Annual General Meeting Madrid, 15-16 November 2004 2004 ACHIEVEMENTS and PROGRAMME for 2005

1. Annual General Meeting Madrid, 15-16 November 2004 2004 ACHIEVEMENTS and PROGRAMME for 2005

2. Table of Contents SLIDE NUMBER TOI activities in 2004 3 Feedback from the Secretariat and Board 9 Programme of Activities 2005 12 Exercise a common voice: Side 13 Punta Cana/Bayahibe 14 Agadir 15 Partnership with WWF 19 Partnership with ICLEI 23 Itacare 31 Others 33 Business Tools 35 Constitution 36 New Board 38 Progress report by the members 39

3. Supply Chain Management

4. Partnerships with Destinations • On-going: • Side (Turkey) • Punta Cana/Bayahibe (Dominican Republic) • In development: • Agadir (Morocco) • Other forms of partnerships: • Participation in FAM tours

5. Other activities • Research papers • National Tour Operators’ Associations initiatives for sustainable tourism • Internal communication strategies and tools to promote sustainability within tour operators’ companies. • Outreach • TOI’s workshops and special sessions • Presentations on the TOI • TOI Stands at tourism fairs

6. In the pipelines • Training pack for tour operators (being prepared by Leeds Metropolitan University) • Exploratory visit in Itacare (Brasil) led by Edgar Werblowsky • Workshop on “Tourism, Seas and Environment” (Arona, Tenerife, 16 December 2004) organized by LTU Touristik a TOI Session.

7. Fund raising • Membership contributions is still the core funding mechanism covering the cost of the Co-ordinator • MEDD (France) contribution for the Training pack • CELB contribution for the Supply Chain series • In Kind (LTU, VASCO, FreeWay, KEL12 ….) • UNEP and WTO support continued • UK STI was unsuccessful

8. Membership • Resignations: GAP and Orizzonti • New members: Thomas Cook and Sahara Tours • Applicants: Explore Nepal

9. Feedback on TOI Position • TOI is considered a reference for businesses, and important partner to support better public policies • TOI’s visibility is quite high (especially in Europe and in countries where partnerships are being implemented) • TOI activities are never confused with its members’

10. Feedback on TOI Position • Challenges: • Catalyse Membership involvement and revamp CEO/MDs commitment • Strengthen reporting of individual actions • Follow up with TOI tools (Implementation phase) • Raise Funds • Need to confirm UNESCO’s support

11. TOI Secretariat • From 2005 the coordination of the TOI will count on: • P 4 - (Sustainable Tourism) Programme Officer (G. Carbone) will oversight the TOI and all other DTIE’s tourism projects. • L2 - Associate Programme Officer (on TOI) - to be hired

12. Programme of Activities 2005 • The members agreed that the TOI Programme of Activities should aim at : • Supporting the development of one voice in destinations and lobby for better public governance • Encouraging sharing and dissemination of good practices • Representing a membership ‘service’ • Generating visibility for the TOI

13. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • SIDE: • Take opportunity to meet with mayor if a member visits TOI (LTU) • VASCO is the focal point who will need to keep TOI members up to date with meetings and activities

14. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • PUNTA CANA/BAYAHIBE: • Mario Kosic from LTU will take part to the meetings of the newly formed body (Allianza). They have started the waste separation scheme in Bayahibe and Punta Cana (In Activities 2004) • Take opportunity to meet with mayor if a member visits the destination • Organize a TOI activity: focus on the Parque del Este and link it to marine recreation activities and launch it to hotels. Join forces with Ecoparque (Kelvin Guerrero) and verify the possibility of organizing a meeting with local marine recreation providers the first week of April (on the occasion of Hotelplan’s week).

15. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • AGADIR: • Take into account the future plans to develop 6 new beach destinations (already granted licenses to operate them), and provide ideas to Agadir on how to keep their position in tourism. What is the ‘survival’ factor for an old destination when there is competition from new destinations. • Maintain a contact with and involvement of Marrakech. Make this experience a ‘Moroccan Issue’. What is learned in Agadir can be the message for Morocco as a whole. • TOI can bring the tour operators/ clients’ quality perspective in sustainability

16. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • AGADIR: • Provide an overall view of the situation in Agadir and in depth of selected issues that are critical by tour operators. Organize a TOI mission to identify areas of ‘sustainability’ concerns and improvements for Agadir. • The Local TOI members interested in Marrakech could start working under the umbrella of this project.

17. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • AGADIR: • How? • Planning committee to develop the audit terms of reference and assign roles/responsibility. Very important to define carefully the ‘indicators’. Define issues very carefully/ limited to those that TOI are involved, interested and can take action. Ask CRT and local players what they expect from the visit. Collect all existing material. Organize a Preparatory meeting (one full day) in Paris on Wednesday 26 January 2005 (in UNEP office)). Include also WTO (Eugenio and Gabor). • Participate in the audit • Present final results

18. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • AGADIR: • When? Week of 25 April 2005 • Who? KEL 12, (Aurinkomatkat ?), First Choice, Atlas, Dynamic, Accor, Hotelplan, LTU Touristik, TUI, Sahara Tours ... • Background: Local Agenda 21 reports, WTO manual on indicators, TUI Destination reports • ‘Godfather’ : Sahara Tours (for local appointments) / Dynamic Tours (for national connections)

19. TOI - WWF Pilot Partnership • The TOI Members confirmed the intention to Pilot the partnership with WWF. • WWF provided two proposed sites to ‘test’ the partnership: • Island of Lastovo (Croatia): establish a Marine Protected Area by raising awareness of biodiversity conservation among key decision makers in government. More pristine, but close by to a big touristic area (Dubrovnik, Split) • Tekirova (Antalya): lobby for declaration of a Marine Protected Area. Alanya to Kemer - 200 km of coastline under heavy tourism development and within this Antalya is one of the destinations. Coexistence of large and small scale tourism. The three islands is very important for recreation (and adjacent to a terrestrial protected area). How to combine large scale tourism development and marine protected areas.

20. An awareness campaign could be added to target consumers - to integrate this area of join activity between TOI and WWF. Internal and external communication: materials for the ministries/stakeholders workshops and press. Key representative in WWF: Paolo Guglielmi and Birgit Weerts. Need to integrate from the outset indicators on how to measure the effectiveness of the PARTNERSHIP to be integrated in the agreement. Communication to media: only when some results have been achieved. Need to define activities and roles of the two partners. Simon Creeps : Marine Advisory Group at the end of January / a meeting on tourism and have the endorsement of the pilot project.

21. WWF / TOI Discussion: The proposal of pilot testing if the two organizations can join forces on these issues and if MORE can be achieved by cooperation. The decision on the pilot projects:It will be then Croatia but it will not exclude the lobbying for Turkey. A small group of people will be in the Design Team. Paolo Guglielmi from WWF (and the local NGO/partner (Sunset)) and from TOI Aurinkomatkat shall meet possibly 11 February 2005 in Paris.

22. Croatia project: in the background material more information on how to proceed and status of the project (launched in 1998). Funding: common fund raising Stakeholder workshop on the islands: not only with islands players but also national ones. Two stakeholder workshop : one in May/June and the second one in September/October, to introduce the idea and practices of sustainable practices and MPA management and best practices example. Result: an action plan.

23. The ICLEI Network of Sustainable Tourism Destinations • The Network is part of ICLEI (but it does not include all ICLEI’s local authorities). • The Network was created in Rimini as part of the Sustainable Tourism Conference (in 2002). 16 members in the Mediterranean area. Within the network 2 association - so it represents in fact 25 municipalities (representing then 80.000 overnight / 50 000 arrivals a year) • Tourism should be the main economic activity.

24. The aim of the Network is to improve local government strategy for the future main aim: exchange of experiences (All cities have developed a local agenda 21 strategy, including all stakeholders in the tourism business). • One challenge in Local Agenda 21 - the challenge is the tour operator as often is not a locally based but still it influences development of the tourism in destination within the network influence the marketing of the tourists. • Within the network : different working groups on sustainable procurement, seasonality, certification - and within each issue try to find best strategies on how to go on. • The big challenge is how these mass tourism destination can move towards sustainability - this without loosing main focus of tourism destination.

25. TOI members’ interest in existing network members : Calvia, Sousse, Georgioupolis (Hotelplan) Riccione, Venezia, Sousse, Calvia, Costa del Sol, Georgioupolis (Aurinkomatkat) Spain (Lloreto del Mar, Calvia, north part of Adriatic sea but not package as clients use their own transport, Georgioupolis/Crete and Rhodes, Sousse) LTU Touristik Greece, Portugal, Spain (First Choice) Possibility of TOI and Network to cooperate to put pressure on these to work with the network: South of Turkey (Antalya, Side) Tunisia (Monastir, Tabarka, Tunis, Djerba) Morocco (Agadir) Portugal (Algarve) Sicily (Taormina) Emerging countries: Croatia, Bulgaria

26. ICLEI view on benefits for a cooperation: Incorporate all stakeholders in the Local Agenda 21 development phase = in destinations where tourism is an important economic activity it is important to include also tour operators in the long term planning. Reach the customers through the TOI members. It is more effective to have a link with a network of tour operators rather than individual tour operators. For TOI to test in mature destinations ‘sustainability’ integration in destination management.

27. TOI view on benefits for a cooperation: Identify a qualified contact within the local government/communities to support better management and provision of environmental infrastructures = open doors Identify what the sustainability issues are including what are the challenges that local authorities face in their efforts to integrate environmental sustainability in the destinations. Information about the destination is not always credible and this creates a problem with customers’ un-met expectations.

28. Common benefits/ideas for action: Quality development is a common goal of destination authorities and tour operators. Ensure long term business based on environmental, social and economic sustainability. Working in networks - to reach out / go beyond the borders and protect the market share of the Mediterranean ICLEI’s network can provide access to local authorities / entrance door TOI can support ICLEI to lobby for sustainable development in local authorities Identity Card collecting information about the members (25 members) = possibility of sharing this information and tour operators can express what is the information that tour operators want to know about the destination

29. Common benefits/ideas for action: Feedback from the customers - collect this feedback on the members of the network and provide feedback on a structured basis through the network. Share with local authorities what are the indicators for choosing a hotel from tour operators perspective. In specific destinations: lobby for better environmental infrastructures

30. Next steps - focus on INFORMATION SHARING. Project I: SHARE information on the ICLEI’s NETWORK members’ sustainability through the Identification Card (ICLEI Network to TOI): TOI to revise the Identification Card - and provide the ICLEI’s network if additional indicators of sustainability are needed from tour operators’ perspective by end of January ICLEI Network to collect again based on new ID form within two months Project II: SHARE Customers’ feedback on destinations sustainability (TOI to ICLEI Network): TOI to share customers’ feedback with ICLEI Network (without having to create new / additional ways to collect feedback) and eventually organized an ad hoc structured survey (through tour operators reps) and/or exit surveys and suppliers’ feedback ON THE DESTINATIONS

31. Exercise a COMMON VOICE - New opportunities: • Itacare (Brazil): north east coast of Brazil, near Salvador. 10 years ago it was a fishermen village with unpaved road to access it. In the last 5 years they paved the road and the result is that there are over 100 hotels and big hotel chains are investing in Itacare. • TOI usually concentrates on mature destinations. This could be an opportunity to influence emerging destinations. Itacare can be a good model on how to work on emerging destinations for Brazil but also for tour operators in future business. • There is lack of legislation related to tourism (problems : violence, waste ..). There is a local NGO (GTS) trying to work with community on sustainable tourism.

32. Tom will go with Edgar to visit Itacare on 28-29 November. • Tom will make an assessment of the region and present it to the Board. • Head of Cabinet has confirmed his participation in the exploratory visit • If a TOI workshop will be organized should not be before Winter 2005-2006

33. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • To share good practices and marketing experience • WTO Led activities : • Seminars on poverty alleviation: present the TOI, and individual practices and challenges in making tour operators more sustainable (economic and social issues in particular) • Implement the WTO Manual on indicators: destination based workshops on how to use the manual. TOI members could participate and provide the perspective of outbound tour operators on their perspective on what are the ‘sustainability issues’ in the visited destinations.

34. Exercise a COMMON VOICE • To share good practices and marketing experience • ICRAN National Learning Workshops and Pilot testing in Mexico (Ventaglio, LTU Touristik, First Choice, include also TF multi stakeholder group (if near training they are organizing in Cancun) and Belize (May/June) • Educational and information sharing in South Africa in partnership with the Fair Trade in Tourism (end February/beginning of March). Explore later date in March for Hotelplan. KEL 12 and Ventaglio and Exodus maybe will also join.

35. Develop COMMON BUSINESS TOOLS • TOI decision is not to have tools developed in 2005 as no specific tool was identified. The Board will decide during the year if proposals are submitted. • TOI will also re-think if the Guide to Good practice are in fact effective (the need to collect feedback from users was highlighted)

36. Changes in the constitution • MAIN CHANGES: • Art. 4 - change the Board from 12 to 5 members • Members of the Board will be elected by the AGM as well as the Chairman • The Board will be refreshed every year (all Board members should step down - but can be re-elected) • All Board members have specific responsibilities • The new ‘structure’ of the Board has been proposed due to limited membership, to act flexibly and fast -

37. Changes in the constitution • COMMENTS: • These should be considered as amendments (operational rule for one year interim period) until the change of the Constitution can be carried out to operate under these rules (For one year / ad interim the Board will be five members). • In a month time have an electronic vote in a set two weeks period to allow all members to cast their vote (in January 2005).

38. Election of the Board 2005 Aurinkomatkat-Suntours (Finland) 12 votes (CHAIRMAN) FreeWay Brasil (Brazil) 12 votes Hotelplan (Switzerland) 12 votes LTU-Touristik (Germany) 11 votes Ventaglio (Italy) 11 votes

39. Progress report by members on activities undertaken in 2004

40. LTU Touristik: • Technical manual for hotels - new edition in Spring 2005 • Environmental e-mail for clients is still running - information in brochure - invitation to clients to send feedback to LTU and ask anything or share experiences. • Code of conduct for children - info on internet and brochures, leaflets and clauses in contracts. Staff training. This is part of the commitment signed by DRV. • Expand envirnmental and social information in brochure and internet (9 pages). Participated in several trade fairs (dsometimes with a special stand for the environmental department).

41. LTU Touristik: • Support environmental associations for animal protection (in particular the issue of cats and dogs protection in destinations). Also association for dolphin protection. • Check the programme and verify all doplhin parks - for the moment two have been removed (manati park in Dom Rep and dolphin park in Sharm) • Waste management in Thassos (Greece) • Installation of solar energy in own and contracted hotels: technical assistance

42. Atlas Voyages: • Food health and safety programme in hotel (included in contract in 2005 for suppliers. The verification of suppliers is paid by the hoteliers) • Special training programme for staff (25.000 USD) and five staff registered in school for special certification/ University of La Rochelle • System for guides and managers • Week end for all HR and provide trophies for best employee of the year • In 2005 in the process of signing a convention to provide funds for the best student / training in the company

43. Atlas Voyages: • Support to associations such as SOS Village / Association AVENIR and others (to protect handicap children and women) • Internal training programme: 11 teachers from staff and will share their know how with their fellow colleagues (100) • Support of the national tour guide association to organize the national tour guide meeting and in particular to discuss their social security status (currently at least 75 % do not have any security system) • Contract with special consultant to define how to integrate in the company environmental and social practices

44. Dynamic Tours: • Charter for mountain guides - still pursuing this by training guides and cooks • The report for guides has changed: questions on the areas visited have been included (waste, water and communities) • New destinations in Morocco: ‘opening’ the North of Morocco and Middle Atlas • Products for families where customers can participate in local projects with villages associations • Motivation of incoming companies to clean the most popular desert areas that have many problems with waste • For all guides - visit more cultural sites

45. Dynamic Tours: • For supply chain management: focused on safety in transport: drivers have not a good training / work long hours. Introduce check list to understand the customers’ expectations. • Involved in rural global tourism strategy in Morocco: asked to make an assessment in the main rural areas where Dynamic is working to understand the type of revenue that people not directly involved in tourism : result was that it’s very little. • Main ‘clients’ are very involved in responsible tourism (Exodus and French company).

46. Dynamic Tours: • Also involved with French association of adventure operators (ITR). They did an assessment of how their companies are operating. They have a check list (and certification) on how these companies are operating. They will use Morocco as pilot destination. • Involved in organising FAM tours for rural tourism • Involved in the ‘Marrakech project’ with CETO • Involved in CRT Casablanca wants to establish a charter for the town • Participate in the National commission for quality in tourism • In 2005: • A strategy for integrating all actions in a coherent framework

47. Freeway Brazil: • Prepare destinations to receive disabled people: Hired a disabled person to work and prepared a team of two on wheel chair with doctors and went to four destinations (Itacare, Pantanal, Bonito and Mira ..). Assessment and recommendations for adapting hotels and trails to allow disabled people to visit these areas. Including training of guides, changes in structure, introduction of special equipment. The philosophy is ‘INCLUSION’. The result is that the local people are very interested and open to help (in particular the guides). All was sponsored by FW (award received by the tourism magazine in Brazil) Aim is to prepare 60 destinations in the future (Ministry of Tourism is willing to sponsor the next steps).

48. Freeway Brazil: • Launched the ECPAT campaign in Brazil: involved all the suppliers by 1/ adapting the code for use of travel agencies and hoteliers; 2/ invited all suppliers (400) to sign the code and promote them in the web site (and send them a certificate of the campaign); 3/ disseminate the code to all clients and possibility of sharing complaints and reports on these issues (one hotel in Amazon and one in Fortaleza are no longer contracted); 4/ promote this in the tourism fairs (collect signatures on the campaign); 5/ inform the President on these activities and results. 2005 outlook: Only 12 only replied for the moment - the aim is to have 30% of suppliers signing the code.

49. Freeway Brazil: • Journey for life: Voluntary programme to bring tourists to work in communities (Certao …) : community of 600 people living in the rainforest near the beach (two big problems: border of State Park of Serra de Mar - and they are not allowed to plant / and press by investors to sell and move). The objective is to providing them with incentives to stay. 2-3 people groups that go there (special professionals such medical doctors, agricultural specialists) and go there and work with them (in future Lencois Maranensis and Itacare). • Tree planted for each travaler (national 1 and international 5 trees) (with partnership with SOS Mata Atlantica)

50. Freeway Brazil: • Prepare destinations to receive disabled people: Hired a disabled person to work and prepared a team of two on wheel chair with doctors and went to four destinations (Itacare, Pantanal, Bonito and Mira ..). Assessment and recommendations for adapting hotels and trails to allow disabled people to visit these areas. Including training of guides, changes in structure, introduction of special equipment. The philosophy is ‘INCLUSION’. The result is that the local people are very interested and open to help (in particular the guides). All was sponsored by FW (award received by the tourism magazine in Brazil) Aim is to prepare 60 destinations in the future (Ministry of Tourism is willing to sponsor the next steps). • Launched the ECPAT campaign in Brazil: involved all the suppliers by 1/ adapting the code for use of travel agencies and hoteliers; 2/ invited all suppliers (400) to sign the code and promote them in the web site (and send them a certificate of the campaign); 3/ disseminate the code to all clients and possibility of sharing complaints and reports on these issues (one hotel in Amazon and one in Fortaleza are no longer contracted); 4/ promote this in the tourism fairs (collect signatures on the campaign); 5/ inform the President on these activities and results. 2005 outlook: Only 12 only replied for the moment - the aim is to have 30% of suppliers signing • Journey for life: Voluntary programme to bring tourists to work in communities (Certao …) : community of 600 people living in the rainforest near the beach (two big problems: border of State Park of Serra de Mar - and they are not allowed to plant / and press by investors to sell and move). The objective is to providing them with incentives to stay. 2-3 people groups that go there (special professionals such medical doctors, agricultural specialists) and go there and work with them (in future Lencois Maranensis and Itacare). • Tree planted for each travaler (national 1 and international 5 trees) (with partnership with SOS Mata Atlantica)