CREST Newsletter- Issue 7, April - July 2015...Center!for!Responsible!Travel! Transformingthe+Waythe+WorldTravels+! ! 0 1333H0St.,0NW0 0Suite03000East0Tower0 0Washington,0DC0200050

Center for Responsible Travel Transforming the Way the World Travels

www.responsibletravel.org

1333 H St., NW ■ Suite 300 East Tower ■ Washington, DC 20005 ■ P: 202-‐347-‐9203 ■ F: 202-‐775-‐0819 www.responsibletravel.org ■ www.travelersphilanthropy.org ■ [email protected]

CREST Newsletter: Issue 7, April -‐ July 2015 ______________________________________________________________________________

From July 22 – 24, CREST and the Puntacana Ecological Foundation hosted its first ever Innovators Think Tank on Climate Change and Coastal & Marine Tourism. Held at the the Westin Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic, the invitation only gathering brought together 33 experts, including leaders in sustainable tourism and/or climate change analysts from across the Caribbean and North America. The overwhelming consensus appears to be that the Think Tank was a great success. As one participant, Dr. Angus Friday, Grenada's Ambassador to the US, wrote, “The meeting was excellent! Congratulations to all the organizers. The caliber of the participants and the quality of the discussions were simply outstanding and I felt very honored to be part of it.” The Think Tank was organized around a single critical theme: How coastal and marine tourism must be planned, built, and operated in this era of climate change. With a geographical focus on the Caribbean, it was designed to help identify the gaps between current best practices in sustainable tourism and what needs to be done given the projected impacts of climate change on coastal and marine tourism. Findings that emerged include, for instance, that while sustainable tourism businesses are successfully reducing their greenhouse gas emissions through significant reductions in water and energy consumption, coastal hotels continue to be built on too close to coastlines, thereby putting themselves in harms way as sea level rises and storms increase in intensity and frequency. The Think Tank was intended to be highly interactive, with short presentations followed by open group discussions. It began Wednesday afternoon with a tour of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation projects and an evening reception at the home of Grupo Puntacana CEO Frank

CREST & Puntacana Ecological Foundation Host Successful Climate Change Think Tank

(Image: Ambassador Friday and facilitator Roger-‐Mark De Souza engage in Think Tank discussions)


Rainieri. The reception included the showing of a 15 minute “Preview Edition” of CREST’s latest documentary, “Caribbean ‘Green’ Travel,” followed by a panel discussion with some of those who appear in the film. The next two days were devoted to coastal issues on Thursday and to ocean and marine issues on Friday. Topics included beach and shoreline protection; large resorts and smaller ecolodges; siting and design; marine recreation and MPAs; sustainable food sourcing; marinas and yachting; cruise tourism; community linkages; and communicating with the public. The Think Tank was ably facilitated throughout by Roger-‐Mark DeSouza, who is from Trinidad and leads the climate change program at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC.

The idea for this Think Tank grew out of the three previous Innovators Symposiums that CREST has hosted over the past five years at Stanford University, Los Cabos, Mexico, and in Grenada. While climate change and coastal tourism was one of the topics discussed at these Symposiums, CREST had not focused squarely on the topic. When Jake Kheel, Director of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation asked to partner with CREST for a fourth Symposium, we

gradually concluded that it might be more useful to take a ‘deep dive’ into the single topic of climate change in order to come out with some practical lessons for coastal and marine tourism. A concrete outcome of the Think Tank, in addition to CREST’s new documentary, will be a publication with practical advice on how coastal and marine tourism should be addressing climate change. Each Think Tank participant will contribute to this publication which will be produced by the end of 2015. CREST is currently considering a range of additional follow up activities with key Think Tank participants. (Image: Andrea Pinabell, Vice President of Sustainability of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Loreto Duffy-‐Mayers, Director of the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (CHENACT), speak about innovations in hotel sustainability.) A special feature of the Think Tank was that JetBlue, one of the participants, offered to sponsor scholarships for two students to attend. CREST quickly organized a contest which required applicants to write several essays. Although only open for five days, CREST received, to the great surprise of all involved, over 90 applicants, many very high quality, from students in the US and the Caribbean. The two winners selected by JetBlue were Katrina Khan who is doing her MSc in Tourism Development at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad & Tobago and Stefan Knights, a law


student from Guyana who is currently studying in Barbados and will be pursuing an MSc in sustainable development in Scotland beginning this fall. Both quickly became active participants in the Think Tank. As Stefan Knights wrote in summing up his experience, the Think Tank “will undoubtedly be one of my most treasured experiences. The Think Tank provided me with a profusion of rich information and ideas that are relevant to creating an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for the small islands of Latin America and the Caribbean. It was a privilege to interact with, and learn from, the distinguished experts in the tourism and development sectors who participated in the Think Tank.” Similarly, Katrina Khan shared that the Think Tank "made cohesive connections between a broad range of topics on tourism in the coastal zone and the overarching issue of the effects of climate change. This experience has solidified the themes I have engaged in throughout my academic career, and I was able to identify with each and every area discussed. This opened many avenues to explore personally, academically and within my career." For more information and resources, see the Think Tank website.

Think Tank participants at the opening session, at the home of Grupo Puntacana owners Frank and Haydée Rainieri.

CREST’s new documentary film showcasing sustainable tourism in the Caribbean has entered post production. The 40 minute film, provisionally entitled “Caribbean ‘Green’ Travel” features socially and environmentally responsible models of tourism in Aruba, Grenada, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. While the Caribbean, the world’s most tourism-‐intense region in the world, is dominated by large-‐scale, sun-‐and-‐sand cruise and resort tourism, CREST’s film is designed to show there are many low impact and high value travel options that benefit island communities

CREST’s New Documentary Nears Completion


while protecting the environment. CREST commissioned Esther Figueroa, an award winning Jamaican independent filmmaker, to shoot on various locations in the four Caribbean locations. Between March and May, Figueroa shot over 40 hours of footage, including interviews with Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman; Jamaica’s famed hotelier and founder of Island Records Chris Blackwell; and Jake Kheel, Director of the Puntacana Ecological Foundation, one of the largest and most important environmental institutes supported and run by a tourism business. (Image: Esther Figueroa documents organic gardening at Calabash Hotel, in Grenada.) After the filming was complete, CREST hired Richard Krantz, President of Pilot Productions based in Maryland, to edit the film and produce final versions in English and Spanish. Krantz, who has some four decades of experience in television reporting and video production, has produced, directed, written, shot and edited hundreds of videos, and has received some 20 national and local journalism awards. The film is story-‐based and sensual, featuring the sights, sounds, people, and iconic cultural and natural environments that make each island unique. It is structured around three central themes of sustainability: environmental stewardship, local benefits and linkages, and travel philanthropy. Krantz began by editing a 15 minute Preview Edition to be premiered at the Think Tank in Puntacana. This version was shown at the July 22 opening reception on the lawn of the beautiful ocean-‐side home of Frank Rainieri, the CEO of Grupo Puntacana. The showing was followed by a panel discussion with Rainieri, Ewald Biemans of Bucuti & Tara Resort in Aruba, and Russ Fielden of True Blue Bay Resort in Grenada, three of the properties featured in the film. The full length edition of the film is scheduled to be released in October 2015. It will be entered into various film festivals and will be made available for use by schools and universities, tourism businesses and associations, NGOs, and international agencies. CREST is continuing to look for partners and sponsors who can assist with financing and distribution of the film. For more information, contact Martha Honey, [email protected].

CREST is hosting a specially designed eight day/seven night Charter Club trip to Cuba with a focus on ‘eco-‐surf and turf’ – a selection of the island’s most extraordinary marine, cultural, and natural tourism offerings. The trip, provisionally scheduled for January 24 – 31, 2016, will include visits to Cuba’s original ecolodge, La Moka and other nature-‐tourism destinations in the Vinales Valley,

Join CREST for an Extraordinary Trip to Cuba ~ Sign Up Today!


which is considered by many the most beautiful place in Cuba. It will also include snorkeling, birding and/or scuba diving on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. The tour will conclude in Havana, with a stay in recently renovated old city hotel, meals in local restaurants (“paladares”), meetings with leading artists, musicians, health and tourism officials, marine biologists, salsa lessons and musical performances, and visits to various must-‐see sites including La Finca Vigia where Ernest Hemingway wrote Old Man and the Sea. The cost is $3325 per person, double occupancy including the flight to and from Miami. For more details and reservations, contact Samantha Hogenson, [email protected] or 202-‐347-‐9203, ext. 414.

Building upon the success of the first round of workshops on linkages between climate change and tourism in Grenada in March, CREST program associate Samantha Hogenson returned to Grenada in May to facilitate a second-‐round of trainings. The training consisted of a one-‐hour presentation explaining climate change impacts felt in Grenada and possible solutions from the tourism industry and related industries. As part of this second round, Hogenson trained over a dozen additional representatives from the public, private, and civil sectors to give the presentation. The group of 30 participants from the initial training and the new group were then combined to learn presentation skills, brainstorm target audiences, and practice presenting the content. The presentation was created from various components discussed at the 3rd Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism, held in Grenada in July 2014, in relation to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including: energy efficiency, water usage, best practices for designing and constructing coastal resorts and hotels, linking sustainable tourism to industries, and building symbiotic relationships between coastal tourism, MPAs, & commercial fishing.

(Image 1: Diving at Peninsula Guanahacibibes, Source: Wolfgang Poelzer, Getty Images)

(Image 2: Havana Cultura, Source: Jose Fuster)

Grenada Climate Change & Tourism Workshops


The presentation, which can be modified to include one or more of the above listed topics for specific audiences, is supported with various case studies and fact sheets. (Image: Workshop participants discuss content and target audiences.)July This project was made possible through collaboration with “Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies” (ICCAS)/Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Quinn Company Limited, the Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association, and the Grenada Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries & Environment, with the goal of training locals on the relationship between climate change and tourism so they may distribute the information widely throughout the islands. Outside of the realm of tourism, Hogenson, a trained Climate Reality Leader from Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, also provided an open presentation about worldwide climate change impacts and solutions to interested community members.

In June, CREST facilitated a learning exchange for five tourism officials from Grenada to visit Monteverde, Costa Rica to see firsthand their travelers’ philanthropy fund, the Monteverde Community Fund. The visit was organized and hosted by Jannelle Wilkins, a CREST consultant and the founder of the Community Fund. Monteverde’s destination-‐wide travelers’ philanthropy program grew out the 2010 international Travelers’ Philanthropy conference that CREST held in Costa Rica, together with the Monteverde Institute. In January 2015, Wilkins and Martha Honey introduced the concept of a destination-‐wide travelers’ philanthropy program to Grenada. Through a series of ten workshops, they discussed with communities throughout Grenada how to create a similar destination-‐wide fund. As a follow up, the InterAmerican Foundation offered to finance a ‘south-‐south’ exchange to Monteverde, with additional financial and in-‐kind support provided by the tourism sectors in Monteverde and Grenada. The six day visit to Monteverde included meetings with the staff and board of their Community Fund and visits to a number of their fundraising projects, including a walking tour, a visit to a coffee farm, a women’s handicraft cooperative, an artisanal chocolate making factory, as well as the famed Cloud Forest Reserve. The five participants from Grenada also sampled local restaurants and eco-‐lodges. They came away with a host of practical ideas for how to launch their own Community Fund that incorporates tourism businesses and travelers. As hotel owner Jerry Rappaport wrote following the exchange, “I personally came away feeling so energized. Grenada may be a small island but we have major problems and what I saw in Costa Rica, and Monteverde in particular, reaffirmed so many of my beliefs and renewed hope. How important an educated society is towards eradicating, poverty, corruption etc. and also how important it is for communities to be organized was so evident.” Allison Caton who is a tour operator on the Grenada’s Carriacou island echoed these sentiments: “It was an absolute pleasure being part of

South-‐South Study Tour of Destination-‐wide Travelers’ Philanthropy


the Monteverde delegation. I saw so many possibilities for the people of Carriacou to improve their livelihoods by incorporating some of the examples such as the women’s cooperative CASEM and Juan Carlos Calvo’s organic coffee farm.” Grenada plans to launch the pilot phase of its new Community Fund before the end of 2015. Stemming from the Monteverde/Grenada exchange, check out the Top 10 Points to Create a Destination-‐Wide Travelers' Philanthropy Program!

CREST continues to be involved in three different projects in Mexico. In early August, a team of CREST consultants will complete and officially deliver to the state’s environmental ministry, Semaren, its Strategic Plan for Ecotourism in Guerrero. CREST has been partnered since late 2014 with Sustenta, a Mexican company specializing in ‘green’ products which secured the original contract with Semaren. Sustenta’s main task has been to produce a photo book on the ecotourism attractions in Guerrero. Both Sustenta and CREST have found working in Guerrero to be difficult. It is Mexico’s poorest state and therefore its tourism infrastructure is limited. In addition, the state is wracked with drug-‐related violence which has meant that tourism is down or impossible in several areas. On top of this, key government officials have changed during the course of our project, making continuity and clarity on what they expect extremely difficult. Despite these challenges, CREST’s three consultants, Juan Luna-‐Kelser, Rodrigo Gallegos, and Thomas Meller, have worked overtime to produce a factually based Strategic Plan with concrete proposals for development objectives over the next decade. CREST is also involved in projects in the state of Chihuahua involving three indigenous communities and in Sinaloa where CREST is undertaking an assessment based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s criteria for sustainable destinations.

This CREST study which was completed in June, was commissioned by the National Audubon Society and financed by the Inter-‐American Development Bank (IDB)'s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF). It analyzes bird-‐based tourism market statistics and presents the economic value of bird touirsm in four countries: Belize, Guatemala, The Bahamas, and Paraguay. The study, which is part of a large, longer term regional ecotourism project financed by the MIF, is designed to strengthen bird-‐based tourism “as a conservation and sustainable development tool.” The study measures effectiveness by quantifying arrivals and actual or potential

CREST Projects in Mexico

Market Analysis of Bird-‐Based Tourism: A Focus on the U.S. Market to Latin American and the Caribbean


expenditures, with a focus on the U.S. as the supply market. Overview Report Country Fact Sheets: • The Bahamas • Belize • Guatemala • Paraguay

Over recent years, CREST has developed a strong internship program to provide real-‐life sustainable tourism educational opportunities to outstanding students. We believe education is the key to a sustainable future, and the CREST staff always learns just as much from our interns as they do from us! The following students are learning and working with us this summer: • Berenice Aguilar Cortazar is from

Chiapas, Mexico, and holds a degree in hospitality and tourism. She is currently working for the Ministry of Education in Chiapas. In order to gain additional knowledge, Berenice is spending the summer of 2015 in Washington, DC, to take part in The Washington Center's academic and internship program (pictured center).

• Eunmi “Umi” Kim is from Jinwee, Pyeongtaek City, South Korea. She is currently a senior at Ewha Womans University, majoring in Geography Education. A participant in the Cultural Vistas Korea West program with an interest in “Fair Tourism,” Umi hopes to bring the concepts of responsible travel back to South Korea (pictured right).

• Ariel Leuthard grew up in Phoenix, AZ and is a senior at the University of San Diego in San

Diego, CA. She will graduate in December 2015, with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations with minors in Economics and Religious Studies. Ariel is also participating in The Washington Center's prestigious academic and internship program (pictured left).

Meet the CREST Summer Interns


CREST program associate Samantha Hogenson, who manages the organization’s internship program, was recognized as the Outstanding Internship Supervisor of Spring 2015 by The Washington Center, after a nomination by spring intern Allison Christensen. The Washington Center is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit. CREST has hosted eight interns from TWC so far, two of whom are with us this summer. Samantha was selected for the top honor from among 50 internship coordinators nominated by Washington Center students during the spring semester. This was the inaugural semester for the award, which was created to recognize outstanding internship sites that embody TWC’s values and play a critical role in the personal and professional development of its students. Samantha was nominated again for Summer 2015. To learn more about the TWC program and for a full list of nominees, click here.

Internship Supervisor Recognized for Leadership

TWC Staff present Samantha Hogenson with Outstanding Internship Supervisor Award)

Image 2: CREST Spring Intern Allison Christensen with Samantha Hogenson)


The latest edition of CREST’s popular annual report, “The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends and Statistics 2015,” was released in April. The publication includes a meta-‐analysis of consumer and industry demand for responsible tourism, drawn from surveys, polls, and market studies over the last five years. The 2015 edition finds continuing interest in responsible tourism among travelers, tourism companies, and destinations. However, the study also highlights two worrisome milestones in 2014 that have significant implications on the tourism industry: it was the hottest year on record, and the amount of wealth (US$1.7 trillion) held by the top 85 richest people now equals that held by the 3.5 billion people who comprise the lower half of the world’s population. The publication is endorsed by 11 leading tourism organizations and institutions, including the United Nations Environment Programme and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. See the full list of collaborators and the full study here.

In early June, CREST Executive Director Martha Honey attended her first meeting as a member of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (MPA-‐FAC). The 20 person citizens committee is named by the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Interior to provide advice and expertise to help in management of the country’s more than 1400 MPAs and marine sanctuaries. Martha Honey was selected because tourism is of growing importance to the US MPAs and sanctuaries. The three day meeting held in Tacoma, Washington provided an opportunity for MPA-‐FAC members to meeting in person in their designated working groups. Honey is serving as a member of the working group on External Financing and Support for MPAs. This committee will produce a short paper outlining a range of potential funding mechanisms for MPAs, including, for instance, from visitors, foundations, and corporate sponsorships. On June 11, Honey was also invited to present a webinar as part of NOAA’s series hosted together with EBM Tools Network and OpenChannels. These webinars carry presentations by scientists and other experts and have a diverse audience of professionals, students, NGOs and others

"The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2015" Released

NOAA's Citizens Committee


interested in MPA related topics. Over one hundred people participated in Honey’s power point presentation on “Lessons Learned: Impacts of Coastal and Ocean Tourism” and the lively discussion that followed. On September 22, Honey will do another webinar, together with Chiara Zuccarino-‐Crowe, the Tourism Coordinate for NOAA’s Marine Sanctuary office, who attended the Puntacana Think Tank. This webinar will incorporate outcomes from the Puntacana Think Tank.

CREST is proud to endorse the “Summer of Rights Campaign” recently launched by Gender Responsible Tourism. The campaign focuses on “promoting equality and women’s empowerment and upholding commitment, quality, and female creativity in tourism initiatives” and is grounded in UN Women and the UN Global Compact’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (below). Please join Gender Responsible Tourism in encouraging tourism businesses globally to subscribe to these principles and encouraging travelers to support businesses that do. Tourism Hall of Fame: Travel Philanthropy Awards CREST is pleased to be collaborating with Tourism Cares to develop and run its new annual travel philanthropy award program for Corporate Philanthropic Achievement and Innovation. CREST has been providing technical assistance and advice based on its years of experience in running its own Travelers’ Philanthropy program. Martha Honey has recently joined the official selection committee for the 2015 awards. Tourism Cares inaugurated the new award in December 2014 as part of the Travel Weekly’s Readers Choice Awards ceremony in New York City. The first recipient of the Tourism Cares Legacy in Travel Philanthropy Award was Micato Safaris. The award, which was given to Micato’s Managing Director Dennis Pinto who serves on CREST’s Honorary Advisory Board, celebrated the accomplishments of Micato Safaris and its associated nonprofit organization, AmericaShare.

Gender Responsible Tourism Facebook Campaign


In 2015, Tourism Cares will give awards to travel and tourism companies in two categories, “Legacies in Travel Philanthropy” award for demonstrating a commitment to giving back for more than 15 years and “New Innovators in Travel Philanthropy” award which recognizes relative newcomers to travel corporate giving (with a 2-‐5 year track record). The nominations process opens in early August. Check Tourism Cares' website (www.tourismcares.org) for the application and other details. CREST Intern Spotlight Article Our interns bring tremendous passion with them to CREST, and we encourage them to develop and share their specific interests and expertise while they are with us. This article by Umi Kim, “Pursuit of Real Happiness by Travel: Alternative travel, Fair Tourism,” explores authentic, localized experiences that benefit local people and travelers alike.

CREST’s Summer Eco-‐Auction was held June 2 -‐ 16, via Charitybuzz. This and CREST’s other auctions would not be possible without generous donations from leading tourism businesses. We invite only businesses well recognized for providing both high quality of service and socially and environmentally responsible tourism. These auctions are critical to supporting CREST’s various programs, including CREST’s research and field studies, internship program, travelers' philanthropy, and operational expenses as a non-‐profit. Donors included: The Bushcamp Company, Cheetah Paw Eco Lodge, Distant Relatives Ecolodge & Backpackers, El Mangroove, Great Huts Resort, Hacienda Santa Rosa, Kasbah du Toubkal, Munga Eco-‐Lodge, Tasmanian Walking Company, Shaxi Old Theatre Inn, Tranquilseas Eco Lodge & Dive Center, Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, and Yangshuo Village Inn. If your business is interested in being a part of our fall auction (September 8 -‐ 22), please contact CREST program associate, Samantha Hogenson. This is a great opportunity for responsible travel businesses to showcase sustainability initiatives and create or maintain a connection with CREST.

• April 3, 2015: New York Times article by Julie Satow – Leonardo DiCaprio Builds an Eco-‐

Resort. DiCaprio has partnered with Delos, a New York based developer, to create an eco-‐conscious resort on Blackadore Caye, Belize. CREST shares statistics on the large and growing ecotourism market.

• April 17, 2015: Travel Market Report article by Marilee Crocker—Responsible Travel: Why Agents Should Care. CREST’s Martha Honey shares the importance of travel agents being involved in responsible travel and discusses “The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2015.”

CREST Summer Eco-‐Auction & Upcoming Fall Auction

CREST in the News


• June 5, 2015: Bloomberg Business article by Justin Bachman – Take a Cruise, Save the World: Will Millennials Buy Social-‐Justice Tourism?. With Carnival Cruise Lines offering new “social impact” cruises to provide voluntourism experiences in partnering destinations, Martha Honey offers insight into appropriate forms of travelers’ philanthropy.

• July 17, 2015: New York Times article by CREST honorary advisory board member, Elizabeth Becker – The Revolt Against Tourism. Becker discusses growing tensions between locals and tourists and outlines the need for regulation to stop beloved places from being “loved to death.”

• July 25, 2015: Caribbean Life article by Nelson A. King – New grant program for sustainable tourism. JetBlue Airways and the Center for Responsible Travel partnered to offer two student scholarships for attendance to the 2015 Innovators Think Tank: Climate Change and Coastal Tourism, hosted by CREST and the Puntacana Ecological Foundation.

Guide for Ethiopia’s Rock Hewn Churches, August In August, Martha Honey will spend several weeks in the Tigrai region of Ethiopia, as a short term consultant on a European Development Fund project to expand cultural heritage tourism. Some 70 splendid and architecturally important rock-‐hewn churches were built in the 12th century by the then king, King Lalibela. Of Ethiopia’s nine world-‐heritage sites, the rock-‐hewn churches are the flagship heritage tourism destination. In addition to attracting international visitors, the churches are also an important destination for many Ethiopian pilgrims. The purpose of the consultancy is to promote Tigrai’s rich cultural heritage by creating a tourism circuit centered on up to 15 of the most impressive and historically important rock-‐hewn churches that are spread within a day’s drive of the towns of Wukro and Gheralta. CREST will develop a camera-‐ready English language guide and map to the most important churches as well as to other cultural and community attractions including traditional festivals and performing arts, local cuisine, and handicrafts. Honey will work with and help to train in international tourism standards four local experts from the Tigrai Culture and Tourism Agency and Mekelle University.

Upcoming Events & Announcements


American Prairie Reserve gatherings, October: CREST Executive Director Martha Honey has been invited to give a presentation to the annual gathering of the American Prairie Reserve (APR), which will be held in Bozeman, Montana, October 10, 2015. She is also invited to attend the APR’s Leadership Circle Dinner on October 9, as well as to spending five days touring the Reserve from October 5 to 9. The American Prairie Reserve is a unique nonprofit initiative to conserve Montana’s legendary Great Plains. When complete it will include more than 3 million acres of public and private land in the largest wildlife reserve in the continental United States. In May, Honey was invited by APR’s President Sean Gerrity to attend a fundraising dinner at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in order to begin to explore how CREST might assist APR. APR currently has two small accommodations in the Reserve, Buffalo Camp with 11 campsites and Kestrel Camp with five upscale yurts. APR is discussing ways in which CREST might assist the Reserve in growing and strengthening its tourism facilities and programs, while adhering to internationally recognized standards for sustainability. Climate Reality Project's 24 Hours of Reality, November At CREST, we are acutely aware of the impacts the tourism industry has on climate change and how our world’s places and people are being impacted. We are calling for strong action among governments at COP21, in December. Here’s one way you can help: In collaboration with Live Earth, the Climate Reality Project’s 2015 24 Hours of Reality: The World is Watching will be anchored in Paris and broadcast from key countries around the world, November 13 & 14. It will feature appearances and commentary from Founder and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project Al Gore, as well as musical performances. In continuing the mission of Live Earth, 24 Hours of Reality will rally millions of voices around the world to demand a strong emissions reductions agreement in Paris at COP21 through a sustained petition effort. Please sign the petition now to add your voice. Visit the Climate Reality Project’s 24 Hours of Reality website to learn more. New CREST Website Launch, Fall 2015 Stay tuned for the launch of a new CREST website! CREST staff has worked over recent months with a Catchafire volunteer specializing in User Experience (UX) to design a fresh, easy to navigate site with increased utility. The site is currently under development and will be launched in Fall 2015.

Documents

CREST Newsletter- Issue 7, April - July 2015...Center!for!Responsible!Travel! Transformingthe+Waythe+WorldTravels+! ! 0 1333H0St.,0NW0 0Suite03000East0Tower0 0Washington,0DC0200050