| Travelers are connecting with indigenous
communities and vice-versa.
The Web creates an opportunity for local indigenous operators
to get the word out about their tours, their crafts and the
protocols expected of visitors. Not only do travelers learn
where to go, they learn what is expected before their arrival.
Travelers are learning where to go and how to travel in the
lands of indigenous people. Where are visitors invited? Where
are visitors asked to stay away? Many travelers are willing
to obide local protocol, but it needs to be clearly defined.
Visitor education needs to begin before arrival.
INDIGENOUS TOURISM AND BIODIVERSITY
Nominations are open until the end of November for the 2010
Indigenous
Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award! This initiative
is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com and the Secretariat
of the Convention on Biological Diversity to showcase best
practices in web-based technologies helping indigenous people
manage tourism in a biodiversity-friendly way.
GENUINE CONSULTATION
In the development of many tourism projects, indigenous people
have not been considered as valued stakeholders from the start
and may (or may not) be invited to meetings along the way.
'Charitable' projects are frequently developed without adequate
consultation. The question for non-indigenous tourism developers,
media, government and academics is how to listen to indigenous
voices and fully integrate these perspectives into ongoing work.
Indigenous participation can no longer be considered an 'add
on' for development policy.
AUSTRALIA
In Australia
Planeta.com collaborated with Aboriginal Tourism Australia in
developing marketing strategies for aboriginal tour operators.
We participated in the 2007
Business Development Symposium, a powerful capacity building
training seminar that brought together a number of stakeholders
to review current policy.
Indigenous and aboriginal operations have a challenge not
faced by other stakeholders: succession. What if the kids do
not wish to follow? Operations that are developed and marketed
for their indigenous identity cannot be sold.
In research conducted for Australia's Indigenous Tourism Research
Agenda (pdf),
experts found that funding goes to communities, even though
the sole proprietorships and joint ventures have better chance
of financial success. "Policy-makers need better information
to shape policy," says researcher Joc Schmicchen.
Aboriginal Tourism Australia provided a central point of contact
for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tourism
with a membership that spans the country. However in recent
times it has become increasingly difficult to survive and we
have done so through the tireless work of our staff and a number
of other people in voluntary roles along with the financial
assistance of a few organisations, both corporate and government,
who have shared our vision ...The Board of Directors have arrived
at just one conclusion - that we are unable to see a sustainable
future for Aboriginal Tourism Australia. Consequently the Board
of Directors has resolved that Aboriginal Tourism Australia
will cease trading at the end of July 2008. (Planeta
Update)
MEXICO
In Mexico
Planeta.com has collaborated with the artisans in Teotitlán
del Valle in developing weaver-led tours. This is an innovative
project that has already generated a directory of weavers and
a dictionary of local Zapotec. Best of all, this work has won
approval from the artesanos.
CRAFTS
Rotorua,
New Zealand
hosts the Indigenous
Weavers Invitational in January 2010.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT LANGUAGE
A few words about language: we prefer to call ruins 'archaeological
sites'
BACKGROUND: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ECOTOURISM
One of the critiques of 2002's International
Year of Ecotourism came from indigenous groups, many of
which complained that they are not adequately included in tourism
development.
To the credit of the summit organizers, these critics were
included in the event and the declaration. The Summit was one
of the few recent international events that had no protesters
had the door because most had already been invited inside.
One of the results of the discussion was the addition to the
Quebec
Declaration that stressed "ecotourism must recognize and
respect the land rights of indigenous and local communities,
including their protected, sensitive and sacred sites."
During one of the meetings of indigenous peoples, one participant
remarked that it's time not only to rethink tourism, but to
redo it.
"I had the opportunity to view first-hand the efforts by Indigenous
leaders present to bring forward the concerns and perspectives
of Indigenous communities for the benefit of Indigenous peoples
and for the benefit of ecotourism and the planet," said Rick
MacLeod Farley, a development economist working with community
economic development in northern Canada.
"These efforts were treated by some of the organizers with hostility
and rudeness, and in other cases with good intentions. The process
for dealing with the input was flawed, and the impact on the
final WES declaration was much less than appropriate."
Farley added: "I came away from the WES gathering excited
by the positive energy and the passion and commitment of countless
people. However, I also came away with the realization that
there is a tremendous divide between the international agencies
and indigenous leadership. The buzzword in the research and
at the conferences is that 'local people' need 'capacity building.'
With all due sincere respect, I would like to suggest that there
is also a need for 'capacity building' within the international
agencies themselves."
The final version did not appease some of the critics, who
believe that 'First Nations' deserve a role greater than mere
stakeholders in the process. Some activists suggested that if
the consultation were not improved, representatives should engage
in active non-cooperation.
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