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Promoting Fair Travel Promoting Fair Travel in Finlandin Finland
Mari MeroMari Merofounder and former president,founder and former president,
Association for Fair Travel, FinlandAssociation for Fair Travel, FinlandGeneral Manager, Travel Agency Avara MaailmaGeneral Manager, Travel Agency Avara Maailma
PresentationPresentation
Background and the beginningBackground and the beginning Target groups and aimsTarget groups and aims ActivitiesActivities Media responseMedia response Challenges and success storiesChallenges and success stories The future?The future?
BackgroundBackground
Travels in Africa, Asia, Latin America Travels in Africa, Asia, Latin America in 1989-2001in 1989-2001
Studies in environment conservation Studies in environment conservation (MSc 2001)(MSc 2001)
Setting up Travel Agency Avara Setting up Travel Agency Avara Maailma in 2002:Maailma in 2002:– Responsible adventure tourism into Responsible adventure tourism into
Third World CountriesThird World Countries
’’Fair Travel’Fair Travel’
Travel Fair MATKA Travel Fair MATKA January 2003January 2003
Interview in Interview in Helsingin sanomatHelsingin sanomat
Immediate Immediate response from the response from the media, travelling media, travelling public and tourism public and tourism sector sector
Association for Fair TravelAssociation for Fair Travel
public debate on issues concerning public debate on issues concerning tourism impacts in March 2003tourism impacts in March 2003
establishing the association in establishing the association in response to the feedbackresponse to the feedback– 3 founding members, all tourism 3 founding members, all tourism
professionalsprofessionals– in 2010, almost 300 membersin 2010, almost 300 members
mostly former tourism students and tourism mostly former tourism students and tourism lecturerslecturers
less than 10 active membersless than 10 active members
AimsAims
to raise discussion and encourage to raise discussion and encourage debate on tourism impactsdebate on tourism impacts
to highlight and question existing to highlight and question existing practices, structures and methods practices, structures and methods
to develop, publish and promote to develop, publish and promote priciples of Fair Travelpriciples of Fair Travel
to ENCOURAGE and give POSITIVE to ENCOURAGE and give POSITIVE examples of responsible practicesexamples of responsible practices
Target GroupsTarget Groups
1)1) The travelling publicThe travelling public
2)2) Tourism professionals, especially Tourism professionals, especially studentsstudents
3)3) The travel industry The travel industry
ActivitiesActivities
Media workMedia work Talks and presentations Talks and presentations Sustainable Travel DaysSustainable Travel Days Theme eveningsTheme evenings Travel FairsTravel Fairs Travel Photography ContestsTravel Photography Contests
Fair Traveller’s InstructionsFair Traveller’s Instructions
Autumn 2003 Autumn 2003 response to media pressureresponse to media pressure working group of 6-8 people from working group of 6-8 people from
varying backgrounds varying backgrounds – technical support from tourism students: technical support from tourism students:
literature survey of existing sets of adviceliterature survey of existing sets of advice– summary and modificationsummary and modification
NOTE: meant for ALL travelNOTE: meant for ALL travel
Talks and presentationsTalks and presentations
Travel FairsTravel Fairs Trade ShowsTrade Shows Tourism Vocational Schools, Tourism Vocational Schools,
Colleges, PolytechnicsColleges, Polytechnics Conferences in Finland and abroadConferences in Finland and abroad
Sustainable Travel DaysSustainable Travel Days
2004: A get-together for Tourism 2004: A get-together for Tourism Teachers and Education PlannersTeachers and Education Planners
2006: Tourism and Climate Change2006: Tourism and Climate Change– adaptation AND mitigation adaptation AND mitigation
2008: Cultural Impacts of Tourism2008: Cultural Impacts of Tourism– students and teachersstudents and teachers
Theme eveningsTheme evenings
Travel PhotographyTravel Photography Tourism and Tourism and
Climate ChangeClimate Change Cultural Impacts of Cultural Impacts of
TourismTourism
Travel Fair MATKA 2009Travel Fair MATKA 2009
””Our World – Our Common Our World – Our Common Responsibility”Responsibility”
over 80.000 visitors over 80.000 visitors Partnering with FinnexpoPartnering with Finnexpo
– 40 volunteers promoting Fair Travel40 volunteers promoting Fair Travel– talks, presentationstalks, presentations– motivational videomotivational video– testimonials from celebritiestestimonials from celebrities
Travel Photography Travel Photography ContestsContests
Encounters on a Encounters on a journey – cultural journey – cultural impacts of tourism impacts of tourism (2007)(2007)
Tourism preserving Tourism preserving and modifiying and modifiying culture (2010)culture (2010)
Media responseMedia response
overwhelmingly positiveoverwhelmingly positive over 100 stories, interviews and over 100 stories, interviews and
appearances in TV, Radio, appearances in TV, Radio, Newspapers and Lifestyle MagazinesNewspapers and Lifestyle Magazines
mostly focusing on Fair Traveller’s mostly focusing on Fair Traveller’s Instructions Instructions
Success storiesSuccess stories media responsemedia response feedback from tourism students and feedback from tourism students and
educational institutionseducational institutions growing demand for lectures and growing demand for lectures and
presentationspresentations incorporation and promotion of Fair Travel incorporation and promotion of Fair Travel
principles in published policies of tourism principles in published policies of tourism sector businessessector businesses
requests for comments on CSR drafts and requests for comments on CSR drafts and Sustainable Travel Charters (Helsinki Sustainable Travel Charters (Helsinki Declaration)Declaration)
ChallengesChallenges
FundingFunding Number of committed activists, Number of committed activists,
speakers and actorsspeakers and actors Proper (or any) wages for speakers Proper (or any) wages for speakers
and writers on responsible traveland writers on responsible travel Real changes in actions, not just Real changes in actions, not just
policiespolicies The Public: from awareness to action?The Public: from awareness to action?
The FutureThe Future
Changes in the Board: new blood, Changes in the Board: new blood, new ideasnew ideas
Collaboration with Businesses, Collaboration with Businesses, Educational institutions and Tourism Educational institutions and Tourism BoardsBoards
Training more speakers: the Training more speakers: the Ambassadors of Sustainable Travel Ambassadors of Sustainable Travel (2011)(2011)
