International Centre for Responsible Tourism

International Centre for Responsible Tourism at LeedsMet

Alumni and others will be delighted know that Leeds Met Tourism has incorporated the International Centre for Responsible Tourism. This does extensive research and consultancy, and teaches a masters for tourism professionals, the MSc. Responsible Tourism Management (see www.icrtourism.org ). We think you might like what we do, because it will help you change the way your company works to be more responsible, or get the qualification to move up to your next job.

1. MSc in Responsible Tourism Management
2. Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards
3. Kerala Conference on Responsible Tourism Destinations
4. World Responsible Tourism Day
5. Opening of Peace and Conflict Resolution Centre
6. Fair Trade tourism certification
7. Globally Responsible Leaders Initiative
8. Tourism crisis resilience in Sri Lanka
9. Touch Africa Lightly
10. Market entry and sustainability training of tourism SMEs
11. Market assistance to Nepal for sustainable tourism products

1. MSc in Responsible Tourism Management

Have you wanted to study more, but your full time job doesn’t allow you to? Our MSc Responsible Tourism Management is a high quality flexible and cutting edge Masters. We have revised the structure of the MSc to make it much easier for students working full-time and those overseas to participate.

Whilst maintaining its core values with a strong focus on the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and on local community benefits the programme is now more adapted to industry needs, with more input and a wider range of experiences and opportunities for students. It continues to be the only course in responsible tourism available, and now is more flexible with distance learning and week-end intensive teaching, making it easier for professionals and for international students alike to study alongside work.

The programme is taught by Harold Goodwin, Xavier Font and Janet Cochrane as well as the range of specialist associates who help to ensure that the course continues to be grounded in practise and at the cutting edge. For details see the www.icrtourism.org or see below to the list of consultancies we have done in March and April alone- it’s our real industry application we teach from, not textbooks.

The course includes four modules taken distance learning with four compulsory and six further optional week-ends of tuition. The Responsible Tourism in Destinations is taught in a destination in a one week intensive course. After these students do their technical report or dissertation, again with the possibility of distance learning or being based in Leeds. All students receive distance learning support and learning materials regardless of their location including library postage of books, while students based in Leeds benefit from further activities and guest lectures, face to face interaction and the only UK World Tourism Organization depository library that opens 24 hours a day.

The emphasis on the course is action learning on responsible tourism to promote changes in practice. Many of the assignments and the final technical report or dissertation are applied and industry relevant, often for the company, NGO or government agency that students work for or otherwise projects that the ICRT team are consulting on providing students with real life experience and excellent contacts. For this reason the renowned UK magazine Travel Weekly recently recognised the programme as excellent for industry needs and recommended that travel agents and tour operators identify a responsible tourism manager and send it to this course. With greater emphasis on responsible tourism in tourist destinations and hotel chains we are also tailoring the modules to professionals in these sectors.

Continue reading to see what ICRT did in April, that we will teach you about in next year's programme!

2. Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards

There has been a change in the headline sponsor for the Responsible Tourism Awards with Virgin Holidays becoming the sponsor in the fourth year of the awards. The 2007 Awards were launched in The Times on Saturday April 28th. Nominations can be made on line at www.responsibletourismawards.com Please encourage others to nominate and think about nominating the best examples of responsible tourism. Harold Goodwin continues to chair the judges.

3. Kerala Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations

Five years on from Cape Town it is time to reflect on progress and to set priorities for the next five years – be there if you can. Full details of the conference are at www.rtd2kerala.org The costs are now up on the site and a draft programme will be going up shortly. If you would like to present a paper or propose a workshop contact harold@haroldgoodwin.info

4. World Responsible Tourism Day

Plans for World Responsible Tourism Day are beginning to take shape – the day has real potential to become a focus for the Responsible Tourism Movement. Do you have plans for initiatives which can be show cased as part of World Responsible Tourism Day? Take a look at the website www.wtmwrtd.com and let Harold Goodwin know if you have ideas for initiatives. harold@haroldgoodwin.info

5. Opening of Peace and Conflict Resolution Centre

The Senator George Mitchell Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution will be developed at Leeds Metropolitan University. This centre is integral to the development of the Peace Museum at LeedsMet. ICRT will contribute to the work of this centre by researching and consulting on ways that tourism can be used as economic development tool in unstable areas, with work already underway in Colombia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Syria amongst others. More at http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/the_news/apr07/peacecentre_160407.htm

6. Fair Trade Tourism certification

The Fairtrade Labelling Organisation commissioned a team including ICRT’s Xavier Font a feasibility study for a fairtrade tourism label. The study rightly highlighted the main challenges ahead: i) the adaptability of the FTL model to a service sector like tourism; and ii) the development and monitoring of satisfactory trade certification criteria in this multifaceted environment. A two pronged Fairtrade certification strategy based on a niche model and on a mainstream model to be tested through pilots was proposed. Given the different objectives that each model fulfilled, the Steering Committee agreed on a clear political vision and then outlined a concept for the Fairtrade Labelling of Tourism, that combines the best of the two models proposed by the study.

7. Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative

The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) held at LeedsMet its first meeting of the General Assembly in the UK. The Assembly brought together experts from twenty one companies, business schools and centres for leadership learning from around the world, to explore issues surrounding global responsibility and to foster curriculum and research development. ICRT’s Prof. Harold Goodwin mapped out the agenda for corporate social responsibility for the tourism industry. More at http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/international/0165863254744BE993F9C8F08E2980BA.htm

8. Tourism crisis resilience in Sri Lanka

Janet Cochrane is working on a programme in Sri Lanka with the Stockholm Environment Institute to support the tourism sector - primarily SMEs - build resilience to crises. The industry is still recovering from the Asian tsunami of 2004, and many smaller entrepreneurs working in tourism received little or no help with rebuilding their businesses. Leeds Met's ICRT and SEI are currently assessing the most effective intervention, and Janet has a visit planned to Sri Lanka in mid-June as a follow-up from an initial scoping survey last November. It is expected that structures will be put in place with Colombo University's Community Extension Centre and an association of tourism SMEs to develop training and networking over the coming year. Ask Janet for more information at J.Cochrane@leedsmet.ac.uk

9. Touch Africa Lightly June 5-7

The EMIT 2007 Conference is strap lined Towards caring and sustainable tourism in Africa. Harold Goodwin is a key note speaker on Responsible Tourism - The Business Opportunity. The conference is talking place on the Wild Coast – full details are at www.emit.co.za/Programme%20Page.html

10. Market entry and sustainability training of tourism SMEs

World Bank project to monitor and evaluate the business case for responsible tourism marketing continues with training of 50 incoming tour operators from around the world during a meeting in Siem Reap in March 07. The International Finance Corporation, part of World Bank Group, has contracted ICRT for three years to monitor and evaluate the contribution that responsible tourism practices make to the financial success of properties retailing via www.worldhotel-link.com, who operate mainly in developing countries providing marketing access to previously offline properties. Email xfont_24@hotmail.com for more details.

11. Market assistance to Nepal for sustainable tourism products

Nepalese tour operators continue receiving sustainable tourism product development in May, with marketing training planned in September, from ICRT associates Richard Tapper and Benjamin Carey. Both Richard Tapper and Harold Goodwin had been training both private and public sector staff in February 07. This two year project is headed by UNEP with SNV and the Nepal Tourist Board, with financial assistance from ASIA INVEST. Outbound tour operators aiming more sustainable and authentic tours in Nepal should contact benjamin@dunira.com

Xavier Font and Harold Goodwin

X.Font@leedsmet.ac.uk or harold@haroldgoodwin.info

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Click here for the ICRT web site