Business developer for sustainable tourism

Fair Travel was employed for three consecutive years as a responsible tourism expert by Akademi Båstad, a higher vocational education in the south of Sweden. Akademi Båstad wanted to explore the idea of starting up a new education on sustainable development in tourism and therefore needed the expertise.

As an experienced lecturer and with insight in the tourism industry of Sweden, the idea and initiative was very positive and interesting. There’s a lack of knowledge about sustainability in the industry today while also, there’s a huge gap that needs to be filled by educations to both provide the knowledge through future staff but also to link the educational world with the needs of the industry.

No demand for sustainability?

Three consecutive applications was submitted over three years, where the authorities claimed that there was no need for this knowledge and that the industry isn’t in demand for it. Outrageous claims as studies, reports and industry interviews beg to differ. The previous application was rejected in January 2012 and with that in mind, I wrote a critical article on the issue as a guest columnist in Travel Report, in May 2012. Read it here. The last application written in 2012 was was finally approved in January 2013 and the first class started in September 2013.

Fair Travel part of the management team

Fair Travel was part of the management team for the new education together with other important players from the national tourism and travel industry, with a mission to secure the content and quality of the course.
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The course provided knowledge of work processes, which permeates all levels to achieve sustainable development. Education is required in order to meet increased demands in the future.

Work placement

Work placement allowed development of knowledge and skills in collaboration with one or more companies.

SMURF

The SMURF-project is a joint initiative between Fair Travel, Wild Sweden and the Swedish Centre for Nature Interpretation with an aim to explore the possibilities of securing a quality assurance on guiding in Sweden.

The background and need to the initiative can be found in the non-existing guide certification in Sweden. The quality of the various guides that host and lead tourists in Sweden is therefore hard to ensure. The pilot-project investigated what can be found in terms of educations and the need and interest for a certification of safari guides in Sweden.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the project is that there is indeed many different educations catering for future guides but there seem to be a lack for proper training for guides within the industry to enhance quality and status. It also seems that the industry response is positive, which would make a new safari guide course possible, with an aim to raise the quality of guiding interpretation in the Swedish Nature, but also to be used as a tool for quality assurance.

The baseline of this project has led way to the implementation of a certification for nature guides in Sweden, under the management of FUN – Föreningen för nationell Utbildningsform för Naturguider.

TREBLE

The TREBLE – Triple Bottom Line (3BL) Approach in Sustainable Tourism Development in the Baltic Sea Region project is a 12-month assessment program started in November 2013 and is based on the awareness of the huge potential of the tourism sector to contribute to the EU 2020 and European Blue Growth agenda in terms of smart and sustainable growth, and to bring forward sustainable rural development that ensures quality of life and employment opportunities in rural settings of the Baltic Sea Region aimed at SMMEs.

Corporate Social Responsibility

The initiative builds on results from previous activities and programs on Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR and Sustainable Tourism Development, through Swedish Institute partnerships and EU funded projects. The results showcase the needs for practical application and tools for sustainable tourism development and effective types of incentives when promoting CSR activities, in the Baltic Sea Region.

Fostering a green economy

TREBLE – 3BL for sustainable tourism development in the BSR has been developed with the view to implement the CBSS Strategy on Sustainable Development 2010 – 2015 under the main area of cooperation “Sustainable Urban Rural development” and “Development of sustainable tourism strategies” as well as its contribution to fostering a green economy in the Baltic Sea Region that ensures smart and sustainable growth that allows for economic profit while respecting social and environmental needs and boundaries.

Project aim

TREBLE is primarily being developed to assess and analyze the need to build knowledge and capacity among relevant players in the tourism sector on sustainable tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region. Aimed at small, medium and micro sized enterprises, SMMEs, the project is focusing on the application of a triple bottom line approach for a sustainable tourism development in cooperation with relevant travel trade organizations and other stakeholders in the region.
Establishing cross-border network

The project seeks to extend the already existing but fragmented networks of relevant actors with the aim to also establish a relevant network of partners for a second phase, larger project application, to showcase, develop and implement solutions that will not only help SMMEs comply with the ever increasing demands, but also demonstrate that sustainable tourism development based on a 3BL approach, doesn’t necessary mean an additional burden, but increases productivity/profitability while protecting environmental and social values.

Responsible Tourism Networking

As an initiative from the annual seminar Tourism, Travel and Sustainable Development, started in Stockholm in 2011, we launched the first Nordic network on Responsible Tourism. The network was the spawn of the global Responsible Tourism Networking group that started at the WTM in London 2007.

The vision of the network was to become a meeting place for the international and national tourism industries in the Nordic region. The network was to act as a driving force for change and development towards a long-term sustainable future.

The aim was to host networking events across the Nordic region in combination with the tourism and travel events in Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Oslo and Helsinki, but also to facilitate the possibility of interaction within the industry through other types of events.

To achieve change on our own is hard, but together in unity we can inspire and create a change for the better to all stakeholders involved in travel and tourism. You can join the network via Facebook. Let’s connect, let’s make business and let’s change the industry for the better. Join the network!

Since the launch of the initiative, RTNN joined forces with the bigger group RTN. Please join us here!