1  

Communique #50 Autumn (Fall) (downunder) 2014

New Guinea & Eastern Indonesia expedition cruise: February 2014

‘As a niche travel genre, expedition cruising is not for everybody.’ www.expeditioncruising.com/ National Geographic: Birds of Paradise, Papua New Guinea.

Short version https://www.youtube.com/embed/REP4S0uqEOc 28 minute version https://www.youtube.com/embed/REP4S0uqEOc

Suzanne Noakes provided on-board cultural tourism guiding services for this recent two week yacht expedition through the tropical waters of New Guinea and the eastern islands of Indonesia. The Seadream vessels achieved the two ratings in the ‘Boutique Ships’ category of the 2013 Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. www.seadream.com/voyages/21405

  2  

A GIFT @ Griffith University

Steve Noakes & Professor Susanne Becken, inaugural Director of the new Griffith Institute for Tourism @ Griffith University, Australia.

Indonesia – staying at lodges owned/operated by Ecolodges Indonesia

Kalimantan, Sumatra & Flores Wildlife Walking Safari. Departs: 24 August 2014 Contact Suzanne Noakes: Suzanne@parktours.com.au

http://www.parktours.com.au/walking-holidays/asia-pacific/kalimantan-sumatra-flores-wildlife-safari-2014#.UvGLUHeSzvE

PAT founder, Steve Noakes has been appointed an Adjunct Professor with the new Griffith Institute for Tourism (GIFT) - officially launched in March 2014 - mission is to undertake and disseminate world leading research in tourism, to effect both an academic and external impact. Following the triple bottom line concept, the key areas of impact of research undertaken at GIFT reflect economic, social and environmental dimensions:

Ø Business, Destination and Organisational Viability (Economy) Ø Health, Quality Experience, and Well-being (Individuals) Ø Environmental Resilience and Nature Conservation (Environment)

GIFT has 22 academic/research staff and 21 PhD scholars.

  Brisbane: Visit by Secretary General of United Nations World Tourism Organisation Steve Noakes & Susanne Becken had the opportunity to discuss options for more collaborations between GIFT and the UNWTO when Secretary General, Dr Taleb Rifai, visited Brisbane in February. GIFT is in the process of becoming the Griffith University focal point for Affiliate membership of the UNWTO.

  3  

One day Customer Service training

http://www.slideshare.net/SteveNoakes/aussie-host-suzanne-noakes-25230297

Sustainable Travel International

Steve Noakes is a member of the board of the USA based not-for-profit, STI, a global thought-leader in sustainable tourism since 2002.

Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development Ø PAT as APO for new volunteer in Myanmar. Ø AYAD brand to go – program stays.

As Myanmar’s government undertakes the transition towards democratisation, historical volunteer positions funded by Australian AID are allowing skilled Australian professionals and Youth Ambassadors to contribute to current peace building efforts and work directly with Myanmar’s government and civil society organisations. On behalf of PAT, Steve Noakes & Paul Rogers will be the Australian Partner Organisation (APO) for the very first AYAD 12 month volunteer position to commence with the Ministry and Tourism and Hotels from May 2014.

http://www.ode.dfat.gov.au/publications/pdf/avid-report-jan-2014.pdf The Age of Sustainable Development

Suzanne Noakes is Australia’s most experienced person delivering the one day Aussie Host Customer Service program since it was introduced to Australia by the Inbound Tourism Organisation of Australia (ITOA – now ATEC) in the early 1990s. It is modelled on the successful Canadian Super Host program established in 1985 and observed by Suzanne when she lived in Vancouver BC between 1987 and 1989. Suzanne can also develop and deliver one day customer service programs for South Pacific and Asian destinations and enterprises.

 

STI conducts a range of online webinars on key sustainable tourism issues which can be accessed at anytime at http://vimeo.com/channels/344557/videos

Meantime, the Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) at the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade conducts evaluations and reviews to assess the effectiveness of Australian aid to country programs and priority sectors, identify areas of good practice and highlight important lessons. ODE has released its evaluation of the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program, finding that AVID is making an effective contribution to the Australian Government’s development objectives, and that volunteers are a cost effective form of development assistance. It also found that maintaining both the AVID and AYAD brands led to confusion overseas and did not support the single program, single brand approach that the introduction of AVID in 2011 was aiming to achieve. DFAT has accepted all seven of the reports recommendations, one of which is that the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) brand be retired. While the AYAD brand will be retired, the Australian Government will continue to provide overseas volunteering opportunities to young Australians through the AVID Program  

Steve Noakes is about to complete an indepth online course delivered on www.coursera.org by leading sustainable development researcher and policy maker, Prof Jeffrey Sachs. The 14 week course offers a broad overview of the key challenges and potential solutions to achieve sustainable development in the 21st century. https://www.coursera.org/course/susdev

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/1804  

  4  

Australian Leadership Award Fellowships (Australian AID) funded program from Lombok, Indonesia

For the 2nd year, in March 2014, Steve Noakes has the pleasure to address this ALAF group during their time at Sunshine Coast University, Queensland – part of an intensive 4 week integrated coastal sustainable management program conducted in south-east Queensland.

!!

Indonesia!&!Pariwisata!berkelanjutan.!!(Sustainable!tourism)!

!Pendekatan!kebijakan!&!manajemen!!Approaches!to!policy!&!management!by!government,!NGOs!&!private!sector.!

!!!Indonesian)Australian)Leadership)Award)Fellowship)(ALAF))

Advancing!integrated!sustainable!management!of!Lombok!Timur!Coast!&!Islands!Sunshine)Coast)University,)24)March)2014!

Steve!Noakes,!steve@pacificasiatourism.org!!

!

Adjunct!Professor,!Griffith!InsFtute!for!Tourism!

!

Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

Samoa Completes “Early Adopter” Assessment of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations .

First destination in the South Pacific Region adopts criteria and indicators for sustainable tourism Samoa is the first South Pacific destination to complete the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Early Adopter Program and the second destination in the world to do so at the national level. The Early Adopter Program applies the recently developed GSCT Destination Criteria in assessing current sustainability levels and providing direction for future improvements. These guidelines complement the existing GSTC Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators, which is the worldwide sustainability standard for tourism businesses.

Asia Pacific post-2015 priorities, MDG8 and Global Partnerships

See more at: http://blogs.adb.org/blog/asia-pacific-post-2015-priorities-mdg8-and-global-partnerships#sthash.98dpZs6c.dpuf

  5  

Resources:

Third annual edition of The Guide to Sustainable Tourism

http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/01.2014-sustainable-tourism-guide-10MB-dbl-pg-sprd.pdf

Produced by the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), USA, in April 2014.

http://www.responsibletravel.org/projects/documents/2014_Trends_&_Statistics_Final.pdf

Global Reporting Initiative: Sustainability Reporting Guidelines

In this context G4 was planned and developed. The GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are periodically reviewed to provide the best and most up-to-date guidance for effective sustainability reporting. The aim of G4, the fourth such update, is to help reporters prepare sustainability reports that matter, contain valuable information about the organization’s most critical sustainability-related issues, and make such sustainability reporting standard practice. https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRIG4-Part1-Reporting-Principles-and-Standard-Disclosures.pdf

Certification standard for carbon mitigation projects

Certifies renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management and land use & forest carbon offset projects to ensure that they all demonstrate greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and sustainable development benefits in local communities that are measured, reported and verified. Established in 2003 by WWF, The Gold Standard is the only certification standard endorsed by more than 85 NGOs worldwide, including Care International, World Vision Australia, Forum for the Future and Mercy Corps. Used by H&M, DHL, Swiss Post, Nokia, Virgin Atlantic, Panasonic, TUI Travel and FIFA. UN agencies use The Gold Standard for the development of their own carbon mitigation and sustainable development projects. Gold Standard projects must adhere to a stringent and transparent set of criteria developed by the Secretariat, overseen by an independent Technical Advisory Committee and verified by UN accredited independent auditors. The certification process requires the involvement of local stakeholders and NGOs.

Internationally agreed disclosures and metrics enable information contained within sustainability reports to be made accessible and comparable, providing stakeholders with enhanced information to inform their decisions.

A certification standard for carbon mitigation projects in both the compliance and voluntary carbon markets. www.cdmgoldstandard.org  

Growth of conscientious travelers is being driven by a confluence of lifestyle trends that suggest that the demand for responsible tourism is likely to remain strong into the future Certification standard for carbon mitigation projects

 

  6  

Tourism & animals – Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

In many tourism destinations around the world, opportunities to view or interact with wildlife are commonly offered and very popular with a large number of consumers. Whilst tourism can be a means for positive interactions between tourists and animals, where such attractions are not carefully managed or do not exhibit best practice there is the potential that such attractions can jeopardise animal welfare or the customer experience.

http://abta.com/about-abta/raising-standards/animal-welfare#!

Animal Welfare Policy: http://67d8396e010decf37f33-5facf23e658215b1771a91c2df41e9fe.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/general/Animal_Welfare_Policy.pdf

Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism: http://67d8396e010decf37f33-5facf23e658215b1771a91c2df41e9fe.r14.cf3.rackcdn.com/publications/GWforAnimalsinTourism_web.pdf OECD Outlook for South East Asia

Bhutan—critical development constraints

http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2013/bhutan-critical-development-constraints.pdf

Pacific Export Survey Pacific Islands Trade & Invest and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade invite you to participate in the first ever Pacific Export Survey. This survey is the first comprehensive survey of its kind in the region that goes direct to the exporters of goods and service (such as tourism businesses) to ask for their views.

http://www.pacificexportsurvey.com/?utm_source=Maxmail&utm_medium=Maxmail&utm_campaign=Pacific%20Export%20Survey%20-%20Main%20Campaign

The Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2014 - an annual publication - provides an update of medium-term macroeconomic trends (including five-year projections and impact of monetary easing in OECD countries on Asia), country-specific structural policy notes and a thematic focus which varies in each volume. The special thematic focus of 2014 edition is dedicated to policy priorities for growing beyond “middle-income trap” in Emerging Asia.  http://www.oecd.org/site/seao/

Bhutan’s policymakers have been aiming to achieve harmony and balance in the economic development process. Bhutan experienced strong economic growth during 2001–2011, with its economy growing at an annual average of 8.4%.

 

  7  

40 maps that will help you make sense of the world.

Countries that do not use metric. Worldwide driving orientation.

http://asheepnomore.net/2013/12/29/40-maps-will-help-make-sense-world/

Estimates of economic growth in the world economic between AD 1 and 2010. Bolt, J. and J.L. van Zanden (2013). The First Update of the Maddison Project: Re-Estimating Growth Before 1820. Maddison Project Working Paper 4. http://www.ggdc.net/maddison/maddison-project/data.htm Almost half of the world’s wealth is now owned by just 1% of the population.

http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/working-for-the-few-economic-inequality

The World Economic Forum

Mapping the skies – aviation flows & history

http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2014/aviation-100-years?CMP=twt_gu

Human Rights: 2014 World Report

Stopping mass atrocities, majority bullying and abusive counterterrorism.

http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/essays/rights-struggles-of-2013

In this paper, Oxfam shows how extreme inequality is not inevitable, with examples of policies from around the world which have reduced inequality and developed more representative politics, benefiting all, both rich and poor. Oxfam called on leaders at the 2014 World Economic Forum at Davos to make the commitments needed to counter the growing tide of inequality.

 

An independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. http://www.weforum.org/  

  8  

World Bank: Virtual learning classroom

http://einstitute.worldbank.org/ei/node/103

World Bank: FDI on tourism

Foreign investment in tourism is recognized as a significant source of growth, employment, and improvement for a country’s overall tourism offering and revenues. New World Bank et al report at https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/advisory-services/investment-generation/investment-policy-and-promotion/gipb/winning-tourism-investment.cfm

Tourism: https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/advisory-services/investment-generation/tourism/ Overpopulated: BBC Documentary (59+ minutes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz_kn45qIvI Internet Archive The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. https://archive.org 23 old ads that would be banned today

http://news-hound.org/23-vintage-ads-that-would-be-banned-today/

Ground breaking BBC Documentary discussing overpopulation on the planet we call earth. Hans Rosling is a Swedish medical doctor, academic, statistician and public speaker - Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute and co-founder and chairman of the Gapminder Foundation, which developed the Trendalyzer software system.

https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/advisory-services/investment-generation/investment-policy-and-promotion/gipb/upload/Tourism-GIPB-report.pdf