Destination Mekong aligns with other tourism leaders to sign the Glasgow Declaration on climate action in tourism

18 November 2021, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Destination Mekong became a proud signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism at the COP26.

As part of its efforts to play a leadership role in the global tourism community, Destination Mekong became a signatory and launch partner of the Glasgow Declaration on climate Action in Tourism, which was launched on 4 November 2021 during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Founded in 2017, Destination Mekong (DM) is the regional tourism organization dedicated to championing the Mekong region, comprising Cambodia, PR China (Provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, as a sustainable and inclusive tourism destination.  

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism unites travel and tourism behind a common set of pathways for climate action, aligning the sector with global commitments and catalyzing collaborative solutions to the many challenges facing businesses and destinations globally.

The Glasgow Declaration encourages the acceleration of climate action in tourism by securing commitments to reduce emissions in tourism by at least 50% over the next decade and achieve Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050.

As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, Destination Mekong has committed to aligning its actions with the latest scientific recommendations to ensure its approach remains consistent with a rise of no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. It also has agreed to deliver or update climate action plans within 12 months, align programs with the five pathways of the Declaration (Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate, Finance), report publicly on an annual basis, and work in a collaborative spirit, sharing good practices and solutions, and disseminating information.

 “More than ever, the global tourism industry has a unique opportunity to demonstrate its transformative power through inspiring and driving climate action. It’s not only an emergency but also a matter of human dignity.” Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, CEO, Destination Mekong

The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism brings together the latest research and global expertise to galvanize climate action. It will be hosted within the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme’s website, supported by Recommended Actions for tourism stakeholders across the world to consider as part of their action planning, alongside other resources. As the declaration states: “A just transition to Net Zero before 2050 will only be possible if tourism’s recovery accelerates the adoption of sustainable consumption and production, and redefines our future success to consider not only economic value but rather the regeneration of ecosystems, biodiversity, and communities.”

The need for a globally consistent approach for climate action in tourism has been made clear, notably through research into CO2 emissions carried out by UNWTO/ITF and released at the UNFCCC COP25 in December 2019. This showed that transport-related emissions from tourism were forecast to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels, against the current ambition scenario.

As the global tourism industry is slowly getting back on track, Destination Mekong (DM) has recently appointed a new Executive Team composed of Catherine Germier-Hamel as CEO, Gerrit Kruger as Chief Marketing Officer, Gavin Bell as Chief Development Officer, and Jens Uwe Parkitny as a strategic advisor, in an honorary capacity, effective 1 November.

This ‘dream team’ was formed by Jens Thraenhart, Founder of Destination Mekong and former Executive Director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), before starting a new career as CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

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Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia Earns Green Destinations’ Top 100 Global Accolade for 2021

Cardamom Tented Camp ecolodge in Cambodia has been announced by Green Destinations as one of the 2021 Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories in the world.

The announcement was made 5 October in the online annual conference of Green Destinations, a non-profit organisation for sustainable tourism, based in The Netherlands. The annual programme has been in existence since 2014.

Cardamom Tented Camp was chosen by the judges among 28 tourism experiences around the world in the Nature and Ecotourism category. The other 72 winners were in the categories of Localisation and Decarbonising the Local Supply Chain; Communities and Culture; Environment and Climate; and Tourism Reset and Recovery.

“Since Cardamom Tented Camp opened in 2017 we’ve helped protect 18,000 hectares of forest by channelling income from the camp to support 12 forest rangers who have done a terrific job of reducing illegal logging, wildlife hunting and sandbank dredging,” said Willem Niemeijer, CEO of YAANA Ventures, the camp operator.

“Right from day one our slogan has been, ‘Your Stay Keeps the Forest Standing’. The Green Destination judges saw those details of our work. They recognised that our sustainability story as a world-class and inspirational conservation tourism project could be emulated in other places,” he said.

In an earlier Q&A session for the online conference on 5 October, Niemeijer told Green Destination online conference attendees that Cardamom Tented Camp was based on three principles: a belief in visitor dispersion to off-the-beaten-track places away from over-touristed hubs; a commitment to work with experts, such as NGO Wildlife Alliance; and a full-hearted belief in the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit, which had to be unwavering if the project was going to be truly sustainable, said Niemeijer.

In an official statement announcing the Top 100, Green Destinations said: “With the tourism sector facing very challenging times in the past year or so, the resilience and hard work of these destinations to become more responsible should be celebrated. The 2021 selection was determined by the quality, transferability, and, more than ever, by the level of innovation of the stories.”

Albert Salman, the President of Green Destinations told the audience that the objective of the top 100 sustainability stories programme was to “inspire responsible tourism leadership around the world”.

The full Green Destinations’ list of Top 100 Sustainability Stories for 2021 can be viewed here.

Further information on Cardamom Tented Camp, including its back story, its other awards and guest experiences, is available here.

Centara backs startup competition

Centara Hotels & Resorts and True Digital Park, Southeast Asia’s largest startup and tech entrepreneur campus, join hands to deliver a competition and incubator programme. 

The ‘Centrara Startup Sandbox’ competition and a three-month incubator programme support startups and entrepreneurs with co-working space, facilities, mentorship and funding.

The Startup Sandbox project, held in collaboration with True Digital Park, will see teams compete for a chance to join the three-month programme, during which executives from Centara will provide regular consultation sessions and be the judge for the teams’ final pitch.

“The world of hospitality is always evolving, and we are proud to be a part of this competition to encourage fresh ideas which will drive innovation in our industry. We are delighted to partner with True Digital Park to support promising startup businesses in Thailand and to mentor the next generation of innovative thinkers,” said Centara Hotels & Resorts chief executive officer Thirayuth Chirathivat.

“True Digital Park continue to build a complete ecosystem for startup and tech entrepreneurs to support the digital transformation and is proud to partner with Centara Hotels and Resorts. This startup sandbox program will strengthen our commitment to nurture tech talents and further accelerate innovative solutions,”  commented True Digital Park general manager Dr Tarit Nimmanwudipong.

Competing teams for the ‘Centara Startup Sandbox’ have to deal with a challenge: “How might we help clients experience their preferred destination or any hospitality offering while still providing them with more exclusive and memorable services”.

The winning team will receive THB100,000 and free use of co-working space at True Digital Park for six months. The first and second runners-up will each receive free use of co-working space at True Digital Park for three months.

Winning teams will also receive hotel vouchers from Centara.

1st Prize: Centara Reserve Samui, two nights in Deluxe Ocean room with breakfast for two persons, value THB23,775 per prize times three prizes per team

2nd Prize: Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, two nights in Deluxe room with breakfast for two persons, value  THB12,947 per prize times three prizes per team

3rd Prize: COSI Pattaya Wong Amat Beach, two nights in COSI Plus room with daily credit for two persons value THB3,295 per prize times three prizes per team

Teams with at least three members of any nationality 18 years old and above who have a business idea for the hotel and hospitality industry can apply now until 6 September 2021 at truedigitalpark.typeform.com.

For more information, visit https://www.truedigitalpark.com/en/startup-support/centara-startup-sandbox

Source: TTR Weekly

New world, new roles of engagement

With every crisis comes change, and many predict that the reboot of sorts for the world and the travel industry would swing the pendulum towards a more eco-friendly and sustainable form of tourism.

Hoping for a real mindset and behaviour change in the travel industry is Hamish Keith, CEO at Exo Travel.

“We hope that one of the silver linings of this very dark storm that is still raging around us is that people will think more carefully about how they travel and who they travel with. We know that there is an inevitability to people traveling more responsibly and more carefully and we also know it takes time before habits change,” said Keith.

Anthony Lim, president at Asia at The Travel Corporation (TTC), which operates a family of brands including Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold, believes demand for sustainable travel experiences will grow.

“As the world begins to recover and travel was on pause for the past year, clients are now more mindful in travelling responsibly and will be inspired in making a positive impact in the destinations and local communities they visit,” he remarked.

“Also, they will be choosing more consciously a preferred travel company which has established sustainable travel guidelines and initiatives.”

Like most businesses, TTC has used the downtime as take stock of its environmental footprint and establish road maps for a greener future, reinforcing the company’s stand to stay the course with the development of its new five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, covering issues such as climate change, food waste, diversity and inclusion, and animal welfare.

“If there was a silver lining, the global pandemic has enabled us to very much focus on the implementation of our strategy,” said Lim.

It’s a similar story for another sustainability-focused company, Abercrombie & Kent, with regional managing director, Southeast Asia, Belinda Shillcock, saying: “During this period, we have focused on product development and how we can provide the most sustainable and memorable travel experiences.

“When the world is ready to reopen safely once again, Abercrombie & Kent Southeast Asia is ready to offer our guests sustainable, slow travel experiences throughout the region — staying longer, travelling deeper and ensuring lasting and more meaningful engagements with the people and places that we visit.”

But true sustainability in tourism goes beyond environmental protection, these industry veterans pointed out.

It’s also about “fair income distribution, protecting the sense of place and operating responsibly whilst giving back to the communities we visit”, said Shillcock.

As well, the pandemic has inevitably popularised the use of single-use plastics again, an area these tour companies are keen to reduce when travel reopens.

Exo, for example, will continue to promote reusable water bottles, provide reusable masks and support local projects to provide sanitisers made with sustainable materials.

“While Covid has massively impacted our business, disrupted our industry and will no doubt change the way people travel, we see sustainability as a long-term mission that transcends this crisis,” concluded Keith.

Read the full article at Travel Weekly Asia: https://www.travelweekly-asia.com/Travel-News/Responsible-Tourism/New-world-new-roles-of-engagement?fbclid=IwAR2mzW3ie_obUk222o5-bj19hykC6incpbahEe-6chrJySdM3VOyB4tj9JA

UNWTO launches digital tools to revitalise tourism

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with MUST Travel & Tech to place a digital tool at the service of tourism, allowing users to share their experiences to promote the reactivation of the sector with a view to sustainability.

Presented during the UNWTO Mayors’ Forum in Porto, Portugal, the tool is an opportunity for the advancement of smart cities, as well as destinations that incorporate technology and innovation in their development. Already operating in 60 countries, MUST aggregates all the information of interest to travellers in one place. By also integrating key information and analysis from UNWTO, it aims to become a leading tourism application and generate opportunities for destinations.

Visibility provided through technological tools is an opportunity for those who, along the entire value chain of the sector, require support to restart their activity, from new destinations around rural communities, to destinations with a high degree of infrastructure development.

“We welcome innovative ideas and technologies that allow the creation of global and regional innovation ecosystems aimed at accelerating the recovery of tourism for development,” said UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili.

CEO of MUST, Pablo López, said: “Technology enhances the productivity and resilience of companies. The implementation of digital solutions in line with new trends in the tourism sector allows us to develop a differentiated, personalized and safe tourism product that is more focused on behaviour patterns and the management of spaces that will undoubtedly contribute to the recovery of a key activity for the economy in general.”

Read the full article at Travel Daily: https://www.traveldailymedia.com/unwto-launches-digital-tools-to-revitalise-tourism/

Destination Mekong organized the initial call of MeTAG Expert Group on SDGs & Climate Change

On July 6, the Mekong Tourism Advisory Group (MeTAG) Expert Group on SDGs & Climate Change was recently well established to address one of the most critical issues that need to be taken on serious action.
 
It was a very productive discussion in the first call organized by Destination Mekong and facilitated by Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office among MeTAG members who brought valuable comments and ideas to work toward Climate Change issues, especially within this region.
 
The recording is available here

FOOD FOR FIGHTERS! #MAKEGOODWASTE PROGRAM

Since the Government imposed a third round of dine-in bans “ lockdown “ with less than 24 hours notice for a period of 30 days, not only left restaurateurs in financial hardship but also, with food inventory that would now go to waste. Motivated by posts made by a number of Chefs and restaurant owners expressing their desperate concerns for the inventory that they would now have to lose or waste, Bangkok Foodies team looked to the Food For Fighters organisation to help for this pressing issue. Bangkok Foodies, in cooperation with Food for Fighters, then came up with the the #MakeGoodWaste Program.

So, how does it work? Bangkok Foodies will begin their support by spreading the word of this project and source/select the restaurant who would like to participate in cooking charity meal boxes and provide those meals for the Food for Fighters Organisation. An organisation which has been responsible for sourcing funding and using those funds to commission chefs, restaurants, cooks and volunteers to cook and  provide over 200,000 meals to those in communities suffering from the COVID-10 outbreak in Thailand. Besides Bangkok communities, they provide meals to Thailand’s field hospitals, medical centers and prisons affected by COVID-19. The positive result is, participating chefs and restaurants may be able to recover some of the costs they would have normally wasted and contribute to feeding and helping these communities in desperate need, at the same time!

How does it work:

Once a restaurant participant is confirmed with the Bangkok Foodies team, they will pass the participant’s information onto the Food For Fighters team, who will coordinate and schedule the 100 meal boxes’ date and shipping times for delivery. The food should be cooked at the participant’s restaurant or whichever kitchen is convenient, on the same day, prior to the delivery. Don’t forget to take photos of your efforts so we can help to share! The Food For Fighters team, with the funding they have raised by donors, will support with a small budget per food box (1 single serve per box) to be determined once contacting the Bangkok Foodies team as it would depend on the budget available at that time.

The Chef or restaurant will cook 100 boxes of a meal of their choice, something affordable, easy and casual to eat, such as rice and chicken or a simple sandwich or pasta. However, the chef and restaurant participants are more than welcome to add their personal tastes and touch to their meals, as it will represent their brand. Participants are free to apply branded stickers or stamps on boxes or paper bags. See here for some of the dishes some of Bangkok celebrity chefs have made for inspiration.

Read the full article at https://www.bangkokfoodies.com/be-part-of-the-makegoodwaste-program-with-food-for-fighters-x-bangkok-foodies/?fbclid=IwAR3WwoHzKp-0sDt-7KRNHwHwtnaTOC3Oc_T8hD5thuBFYX5WgDDFsYNCNRM

Klean Kanteen runs the “Replace Single-Use Plastic” campaign to support and give back to the Thailand Recovery Fund in support of healthcare professionals combating with COVID-19

Replace single-use plastic! Grab yourself one of Klean Kanteen’s vacuum insulated TKWide bottles and give back to Thailand Recovery Fund in support of healthcare professionals combating COVID-19.

Thailand Recovery Fund is a reserve fund for quick response against any unfortunate disasters or other social emergency issues.

The fund will continuously be raised to always be well-prepared to respond quickly to any emergency situations such as flooding, wildfire, or possible recurrence of Covid-19.
 
As a result, your donation to the Thailand Recovery Fund creates quick responses to several issues in the society. We believe that an effective help comes from an immediate response to the issues.
 
 

Agoda Partnered with COVID Relief Bangkok

In July 2020, Agoda partnered with the COVID Relief project in Bangkok to distribute essentials to the most vulnerable groups in Bangkok.

Our colleagues in Bangkok joined to help pack relief kits that include masks, soaps, hand sanitizers, and basic food supplies. Agoda is proud to support this effort through our giving and volunteering program.

More details: https://partnerhub.agoda.com/agoda-partnered-with-covid-relief-bangkok/