We are often asked for recommendations about where to find more information about Responsible Tourism.
On the web
1. The Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (2002) this is the founding document of the international Responsible Tourism Movement – it defines Responsible Tourism and spells out the aspiration to use tourism “to make better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit” Available on line at http://www.responsibletourismpartnership.org/CapeTown.html
2. The www.responsibletourismawards.com website has details of all the winners and highly commendeds since the awards were founded in 2004. This gives a real sense of the variety – all forms of tourism can be more responsible.
3. To take a look at the policies of individual companies take a look at www.responsibletravel.com – take a look at “our partners” on the left of the home page, at the bottom, and follow the links to the policies of the companies promoted on the site.
4. Spotlight is published every year on World Travel Market World Responsible Tourism day – it tells the stories about the people who make tourism more responsible http://www.wtmwrtd.com/files/final_web_version_spotlight_2011.pdf
5. For other useful websites on RT in originating markets and destinations go to www.responsibletourismpartnership.org/RTWorld.html
Forums
Irresponsible Tourism
Advances in Responsible Tourism
Responsible Tourism in Destinations
Destination:RT published in English and Arabic
this magazine has articles on Responsible Tourism around the world and in Oman: Travelling Responsibly in a Finite World; Connecting Cultures; Peak Oil and Climate Change; Connecting People and Places; Where do You Pack Your Ethics...........and much more
Destination:RT Arabic Edition English Edition
South Africa
1996 White Paper
2002
National Responsible Tourism Guidelines For South Africa and Explanatory letter to accompany them DEAT March, 2002 subsequently published as Guidelines for Responsible Tourism by DEAT, May 2002
2006
Gauteng Tourism Responsible Tourism Manual
Books
Jost Krippendorf called for rebellious tourists and rebellious locals to develop a more responsible form of tourism – worth tracking down the book (it is still in print) and reading it.
Krippendorf J (1987) The Holiday Makers Butterworth-Heinemann
Harold Goodwin (2002) The Case for Responsible Tourism in Jenkins T et al. Ethical Tourism; who Benefits Hodder & Stoughton
Harold Goodwin (2011) Taking Responsibility for Tourism Goodfellow Publishers http://www.takingresponsibilityfortourism.info/
If you want to learn about Responsible Tourism in more depth consider taking at least the first module in the MSc in Responsible Tourism Menagement at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism