RT Fringe Meet, Kathmandu: Press Release

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

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!

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

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!

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).