Corporate social responsibility in travel on the upswing

February 13, 2008
	In just over two short years since the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) introduced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a major industry initiative, the number of travellers and companies embracing environmental awareness has more than doubled, according to an industry-wide survey conducted jointly by ACTE and KDS, a travel management group. The survey indicates 59% of respondents' companies now have a CSR charter, and that the same percentage of their travellers looks to these charters in making environmentally sound travel decisions. Quoted by Michael Verikios in Travel Daily News, ACTE's executive director Susan Gurley says this is a major industry shift that goes beyond a trend or a public relations campaign: "It is the beginning of behavioral change that clearly indicates companies and their travellers support corporate social responsibility because it is the right thing to do."
	Author: TOURISM staff Organization: Canadian Tourism Commission

NiagaraPalooza: Re-thinking our Cities

February 7, 2008
	Community and business leaders, local politicians, senior municipal staff, and residents interested in a more prosperous Niagara took part in "NiagaraPalooza: Re-thinking our Cities," held January 31, in Niagara Falls. Organized by the Niagara Economic Development Corporation and marketed as "a sensory explosion featuring art, wine, music, and conversation," NiagaraPalooza featured compelling examples and strategies of how cities and regions around the world have taken charge of their futures with bold initiatives and great successes, while challenging Niagara to chart a course to enhance its economic future in the months and years to come. "It's gratifying to see the overwhelming interest and support for Niagara's future. We welcomed over 500 delegates and had a long waiting list of many more wanting to be part of this Niagara showcase," stated Patrick Gedge, chief executive officer of the Niagara Economic Development Corporation. "With such great interest, I am confident we will develop appropriate strategies and partnerships to grow our economy and strengthen our region." The dynamic program of high-profile speakers featured Richard Florida, professor of business and creativity and author of The Rise of the Creative Class; Professor Eddie Friel O.B.E., visiting professor in residence, Niagara University and leader of Glasgow's successful bid to become the Cultural Capital of Europe, 1990; and Tim Jones, CEO, Artscape. These experts on urban issues offered their varied experiences and perspectives on successful approaches to revitalizing cities, regions, and their respective economies. Creative talents from across Niagara were also on display at NiagaraPalooza. Niagara's own two-time Juno Award winner Ron Sexsmith headlined the many performers, while television personality Donna Skelly, co-host of Live at 5:30 on CHCH News, chaired the event and served as moderator for the panel discussion. Local success stories, particularly the recent announcement of nGen, Niagara's new media incubator, and personal commentary from Jack Lightstone, president of Brock University, as well as thoughts from a panel of noted community leaders served to confirm that momentum is building in the region to develop a brand and strategy extolling the virtues of living and doing business in Niagara.
	Author: Mark Brickell Organization: Niagara Economic Development Corporation

Global Leaders Offer Real Solutions at CEO Challenge

February 7, 2008
	Qantas Airways' Mr Geoff Dixon; Accor Asia Pacific's Mr David Baffsky; Jones Lang LaSalle Asia Pacific's Mr Peter Barge; and many others are newly confirmed participants in the interactive PATA CEO Challenge 2008. Many of these cross-sector leaders will share real initiatives, strategies and plans to fight climate change, during innovative "Boardroom Challenge" breakout sessions. Here are four examples: Airlines: Virgin Atlantic Airlines' Mr Barry Humphreys will explain how money from Virgin Atlantic's offset scheme is funding clean energy in poor countries. Airports: Discover how Munich Airport is partnering with the public sector to reduce its carbon footprint. Mr Peter Trautmann will explain how MUC is pioneering hydrogen fuel for its passenger buses and other airport vehicles. Destinations: Sri Lanka wants to become a truly carbon-neutral destination. Mr Renton de Alwis will explain how the Sri Lanka Tourism Board is driving the ambitious Earth Lung initiative in partnership with the private sector, consumer groups and other government departments. Hotels and Resorts: Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts' Mr KP Ho will tell how he was inspired to implement simple, effective measures to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs at his properties. Mr Geoffrey Lipman, Assistant Secretary-General of UNWTO, will join the Challenge to update participants on the United Nations' and UNWTO's progress towards a framework for carbon emissions reduction and industry sustainability, and explain the practical implications for our industry. Other recently confirmed participants include First Choice Holidays' Ms Jane Ashton; Air Transport Action Group (ATAG)'s Mr Philippe Rochat; Expedia Asia Pacific's Mr Henrik Kjellberg; and many others. The PATA CEO Challenge 2008: Confronting Climate Change will take place April 29-30 in Bangkok, Thailand. www.ceochallenge.PATA.org
	Author: Oliver Martin Organization: Pacific Asia Travel Association

Air Canada customers to access hotels.com on Air Canada web site

February 5, 2008
	Air Canada has signed a long-term strategic partnership with hotels.com, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. The multi-year agreement enables Air Canada customers to access the full range of hotels.com inventory - more than 75,000 properties worldwide - on aircanada.com. Customers also have the opportunity to earn Aeroplan miles for qualified hotel bookings they make on the airline's site.
	Author: TOURISM staff Organization: Canadian Tourism Commission

Mexico market reaches record growth in November

February 5, 2008
	Trips from Mexico posted the largest growth rate of all Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) key markets (31.3%) in November, 2007, according to the November edition of the Tourism Snapshot. In the same month, and spurred by exceptional gains in Australia, France and the UK, CTC key overseas markets experienced a growth rate of 3.0% over the previous year. Tourism Snapshot (November) is now available at www.canada.travel/research.

What a Hoot

We had a visitor today.
Perched on a treebranch in our front yard, I was amazed to see this beautiful creature seemed quite content to allow me a close-up.
I don't know much about owls, so I looked it up.
This guy is known as the Northern Barred Owl, Swamp Owl, Striped Owl, Hoot Owl, Eight hooter, Round-headed Owl, Le Chat-huant du Nord (French for "The Hooting Cat of the North"), Wood Owl, and Rain Owl. It is also mistakenly known as a Bard Owl.

Have you heard about the "Long Tail" of tourism

January 31, 2008
	The term "long tail" was coined (or first used) by Chris Anderson of Wired magazine in 2004 in his essay by the same title. It tries to describe a new business phenomenon/model in the age of the Web 2.0 (new search engine algorithms, user reviews, recommendations, etc.) Anderson focused on entertainment products like books, films and cd's to illustrate the dramatic change that the Web has brought to the economics of selling audiovisual products and books. The model suggests that while there is a market dominated by "hits" the Web is creating large markets from the "misses"? This refers to out-of-print or obscure books that can be reprinted in limited runs based on online demand (Amazon) or eclectic music that bands can sell online, but cannot distribute through brick and mortar channels. When it comes to tourism, analysts and eTourism practitioners are using the term to describe how the overal tourism market can grow (the long tail) through Web 2.0 phenomena like user generated content, hotel reviews, recommendations, inexpensive online booking engines, etc. But what does this mean to small tourism businesses and destinations? If Niagara, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are our "hits", what about places like Whitehorse or Sacacomie or Pictou? The model suggests that the Web 2.0 (social media, social networks, video and podcast websites, etc.) provide small businesses the opportunity to compete as the "misses" of the market. They can do this by not only SEO and SEM (search engine optimization and marketing), but also by participating in the Web 2.0 environment through social media and particularly the growing number of niche social networks. Small businesses (or destinations) that succeed in this will grow the market for the big players as well since travelers will still need to travel through the main gateway destinations to get to the small ones. For example, the Polar Bear Habitat and Village in Cochrane Ontario could work on a campaign to participate in relevant niche social networks keeping members informed about their bears with news and stories. This would attract some people to travel to Cochrane to see the polar bears there (but they would also need to visit other destinations in order to get there). While this may attract small numbers of visitors, the idea of the "long tail" is that if the numbers of niche small businesses and destinations doing this grows sufficiently then the total numbers can be significant and benefit the entire market. Another area that can add to the growth of the long tail of tourism is the use of technology like online reservation systems that more and more are becoming cost effective for small businesses allowing them to offer online bookings when they don't have the critical mass to partner with large online distributors. www.canadiantourismblog.ca

Travel execs thinking green?

January 31, 2008
	Business travel behaviour is beginning to change in response to global warming concerns, according to a report by Phil Davies in TravelMole. The Association of Corporate Travel Executives and KDS has polled over 250 corporate travellers and travel managers, finding that nearly half felt that guilt about global warming now directly impacts individuals' decisions about business travel. The study will show that the proportion of companies advocating a reduction in travel for environmental reasons has leapt from under a quarter to more than one third in a year. This rise in corporate social responsibility has also seen a marked increase in the proportion of travel departments reporting on carbon emissions to senior management. The findings, due to be revealed at next month's Business Travel Show in London, will also reveal that in the past 12 months businesses have done more to convert good environmental intentions into firm actions.
	Author: TOURISM staff Organization: Canadian Tourism Commission

PATA CEO CHALLENGE GOES LIVE ON CNN

January 31, 2008
	Millions of CNN viewers across Asia Pacific will soon know that the travel and tourism industry is responding pro-actively to the threat of climate change through the PATA CEO Challenge. A three-week campaign, due to launch on CNN's Asia network next Tuesday (February 4), features two 30-second commercials with the message: "In the fight against climate change, losing is not an option." In the commercials, Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts Executive Chairman Mr KP Ho and PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong urge travel industry leaders to join the PATA CEO Challenge in Bangkok on April 29-30 to "be part of the solution". The campaign was produced with the support of PATA member ad agency TBWA-ISC\Malaysia, which donated its creative services, and PATA Premier Partner CNN. The ads will air in morning and evening prime-time slots across 25 destinations in Asia Pacific including China (PRC), Hong Kong (SAR), Singapore, Korea (ROK), Thailand, Indonesia and Australia. "The campaign serves two purposes: it targets travel industry leaderswho we want to join the Challenge, and it delivers an important message to the wider CNN audience that travel and tourism not only recognises the dangers of climate change but is working hard tocounter the impacts," said Mr de Jong. "I would like to thank TBWA-ISC\Malaysia and CNN for helping to get the campaign to air." View the ads. www.ceochallenge.pata.org
	Author: Oliver Martin Organization: PATA