The impacts of tourism on a destination

Watch your presentations and do the self-assessment tasks below.

Choose the appropriate descriptors. Looking back at my presentation:

 I am happy with my performance
 I had prepared my presentation thoroughly
 The subject of my presentation was a good choice
 My presentation was structured clearly
 The support materials I used were appropriate
 I was comfortable throughout the presentation
 I paid attention to the audience
 My classmates were interested in my presentation
 My classmates asked interesting questions
 My classmates’ feedback was useful
 My teacher’s feedback was useful
 The comments on my presentation were suitable
 Everything went as I had expected
 It was a positive learning experience

Make comments on each one of the following aspects concerning your oral presentation:

 Linguistic use (grammar/vocabulary accuracy, range & adequacy)
 Task achievement (efficient achievement of communicative purpose, content relevance & extent)
 Fluency & pronunciation (speech flow, intonation, stress & rhythm)
 Communicative resources (use of linguistic and non-linguistic resources, support materials, attitude)

General comments:

 Did anything go wrong during your presentation? What could you have done to avoid it?
 Which aspect of your presentation are you most proud of?
 How did the beginning / development / end of your presentation go?
 Would you like to repeat your presentation? Would you change anything?
 If you could do your presentation again, do you think your performance would be better now? Why / why not?
 Others

Sustainable tourism report

TotemTourism is a company that helps destinations to create and market new sustainable tourism offers. Read their annual report.

Sustainable Tourism Report 2013/14

Will tourism survive as we know it? Where are today’s opportunities?

Sustainable tourism was initiated 20 years ago, when international tourist carryings were only 500million –now over 1billion. The idea was to make tourism a more sensitive activity, to reduce its negative economic, social, environmental and cultural effects and to strengthen its positive impact. The effect would be to create an industry that would engage with the Earth’s dangers, take responsibility for its own activities and operate in a way which would have truly positive benefits for all.

Airlines represent at least 40% of tourism’s 4% of global carbon emissions. Air travel is set to double by 2032 representing a serious challenge. The rail industry is dramatically growing and greening, with high speed train lines alone scheduled to be expanding from 22,196km today to over 50,000km in just 11 years time. Paris-Barcelona, Bejing-Guangzhou, Moscow-St Petersburg are just a few new lines. As for cruises, two major cruise companies currently represent over 71% of the global business, which amounts to over 20 million passengers a year. Cruise holidays involve the dumping of all sorts of waste in the ocean.

Tour operators now get it. Recognising the market desire for greener holidays, global tour operators and OTAs (including TUI, Thomas Cook and Kuoni) are embracing dramatic changes incorporating many aspects of sustainable tourism. They include green supply chain management, child protection, human rights and labour conditions with a concern for environmental management.

All over the world destinations now really understand, making tremendous advances: creating car-free and soft-mobility destinations, starting potent local food initiatives, creating dynamic, sustainable, fun, profitable city centres, setting up innovative marketing partnerships and funding schemes. They are also branding and marketing their tourism products effectively, sustainably and profitably.

Over the next 20 years:

-The tourism industry can address its emissions challenges and its potentially negative social costs. If so, tourism could reach its true potential as a global driver to a green economy and also be a real global force for good.

-The green, experiential, real tourism marketplace could increase dramatically, stimulated by a growing global middle class who wishes to live Lifestyles Of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS). This market -which is said now to represent some 20% of the global middle classes- is on the move again. The global middle class itself is forecast to grow from 2billion now to 5billion in the next 17 years.

-New tourism -the peer-to-peer economy- will continue its boom because of its informality and cheapness and fun-factor.

In today’s sustainable tourism world there are massive opportunities –not just economic but social, environmental and cultural too.

Adapted from TotemTourism’s Sustainable Tourism Report 2013/14, available at http://www.totemtourism.com

Sustainable tourism options

Having read TotemTourism’s Sustainable Tourism Report 2013/14, now watch these videos showing two eco-friendly options:

1. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOPF), a movement that links volunteers with organic farms and growers. Click on http://www.wwoof.net/welcome-to-wwoof/

2. Hotel Costa Vella, a boutique hotel in Santiago de Compostela. Click on the link to watch an interview to the owner, Mr. José Antonio Linares. Also available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQQGdi2upnw&list=UUUcJDfIcA-oO4gFR5o0tjDA.
If you wish, you can visit the hotel’s website at: http://www.costavella.com/

Then answer the following questions:

-After watching the videos, which option appeals more to you as a user? Why?
-Which one would you prefer to work for? Why?
-After reading the report, which aspect do you find most surprising / interesting / disturbing? Why?
-Do you agree that “in today’s sustainable tourism world there are massive opportunities – not just economic but social, environmental and cultural too”?
-As future professionals in the tourism industry, how could you take advantage of such “massive opportunities”?