#COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT – A KEY ELEMENT OF MAKING THE #TOURISM INDUSTRY SUSTAINABLE
(Posted 15th July 2018)
The Sustainable Tourism and Travel Agenda in Nairobi, founded and led by Judy Kepher-Gona, has once again taken the lead to highlight a growing problem in the industry.
Some time ago it was the issue of greenwashing by companies, at times because they did not know better and at times simply to circumnavigate initially costly measures in order to accomplish certification of some sort or at least in the public eye make themselves appear as environmental champions, when in truth they were not.
STTA and others then led a campaign to help companies understand how introducing sustainable measures would in the end benefit those involved and lead to cost savings in daily operations besides passing the increasingly more effective and widened net of environmental and sustainability audits.
Many programmes and projects, involving communities near tourism attractions, have been rolled out in the more recent past as it is now being recognized that unless the surrounding communities benefit from tourism in the long run, they will find it difficult to support such ventures in their midst.
However, it is increasingly evident that the lack of understanding how to engage with host communities and how to truly help them in the long run, has began to effect the outcome of projects.
Like greenwashing of old – and at times even still in the present – is pseudo engagement with communities a major challenge in accomplishing the sustainable development goals set by the UN.
STTA has now developed a training course for organizations and individuals involved in community based projects to better understand the challenges and how to make community involvement a success, for the benefit of both parties that is.
STTA has set July 25th and 26th to launch their new training initiatives under the heading of ‘Communities for Sustainable Tourism and Progressive Conservation‘. A total of four courses are on offer and the cost of 15.000 Kenya Shillings for each can be reduced by taking advantage of booking the first two together and bring the cost down to just 10.000 Kenya Shillings for each.
For added information click on www.sttakenya.org
