It may seem really strange, but I never knew until this very moment that this day, Oct. 15, is Global Handwashing Day. It seems especially odd that the news of Global Handwashing Day never came to my attention, big fan that I am of handwashing itself.
I only found out about Global Handwashing Day because of a press release issued by Hilton Worldwide saying that Global Handwashing Day was chosen as the day when Hilton would announce that The Hilton Paris Opera hotel will be the first hotel in Europe to adopt a policy of recycling soap and bathroom amenities for the benefit of those who need them.
Hilton created a partnership with Clean the World, an association that gathers up soap and toiletries from more than 4,000 hotels, to recycle them for people whose lives may well be saved because they were able to prevent the spread of disease through hygiene.
Recycling little bars of hotel soap: does this seem like a small event? To me it seems quite large. I must say the waste that is produced by certain kinds of accepted hotel practices has always been something that makes me a little uncomfortable.
How can I walk out of a conference hall lunch function, walk away from hundreds of plates of food that I know are on their way to a garbage dumpster and then walk out on the street and see people with nowhere to sleep, no means of support, asking for money with which to eat? It feels like something is terribly wrong in that.
I feel the same way when I go into a nice hotel for one or two nights and see bars of soap on both the sink and in the shower. I know if I open them both I will only use a small part of them before I go. And what happens to them? They’ll go in the garbage, I presume. You can’t very well have the next guest coming in and working on the same bar of soap that I started.
Hotel soap policies of the past make perfect sense on the micro level, but when you look at their effect on a macro scale, it means that an enormous amount of soap is being wasted every day in hotels around the world.
Who knows how many people went without soap the same day hotels dumped massive amounts of it in landfills?
As problems of world hunger increase, as the gap between rich and poor continues to widen, as more species face extinction, more and more people are realizing that we cannot continue the same policies over and over ad infinitum for the sake of habit. Not when the world is changing so fast.
We as a species are facing enormous challenges, and dangers of many kinds are now hanging over our heads: climate change, drought, earthquakes and tornadoes in places where we’ve never seen them; economic ruptures and shockwaves that create untold damage to millions of people; wars that produce waves of homeless wanderers.
In the face of all that, creating a program for recycling soap and bathroom amenities may seem a small thing. But we know about the Butterfly Effect, we know about chain reactions that can produce gigantic nuclear explosions. So who is to say how many lives will be affected positively by this one initiative from this one multinational hotel chain?
How many people will be able to ward off certain deadly diseases because they will now have access to soap, which they could not previously afford? Since 2009, Clean the World claims to have distributed more than 29 million bars of soap in more than 99 countries. One man's garbage may save another person's life.
I certainly hope Hilton will expand the policy systemwide and I hope other hotels will follow suit. And beyond that, I hope it will inspire others to adopt policies that may seem to be radical departures from previous policies, but can have the affect of correcting past mistakes, redirecting our efforts toward more friendly, sustainable policies.
Last week at the Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE), Vanessa Baldwin, co-founder of Traveler’s Eye, an association that promotes sustainable tourism, said that hotels and resorts in Africa are often just concerned with filling their swimming pools and providing enough water so their guests can take as many showers as possible while women in the host communities may have to walk 20 or 40 kilometers just to get a little of the water they need to live.
These are among the most urgent concerns of an evolving travel industry, learning how to address those kinds of glaring inconsistencies. Hats off to Hilton for taking this important step in the right direction.
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Showing posts with label Swahili International Tourism Expo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swahili International Tourism Expo. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 October 2015
USA: Terry Dale Promotes Tanzanian Travel Industry
Terry Dale, president and CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA),
Terry Dale, president and CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), addressed the Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with what he called a “fireside chat, an intimate conversation with our partners,” in which he explained to travel professionals selling the destination of Tanzania that partnership was an essential tool in building their destination.
Now in its second year, S!TE is a travel trade show showcasing the Swahili Coast produced by the Tanzania Tourist Board.
The tourist board invited Dale to be a keynote speaker in recognition of the belief that targeting the elite tour operator association is the most effective way to reach the broad base of consumers in the U.S.
Dale began his talk with a brief introduction of the USTOA, explaining that it is not an organization that derives its value from its large number of members, but by their quality. The association has 54 corporate members representing 160 brands and also has 690 associate members, of which the Tanzania Tourist Board is one.
“It’s not about quantity,” Dale said. “You’re not going to see that number grow next year by a great deal. We are more like a family. We’re not driven by growth, but by quality.”
Thirty-eight of the association’s brands already have programs to Tanzania, Dale noted.
“We need to see that number grow to 50, to 75, to 100,” he said. “Part of my responsibility in being here today is to go back to our members and tell them, ‘I have seen firsthand how amazing Tanzania is and (recommend) that they include more of Tanzania, more of Eastern Africa into the products that we have to sell to the U.S. consumer.'”
Dale cited a Price Waterhouse Cooper economic impact study showing that tour operator members of the USTOA account for $13.5 billion in business annually. They moved 8 million travelers last year, a five percent increase over the previous year, and sold $9.8 billion in goods and services.
The way for Tanzania to build itself as a tourism destination, said Dale, is by constructing a partnership.
“That’s why I’m here today,” he said, “to try to forge that partnership and make that business grow on behalf of Tanzania.”
Dale explained to the audience the reasons why he is “bullish about the U.S. travel industry.
“It has tremendous potential,” he declared. “There is an educational hurdle” to surmount in getting into the American market, he conceded, but “it is feasible and possible” and something that needs to be addressed immediately.
Dale cited a number of reasons why the American market is an excellent target market for Tanzania, including the following facts and statistics:
Fifty-six percent of Americans are in the world’s high income group, and 46 percent have passports, a total of 110 million people, a number that has doubled since 2000.
“They have financial wherewithal to travel,” asserted Dale. “They have passports, but we have the educational challenge of helping them understand why Tanzania needs to be one of the places they visit."
In 2013, 30 million Americans traveled internationally, Dale pointed out. “But you have to educate them."
In referring to the global economy, Dale cited a list of trends that may have an impact on getting people to travel to Tanzania, including the softening of the Chinese economy; Greece trying to figure out how to handle its responsibilities to the International Monetary Fund as well as the European Union; the Fed’s upcoming raising of interest rates and the presidential political circus.
All of these have a potential impact on global economy, Dale stated, but he is still bullish about the U.S. economy.
Dale cited the Packaged Travel Index, produced by Cornell University, which studies U.S. consumers. The survey, conducted twice a year, showed that 84 percent of U.S. consumers said they want to travel internationally. In households with income of $150,000 or more, people want to travel three times a year.
“Those factors combined bode well for Tanzania,” said Dale, showing a strong potential U.S. market for Tanzania.
Dale then explained what USTOA members need from Tanzania tourism services providers, including “professional quality partners who can deliver the kind of experience that make our members proud. Professionalism is really key. Our members are all about building a personal relationship. They want to be able to look at you across the table and have the confidence that together you can create the kind of experience that we can all be proud of.”
That kind of experience, Dale said, is “all about authenticity.”
The U.S. consumer wants to rub shoulders with locals, he said. “And they can only do that if you have the interaction, the engagement between the traveler and the citizens of this country.”
Dale cited Tanzania’s "Soul of Africa" campaign as a step in the right direction, but said, “We still have a huge job ahead of us in getting that brand in front of the U.S. traveler.”
Terry Dale, president and CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), addressed the Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with what he called a “fireside chat, an intimate conversation with our partners,” in which he explained to travel professionals selling the destination of Tanzania that partnership was an essential tool in building their destination.
Now in its second year, S!TE is a travel trade show showcasing the Swahili Coast produced by the Tanzania Tourist Board.
The tourist board invited Dale to be a keynote speaker in recognition of the belief that targeting the elite tour operator association is the most effective way to reach the broad base of consumers in the U.S.
Dale began his talk with a brief introduction of the USTOA, explaining that it is not an organization that derives its value from its large number of members, but by their quality. The association has 54 corporate members representing 160 brands and also has 690 associate members, of which the Tanzania Tourist Board is one.
“It’s not about quantity,” Dale said. “You’re not going to see that number grow next year by a great deal. We are more like a family. We’re not driven by growth, but by quality.”
Thirty-eight of the association’s brands already have programs to Tanzania, Dale noted.
“We need to see that number grow to 50, to 75, to 100,” he said. “Part of my responsibility in being here today is to go back to our members and tell them, ‘I have seen firsthand how amazing Tanzania is and (recommend) that they include more of Tanzania, more of Eastern Africa into the products that we have to sell to the U.S. consumer.'”
Dale cited a Price Waterhouse Cooper economic impact study showing that tour operator members of the USTOA account for $13.5 billion in business annually. They moved 8 million travelers last year, a five percent increase over the previous year, and sold $9.8 billion in goods and services.
The way for Tanzania to build itself as a tourism destination, said Dale, is by constructing a partnership.
“That’s why I’m here today,” he said, “to try to forge that partnership and make that business grow on behalf of Tanzania.”
Dale explained to the audience the reasons why he is “bullish about the U.S. travel industry.
“It has tremendous potential,” he declared. “There is an educational hurdle” to surmount in getting into the American market, he conceded, but “it is feasible and possible” and something that needs to be addressed immediately.
Dale cited a number of reasons why the American market is an excellent target market for Tanzania, including the following facts and statistics:
Fifty-six percent of Americans are in the world’s high income group, and 46 percent have passports, a total of 110 million people, a number that has doubled since 2000.
“They have financial wherewithal to travel,” asserted Dale. “They have passports, but we have the educational challenge of helping them understand why Tanzania needs to be one of the places they visit."
In 2013, 30 million Americans traveled internationally, Dale pointed out. “But you have to educate them."
In referring to the global economy, Dale cited a list of trends that may have an impact on getting people to travel to Tanzania, including the softening of the Chinese economy; Greece trying to figure out how to handle its responsibilities to the International Monetary Fund as well as the European Union; the Fed’s upcoming raising of interest rates and the presidential political circus.
All of these have a potential impact on global economy, Dale stated, but he is still bullish about the U.S. economy.
Dale cited the Packaged Travel Index, produced by Cornell University, which studies U.S. consumers. The survey, conducted twice a year, showed that 84 percent of U.S. consumers said they want to travel internationally. In households with income of $150,000 or more, people want to travel three times a year.
“Those factors combined bode well for Tanzania,” said Dale, showing a strong potential U.S. market for Tanzania.
Dale then explained what USTOA members need from Tanzania tourism services providers, including “professional quality partners who can deliver the kind of experience that make our members proud. Professionalism is really key. Our members are all about building a personal relationship. They want to be able to look at you across the table and have the confidence that together you can create the kind of experience that we can all be proud of.”
That kind of experience, Dale said, is “all about authenticity.”
The U.S. consumer wants to rub shoulders with locals, he said. “And they can only do that if you have the interaction, the engagement between the traveler and the citizens of this country.”
Dale cited Tanzania’s "Soul of Africa" campaign as a step in the right direction, but said, “We still have a huge job ahead of us in getting that brand in front of the U.S. traveler.”
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
TANZANIA: SITE Tourism Exhibition Opens In Tanzania
The second edition of the Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE) has kicked off in Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam attracting participants across the world.
Some 103 companies are participating the three-day event. Companies from key African destinations are participating at SITE while trade visitors from several African countries have shown up.
Countries which have brought their representatives to SITE are the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Seychelles, Germany, China, and Spain.
This year’s SITE has so far attracted 43 International Hosted Buyers made up of tour operators, package safari makers and planners, and travel agents rated as wholesalers. About 2,000 trade visitors are attending as well and are expected to visit the SITE exhibition hall.
The President of the United States Tour Operators Association, Mr. Terry Dale, will address the SITE participants Friday morning on the second day of the exhibition.
Mr. Dale has arrived in Tanzania and has confirmed to this eTN correspondent of his participation at the event and that he will address the event participants.
Some 103 companies are participating the three-day event. Companies from key African destinations are participating at SITE while trade visitors from several African countries have shown up.
Countries which have brought their representatives to SITE are the United Kingdom, the United States, India, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Seychelles, Germany, China, and Spain.
This year’s SITE has so far attracted 43 International Hosted Buyers made up of tour operators, package safari makers and planners, and travel agents rated as wholesalers. About 2,000 trade visitors are attending as well and are expected to visit the SITE exhibition hall.
The President of the United States Tour Operators Association, Mr. Terry Dale, will address the SITE participants Friday morning on the second day of the exhibition.
Mr. Dale has arrived in Tanzania and has confirmed to this eTN correspondent of his participation at the event and that he will address the event participants.
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