leohickman

media type="custom" key="11239024" align="right"conversations / Leo Hickman
related: england editing: [|Conversation]

Twitter
[|@leohickman]

Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/leohickman http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/the-eco-audit-with-leo-hickman http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/11/a-year-of-ethical-living-revisited

Blog
http://leohickman.wordpress.com

Videos
[|Leo Hickman talks to Stephen Sackur at WTM] Writer Leo Hickman talks to Stephen Sackur following the release of his controversial new book The Final Call. Download link (MPEG-4) [|Leo Hickman on the WTM Hotseat] http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/Action=Seminars/SeminarID=15 http://www.wtmlondon.com/page.cfm/action=ConfSpeaker/SpeakerID=203

Buzzword Bingo
Audit - Blob - Good Guys - Stress - Travel writing

Features http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/apr/16/jeremy-grantham-food-oil-capitalism http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/12/jeremy-grantham-environmental-philanthropist-interview http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/apr/15/jeremy-grantham-population-china-climate

RSS

 * rss url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/leohickman/rss" link="true" number="10" date="true" || rss url="http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/181912222.rss" link="true" number="10" date="true" ||

Videos
media type="youtube" key="KlenWzQl_UI?version=3" height="315" width="560"

Planeta Conversation (Raw) Site Admin
 * [|View previous topic] :: [|View next topic] ||
 * ~ Author ||~ Message ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:11 am Post subject: Final Call: Conversation with Leo Hickman ||  || ||
 * Leo Hickman is a journalist and author of Guardian Book's 'The Final Call' subtitled 'In search of the true cost of our holidays.' Leo has agreed to participate in an online Q&A.

An edited version of this conversation will appear later this year on Planeta.com.

Links

Amazon.com @http://tinyurl.com/2ps3bl

Author Website @http://leohickman.wordpress.com

Book of the Year Nominee @http://www.planeta.com/planeta/07/0712bookoftheyear.html

Last edited by planeta on Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:57 am; edited 2 times in total ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:19 am Post subject: Kicking off ... || || ||
 * Leo, I just had the opportunity to read your book cover to cover. It's excellent and I am very pleased it is nominated for our book of the year award. It has the elements of some of my favorite investigative reporting books while showcasing your talent at narrative writing.

To kick off our Q&A a few questions:

What's the background of this book -- how was it written? Is it being well received?

Do we know the stats -- are most holiday travelers doing so independently or are they participants in group tours?

After writing this book, do you have some unanswered questions of your own? ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * **What's the background of this book -- how was it written? Is it being well received?**

I first had the idea for this book about five or so years ago. Like many people, I had enjoyed visiting destinations on holiday but often left wondering whether my visitation had actually had a positive or negative impact of the destination itself and its peoples. I wondered about the damage to the local environment, and the natural resources. In addition, I wondered about just how much in the way of income my visit was ever likely to bring to the local population. So about 18 months ago I set off on a series of trips to popular destinations around the world - Cancun, Ibiza, Miami, Kerala, Costa Rica, the French Alps, Thailand, Benidorm, Hong Kong, Dubai etc - to interview as many people 'on the ground' as I could to try and better understand the full impacts - warts and all - of the mighty global tourism industry, something I was surprised to learn hadn't really been done before outside of academic and NGO circles. As a Guardian journalist, I wanted to write a mainstream book that spoke directly to travellers and tourists, but also to those within the industry that hold so many of the important levers to possible solutions. The book has been billed as an 'investigative travelogue' - part investigation, part travel writing. Yes, I'm pleased to say that so far the book has been positively received with good reviews in the Financial Times, the Irish Times, the New Statesman etc. Better still, people who have read the book have started to contact me to say how compelling they found the book's findings and conclusions.

**Do we know the stats -- are most holiday travelers doing so independently or are they participants in group tours?**

In the UK, at least, there is certainly growing evidence that more and more people are travelling independently - booking a flight, car rental and hotel online, grabbing a guidebook and off they go. According to the UK's Office of National Statistics, UK citizens made almost 45 million holidays trips abroad in 2006, of which 18.8m were “inclusive tours”, so that's about 42%. Sorry, I don't have global figures. There is certainly a debate to had though - which I raise in the book - about whether it is automatically a good thing that more and more of us travel independently. Travelling this way carries with it much greater responsibilities, in my view, but ultimately it can have a more positive impact, particularly with regards to making sure as much of the money we spend 'sticks' to the destination.

**After writing this book, do you have some unanswered questions of your own?**

The big one for me is how the tourism industry is going to face up to what I saw from my investigations as a series of mounting and grave problems. Surely, there can't be many other industries that would risk destroying their own key assets in such a cavalier and short-sighted way. There seems to be very little in the way of preparing and investing for the future - the prevailing attitude within the industry seems to be to make as much money as quickly as possible with little, if any regard, for the long-term future of the destination. As someone with young children who already point to the atlas in their bedroom with a sense of wonder, this saddens me deeply. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:35 pm Post subject: Questions ||  || ||
 * In your essay this week on Travel Mole - Travel industry has 'head in the sand' over climate change: @http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1120616.php - you say that "the travel and tourism industry is a long, long way from truly grasping the scale of the problems that lay before it – in some ways it reminds me of where the tobacco industry was about 40 years ago."

My first question - should we be looking for leadership from the industry itself when those in charge are rarely accountable, rarely transparent and the simplest data about tourism statistics remains suspect?

What is absent is solid data to answer vital questions: How many people are traveling? Where does the money go? We also need to embrace dialogues that permit discussion about more subjective topics: How empowered are locals to make decisions that affect their livelihoods? Are travelers satisfied with the information at hand in making choices about where to go and what to support?

If what we are seeking are ways for travelers and locals to be more ethical to each other and to place -- the resource base for the interaction -- then isn't it time we start talking about supporting decentralized movements and campaigns rather than make expectations of government and industry? ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:29 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * I totally agree with you about the point that the leadership within the global tourism industry - organisations such as the UN's World Tourism Organisation, the World Travel and Tourism Council etc - lacks transparency, is made up of a small, often transferable cabal of industry executives, and that the statistics they pump out about the industry have to be taken with a pinch of salt. When researching my book I had to largely rely on some of their figures and this sometimes made me a little uncomfortable. But sadly there does seem to be a real lack of truly independent figures, ones that can't be accused of supporting an agenda.

But isn't that true of all statistics to a certain degree? NGOs can often be accused of just the same thing, for example. That's why in the book I tried to rely much more of what people 'on the ground' were telling me in person, even though statistics will always play their part in this kind of investigation.

The question of where the money goes is, of course, one of the hardest to pin down with hard, reliable figures because vested interests are either trying to prove it does indeed 'trickle down' and benefit everyone in the local community, or that it most certainly doesn't. But from just talking to many low-level tourism workers around the world - the chambermaids, the taxi drivers, the waiters etc - I must report that the latter seemed to be much nearer the truth.

Improving the quality of the data available will clearly help to better answers all of the questions you raise about tourists having the knowledge to book the 'right' holiday, or for communities to make the best decisions about how the manage and nurture their destinations.

In general, I always support the notion of decentralisation and I think tourism is a good example of where destinations might fare better, both in terms of environmental stewardship and even marketability, if they didn't have to constantly feel the heavy hand of big government or big business on their shoulders at all times. Global tourism seems to be governed by a one-size-fits-all approach at the moment, and the ones calling the tunes are organisations such as the UNWTO and WTTC, who are broadly all about pushing the big infrastructure, 'international standard' approach to tourism. This is the world of increasing bed capacity, more runways, wider highways, and one in which every tourist is assumed to want a minibar, air conditioning, golf course and buffet at every turn.

In my view, there is a damaging lack of subtly to this approach and is one that has directly or indirectly caused so many of the problems I have witnessed around the world. There seems to be a fundamental lack of trust among the big-industry players that destinations can ever know best when it comes to managing their own assets and that their will should be adhered to at all times. No wonder some people talk of tourism as a form of modern-day imperialism. These players talk of believing in the 'free-market', but this is a clever illusion in my eyes. There is little that is 'free' about how the global tourism industry is managed at the moment from what I can see. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject: Long-haul travel ||  || ||
 * Last week I spoke at the Ecotourism New Zealand Conference which addressed the issue of transporation and climate change. One of the participants insisted that we not only look at the impact of climate change on tourism but the impact of tourism on climate change.

You address this topic in-depth in your book and I included a mention of Final Call and this very Q&A in my presentation @http://www.slideshare.net/planeta/global-perspective-of-ecotourism

That said, I found it very interesting that Ecotourism Australia recently issued a media release -- @http://www.ecotourism.org.au/mediareleases/readdbrelease.asp?id=1005 -- saying that Britons are being fed simplistic and inaccurate propaganda in advertisements aimed at reducing long haul air travel.

“Targeting aviation as a major source of emissions ignores the facts. It’s such a soft target, but Britons can do much more by reducing other sources of carbon emissions closer to home,” Ecotourism Australia’s Chairman Alastair McCracken said. “While aviation contributes perhaps 2% of global emissions, the manufacturing industry, consumption in the home, and transport in Britain each contribute about one third to Britain’s total carbon emissions, and road transport accounts for by far the biggest share of the transport sector. Australia’s world-leading ecotourism products combined with carbon offset for air travel are an environmentally-sound choice that makes a lot more sense than a motoring holiday to Blackpool."

What is your take on this argument? And what recommendations do you have for tourism leaders in Australia and New Zealand? ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:16 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * Sure, I have a lot of sympathy for all long-haul destinations such as Australia and New Zealand (and South Africa, most of South America, Asia etc) because this issue is only going to get more and more pressing for them. However, I don't buy Ecotourism Australia's argument about the environmental impact of aviation at all. I accept that currently, in terms of overall global emissions, aviation is low compared to other sectors. No one is arguing against that, as far as I'm aware. What environmentalists and now others say they fear is the unrestricted growth of aviation. Whilst most other sectors - road transport, domestic heating/cooling, electrical goods etc - have the opportunity to reduce their emissions through efficiency gains and technological changes, there simply is no equivalent 'techno-fix' around the corner for aviation, despite what some in the industry might claim. (I go into this in great detail in my book.) So while other sectors can make some of the reductions in emissions (whether they will or not is another huge question!), there is no such hope for aviation, especially when set against the vast growth predictions. We must act now to reduce demand before the growth implications get out-of-hand, with so many nations now catching the cheap-flight bug.

But there's another important point. I've never argued that aviation alone should be the one sector we focus all our efforts on. That would be madness. I'm also not one to say that no one should ever fly again. All sectors need to be tackled, in my view. But while we have to heat our homes, cook our food, and use road transport in our everyday lives, we don't need to go on long-haul vacations. It is a discretionary choice and in an age when the environmental impact of all our lifestyle choices is coming under close scrutiny, the need to holiday must surely come quite far down our list of true priorities. This is especially true when you consider that one return flight to Australia from the UK represents about half of the average UK citizen's carbon footprint over the period of one year. Talking of aviation's contribution to global emissions in terms of 2% may or may not be true (I argue in the book it is in fact much higher than that for a range of reasons), but it is also a little disingenuous. This is because only 5% of the world's population today have ever flown in a plane. We must find a balance of personal emissions that is equitable to all on this planet.

Flying, whether we like it or not, can represent a big slice of the emissions pie for the average Westerner, for want of a better term, who likes to travel faraway on vacation. Of all the passengers leaving the UK on a plane each year, 66% are flying for leisure purposes. The rest is made up of business travellers and so-called VFRs (visiting friends and relatives). In other words, the majority of those flying are tourists. This is non-essential travel. What I argue for is that we need to take a much more balanced view about how much we chose to fly on holiday. Sure, if we want to go on a long-haul flight to Australia then perhaps make it one to savour every 4-5 years, as opposed to thinking we can just go on long-haul flights on a whim whenever we choose. Why not one year go on a holiday locally, then the next perhaps to a nearby country, then after that go long-haul? We need to spread our holiday-related emissions over a much longer period if we are to bring our emissions down overall. Likewise, we need to introduce similar thinking across the whole of our lifestyle, not just holidays. But nowhere do we make such a large discretionary, one-off burst of emissions as when we fly long-haul - our two weeks away to a far-off shore can easily add up to produce more emissions than driving a car over one year.

What long-haul destinations do about this problem is, indeed, a mighty dilemma. I have gone on record many times to say that I do not believe carbon offsetting is the answer, and it saddens me when I hear stock responses such as: "Australia’s world-leading ecotourism products combined with carbon offset for air travel are an environmentally-sound choice that makes a lot more sense than a motoring holiday to Blackpool." That is just patently wrong and absurd. As I've also said before, the sun-drenched beaches we seek on holiday are wonderful places to stick your head in the sand!

I would hope that destinations that overly rely on long-haul tourists diverse their businesses quickly. Tourism is simply too fickle and vulnerable an industry to place all your eggs into one basket, as many of the tourism professionals I interviewed for my book would testify. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:27 am Post subject: Goverment Spotlight ||  || ||
 * Later this month Planeta.com announces the winner of the Ecotourism Spotlight Award -- @http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/awardspotlight.html -- created as a way of showcasing government websites that promoted responsible travel and ecotourism.

In your view, do you see many government portals that not only provide theory but actually do a good job of showing people where to go, who to visit and how to travel in country?

Do you have any recommendations of what you would like to see on government portals? ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:40 pm Post subject: ||  || ||
 * The quick and honest answer is that, no, I can't think of any government website that shows tourists where to go and what to do when they get to their country in a way that goes beyond the offerings of, say, any tour operator. But then again I must admit that I haven't visited too many government portals as they would never be my first port of call when considering a visit to a country. I would probably trawl online guides and message forums first to get a sense from previous visitors of the best way to try and travel through a country with a considered and light footfall.

Information I would like to find on such a site would be up-to-date travel advisory information as well as guidelines about how visitors should 'behave' in their country so not to upset cultural and social sensitivities - anything that helps the visitor to be a positive not negative presence. One thing I would find really helpful is proper advice about things such as tipping. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:08 am Post subject: Administrative note ||  || || Site Admin
 * Administrative note - This topic has received more than 1,000 views. Many thanks, Leo and Planeta readers! ||  ||
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:11 am Post subject: Is it the Final Call for Tourism? || || ||
 * A quick announcement

Our friends at Tourism Concern are convening a debate this Saturday (October 13) at the Tower Building, London Metropolitan University. The debate is entitled, ‘Is it the Final Call for Tourism?’

Leo will be one of the discussants, along with ABTA’s Press Officer, Frances Tuke, Lamin Bojan from Gambia Tourism Concern and Peter DeBrine, Deputy Director of the International Tourism Partnership.

More details on Leo's blog @http://leohickman.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/event-is-it-the-final-call-for-tourism ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:09 am Post subject: Publication question ||  || ||
 * Here's a nerdy question for yourself and Guardian Books -- when is this book going to be available in the Americas?

The U.S.-based Amazon.com still does not have copies available. I recommend this book to colleagues but it's difficult as it's not available on this side of the pond. Any suggestions are most welcome. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:29 am Post subject: Davos Quest ||  || ||
 * Leo, your blog is one of my favorites and I was surprised to read this quote from CNN journalist Richard Quest:

"I have read the Davos Declaration in detail. I am none the wiser about what’s going to be done. I suggest and respectfully submit that more work needs to be done on changing the mindset rather than producing pamphlets of fine-sounding language… Ultimately, we have to change the mindset of the tourist, whether it is the business traveller or the vacationer. We are in this sinking boat together and we need to offer them realistic possibilities and procedures to help bale us out of it." @http://leohickman.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/now-voyager

What is your take on the current work among government tourism leaders to combat climate change? Do we expect any specific actions in the coming year? ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:07 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * I, too, was very surprised by Richard Quest’s comments and am pleased that such a high-profile presence within the travel and tourism industry spoke out as he did on this subject. I fear, as Quest does, that there are a lot of words being spoken at the moment about the impact of climate change on the industry, but sadly nowhere near enough action.

As we approach the next big gathering of industry bigwigs at ITB Berlin in early March, we are again hearing lots of talk about all this, but I won’t be placing a big bet on it actually leading to much action.

And, no, I don’t see any government tourism leaders doing anything truly substantial to address this issue. (Please post here if anyone feels otherwise, as I would be most interested to hear about it.) I suspect that most are more worried about what impact a global economic downturn will have on visitor numbers. Of course, this is a totally justified concern, but I worry that this will kick climate change to the back of the queue when it comes to areas that require urgent attention. As ever, it will be short-term considerations that override any that appear at present to be far off on the horizon.

My hope – rather than expectation, per se - for the coming year would be that more destination stakeholders start to talk more and more about how to adapt their various assets before climate change begins to take hold and damage them. An obvious example would be to stop building tourism infrastructure right beside, or even on, beaches and other vulnerable stretches of coastline. Doing so would also bring with it lots of other environmental benefits, too, such as reducing the clearing of mangroves and reducing sewage-related pollution that so damages sea life. ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:07 am Post subject: A Good Life ||  || ||
 * Leo, your new book 'A Good Life, The Guide to Ethical Living' just arrived. It reads like a playful cookbook for the soul. Technically, how did you write this book and on a deeper level, what is this book about? ||  ||
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||

Traveler
 * [|View previous topic] :: [|View next topic] ||
 * ~ Author ||~ Message ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:13 am Post subject: ||  || || A Good Life actually came out in the UK back in 2005, but it has just been revised and updated which is why you have been holding a brand new copy in your hands I suspect. In many ways, it was the foundation for The Final Call in that it is underpinned by the same philosophy, namely that we can all make a difference - both environmentally and socially - by carefully considering the choices we make everyday as consumers. This applies just as much to choosing a holiday, as it does deciding the food we eat, the clothes we wear, or the way we get to work in the morning. A Good Life is a handbook for anyone who likes the sound of this approach to life and simply wants to give it a go. It is packed with explainers, advice, and listings. You can dip in and out, or you could read it cover to cover - it doesn't really matter. The new edition also incorporates many of my "Is it OK..." columns from the Guardian, which were an attempt to answer some of life's niggling dilemmas such as, from an environmental point of view, should you drink bottled or tap water, or, from an animal cruelty point of view, what's the best way to rid your home of rodents. The book's listings are UK-orientated, but most of the themes contained within are universal. I've had people from South Korea to Canada say they have enjoyed the book, which is really gratifying. Outside of the UK, it should be easy enough to get hold of it on any of the internet-based booksellers. ||  || Site Admin
 * "A playful cookbook for the soul" - I like that! We'll put that on the cover of the next edition.
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:08 am Post subject: Tourist behaviour changing? || || || Traveler
 * The big news are record oil prices and the economic downturn. I wonder how these factors may shift tourist behaviour. Will people spend their holidays closer to home? Will travelers start to make longer trips abroad? ||  ||
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: ||  || || All around the word, airlines are going bust, or slashing routes and jobs, as fuel prices rise steeply. Ticket prices are going up and all the signs are that they are unlikely to fall any time in the near future. In fact, we could very well be saying goodbye to the era of low-cost flying. This alone, of course, will have a profound impact on travelling habits and, you would think, force more people to travel shorter distances, or not even fly at all, instead choosing to holiday locally, as is being seen now in the UK. A long-haul holiday might be a luxury we get to enjoy once every few years. This is clearly good news in terms of reducing carbon emissions, but it could have grave implications for some of the long-haul destinations heavily reliant on tourism for income. Ideally, people would choose to stay in such a destination for longer if they had made the long journey to get there, but sadly most of us just don't have the luxury of multiple spare weeks in our super frenetic lives to hang out in one place for a month or more. Only backpackers have the chance to do this, really. I do think, though, that people should try and stay for at least two weeks when they travel long distances. As I've written before elsewhere, the modern trend for the 'Breakneck Break' is worrying. I suspect, though, that the economic realities we now face will kill off this trend. ||  || Traveler
 * These factors are already having a profound impact, it seems. In fact, I recently wrote a news story for the Guardian about how these factors, in combination with others such as the strong Euro, are already forcing increasing numbers of Britons to holiday at home this year instead of going abroad.
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Tommaso Ciabini**

Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 2 ||  ||  Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:36 am Post subject: Small experience of sustainable tourism in Tuscany ||  || ||
 * Dear Leo,

first of all let me say thanks for your book. I really hope that as many people as possible will read it and try to change their way to think and live their holidays. In Florence and Tuscany, where I live, we are trying to do something about how tourists spend their time (and money...) in Italy throughout our association **De Gustibus** (www.de-gustibus.it) that was created for those who travel and want to connect with a reality often unknown or forgotten. We are in the process of developing an **even-larger network** of friends who can get to know and understand old and new flavors from a terrain that has much to offer outside the logic of the mass market. The association additionally aims **to defend the variety and the complexity** of flavors, tastes, and characteristics, retaining integrity and respect for the place and culture of origin.

- to **support small agricultural farmers**: help farmers find market space for their goods, involving advertising and general dissemination of information about the producers; - to safeguard and promote the environment: plan **themed itineraries** sometimes involving bicycle, horse, and balloon excursions. - to promote **traditional Italian agriculture**: develop a better recognition of quality food products and the culture of eating well.

I strongly believe that only a small-scale tourism, directly connected with grass-rooted association and local communities, by-passing big tour operators and thier business-focused strategies, will be able to answer to the main questions about ambient, culture and economic development.

Do you agree?

Thanks,

Tommy ||  || Traveler
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1750&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1750&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:22 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * Hello Tommy,

Thanks for your question - and congratulations on the work of De Gustibus. It sounds like an excellent association.

You say: "I strongly believe that only a small-scale tourism, directly connected with grass-rooted association and local communities, by-passing big tour operators and their business-focused strategies, will be able to answer to the main questions about ambient, culture and economic development."

Do I agree? Yes and no. I agree that the small-scale tourism that you describe tends to offer far more benefits to a destination - both its people and its environment - than "big" tourism in the long term. However, we have to live with the reality that big tourism is the form of tourism that the majority of tourists still enjoy. Therefore, solutions need to be found for it. I'm not in favour of there being a two-tier tourism whereby one tier remains "good" and the other remains "bad". This is partly why I sometimes have concerns about some of the forms of 'ecotourism'. We must find a way of lifting and improving all tourism. Hopefully, many lessons and approaches can now be learned by big tour operators from the practises of associations such as De Gustibus.

Tommy, I look forward to meeting you and discussing all this further at Terra Madre 2008 and Salone del Gusto in Turin this October!

Best, Leo ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=1496&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.leohickman.co.uk"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: Responsible Tourism ||  || ||
 * Hello, Leo

In October I am speaking at an event in Belize focusing on responsible tourism. http://planeta.wikispaces.com/responsibletourism

If you were to address a conference, what points would you make about making tourism more responsible?

One of the questions up for consideration is about aviation. What's your view - Is it possible to fly responsibly? ||  || Site Admin
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **planeta**

Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 6682 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico ||  ||  Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:47 am Post subject: climate camp ||  || || Traveler
 * The 2009 climate camp just took place. For those of us across the pond, can you tell us how these protests are perceived in England? ||  ||
 * [|Back to top] ||  || [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif caption="View user's profile" link="http://forum.planeta.com/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif caption="Send private message" link="http://forum.planeta.com/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=3&sid=9d6a9b15f6c298a07489a86f6453692c"]] [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/lang_english/icon_www.gif caption="Visit poster's website" link="@http://www.planeta.com"]] ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:http://forum.planeta.com/templates/subSilver/images/spacer.gif width="1" height="1"]] ||
 * **Leo Hickman**

Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Cornwall, UK ||  ||  Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 6:06 am Post subject: ||  || ||
 * Each Climate Camp - there have been three or four now - seems to be defined slightly differently. This year much of the media attention focused on how the police would react to the protestors following violence at the G20 summit earlier this year. When it passed off peaceful, the media attention drifted away somewhat and the climate change message was lost, too, to some extent. In previous years, especially the camp at Heathrow airport in 2007, the central message came through loud and clear and the event was widely deemed to be a success.

Just before this year's camp I wrote an article for the Guardian about much of this...

@http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/26/climate-camp-london

It would be interesting to hear from readers of this forum if Climate Camp has inspired similar events around the world. Or whether you think this form of protest gets results.

Planeta Forum
[|Final Call: Conversation with Leo Hickman]

Delicious http://delicious.com/ronmader/leohickman ||  || http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/aug/28/era-climate-change-denial-over?commentpage=2
 * A personal note: ** after 16 years working as a Guardian journalist, this is my final article. Next month, I will take up the role of chief advisor, climate change at [|WWF-UK] . Journalism has undergone so many changes over this time, but one that has excited me the most has been the increased interaction with readers via comments under the blogs such as this, or through online platforms such as [|Twitter] . (I can't quite believe it is 13 years since I wrote the [|first-ever post for the Guardian's "weblog"] !) Even though the debate can be passionate at times, I have cherished this dialogue. I believe it only acts to strengthen journalism and, personally, has led me to develop collaborative reader/journalist initiatives such as the [|Eco Audit] . So I just want to use this opportunity upon my departure to say a sincere thank you to all those who have taken the time over the years to engage constructively and that I hope to continue that debate from time to time here on the EnvironmentGuardian site once settled into my new role.

Congratulations, Leo! Your environmental reporting for the Guardian has been first-rate. That said, it's good to make a change every now and then. It's time to pivot. The questions I'd love to pursue with you focus on travel and tourism. We've talked about the impact of long-haul flights before, but I think the time is right to spotlight the cities and countries which acknowledging these impacts in their tourism campaigns. It would also be good to look at the climate change conferences and events. Far too many environmental summits and congresses ask delegates to fly to far-off countries and participants often spend more time in the air than at the event. Given so many closed door meetings, no wonder the cynics are skeptical. Finally, a big thank you for an article you wrote in June about Yosemite -- http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jun/27/giant-tree-death-conservation-movement -- it's been in my mind these past few weeks with forest fires ravaging the sequoias.

media type="custom" key="11927114" media type="custom" key="11628846"