller’s must–visit destination, Malabar is yet to be discovered. And hence to the uninitiated offers a plethora of delights ranging from a river cruise to legend trails to spice tours to tea estate visits to craft villages and heritage sites.

This is a Kerala where the everyday and exotic merge seamlessly. For a traveller who is weary of experiencing shrink wrapped plastic package tours, the Malabar leg comes minus hype and spin and instead is a way of life that asks little of the traveller except an open mind.

This 14 day package takes you through Cochin – Backwaters – River Nila – Nilambur – Wayanad – Kannur-Calicut Train Station.

This is where the circuit has reached at the moment

Comments are welcome.

btw, looking for people who can comment, join, expand the idea, make suggestions, just about anything... even criticize (hopefully of the constructive nature)

The issue of Local Food

2009-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

This is a comment posted in response to the the article on TravelMole by Sarah Amandolare titled Eat Local – Another Piece in the Sustainable Travel Puzzle - read it here

The issue of local foods is a complicated one, and cannot be solved easily through a definition and a code of conduct. As with much about responsibility, it depends a lot on interpretation by the different stakeholders, and the practices that are developed and norms followed around these practices, mutually agreed upon by all parties concerned.

Let me explain a bit. There are multiple sides to it.

A. The local producer / suppliers
B. The local community - who also hopefully consumes the same foods
C. The establishment (for lack of a better word) who promotes / sells the local food to the clients
D. The local produce - quality, quantities, availability etc.
E. The local food itself - palatable? interesting? enough variety?
F. The clients themselves who will consume it.

As with all of marketing, lets start from the consumer (who supposedly is King!) So

F. The Clients

(A bit gender insensitive but I will use "he")... He has to be aware (opens up a whole new can of worms, about who will make him aware, where can we have the information, and how the information is presented so that he will understand it, and relate to it), be responsible enough to be motivated to practice, apart from liking it, suiting his taste buds, stomach, lifestyle etc. e.g from Nepal :- We eat lentils and rice in Nepal, three times a day, with different vegetables, sauces, and curries, which makes it tremendously palatable (so says a Nepali!)... and every person who comes to Nepal goes through this stuff, some time or the other... but can he take it every day of his stay (ultimate responsibility)? Difficult... very soon he will be craving for bread (minimum) to steak, pizza and hamburger (a bit too much)...

It is a practical problem.. and how does this relate to responsibility and local foods... So should we define local foods as in local ingredients, therefore local ingredients will be grown locally, the locals benefit, and it helps the economy and spread of the tourism dollar... sounds like a plausible solution... but then

E. The local food

Obviously, from the above example, Thailand will be a better place to source local foods than Nepal. There is more variety, it is more internationally known and accepted, and you might be able to go through seven days of only Thai food... (not for people with a weak stomach for spices though). But the point is there. So it depends on the this issue too. In Ghana, most of the dishes are pounded corn or pounded cassava and plantain, eaten with a groundnut, fish, or meat soup. How long can a traveller stick to this...

D. The local produce

This is an important one. The more the local foods become ingrained into the tourism industry and sells, the more the locals benefit and the economy gets a boost. Right... Not quite! Take an example of a trekking village in the remote areas of Nepal. If the local food is really sold to all trekkers, the local supplies will be depleted and the locals will have no more food. Then the local food will have to be imported into that village from other areas of Nepal, at higher rates. Is this a beneficial effect? There are many trekking villages in Nepal where the lodges supply trekkers with local food and they instead eat instant noodles! Is this where we want to go? So there are problems there too...

Not to mention the quality of the local produce (does it meet standards, can it meet standards, will it even meet standards), is it in the right quantities and can be supplied at the right time required for the tourism industry, who survives in bursts, and seasonal variations.

C. The establishment (restaurant, hotel, operator)

In my thinking, they are the most important people here, being the chief liaison between the consumers and the local community. How do they monitor all these issues, are they motivated enough, are they looking at triple bottom lines, instead of only thinking short term and about themselves. What capacities do they have to balance this delicate balance in promoting the right type of local food.

In Nepal, one of the chief reasons the local food is unappealing is because of the establishment. They have no knowledge of the market, hence cannot make the subtle modifications reqiured to promote local food, forget about triple bottom line systems. A nepali eats a mountain of rice with little vegetables and lentils. This is not palatable to a western palate. Change that to more vegetables and lesser rice, and it is suddenly very inviting.

B. The local community: who produces the local raw materials

There are several issues here too. Sometimes the arrival of a new hotel in the neighbourhood can mean disturbances in the balance of village society, because if it is not well thought out, tourism has a very bad way of working like a bush fire... quick to burn, very hot, but also dies up fast... this can destroy communities. Balance is crucial, and combined benefits are critical to keep up the balance.. not always followed of course.

A. Finally, the local producer

He works hard, but is working for an extremely volatile demand niche, and unless has some gaurantees and partnerships which take up the production, can burn very rapidly. Does he have the knowledge, skills to do the right production and maintain his markets?

These are very few issues raised here, just to prove a point that this puzzle in the responsible tourism framework has its own very complicated issues, which we tend to ignore when we look at the broader picture.

A good balanced, well thought out programme, where all stakeholders are aware of these issues, and work towards reducing the negative effects, can be finally labelled to be real "local responsible food"...

Then we can start tackling the issue of it being organic!!!

To niche or not to niche

2009-02-11T01:24:00.000-08:00

I am not sure if any of our long term tourism strategists have any idea (or have even begun to think about it) of the type of tourists that we would like to have in this country. Do we want backpackers (who spend very less, but most of it does go into the local economy and there is very little leakage) or do we want executives (salaried but can afford a good package, no time to develop trips of their own and will pay enough, but some of it is leaked) or do we want 5 star travellers (who pay through their noses, travel around in air conditioned cars, and leak a lot out of the country anyways)..

Sorry to get into very politically incorrect generalisations, but I am generally not very politically correct, and am in an industry where generalisations help us deal with varied people, so here goes...

Do we want Indians, who have the money, will pay a lot, but will squeeze every paise out of the service provider. Do we want Japanese, who spend money, and do all the nice trips, but who will only follow, and will not go into new routes. Do we want Europeans, who want to do everything green. Do we want Americans, who are willing to spend money but are loud. Do we want young Israelis, who tend to fleece everything along their way, or do we want older Brits, who pay a lot and stay in the highest costing locations, but who rarely really see the country, and a lot of their money is leaked out.

Enough. Point is that we need to identify who we are trying to target... not ethnically discriminate, but build a general profile of the person we want to bring into the country... I would think a well paying client, who demands excellent service, is adventourous, is green and sustainable, and can pull another person when he/she goes back... (or something like that)

I only get shocked when, like today, the chinese ambassador calls for improved facilities so more Chinese tourists can come... but what does he mean by this... more 5 star hotels, more A/C cars, what? (http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2009/feb/feb11/news03.php) The only Chinese tourists I have seen come to Nepal have either been at the 5 star hotels, or those to utilise the 20 km limit set by the Nepalese Government from the kodari border (so upto Barabishe) they come in cars to eat at resorts like Borderlands, the Last Resort etc... (basically eat Dal Bhat, play Mah Jong, and later go back)... Comparing between the two, I think the ones coming from Kodari are contributing more to the local economy than the 5 star types....

So shall we define who we want? Is anyone listening?

The 'Gazelle' that might save the world!

2009-01-21T00:34:00.000-08:00

Cquestrate from cquestrate on Vimeo

For those who do not know the meaning of a metaphorical 'gazelle' (not the antelope type) - Gazelles are ideas brought out by dreamers, which are not completely thought out, but nevertheless are very clever ideas. My dear friend and one time partner in business, has like the never ending well of Gazelles. I have known him since 1996 or so, and since then, his gazelles could literally fill up several medium sizes books.

He might have come up with one now which can probably "save the world"... sounds exciting huh? He has come up with a relatively simple chemical reaction, which when made using naturally available resources, might in fact, reverse the effect of climate change, and at the same time, solve the food crisis in arid regions. Sounds a bit too good to be true.

And that might be the case. The experimental stages of this is sponsored by Shell and is currently about to enter into lab testing phase.

What is even more interesting is that he has set up a site at www.cquestrate.com where he is trying to open-source this idea, so people from all over the world can participate and contribute towards this solution, or just support it. Do visit the website.

If you DO understand chemistry, check out the more detailed presentation below explaining how it would work.

Tim, remember to send me tickets to the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony :-)

Cquestrate Presentation

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: cquestrate)

No End to Politically Aggravated Lunacy!

2008-12-23T04:29:00.000-08:00

Yup! I found the perfect expansion of NEPAL as it stands today (sorry.. as it is moving into the future...) But just to put it to record... we used to once say it stood for "Never Ending Peace and Love" (not perfect "inglis" but the message was there), which was given up a long long time ago. We had hung on desperately to this till about 1995/96, when all hell finally broke loose! Mention that nowadays and you might be stoned (literally or transcendentally)...

I cannot describe exactly what I feel nowadays towards my beloved nation. I am patriotic, there is no doubt about that, but this is not blind love. I can SEE a lot, and what I see makes me want to vomit!

Ours is a country who could have sat still and still gained. Every Nepali loves that, we are a pretty lazy bunch anyways, and can be contend with very little. Crushed between two giants, we have had the best that can be had from these massive economies, considering our situation. The cost of existence in Nepal is still comparatively low. I have lived in Ghana in West Africa for the past few years, and the cost of living in a country that produces little and has very little industrialization is very evident, where everything is astronomically expensive. We still have the benefit of open borders, our currency pegged to the Indian Rupee, and a good "understanding" between smugglers and police that releases enough chinese goods to make every citizen happy.

So, it is clear that there was no reason to "have eaten the tail of a goat" (bakhra ko puchhar khane)... if we had just stayed calm, kept ourselves peaceful and patient (you would have thought that we would have learnt a bit from the teachings that came out of Buddha's extreme starvation meditation which brought about enlightenment), we could have benefited a lot from these two 21st century superpowers.... actually, we still can, but we might just have reached the point of no return!

No, but we are Nepalese people, lovers of momo and buffalo meat! I think we have the brain the size of the buffalo meat inside those damn momos! We are lovers of proverbs (like "aphnu khutta ma bancharo hanne") which is exactly what we like to do (wake up countrymen, those proverbs are there for us to learn from them, not prove it!)... So we go forward and prove "lata ko desh ma ganda tanderi", "nepali ko salla kharani ko dalla" and "gu kotaye ganauchha" . How hopeless are we?

I think there will be lots of you who share this sentiment, specially as we get closer and closer to the threshold level of proverbial Nepali patience.

But I do not want to dwell on this. I am out to write about politics and politicians, I am raving mad and I hope I can draw blood!

I cannot believe there can be any other country in this world (OK, which is not ruled by a dictator or a bunch of gun toting teenagers) where a lawmaker, a leader elected by the people to review the laws of the land, can defend attacks on someone else's property and injury to people as a form of "self-defense"..

A country where it takes forever to form a government because the politicians cannot stop squabbling..

A country where mass murderers can become saviors overnight, where criminals with a track record can represent the same people they conducted their crimes on.

Where unions who represent the masses who need employment are out to shut industries or create an environment where industries cannot survive

Where the only education you can get (at least nowadays) is how to burn tires and throw stones at the police and how to bring a country to a standstill.

Where does this come from? I thought we were reasonably smart people, who discovered how to eat "sisnu ko jhol" in case of emergency, learnt how to preserve "saag" by making "gundruk", were talented enough to enjoy and cultivate the art of insta-ballad ("Dohori") etc.. When did we turn from this into sheep, following the lunacy of these politicians who cannot see beyond their own asses, with their heads stuck up you know where...

OK, I cannot continue, at this point I am thoroughly disgusted, my threshold is reached. (let me go and vomit now!)

The Melting Himalayas

2008-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

photo: The Everest Range, copyright socialtours

The importance of the Himalayan Range in controlling global temperatures have been well known, but not enough is being done to actually monitor it on a regular basis, providing reliable data to help find ways and means to save this planet.

Was relieved to see an article come up on the BBC website based on a conference done by ICIMOD highlighting this problem... hopefully this will raise awareness.

read it here

The Fascination of Masks

2008-12-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

This is truly interesting. Had a chance to see 365 Krampus (demons) do a walk in Zams, Tirol, in Austria. Creatures in hideous to plain silly masks came in droves, from different parts of Tirol, to participate in this run, on a real cold saturday evening.

Apart from the boyish fascination I have of cultural events such as this, it makes me wonder. Every where in the world, almost in every ethnicity, you see something to do with masks.. with this need to be someone else... someone you are not! I wonder what led us to do this, and how did that transition happen, from being just social food gatherers to trying to be someone else!

Thats really interesting, isn't it?

The Spectacle of Terror

2008-11-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

I cannot help watching live telecasts of the so called "War on Mumbai" on the CNN/IBN website. Its live, fast paced journalism, but somewhere I cannot help wondering if the channel is also capitalizing on its newly found popularity. I hear too many words like "exclusive", "our correspondents are tirelessly working", in typical high pitched hyper-fast reporting that is typically Indian... Even on a low volume, it sounds loud for some reason.

So I end up thinking, is this really responsible? A friend of mine in Mumbai, wrote a small note on facebook outlining her feelings at this moment, and tried to put it to perspective. I have to thank her for bringing this to light. You would think that India was under attack at this moment, if you watch the news channels.

It is terrible all right, over 140 people have died so far, and there is no describing the horror of actually being in that situation and having a loved one injured or dead. But do we get the same level of sensationalism and media interest when murder, rape and torture happens in Sudan or the DRC?

picture taken from NYTimes article on Rape Epidemic in Congo

There is a world outcry because it is India, and somehow, India is an important place for the world. India is also loud, and has a presence that can be felt in this world. Sudan and Congo do not have that. Hence, one does not have to be too loud about their feelings towards the atrocities going on there.

I would love to see Michael Moore take on the media in his next movie and their marketing of terror. I hope he still has some energy left, after all his fights!

Gastronomic Guide to Thamel

2008-11-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

I have started writing a gastronomic guide to Thamel, the tourism district in Kathmandu. Its up at the website www.iknowagreatplace.com and you can find it directly here. This is a new initiative from www.responsibletravel.com and is a wonderful place to add your travel tips... or to learn about them.

Trekking back on track!

2008-11-22T02:02:00.000-08:00

Going by what is being reported, we might be just back on track, after seven/eight long years of being in the slump. News reports are now showing that the trekking business is rebounding back in giant leaps. Looks like "change" (the big buzzword nowadays in the world) in government was what was required in Nepal too.

picture courtesy: rajesh k.c www.rajeshkc.com

Even the Khumbu reported choked villages in October, full of trekkers, and situation of not finding accomodation starting to happen. Read this in this Nepalitimes Article.

It is difficult to say if this is a blessing or a curse. Tourism entrepreneurs who are reading this might have a shine in their eyes, and even have tears of joy (we are back in business! yaaah!) but the trekker who wants to peacefully enjoy his walking holiday will be like, how can I avoid this rush (damn, sounds like mass tourism!)

There is good news for both parties though. And you can read it in that article hyperlinked above, or in the synopsis right here. Some years ago, the idea of a trans Himalayan trekking route, stretching from Pakistan, and including Tibet, Nepal for most of the way, India and Sikkim began to emerge, and was called the Great Himalayan Trail. The idea was to create this trail that would take several months to complete, but would offer options for people to enter at a particular point and exit at another, giving rise to possibilities of several custom trips (and side trips)... this might save the industry in Nepal... creating increased possibilities for both industry professionals and for the clients alike, so that everyone does not have to tread the same ground.

This has multiple benefits of course. The trekking dominated tourism of Nepal, has mostly been limited to the Annapurna Region, the Everest Region and the Lantang Region, in that order. It is not that trekkers do not go to other areas, but few and far between (good for them, but a small critical mass is required for the industry as a whole and the infrastructure to develop). Also, for too long, these three areas have been the only ones to benefit directly form the tourism Dollar (Oops, should I rather say Euro or Pound?) so its high time the rest of Nepal (which is equally if not more beautiful) gets its share too.

Only recently has new routes such as the Chepang Hill Trail (to Chitwan), Renjo La Trail (Everest Region), the Tamang Heritage Trail (Langtang Region), and Nar Phu Valley trips (Annapurna Region) been worked on and marketed. Good news is trekking these new routes can result in (thankfully) smaller number of other trekkers.

Of course, traditional off the beaten trails like Dolpo, Kanchenjunga, Gauri Shankar Area and Humla have always been there and are reasonably developed, but for normal holiday makers with normal budgets, these are a bit expensive.

So, for the benefit of the Nepal Travel Advisory

ADVISORY:

1. Time your trek in the beginning or end of the tourism season. This will ensure that the villages are not crowded. You will also do something really responsible by doing this. Help spread the tourism season a bit more. Nepal is still beautiful. So when is this

Spring before season timings: early Feb or late April, May

Fall before season timings: End August or Late November, December

2. Be drastic, and choose to come in summer. Yeah, yeah everyone talks about the monsoon and all, but there are tons of areas in the rain shadow, and trekking in summer can be real real cool up there! Places like Manang, Mustang (ok, thats a bit expensive), Gosainkunda etc, can be real fun. We actually even have a big group coming next year in June - (peak summer/rainy season)to go up to Everest Base Camp, and i tell you, they WILL have a blast!

3. Forget the race to EBC, ABC, Kanjin Gompa, and try some of the Off the Beaten Trails... You will notice a drastic difference in the charm of trekking there.

4. Wait a few years, train a lot, and hit the Trans Himalayan Trail for three months, from Pakistan to the Northeastern border of India.

See you in the mountains!

Internalizing Environmental Responsibility

2008-11-21T01:37:00.000-08:00

I can see that it is getting progressively more and more complicated to "put your money where your mouth is" in the world of responsibility. As we "develop" ourselves, we generally get more and more "irresponsible" if we live normal lives, and unless you turn yourself into a eccentric ascetic, you might as well be ready to compromise heavily on what you believe in. I think a beggar in the streets of Kolkata is more environmentally responsible than I am, though I might consider myself the more "sensitive".

Living now in Austria for short time has reinforced the Western dominance in the world of environmental degradation and energy consumption. Agreed, most things seem unavoidable, but I feel that life in air polluted Kathmandu beats living in Austria in terms of environmental responsibility if calculated in terms of "per capita negative impacts".

I work in a cold cellar, with a heater on (I try to turn it off from time to time) and with the onset of winter, its also dark, so I use lights. Everything around me guzzles electricity, and the moment I walk out, I need to drive to go anywhere, mostly alone, as public transport is few and far between where I live. The mailboxes are always full of junk paper, which I would rather not have in the first place, and I need more energy to cook each meal, as I also have to drive to the grocery to bring the stuff back, usually alone in the car. Everything I buy has tons of packing on it, usually plastic, the fruits even have a small brand stamp, which I have to chuck. I could go on, roping in all facets of responsibility, but I think the point is made.

The one thing that I can appreciate is the waste disposal mechanism, where everything is sorted, recycled or vanishes out of view. I think, in Kathmandu, I produce less than one tenth inorganic waste than when I am here, except my waste in Kathmandu is probably on the streets, later taken away to ugly open dumping sites! On the trek, I probably produce very close to zero inorganic waste!

It is also true that one can live a "green" life even here, but I am just a normal person, wanting to live a normal live, albeit a slightly "greener" one.

Unfortunately, in this world, we are all moving towards the lifestyles of the west, and though one might think that "progress" is when Kathmandu will be like Vienna, I am glad I will probably not be there to experience it.

A nation of contrasts!

2008-11-20T04:43:00.001-08:00

It is a day of mixed feelings for me today. Early this morning I got alarm emails from Nepal and the UK concerning the student protests in Kathmandu over the alleged YCL murder / assasination of two youths in a remote district. As stoic Nepalese, we have come to terms that these events are regular normal happenings in Nepal. However, we have clients currently there and their safety is our prime concern. Events such as these always bring the same emotions of hopelessness, sadness, and frustration knowing what potential Nepal has, and how we are effectively throwing it all down a drain.

Later, I read about Subina Shrestha and Dawa Steven Sherpa, and my heart lightened up. Subina is a good friend who was a finalist just last week for the prestigious Rory Peck Award for her outstanding journalism in the Irrawady Delta in Myanmar. She was the first journalist to reach there, posing as a buddhist pilgrim from Nepal.

Dawa Steven Sherpa, a fellow entrepreneur in Nepal, is making us all proud of his innovative conservationist skills, in the world arena. He is only 24, has reached three 8000 + m peaks, Mt. Everest twice... and is a beacon for conservation efforts in mountaineering, and is winning awards right, left and center.

Nepal proves to me more and more regularly, how badly we suck as a country in providing a good environment for the citizens of this country, and how vast the differences are in terms of education, thinking, and understanding of priorities. The students on the streets today are also a proud, fierce lot, but I personally believe that their thinking a bit clouded by the political motives dictated or brainwashed by politicians with ulterior motives, into their young and angry heads. So they go on disrupting live, business, education in the name of change, without realising that they are stomping over their own ingenuity, creativity and potential.

When will Nepal realise that all we have to do is SIT TIGHT. Create a stable country, a stable political environment and sit tight. China and India, in between whom we are fortunately sandwiched, will carry us through!

Where is the Industry now?

2008-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

This follows something that I have written about before, but it is important in my mind that we revisit it. Where is the tourism industry in Nepal today?

The tourism industry had taken quite a hit in the 10 or so years of insurgency in Nepal, which finally seems to have closed its chapter. We have other problems, but hopefully insurgency at a nationwide scale as before will not come now that the Maoists have come overground.

However, the industry proved its resilience, growing even during some peak turmoil years, after the initial shock and lowest point in 2001. I personally think that part of this growth was also a global trend, fueled by the 9/11 attacks, the Bali bombing, the Madrid bombing, and the London bombings, which all proved to people that there were worse problems than in Nepal, and really, we are not really safe anywhere. So people kept coming, and the tourism industry had enough people coming to keep it striving. It also did other things.

It made the industry resilient. The industry had learnt that they have to fend for themselves, and traditional agents in the markets were quick to be disloyal when the advisories went sour. This made companies making efforts at reaching to the market, going into trade fairs, starting building better websites and marketing direct. Clients now are dealing with better websites, service, and more professional companies than before.

Companies are also now more conscious of market requirements and responsibility issues. In 2006, a project on marketing of sustainable products of Nepal by UNEP, SNV, Nepal Tourism Board and the Nepal Government, got over 50 private sector operators join the Sustainable Tourism Network. Several of them got selected for the MAST project and received training and even attended some trade shows as part of the marketing effort. It does not prove much, but shows that operators are conscious and willing to make changes for the market.

Internationalism is also coming in. Nepal recently hosted a major international mountain biking championship, actively does an international kayak championship every year, and boasts the highest marathon in the world, the Everest Marathon, which starts at 5350 meters or so at the Everest Base Camp and ends at 3440 at Namche Bazaar. (interesting fact: the first race was won by a Nepalese trekking cook!)

So the message is: Nepal is more than ready. If anything good came out of the insurgency, it did make the industry more resilient and professional.

Competing with the "developed" world: Issue # 21 - Travel

2008-11-08T02:19:00.000-08:00

Frankly, I have not counted the issues, I have to admit. I just put in # 21 because I am quite sure that the list extends beyond this, and I might continue this series (lets see!). This comes first hand, trying to travel to the UK right now for WTM and years travelling in the "developed" world - for business and to compete in the global travel market as a Nepalese entrepreneur.

Business is about opportunities, and one has to be able to pounce on them. This means the ability to quickly get to places where the opportunities arise. Unfortunately, for a large part of the world, travel has several hindrances, and the biggest hurdle is the visa.

You are guilty unless proven innocent, and the visa official is the judge. We have to prove that we have no intent to stay or seek employment. All this sounds OK, countries have the right to check this. But how can this be proven.

1. Are you employed? If yes, give us originals of your salary sheet for at least three months to six months and a letter of temporary leave from employment.

2. Are you self employed? prove that you have an organization. Is it legal? Give registration papers, and possibly bank statements, to prove that this is not a paper organisation.

3. Are you married? do you have children (you might consider coming back to)?

4. Who invited you to the UK? Do you have papers to prove this? Originals please, no emails or faxes! Can this organisation please prove that you will go back once the business is over? (by the way, there is not much chance that an organisation from "our" parts of the world would have enough money and zeal to actually travel on their own, without having to get an invitation)

5. Have you booked your tickets? Return please. We want to make sure you are coming back. So there is no chance that you can change your dates without spending big money, even if the opportunity arises?

6. Are you applying from your home country, or a country where you are a resident? If not, please go back there to apply. (no way you are allowed to change your itinerary)

7. Do you have enough personal savings? please give us an original of your six monthly bank statement of your personal account.

Finally, after all this preparation, you might get a visa (or you might not!).

Compare this with someone coming from the UK, or the US, or the EU into Asia, or Africa or Latin America, specially in some countries with entry visa that can be bought at the airport, or have a limited gratis visa.

How can WE compete in this globalised world?

btw, I have not been refused the visa!