With the support of: How to make a positive impact on the local communities

Webinar 003Wednesday, August 12, 2015

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Do you have a very concrete example of a hotel creating benefits for local community that you would like to share?

Question for the audience

Practical tips & Interviews:• Sustainability experts• Hotel Owners

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OverviewPeter RichardsResponsible and Community-based Tourism Specialist

Mark Dieler Happy Monkeyof Red Monkey Lodge, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Aebe Christian De BoerGeneral Manager of the Shinta Mani Resort, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sharing Experience… Making a Positive Impact on Local Communities

Peter Richards, Responsible and Community Based Tourism SpecialistCrafting partnerships, inspiring experiences and shared benefits

peter.e.richards@gmail.com

Working at the crossroads of responsible tourism and community development

How to have a positive impact on local communities?

(and avoid having a negative impact on local communities?)

Positive benefits may not outweigh negative impacts. Careful monitoring and management of natural resources, land, waste etc. should stay at the top of the ‘community benefits’ Need To Do list.

Responsible Tourism contributes towards “better places for people to live, and better places for people to visit” (ICRT)

Creating positive impacts / benefits for local communities is absolutely essential for this goal to be achieved…

There are many opportunities to increase local benefits, from very simple steps to much more challenging, sophisticated initiatives.

Benefits to your business, too, over time. The ‘ROI’ is more difficult to calculate, but real.

“A particular area or place considered together with its inhabitants.”

“A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” Oxford Dictionaries

Communities are diverse and complex … Empathy and Respect are Essential.

The language of sustainable development / tourism can be patronising and an obstacle.

We are ‘community members’ too…. It’s about people working together.

@TEATA

Local community?

@BangkokVanguards

Why create positive impacts? Customers (B2B & B2C) expect it.

Happy, welcoming, local people means a safer, better holiday;

Motivate your clients with a sense of achievement and your staff with a sense of purpose;

Your guests will be impressed by Meaningful, Local, Experiences;

Staff retention / save training costs; You are part of the community:

increase social licence to operate; Avoid / reduce opportunities for

conflict with local communities.

People, partnerships, process and patience

What kinds of positive impacts? Taxes Jobs, careers & salaries Business opportunities /

supply linkages / partnerships Skills / knowledge / training Donations / support for local

organisations and charities Increasing access to services Strengthening local institutions

(associations, clubs, groups, etc.) Giving a voice to the voiceless

Your Business

Consider…

How to have a positive impact? A CSR Champion / Manager; Supported by management; Responsible for community

engagement and benefits; Consultation…really listen to local

people… Vision, Plan, Priorities; Action, Monitor, Communicate; Inside: teamwork with purchasing,

HR; communicate w/ staff & guests; Outside: Reach out and connect

with the local community - formal and informal organisations.

Put the right person on the job…

Tip: Keep a simple, community diary

Consider joining a green hotel scheme

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (B) “Maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts”

B1 The organization actively supports initiatives for local infrastructure and social community development including, among others, education, training, health and sanitation.

B2 Local residents are given equal opportunity for employment including in management positions. All employees are equally offered regular training, experience and opportunities for advancement.

B3 Local services and goods are purchased and offered by the organization, following fair-trade principles.

B4 The organization offers the means for local small entrepreneurs to develop and sell sustainable products that are based on the area’s nature, history and culture (including food and beverages, crafts, performance arts, agricultural products, etc.).

B5 A documented code of conduct for activities in indigenous and local communities has been developed and implemented with the collaboration and consent of the affected community.

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (B) “Maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts”

B6 The organization has implemented a policy against commercial, sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, particularly of children, adolescents, women and minorities. (3)

B7 The organization offers equal employment opportunities to women, local minorities and others, including in management positions, while restraining child labor.

B8 The international or national legal protection of employees is respected, and employees are paid at least a living wage.

B9 The activities of the organization do not jeopardize the provision of basic services, such as food, water, energy, healthcare or sanitation, to neighbouring communities.

B10 Tourism activity does not adversely affect local access to livelihoods, including land and aquatic resource use, rights-of-way, transport and housing.

Mmm… All seem a bit overwhelming?The best advice is to employ a champion, and then join a reputable green hotel scheme, which can help you to approach all aspects of CSR systematically. In the meantime, there are a few fairly simple actions which you can take:

@Check-In: encourage your staff to encourage your guests to explore the area.Info board: “Explore the area - What can I do in 3 hours, 1 day, a weekend…?”

1) Information to encourage your guests to visit & support local restaurants, shops, etc. Even better if the businesses are also doing something positive for people and planet.

2) Tell guests about opportunities to support a local charity, or community event… with money or time!

3) A ‘local corner’, where your guests can buy crafts or other souvenirs made by local artisans / producers.

@Asian Oasis

Stories / info help to sell and foster a sense of respect.

Local menu?Seasonal menu?

“What food and beverages do we import / bring in from far away, which we could easily replace with a local option?”

http://www.elywinebar.ie/media

4) Go and chat to the chef…Purchasing / procurement

@Tour Merng Tai@Tour Merng Tai

5) Tour desk proactively promotes local, responsible tourism: community based tourism activities managed and offered by local families, artisans, etc.

6) Confer with community members to develop cultural ‘do’s and don’ts’ for your guests.

“Proud and comfortable to

share”Not only an issue

in rural areas.

7) Product development - Invite local craftspeople / cooks, etc. to offer cooking / crafts / arts demonstrations to guests

CBT-I

CBT-I

Promloke CBT

8) Meet with local community members to learn about their current challenges / priority needs – how can you help?

“Keep it simple… or work with a professional”

Before engaging and setting goals, consider inside your own team: “What’s our vision of our role in the community?” (Lucy McCombes)

9) Deliver a training to community members: hospitality, hygiene, cooking, waste management, etc.

“Part of the community”

Thank-you.

Peter.e.richards@gmail.com

Mark Dieler

Aebe Christian De BoerGeneral Manager

of the Shinta Mani Resort, Siem Reap, Cambodia

A couple of facts• Current Tripadvisor #1• Current Tripadvisor #2• Current Tripadvisor #3 Worldwide• Travel&Leisure #2 Global Vision Awards 2014• Conde Nast Hot List 2014• Facebook 524.000 likes• Youtube videos watched 325.000 times• Bill Bensley Design

(later in 2015 on CNN, The Amazing Race, Bloomberg, The NYTimes & many others)

Shinta ManiSiem Reap

• 2 Hotels - Club & Resort• 102 rooms over 2 hotels

275 full time Khmer staff• 6 full time Foundation staff

2 Westerners & all others Khmer2 pools3 RestaurantsCentral Siem Reap locationOutperforming all other hotels

• Higher annual GOP then most other 5* hotels• No travel budget for the sales team of 4 Khmer• Year round occupancy 71%• Very low staff turnover (3 people in 2014)

Shinta ManiSiem Reap 2

• No brochures• Active on social media• 524.000 likes on facebook• Active Youtube videos • On twitter and Instagram• Creating word-of-mouth

Sole goal of ‘wow’ing guests ! • Very high staff motivation to impress

Community achievements 1• Shinta Mani Foundation’s Achievements by the Numbers (as of March 2014):• 1,350 Water wells• 97 Houses• 216 Graduates of The Development Center (100% fully employed) • 2 School buildings designed pro bono by Harvard trained architect Bill Bensley• 4 School canteens• 1100+ school kits• 600+ Bicycles for students to go to school• 14 Water filters to rural schools• 7 Fist Aid boxes to rural schools• 7000 Children treated by the SMF Mobile Dental Clinic• 804 Children treated by the SMF Mobile Medical Clinic• 29 Small business loans• 5 Student loans for university education

Community achievements 2

• Sponsor of GlobalTeer games• Sponsor of Giant Puppet Parade• Sponsor of Buddha’s Birthday celebrations at

Angkor Wat Temple complex• Made in Cambodia Market happening 3x

weekly

Made in Cambodia MarketLets create Khmer jobs

Staff welfare activities

• Helmet laws (usd50 fine)• Savings account trainings• Marital communication skills training • ALL (!) Staff is full time • 10% service charge• 38 English classes a week for all staff• Best Healthcare in Cambodia - we are self insured• Overseas BKK trip for HOD and nr2 level staff

Environmental initiatives

• Bamboo Straws• All fresh food deliveries in linen bags• 50% of hotel garbage is composted • Strong supporter of “Clean-up temple Town”• Strong supporter of “Tree-up Temple Town”• Planted close to 300 trees around the property and

in town• Initiative taker in a “environmental aware” Siem

Reap thru a workshop where all were invited

Linen bags / Bamboo straws

Electricy and its (high) costs

• Energy saving Aircon units (30% reduction) • Energy saving lights• Energy saving policies• Reduced elec. to 6.50 Usd per occupied room

New for 2015

• We will abolish plastic water bottles- working with lonely planet etc- working with other hotels- working with tour companies

The general consensus is that ‘in Asia one has to have a sealed bottle’ (and thus use plastic)

In about 2 months this will announce the implementation of recyclable bottles as a take-away and glass bottles for our rooms whilst using our very own Shinta Mani Water saving around 220.000 bottles annually

In short

• Very pro-Cambodia• “lets be different”• Very pro-Khmer staff• pro-environment• Hire from-within• Enormous investment into education• Good salaries • Year-round employment • Strong belief in “take care of your staff and they will do

the rest”

Q & A

Waste Management: health, environment & aestheticsJo

in th

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ebinar !

https://goo.gl/dehcxR