{"id":18650,"date":"2017-05-24T18:03:23","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T17:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travindy.com\/?p=18650"},"modified":"2017-10-16T09:37:04","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T08:37:04","slug":"10-years-responsible-tourism-leeds-beckett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travindy.com\/news\/2017\/05\/10-years-responsible-tourism-leeds-beckett\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion, practicality and positive change – celebrating 10 years of Responsible Tourism at Leeds Beckett"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Passion,
Dr Davina Stanford, MSc RTM Course Director, opening the conference<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

O<\/span>n May 18<\/span>th<\/span>, <\/span>practitioners, academics, current and prospective students gathered in Leeds to mark ten years of Leeds Beckett\u2019s UNWTO-certified Master\u2019s in Responsible Tourism Management (MSc RTM), and to celebrate the difference the course has made to pioneering responsible tourism practice around the world.<\/span> I was one of ten alumni speaking in the \u2018Alumni Spotlight\u2019 session.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why MSc RTM?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The MSc RTM at Leeds Beckett <\/span>is <\/span>one out of only two<\/span><\/a> postgraduate courses in the UK, <\/span>and a small handful in Europe, to have received the <\/span>UNWTO TedQual<\/span><\/a> certification in<\/span> quality of tourism education, research and training programmes. Over the last ten years, the most well-known and respected names in responsible tourism, such as Prof Harold Goodwin, Prof Xavier Font, Dr Davina Stanford, Lucy McCombes and Peter Richards to name a few, have either taught or completed the MSc RTM. All of them except Prof Goodwin attended the Leeds conference. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>all-day event, hosted by Leeds Beckett\u2019s RTM team, was as practical, solution-focused and well-structured as the MSc is. The morning focused on practical strategies for managing the interaction between tourists and local people in destinations, with keynote speakers sharing their leading practice from Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Wales, Australia and Myanmar (via Skype). Participants included representatives from ABTA, <\/span>Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>Travel Foundation<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Crystal Creek Meadows Eco-friendly cottages<\/span><\/a> in Australia. As always with great presentations, there was not enough time for a thorough discussion, but we managed to run a few lively Q&A sessions via Skype. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Passion,
Q&As with UN tourism consultant and MSc RTM alumnus Peter Richards via Skype from Thailand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alumni Spotlight<\/b><\/h2>\n

In the afternoon\u2019s interactive \u2018Alumni Spotlight\u2019 session, ten former students shared their \u2018success stories\u2019, \u2018heroic fails\u2019 and \u2018ideas on the go\u2019. The projects in the spotlight included <\/span>Carmacal<\/span><\/a> carbon calculator tool, \u00a0<\/span>Earth Changers<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Limalimo Lodge<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Responsible Tourism Matters<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Sam Isaac Research<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Small Matters<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Trish Travel Food<\/span><\/a>, sustainability at <\/span>Hostelling International<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Transcaucasian Trail<\/span><\/a>. We have presented our ideas, asked for feedback and constructive criticism, discussed the strategies to move on. Gerben Hardeman from the Dutch and Travel Trade Association demonstrated how easily and quickly <\/span>Carmacal<\/span><\/a> calculates one\u2019s carbon emissions and helps make alternative choices to reduce the footprint. That was one of my highlights of the day. <\/span><\/p>\n

The conference proved to be a useful platform to exchange the most recent research and practice on taking RT practice forward (great insights from Prof Xavier Font), practical strategies for managing tourism-host interactions responsibly, changing tourists\u2019 behaviours to save energy and water, behaviours and working with stakeholders to ensure the local people benefit from tourism. There was also a moving presentation on changing tourist\u2019s perceptions and attitudes towards homeless from <\/span>Unseen Tours<\/span><\/a> that runs walking tours in London using homeless people as tour guides. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Passion,
Alumnus in Spotlight: Vicky Smith, Earth Changers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Passion,
Alumnus in Spotlight \u2013 Marta Mills, TCT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Highlighting and discussing the challenges and past\/potential failures of our projects and consultancy experience in developing and implementing responsible tourism worldwide was particularly useful for anyone interested in taking that path. And the feedback from other professionals who understand the issues and can relate to many was invaluable. I hope we have convinced some of the potential students to enrol for the MSc this September. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was encouraging to see so many alumni pursuing their passion for responsible tourism and succeeding in implementing their ideas and project to <\/span>create <\/span>better places for people to live in and for people to visit<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>As Dr Davina Stanford, the MSc RTM Course Director), summarised: \u201cThe main themes of the day were: passion, practicality, simplicity and collective endeavour for a better tourism industry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Passion,
Alumnus in Spotlight: Paul Robbins, Limalimo Lodge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Passion,
Alumnus in Spotlight: Carole Favre, Small Matters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Something to reflect on<\/b><\/h2>\n

I will leave you with a few questions posed by the speakers that we were discussing:<\/span><\/p>\n