by SustainableTravel.org

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – The Sustainable Travel Leadership Network (STLN) hosted an interactive discussion on TravelWell, an exciting new initiative designed to transform decision-making in the travel industry, on May 15th, 2013 in Jamaica. The event, co-hosted by Condé Nast Traveler, Virgin Holidays, and global NGO Sustainable Travel International, is invitation only, and took place 9:00 am at Secrets Wild Orchid Resort in Montego Bay.

The STLN comprises leading companies from every sector of the travel industry, including some of the most prominent airlines, cruise lines, travel aggregators, hotel companies, and tour operators in the world. The STLN, which is convened by Sustainable Travel International, is the only travel organization that works exclusively on sustainability issues across all sectors of the industry.

TravelWell is a tool being designed by the STLN to promote good tourism that improves lives. Once completed, the tool will be the first to provide travel companies around the world with a transparent means to evaluate suppliers and encourage sustainability at the destination level. It will also help governments to assess their policies and practices, providing specific guidelines for sustainable destination management. With the potential addition of a consumer application, the tool could dramatically increase the demand for sustainable travel products, changing the way consumers think about and book travel.

“We think the travel industry really needs an approach like TravelWell,” said Dorinda Elliott, Global Affairs Editor at Condé Nast Traveler, a founding partner of the STLN. “It will help travel companies and destinations to demonstrate and communicate their sustainability initiatives and good practices, and ultimately, be recognized and rewarded for them.  We hope this project will help empower travelers to make smart decisions when they travel, too.”

The breakfast event will bring approximately 40-50 tourism leaders together with the STLN to better understand and provide input on TravelWell. Condé Nast Traveler ‘s Elliott will host a conversation with industry leaders, including STLN representatives and local entrepreneurs, on TravelWell and increasing the benefits of tourism. Panel participants include: Aram Zerunian of Half Moon; Marc Melville of Chuka Caribbean Adventures; Rich Pruitt of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; Jason Patterson, Branson Centre Entrepreneur; and Seleni Matus of Sustainable Travel International.

Businesses participating in the event include: Abercrombie & Kent, Carnival Corporation & plc, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Finnair Group, Globus Family of Brands, Loews Hotels, Micato Safaris, Pacific Beachcomber, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and host Virgin Holidays.

To learn more or to inquire about invitations to this event, please contact Sustainable Travel International’s Vice President of Business Development. www.sustainabletravel.org

[PHOTO CAPTION: Left to Right: Euneika Rogers-Sipp, Chief Regenerative Officer, SURREF; Diana McIntyre-Pike, President Countrystyle Community Tourism Network/Villages as Businesses & IIPT Caribbean; Brian Herlihy, Sustainable Travel Intl. and Jamie Sweeting, Chairman, Sustainable Travel International and Selini Matus, VP for Latin American and the Caribbean. Delegates of the Caribbean and USA pictured with Sustainable Travel International executives.] Photo Credit: Positive Tourism News/PRCaribbean.com

Related story:

Minister Edmund Bartlett gives nod to STLN TravelWell Sustainability Tool

by  Positive Tourism News

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Edmund Bartlett, shadow Tourism Minister, opened the Sustainable Travel Leadership Network (STLN) spring meeting on May 15, 2013 at Secrets Wild Orchid Resort, Montego Bay, St. James.  STLN hosted the interactive discussion on TravelWell, an exciting new initiative designed to enable travelers and businesses to make sustainable choices and to recognize and incentivize good business practice.

The invitation-only event was co-hosted by Condé Nast Traveler, Virgin Holidays, and global NGO Sustainable Travel International and well-attended by an international cast of delegates from Jamaica, Tahiti, the Caribbean and United States.

Minister Bartlett made a brief appearance at the meeting before having to rejoin the closing budget debates in Parliament.   He offered a refreshing look at responsible tourism vis-à-vis the conduit of travel – “travel helps to make people have a chance to become what they want to be…communities that were unknown with no structure, by virtue of tourism, find that a new life has been given to them. The backwoods of some country appear that tourism has brought new life to them; we have to be careful to make people comfortable with tourism – I thought very hard about this.”

The shadow Tourism Minister raised a very important point about sustainable tourism which has also been carefully explored by Diana McIntyre-Pike, President, Countrystyle Community Tourism and International Institute for Peace through Tourism, Caribbean Chapter who was in attendance; she believes that villages are businesses comprised of human, cultural and social capital. When the socio-cultural and heritage components are properly developed, which includes training and economic opportunities, entrepreneurs build on this capital by offering community tourism products, rooms and attractions for foreign visitors to consume.

Following the welcome and introductory presentations, a panel discussion moderated by Dinda Elliot, Editor, Conde Nast Traveler, included several examples of successful companies in the industry such as Half Moon (Aram Zerunian, General Manager); Chukka Caribbean Adventures (Marc Melville, Co-Managing Director); Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Rich Pruitt, AVO Safety & Environmental Stewardship) and Branson Centre Entrepreneur (Jason Patterson). The Villages as Businesses model, which was not included in the panel, would have been an interesting example of people-centered tourism.

Minister Bartlett said that the TravelWell product “provides standards so that we can make global local.” He identified the lack of trust as a key setback in the growth of tourism destinations. Further, he stated “to be able to have accreditation, to have a standing, strengthens our own marketing ability. Until somebody else says by virtue of a set of criteria that we are what we are, in its absence we are not.” He declared that benchmarks contribute to critical levels of trust in our destination.

He established that Jamaica’s stability, linked to tourism flows, is responsible for employing 80,000 – 90,000 – a figure that is more directly closer to 250,000 – 25% of total workforce of the country. He then asked “The question is – are the people better off?” The question as important as it was, was left unanswered.

He welcomed STl and its network, congratulated Brian Herlihy, V.P. Business Development and Sales, and  Jamie Sweeting, Chairman, Sustainable Travel international for using the sustainability tool, Destination Sustainability Self-Assessment, to satisfy the trust demand within the industry.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Conference delegates taking a Photo opportunity with Edmund Bartlett, Opening Keynote – pictured are: Left to Right – Sharon Parris-Chambers, Publisher, Positive Tourism News; Shadow Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett;  Diana McIntyre-Pike, President countrystyle Community Tourism Network/Villages as Businesses and IIPT Caribbean Chapter and Euneika Rogers-Sipp, Chief Regenerative Officer, Sustainable Rural Regenerative Enterprises for Families (SURREF) -USA

[PHOTO CREDIT: Theo Chambers, Positive Tourism News ]