Letter From PIRT's Executive Director

Something to rejoice about in 2007…
the mainstreaming of Responsible Tourism

By: Bonnie MacLaird, Executive Director, P.I.R.T.

I have to say I'm optimistic about the state of travel right now and traveler's motivations. Perhaps it's just a coincidence but lately everyone I meet and everything I read is sending me signs of a shift towards responsible travel.

If it is true, and not just the universe getting my hopes up, isn't it nice to have something to rejoice as we head into the New Year, especially in a time when we're in a prolonged collective funk? Just the other night, on his interview with Jim Lehrer (Jan 16), I could swear President Bush stammered this being "a dark time for the US psychology", but when I look at the transcripts, it is written as "I mean, we've got a fantastic economy here in the United States, but yet, when you think about the psychology of the country, it is somewhat down because of this war." I believe there's a bit of rewriting going on, but then, I digress, that's not the subject of this letter.

In the past 2 months I have been blessed with uplifting anecdotes, articles and an obvious trend concerning travel and I would like to share my optimism with you, my Partners in Responsible Tourism.

All are different but what they point to, I believe, are three things American travelers are looking for in their travels, and as a result, American travel suppliers are moving towards in their offerings:
1. a desire to connect with other people, to meet and discuss life and opinions
2. a desire to learn and grow, and to give back through service or volunteerism in their travels
3. a desire to use less resources and leave less impact on the planet's environment

Below is my list of inspiring tidbits I've collected. These are in no particular order, but each gives me a glimmer of hope that yes, Responsible Travel is now becoming mainstream and not the exception!

" Last week I met an artist from St. Louis who spent over a year gathering art supplies from his friends and colleagues and traveled to Afghanistan where he volunteered to teach art (specifically paper mache) to high-school students. He says he was motivated after seeing the statues destroyed in Afghanistan by fanatics a few years back. He saved his meager earnings to travel to make a difference in the lives of students who hadn't ever had art instruction.

" A friend of mine has organized tours to Costa Rica under the company name "Joyful Living Tours". On her first tour this past December, the participants spent a joyful day helping out in an orphanage where children await adoption. This was a highlight of the trip. She tells me every tour is created to have 1-2 days of service, in addition to the rainforest hikes, beach days, river-rafting and all the other fun that can be had in Costa Rica.

" The Stanford Inn (www.stanfordinn.com), a 43-room hotel in Mendocino, CA, has a mission to teach sustainable living, organic vegetarian & vegan dining, recycling of waste, and respect of the planet. This beautiful hotel offers complimentary bicycles, encourages guests to bring their pets, teaches recycling, holistic health, and overall slowing down. Granted probably lots of such hotels exist, but I personally haven't come across any who put their dollars where their hearts are.

" I hear talk that cruise executives are very excited about the technology to make cruise ships 100% green, including propulsion, onboard supplies, food selection, and waste management. Wouldn't that make a big difference!

" CSAA Travel has sub-contracted some tours in 2007 through Global Exchange Reality Tours (www.realitytours.org) in recognition of the sizable market of travelers who are not looking for luxury or comfort, but rather, want to meet people, attend community meetings, and learn the issues in China, Peru, and other countries.

" The January 2006 issue of Travel & Leisure magazine ran a feature article on carbon-offsetting; the impact of our collective travel, and ways we can reduce our individual carbon-use. (http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/global-warming-and-the-travelers-world) At first read you might think "How can my not packing hard-cover books on flights really make a difference?" But when you think about it, all change is the sum of individual actions. Bravo to T&L for discussing the subject with specific ways to minimize our individual impact. (below are the author's 6 suggestions for making a difference…)

Six Ways to Make a Difference, by Aaron Clark, T&L magazine 1/2007 & online
1. Offset your carbon output to theoretically cancel out the CO2 you are responsible for. You can buy offsets not just for air travel but also for your car. And keep your eyes peeled for the debut of the Bright Card (www.brightpla.net)-a credit card that instead of offering frequent-flier miles or other rewards invests your money in alternative-energy projects.
2. Support green hotels and sustainable tourism companies. Visit national parks, and seek out hotels that have been certified by an independent third party for their environmental friendliness. Many places, and even some countries, rely on tourist dollars to preserve delicate ecosystems and indigenous communities. Visit www.sustainabletravel.com for more information.
3. Choose public transportation whenever possible to cut down on auto emissions-according to a Department of Energy report in 2003, motor gasoline "has been responsible for about 60 percent of U.S. carbon emissions over the last twenty years." If you rent a car, look for companies, such as EV Rental Cars, that specialize in hybrid electric vehicles.
4. Leave the hardcover books at home. The wide variety of airplane types makes it impossible to quantify the impact of a passenger's luggage weight, but planes use more fuel, and thus produce more emissions, when they carry heavier loads.
5. Reduce your CO2 output at home so traveling will have less impact on your total CO2 load. Carpool to work if you can't take public transportation, order products online to cut down on trips to the mall, drive a hybrid car, and use fluorescent light bulbs and energy-efficient refrigerators and washers. You can calculate your full carbon footprint on such Web sites as www.carbonneutral.com.
6. Eat, drink, and buy locally-the goods you consume won't have been flown or trucked in, so you're saving significant emissions.
-Aaron Clark Copyright © 2007, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.
" A Presbyterian minister in my hometown of Sausalito emails his "musings" weekly. His January 11th musings is the story of his organizing annually a group of Stanford students to visit strawberry growers in Watsonville, California and what they took away from the last trip. I include the link here for you to read because to me it exemplifies the value and beauty of traveling at its best…the opportunity to really connect with people different from ourselves, and learn about them, and to learn about ourselves in the process. http://tcpc.blogs.com/musings/2007/01/deep_respect.html

May we all grow and continue to learn from each other this year. In that spirit, if you would like to compile your own list of signs of hope about Responsible Travel, I will be glad to include them on our PIRT website. Let's share the optimism this year and continue to make it a reality.

We still have work ahead for Responsible Travel, including pushing our leaders to fulfill the promises they made, helping suppliers to achieve their responsible travel goals, increasing the connections and the possibilities to Responsible Travel among the general public and verifying the hype. Your support of PIRT helps keep the Responsible Travel movement going forward.

Thank you for believing in Responsible Travel and for helping "mainstream" this movement!

Bonnie MacLaird
Executive Director
PARTNERS IN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM (P.I.R.T.)
www.PIRT.org

P.S. If you would like to renew your support of our website and events, please send your check to PIRT, c/o Noe Guerrero, 6816 Thornhill Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611

Top Photo: Bonnie visiting the Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro, December 2007

Partners in Responsible Tourism
email info@pirt.org