Space Tourism – Is it Possible?

By Dani Alonso

Lots of things have happened since the early days of the space race. The moon was conquered, and even if the Fox documentary caused a lot of trouble, there is too much proven evidence that man walked on the moon. Good. Further from that, Houston, we have a problem. Luckily for us, the solution should be easy, but things need to move on.

Space tourism is a need inside every human populating the Earth and every time that population has been asked about traveling to space the answers have been massively favoring it. It is considered statistically that more than a 70% of the people would consider travel to space, if affordable. Within this 70%, more than the half of them would agree to spend 3 month’s salary in a trip like this.

What this result means, further from being just some numbers alone, is that space tourism is definitely possible, as 3 months salary is what will be required in order to go for a sub-orbital trip. That is about $10.000 (US). This could happen in a maximum period of 10 years provided that it was started now but movement is still very slow in this space tourism.

Where is the problem there? The problem is that space agencies are not investing in space tourism. And until they realize that there is a real waiting market that would go for it, nothing will be done. The technology exists, we are not speaking about any revolutionary idea. Instead, we are just speaking about cost of opportunity. Travel agencies are investing less than a 2% in space tourism while in other areas they are putting all their government financial helps.

The problem goes deep and gets back to the origin, as the citizen does not like to pay taxes to see people landing in Mars, but would love to pay taxes if somebody could take him or her for an orbital flight or to an international station, or even to a space hotel. And if the citizen does not like to pay high taxes for that, then space agencies have the days left counted with hand fingers. A change has to be produced and as soon as space agencies realize the need for space tourism, then the money they will get will arise again.

There is a key point in the reduction of cost, as NASA is beginning to understand. As well as an airplane industry could not be competitive if after every trip the plane would have to be thrown away, traveling to space can’t be developed until the technology for durable space transport vehicles is developed. And this technology is there waiting to be developed, but a very small part of the budget is placed on those projects. As soon as this problem gets solved all the rest will follow up, as everything will be more cost competitive.

Nowadays, a large trip to the Antarctica can reach $10.000, and the numbers of people going there are extremely rising. If the same cost is applied for traveling to space, the numbers expected could be massive, as the experience can be absolutely extraordinary. Space Tourism is an undeveloped market that is waiting it’s opportunity and I can promise that the first one to realize it will make a fortune.

Let’s cross our fingers and wish for a future in which an orbital trip could be as usual as going down to visit the South Pole. Let’s hope the relevant people listen to public opinion about space travel. Personally, I wouldn’t like to die before trying this opportunity. Would you?

Far from travel to space, but here you can find help if traveling to Europe: Travel to Europe

If you look for free hotel travel certificates, make sure to visit: Free Hotels

For hot travel deals, tricks and tips: Travel Addicts

Dani Alonso

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Sustainable Tourism in New Zealand

By Kieran Ross

Ask any person on the street which industry earns New Zealand the most amount of money and 9 times out of 10 you are bound to hear ‘Dairy’. However a little known fact is that the dairy industry is second to the tourism industry in terms of earning foreign exchange.

In 2007, international tourists spent $8.8billion(1) on our shores. During the same time we exported $7.3billion(1) worth of dairy products. So if international tourists are so important to our economy, what does its future hold with the cost of air travel increasing and the need to reduce carbon emissions?

We are an isolated country and a long-haul destination from all of our major tourist markets baring Australia. It has always cost visitors more to get to us than other possible destinations. This limits the volume of people who are able to travel here. On top of this, add to the traveller’s decision process the impact of air travel on their carbon footprint and we have significant obstacles to overcome in our efforts to attract international visitors.

New Zealand has always had a ‘clean green’ image and the major attraction for international visitors is our array of unspoilt natural landscapes. This is the theme of Tourism New Zealand’s (TNZ) 100% Pure NZ marketing campaign. However many of the service providers that tourists use have not been living up to this ‘clean green’ image.

In order to minimise the carbon footprint international visitors create during their visit and help mitigate the environmental impact of their air travel to NZ, TNZ has identified the need for our industry to deliver a sustainable experience for our visitors. This has been outlined by TNZ and the Government in the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 (NZTS 2015). Tourism relies more than any other sector on our countries continuing sustainability as a nation. This is because New Zealand itself is the product we are selling internationally. Sustainability involves delivering the maximum benefit – economic, social, cultural, and environmental – with as few unwanted effects as possible ensuring the future of the industry and our environment(2).

The most significant development our industry has had since the publication of the NZTS 2015 is the development of the world’s first integrated environmental performance and quality assurance system – Qualmark Green. Qualmark is TNZ’s official independent mark of quality and now every Qualmark accredited accommodation provider, visitor activity and transport provider, visitor service and venue is assessed on their environmental performance and required to meet a set of minimum standards. Those that excel receive either a bronze, silver or gold accreditation which they can promote alongside their quality rating.

Furthermore, the small South Island tourist town of Kaikoura (famous for whale watching) has been extremely proactive with regards to sustainability. In 2004 Kaikoura became the first local authority in the world to achieve Green Globe 21 Certification. Green Globe is a global benchmarking and certification process for sustainable travel and tourism. Kaikoura District Council created an environmental and social policy action plan using Green Globe’s guidelines, reduced its solid waste output through a zero waste scheme which has saved the district thousands of dollars, and introduced a carbon offset scheme to ensure that their carbon footprint is dramatically reduced. The certification has become a unique selling point for Kaikoura as a destination which has resulted in increased visitation.

Initiatives such as these show how New Zealand is leading the way with sustainable tourism. It is ensuring that those involved in the industry live the clean green image our international visitors expect. And due to the breadth of the industry throughout NZ, sustainable values are reaching all communities around the country.

1: Tourism Satellite Account – 2007

2: New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015

Campbell Consulting provides specialist management consulting services and dynamic market research led strategy to companies, firms & organisations in New Zealand (NZ) and around the world. The core competencies of the company are in tourism and event stadia.
Campbell Consulting was established by Gordon Campbell in 2003 and has grown to be one of New Zealand’s most experienced business and strategic marketing consultancy companies. Prior to this Gordon was a director for KPMG New Zealand, operated his own marketing and research firm as well as holding various directorships including that of Tourism Auckland.
Campbell Consulting specialises in market research, feasibility studies, economic benefit, business modelling, marketing strategy, concept development and strategic advice. Campbell Consulting is a full member of the Market Research Society of New Zealand and its directors have international experience in China, Australia, UK and America. For further information visit: http://www.campbellconsulting.co.nz/

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Destination Management Company

By Mitchelle Lopez

Whether for corporate meetings, team building, or incentive travel, a Destination Management Company is the new trend to ensure a highly professional event and the best possible service for your company.

Destination Management Company Defined

A Destination Management Company or DMC plans events for corporate meetings, conventions, conferences, incentive travel, team building, tours, recreation, and transportation for business group travel.

Today, destination management companies are enjoying the opportunity to broaden their business with a wider range of services, from event planning to transportation.

Why do you need a Destination Management Company?

There are many good reasons:

1. They find the perfect venue and suppliers to suit your vision and travel needs – from convention centers and hotels to transportation.
2. They are experienced in organizing events for your company.
3. They arrange venues for your events.
4. They have special services which include catering, dinner, and entertainment.
5. They make hotel reservations or selections.
6. They arrange transportation for your party to and from the airport.
7. They provide travel coordination, management, guides, and hostesses.
8. They coordinate VIP transfers.
9. They arrange transportation such as limousine or car rentals for your party wherever you need to go.
10. And of course, they can always customize whatever event or occasion to fit your company’s needs.

Finding the perfect DMC for your company event is very crucial. Ask around for referrals for the best Destination Management Company or recommendations from hotels, or visit the Association of Destination Management Executives for a searchable member directory and other sites that offer destination management services.

DMC’s have their own specialties in the business, which may be corporate meetings, company events, team building, or weddings. Always ask possible destination management company how long they have been in the business or if they belong to any DMC organization.

When choosing the perfect Destination Management Company for your company event, also look for one that is knowledgeable of your chosen destination. Destination Management Companies remain behind the scenes while ensuring that everything runs smoothly and according to plan.

Mitchelle Lopez’s interest in destination management developed through her involvement in team building in her own company.

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What is Hospitality Management?

By Manoj Tiwari

Hospitality management can be broadly defined as the part of the service industry that brings in money and generates more jobs than any other profession. It generally involves management of commercial establishments like restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, spas and resorts. Individuals who earn a degree in hospitality management face no problem in securing a management position in this growing field.

If we look at the present scenario, one cannot deny from that the fact that the service industry is very diverse and generally include an array of businesses encompassing hotels, resorts and restaurants. Managing these service industries is not an easy job and largely requires great skills and efforts. An individual managing any restaurant or hotel or any other service sector must have proper knowledge and potential to supervise every day to day task effectively. Addressing to meet these upcoming challenges, these days many universities in United States are offering hospitality management programs.

Attaining a degree in hospitality can offer fundamental hospitality training that is often needed to enter in this industry. Hospitality management training also helps in improving the knowledge and professional skills. The courses in hospitality management enable its students to manage every operation of any service business enterprises effectively. The program also enables a graduate go into several areas of specialization. Those who find a love of food service have an option to work as managers for one of the numerous food chains or even open its own food service operation. Besides this, students who show interest in the glamour and allure of the lodging industry have high chances to become managers in one of the multi-national hotel chains.

Apart from all this, the programs are equipping students with necessary skills to survive in the professional world. Adding to this, the degree in hospitality management can even act as a big bonus for graduates as it may help them earn a good salary. On an average, any executive who holds a degree in hospitality management can make salaries between $25,000 all the way up to and beyond $200,000. While supervisors can make an hourly wage starting from $10-$20 per hour in most hotels, full-time Department Heads can make a salary starting from $23,000 to $80,000.

Moreover, if we look at the job prospect of this industry, presently the hospitality industry of the United States is looking for 200,000 new executives at hotels, restaurants, resorts, wineries and spas. In addition to this, the United States tourism and travel industry is also growing, and as a consequence of this, the demand for professional managers and service workers is also expected to raise more.

Considering these surging requirements and attractive salary package, entering the hospitality industry can be a wise decision, but before enrolling in the hospitality management course or program, gathering complete information can play a significant part.

Today a degree in the hospitality management is very popular among mid-career professionals and one of the few programs that are worldwide respected. In addition to this, almost all small and large resorts and hotels are favouring for qualified persons for lower level managers to top level managers. Certainly, it is one of the few degrees that have witnessed an extreme increase in the ratio of enrollments in last few years and expected to mature in the next few years.

Find complete information on culinary hospitality management degrees and culinary job oriented programs at Culinaryschoolsu.com. Browse the site and choose the top culinary schools for you and start your culinary career now.

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The Concept Of Medical Tourism

By Radha Kishan

Medical tourism is the act of traveling to other nations to obtain medical, services. The concept medical tourism was initially coined by the travel agencies and the media as a catchall phrase to describe a fast growing industry where people travel to different nations to obtain medical services. Leisure aspect of traveling can be included on such a medical travel trip. It includes medical health care services (inclusive of elective procedure and complex specialized surgeries) like knee/hip replacement, heart surgery, dental procedures and different cosmetic surgery.

The idea of Medical Tourism is not a new one. The earliest recorded event of medical tourism dates back hundreds of years to when Greek pilgrims traveled from Mediterranean to the small place in the Saronic Gulf called Epidauria. This place was the sanctuary of the healing God Asklepios. Epidauria then became the original travel destination for medical tourism.

In the recent days, people would travel from all over the world to have surgery done in clinics in the United States; but, the changing political situation in the USA imposed unreasonable visa restrictions on many persons who in the past traveled with fewer restrictions (especially people from the Middle East). What emerged as a result of different factors, including the increasing cost of medical care service in the US, is a phenomenon which has insurance service providers, Third Party Administrators (TPA’s) and self-insured organization evaluating a future stake in a burgeoning industry that has yet to be fully developed. This event in health care service is similar to the longstanding practice of sending manufacturing and service jobs offshore. However, many analyzers are surprised by the fact that services provided by medical professionals are now going the way of other industries. Likewise, few industry analyzers have noted that medical tourism will result to a $10 billion industry by 2009. The advantage to foreign doctors and clinics is obvious, but the future difficulty to American medicine remains unclear and a matter of contention in the American medical service community.

A combination of large numbers of factors has led to the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism the huge cost of healthcare in industrialized nations, the ease and affordability of international travel, and the advancement of technology and standards of medical service in many countries of the world.

A big draw to medical tourism is the convenience in comparison to that of other countries. Few nations that operate from a public health care systems are so taxed that it can take a long time, to get required medical care. The time duration spent for waiting for a procedure, such as a hip replacement, may be a year or more in Britain and Canada; however, in Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Philippines or Bangalore, a patient may have their operation on the same day of their arrival. Additionally, many peoples are finding that insurance coverage either does not cover orthopedic surgery or charges unreasonable restrictions on the choice of the facility, surgeon or prosthetics to be used within the United States. Medical tourism for knee or hip replacements has came as one of the most widely accepted procedures because of the least cost and minimum difficulties concerned with traveling to and from the surgery. Colombia offers a knee replacement for about $5000 USD including all associated charges like FDA approved prosthetics and hospital stay over expenses.

Idea pushing medical traveling assumes lower health care services fess as well as the search for medical experts, quality of care, safety, and waiting times. In he nation Canada, the number of procedures in 2005 for which patients were waiting was 782,936. Again, in the same year, Canada recorded the highest level of health spending in its history.

As per the research found in an article by the University of Delaware publication, the cost of surgery in Bolivia, Argentina, India, Thailand, Colombia, Philippines can be one tenth of what it is in the United States and sometimes even less. A heart valve replacement that would cost US$200,000 or more in the U.S., for example, goes for $10,000 in the India and that also includes round trip airfare and a vacation package. Similarly, a metal free dental bridge costs $5,500 in the U.S. and $500 in India and only $200 in the Philippines, a knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy charges about one fifth of what it would be in the States, and Lasik eye surgery costs $3,700 in the U.S. is available in many other countries for only $730.

Medical tourists may come from any parts of the world and may seek necessary health care services such as cancer treatment and brain and transplant surgery as well as complementary or ‘elective’ services like aesthetic treatments. While the medical tourism component might be a huge draw for few Southeast Asia nation that focus on simple procedures. India is positioning itself the primary medical tourism destination for the most complex medical procedures in the world.

Radha Kishan is currently advertising for the website Medical Tourism and his own personal page about medical tourism at Medical Tourism By Radha Kishan

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Sustainable Tourism- A Prerequisite of Sustainable Development

By Verena Veneeva

This article will provide a brief overview about the historical background, importance, concepts, principles and general debates about sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism is one of the pre-requisites of achieving sustainable development. the concept of tourism with sustainability and development gets its historical inclusion from mass tourism that got flourished in 1960s due to advent of jet aircraft and the passions for tourism got tremendous following and it also reached Third World countries (Dann, 2002). It was also argued that this boost pushed organizations like World Bank and UN to examine the cost benefit analysis of tourism and it was acknowledged that potential costs of tourism are far lower than financial benefits in shape of balance pf payment surpluses, infrastructure development, and employment and foreign exchange gains. So that gave rise to the concept of sustainable tourism as one of the source of bringing sustainable development. According to the World’s Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), it is claimed that Tourism is the world’s largest industry where in 2000, 698 million people travelled internationally which 7.3 % more than 1999. Similarly the economic worth of international tourism was US$477.9 billion in 2000 (Papers4you.com, 2006).

In terms of one concrete definition, literature suggests that it is not fixed and is ever evolving. However Coccossis (1996) asserts that sustainable tourism can be taken in four different interpretations that include” economic sustainability of tourism”, the “ecologically sustainable tourism”,” sustainable tourism development” with both focus of environment as well as long term feasibility of the industry and finally “tourism as a part of a strategy for sustainable development”.

As mentioned above, sustainable tourism should be taken in consideration to environmental and resources effects. It was argued that Mediterranean tourism is the main source of economic gain for the reason however short term growth was overlooked with long term adverse effect and deterioration of their ecosystem and resources (Farsari, 2000)

Effects of ignorant tourism on its sustainability include: ‘over consumption of natural resources ,environmental degradation, exploitation of cultures and labour, displacement of people from their land, lack of consultation with local communities, poorly thought out tourism planning and high foreign exchange leakage which reduces local economic benefits’ in long run (World’s Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002),

Where such effects are there to pose a threat on sustainable tourism there are guiding principles that can lead to ensure sustainability (Papers4you.com, 2006). Those principles include sustainable use of resources, waste and over-consumption reduction, diversity maintenance, tourism-planning integration, local economy support as well as local community involvement, consultation, training, research and responsible marketing (Farsari, 2000)

So the discussion suggest that tourism industry has potential to be a prerequisite for sustainable development, however it is imperative to realize that focus on mass tourism only can pose danger to environment so in order to ensure sustainability in tourism, guiding principles should be followed

References

Coccossis, H. (1996) ‘Tourism and Sustainability: Perspectives and Implications’ in Priestley, G. et al. (eds), Sustainable Tourism? European Experiences, U.K.: Cab International

Dann, G, M, S, (2002), “Tourism & Development”, in Desai V and Potter, R. (eds) (2002), The Companion to Development Studies, London: Arnold,

Farsari, Y, (2000), ‘Sustainable Tourism Indicators for Mediterranean Established Destinations’, Heraklion: IACM & FORTH

Papers For You (2006) “C/T/32. Sustainable travel & tourism”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprttrav4.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “C/T/27. Sustainable Tourism Development”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

World Summit on Sustainable Development, (2002), ‘Sustainable Tourism and the Earth Summit’, Briefing Paper, Aug 26-Sep 06, 2002, London: Tourism Concern. Also available on

http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/media/2002/WSSD%20sustainable%20tourism%20briefing.htm

Copyright 2006 Verena Veneeva. Professional Writer working for http://www.coursework4you.co.uk

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Candi Rejo Village – Community Based Tourism Project in Central Java

By Siska Silitonga

Earlier this year my husband and I experienced the real rural life in Central Java. We went to a village called Candi Rejo. It’s located about half-an-hour away from Borobudur, the biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia.

We heard from our partners in Indonesia that Candi Rejo has started community based & eco tourism project. We went to learn more about this project. In our perspective, community based tourism means tourism that consults, involves and benefits the local community. We wanted to see if this was really the case in this village.

At first, we were not really sure what to expect. We bought our tickets from Bali, made arrangements with the village chief, and the next thing we know we were at Jogjakarta’s airport.

Our guide was called I.J. (pronounced EE-Jay). She was very friendly and talkative, even though her English was limited. She was an interesting lady. She’s about 35 years old, and everyday she wears a hijab (head scarf) and long sleeves shirt to cover her arms even though the weather was very hot. Obviously it’s a normal look for Muslim women there. IJ is a single mom, raising 2 kids by herself. She is the only female guide in her village, and she’s very proud of that. She said when there are no visitors to guide around she farms just like the rest of the people in her village.

After we meet IJ we drove to the town, which is about 1 hour from the airport. The view was amazing. We could see a volcano in a distance while we passed mustard fields, cornfields, tapioca farms and other kinds of vegetable farms. We also passed a 9th century Buddhist temple called Pawon. It is dedicated to Kuvera, the God of Fortune.

The first thing we did when we got to Candi Rejo was to meet the village chief. We thought he would be this older man with a grey mustache just like many other Indonesian government officials. We were surprised when the village chief, Mr. Ian, showed up. A charming 28-year old man, soft spoken and very well dressed.

He explained briefly the history of eco-tourism in Candi Rejo. Only a few years ago an Indonesian NGO approached the village and introduced the concept of community-based ecotourism. After many village meetings, the community in Candi Rejo embraced the idea. The village also has the benefit of being very close to Borobudur, the biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia and a great wonder of the ancient world. They have a river that can be used for white water rafting, and also has a nice trail called Watu Kendil, which is the path to Kendil Hill. From the top of this hill, one can view 5 volcanoes and also the whole construction of Borobudur Temple.

The ecotourism project in Candi Rejo is a pilot project in Indonesia. The village has about 5,000 people, and majority of the people there are farmers. The main unit that managed the tourism industry in Candi Rejo is the community runs cooperative (co-op), not the government. The head of the cooperative still reports to the village chief, but the revenue goes directly to the locals.

The locals voluntarily joined the cooperative. For example, those who have extra rooms in their houses can sign up as accommodation providers. People who have horse drawn rickshaws can join the cooperative as one of the village transportation providers. Everyone in the cooperative has to agree with the roster system, which gives the guides, porters, village tours, trek trail maintenance, and handicraft sales equal opportunity to make money.

No doubt that the ecotourism project has increased the village’s economy. Since Candi Rejo gained its official “tourism village” status in 2003, it has developed into a cleaner and wealthier village. The village chief has ordered every home in the village to grow “Rambutan”, a tropical fruit tree in front of their houses. The result is: this village is becoming very green and shady. The weather in Central Java can get very hot, so these big trees can protect pedestrians from the burning sun.

When we asked the village chief whether or not he is worried that one day the tourism industry would bring outrageous pollution to the village, he said the cooperative limit the number of visitors per year. The tourism programs that they’ve developed also mainly focus on green tourism, not touristy programs. So naturally, majority of visitors who come to Candi Rejo are green-minded travelers. They want to learn about agriculture or to experience the real Javanese rural living.

In 2007, the village saw about 800-900 visitors. We saw photos of their previous visitors. Some schools from Indonesia’s big cities have sent students to visit Candi Rejo to learn about farming and rural living. It’s true that many Indonesian children who grew up in the big city don’t know what the trees and fruit they eat looks like in the ground. These kinds of learning programs teach them where the food in the market came from. It also raises awareness among the students of how important it is to sustain your environment.

It’s not only students from all over Indonesia that come to Candi Rejo. Governments from other villages in Indonesia also visit Candi Rejo to learn about village tourism and ecotourism.

We can’t forget how nice the people in Candi Rejo are. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating. We felt that the community-based tourism really fit their characters. Their natural eagerness to accommodate their guests made our trip so smooth and memorable.

In Candi Rejo we learned how to play the Javanese Gamelan (their traditional musical instruments). We also played volleyball with the locals, which was very fun! We took the horse rickshaw everywhere during our stay there (0 emission for sure). We were also invited to visit the village chief’s house for a community gathering. It feels like we were visiting our family there.

We left Candi Rejo with fond memories of this village. We would go back in a heartbeat. Hopefully next time we could take our travelers there with us. We’re proud that the ecotourism and community-based tourism movement in Indonesia is developing rapidly. We hope these projects can alleviate poverty, create more job opportunities and most importantly sustain Indonesia’s ecology.

Article by: Siska Silitonga

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Ecotourism – Responsible and Sustainable Tourism

By Julius Koome Muthuri

Eco-tourism

Responsible tourism means all tourism directly dependent on the use of natural life e.g. wildlife and landscape. Nature based tourism include eco-tourism and mass tourism. Uncontrolled mass tourism continues to contribute to the degradation of natural & cultural significance (commercialization of Culture) thus leading or causing loss of biological and cultural biodiversity, and important sources of income. Nature based tourism offers a way of financing unique ecosystems preservation. This provides opportunity for the community living near the protected areas to benefit economically e.g. employment opportunity. But Nature based tourism & travel while sustaining eco-system also degrades them. Much nature based tourism falls short of social responsibility to the local community.

Sustainable tourism is developed and managed in such a way that all tourism activities will focus on a heritage resource, natural and cultural which can be continued imminently and every effort is made to maintain the resource to perpetuity.

According to hector Ceballos-Lascurian (1983) ecotourism means “the tourism that involves travelling to relatively undisturbed natural area with the object of admiring, studying and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals as well as cultural features found there.”

Eco-tourism embraces four basic elements:-

• The natural environment as the primary attraction and the cultural environment playing a secondary role

• The sustainable use of the ecological and cultural environment.

• Focus on education and the interpretation of the resource

• Provision of the benefit to the host community

Tourism is about people and places where one group of people leave, visit and pass through places, the people who make the trip possible and the people encountered in the tour, it involves travellers, host communities and governments.

In tourism industry the destination is perhaps one of the most important elements. The destination region represents the raison d’tre for tourism and the tourist attraction at the destination generates the visit. Tourism product is consumed where it is produced (destination). Hence the destination comes under considerable pressure from high levels of demand focused both in time and at specific sites for example the warm East Africa, Indian Ocean coastal beaches during the northern hemisphere winter.

Tourist pressures can lead to alteration of the tourism resource and as tourism resource and as tourist demand continues to raise so have many destinations around the world succumbed to environmental degradation. The impact that some form of tourism development has on the environment has raised concern among environmentalist and other constituents. Therefore professional management and planning of destination are critical if tourism is to contribute to their conservation and to be perceived as an acceptable industry in a world whose survival is threatened.

Tourism demand unspoilt environment in which to operate. It is essential that tour operation should be developed and managed in such a way that as to protect the natural assets. We subscribe to the fact that the extent to which tourism is developed, planned and controlled in an orderly and coordinated manner will affect the long-term quality of the tourism product and subsequently the success of the hospitality Industry. While tourism can be a catalyst for development, it is important for the government agencies plan and develop tourism carefully so that the benefit can be optimized without creating social and environmental problems

Low impact forms of tourism counteracts the effects of mass tourism that poses a number of challenges on the resource base i.e. environment, society, and economy. Low impact forms of tourism create a balance between environment quality and resource utilization. This is mainly aimed at empowering local communities in managing their natural resources that is creating an incentive to conserve the biological resource in the environment by allowing the beneficial effects from tourism filter down to the individual families and households.

Alternative tourism is seen as forms of tourism that are consistent with natural social and community values and which allows both the host and the guest to enjoy positive and worthwhile interaction and shared experience it is also known variously as ecotourism, nature tourism sustainable tourism environmentally friendly, environmentally sensitive, ecological compatible ecologically sound or Green and eco-tour such as Walking tours, Birds Safari, Camel safaris Guided nature walks, horse riding safaris, bicycle tours, home and farm stays, youth tourism.

Many destinations marketed as responsible tourism does not consider the local community development, economical, social welfare and human rights. Indeed majority of them care less about the resource as long as it brings the “green bill “. There must be concern with staff and tourist education i.e. the expected visitors’ behaviour. Thus in this, nature based tourism is formulated as sustainable development. The concept of set principles, Ties 1991 defined it as responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and sustains the well being of the local people.

It is now fashionable to look at tourism development in the context of “sustainability” “alternative tourism” “green tourism” all of which have a particular meaning to different people but majority of this are just eco-labels or marketing and PR slongs. Sustainable tourism is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

author: Julius Koome
http://www.apsafari.com/pages/Ecotourism_.vrt

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julius_Koome_Muthuri
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ecotourism—Responsible-and-Sustainable-Tourism&id=3939620

Also, check out my other guide on: How to Protect World Heritage Sites

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ABSTRAK

PERGESERAN NILAI DALAM TRANSFORMASI

PONDOK PESANTREN DAARUT TAUHID

MENJADI DESTINASI WISATA

Sebuah Tinjauan Konstruksi Sosial

Oleh

Dieny Ferbianty

Potensi Pondok Pesantren untuk menjadi daya tarik wisata rohani, telah menyebabkan Pengurus Yayasan Daarut Tauhid untuk mempertimbangkan potensi ini menjadi salah satu peluang bisnis dari beberapa bisnis yang mereka jalankan. Keputusan untuk menyelenggarakan wisata di kawasan ini, menimbulkan transformasi pada beberapa komponen fisik dan sosial yang ada pada kawasan tersebut, serta resistansi pada kelompok-kelompok sosial terlibat, yang berpotensi menghambat pengembangan wisata rohani. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh gambaran mengenai proses sosial yang dilalui oleh sebuah pondok pesantren sehingga menjadi daerah tujuan wisata, mengidentifikasi akibat dari proses transformasi sosial yang terjadi, manfaat dan resiko yang ditimbulkan dari transformasi pondok pesantren menjadi destinasi wisata.

Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah konstruksi sosial teknologi, untuk melihat proses sosial yang terbentuk pada suatu kawasan yang sedang mengalami transformasi dalam rentang waktu tertentu. Proses sosial yang terjadi selama masa transformasi tersebut digambarkan melalui metode penelitian yang digunakan yaitu penelitian kualitatif dengan metode penelitian studi kasus dengan teknik analisa deskriptif. Sedangkan untuk identifikasi kelompok sosial yang ada di wilayah studi, digunakan metode snowball dan following the actor. Hasil penelitian adalah teridentifikasinya beberapa kelompok sosial yang kemudian terbagi menjadi dua kelompok, yaitu yang pro dan kontra wisata. Negosiasi tidak terjadi antara dua kelompok ini. Negosiasi yang terjadi hanya pada kelompok sosial yang mendapat keuntungan ekonomi saja. Munculnya daya tarik figur (Kyai) sebagai daya tarik yang dominan di kalangan pondok pesantren, merupakan salah satu karakteristik dari daya tarik pondok pesantren. Pada penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa pengembangan wisata di kawasan ini berpotensi mendistorsi nilai-nilai budaya. Pengembangan wisata rohani di pondok pesantren hendaknya dilakukan melalui pendekatan pariwisata kebudayaan, tidak hanya infrastruktur dan kelembagaan, sehingga nilai-nilai yang sudah ada di pondok pesantren tidak terberangus.

Kata kunci : wisata rohani, konstruksi sosial, transformasi sosial, pondok pesantren Daarut Tauhid.

Baca Pula:

• VALUE DISPLACEMENT IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF DAARUT TAUHID ISLAMIC BOARDING SCHOOL INTO SPIRITUAL TOURISM

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Jakarta dengan aneka persoalannya yang rumit adalah kota yang berkembang dalam irama “lain (rencana) dulu, lain (realisasi) sekarang”. Berganti gubernur, berarti bergantinya kebijaksanaan pembangunan kota. Penyelesaiannya menjadi kian sulit karena birokrasi tak dapat memberikan kepuasan dalam pelayanan publik.

Itu adalah pendapat yang terekam dalam diskusi “Mencari Administrator Ulung untuk Duduk di Merdeka Selatan” yang diselenggarakan Kompas beberapa hari lalu.

Diskusi ini mencoba memetakan persoalan Ibu Kota dan melihat kapabilitas yang harus dipunyai gubernur yang akan memimpin administrasi pemerintahan Daerah Khusus Ibu Kota (DKI) Jakarta periode 2007- 2012.

Nama para calon sudah beredar. Tidak lama lagi warga Jakarta untuk pertama kalinya akan memilih langsung gubernur mereka.

Jakarta—dahulu Batavia—pada mulanya adalah sebuah bandar yang pertumbuhannya menjadi kota besar berlangsung karena fungsinya melayani perdagangan internasional dan pelayaran antarpulau di Nusantara.

Kini Jakarta, yang pada 22 Juni 2007 nanti akan berusia 480 tahun, meliputi wilayah yang luasnya 661,52 kilometer persegi. Dinas Kependudukan dan Catatan Sipil DKI mencatat, hingga Oktober 2006 lalu Jakarta dihuni oleh lebih dari 7,5 juta jiwa. Setiap hari kerja, sekitar dua juta manusia keluar masuk Jakarta untuk berbagai keperluan.

Sejak Indonesia merdeka, mulai dari Wali Kota Suwirjo (1945-1951) hingga Gubernur Sutiyoso (1997-2007), sudah 11 tokoh yang memimpin administrasi pemerintahan kota ini, baik sebagai wali kota maupun sebagai gubernur, setelah status Jakarta ditetapkan sebagai Daerah Khusus Ibu Kota tahun 1960.

Menjadi Gubernur DKI Jakarta berarti mengurus kota yang sarat fungsi. Jakarta adalah ibu kota negara. Di kota ini berhimpun 82 kedutaan besar negara sahabat. Ia adalah kota pusat pemerintahan dan politik, militer, bisnis, pendidikan, kebudayaan, hiburan, rekreasi, serta wisata.

Keanekaragaman fungsi serta pengaturan ruang-ruang fisik kota demi keberlangsungan segala aktivitas itu menjadikan Jakarta lebih menonjol dibandingkan dengan kota lain di Indonesia.

Surjadi Soedirdja, Gubernur DKI Jakarta periode 1992-1997, dalam diskusi itu menyebutkan, masalah yang dihadapi Jakarta besar skalanya, berat bobotnya, dan kompleks keterkaitannya.

Besar skalanya, dalam arti pembangunan Jakarta harus dilihat dalam konteks nasional, regional, maupun internasional. Berat bobotnya, karena pembangunan Jakarta harus memperhitungkan perannya sebagai ibu kota negara, yang dituntut untuk bersih, indah, aman, nyaman, dan representatif.

Jakarta, dengan kelengkapan infrastruktur kotanya, akan menjadi acuan bagi pembangunan kota-kota lain di Indonesia. Karena itu, bobot pembangunan Jakarta harus membuahkan dampak positif bagi segenap warganya.

Pengembangan kota Jakarta dikatakan kompleks karena kota ini terkait dengan daerah lain. Ia adalah bagian tak terpisahkan dari wilayah Jawa Barat: Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, dan Bekasi (Bodetabek).

Kelak imbas eksternalitas pembangunan Jakarta akan meluas sampai ke wilayah Puncak dan Cianjur. Pembangunan kota Jakarta harus terintegrasi dengan pertumbuhan daerah Bodetabek dan juga kota-kota lain di Pulau Jawa. Kemajuan pembangunan Jakarta yang jauh meninggalkan perkembangan daerah lainnya akan memperbesar arus urbanisasi ke Ibu Kota.

Sebagaimana layaknya sebuah kota, Jakarta harus mampu memenuhi fasilitas dasar bagi warganya. Sosiolog dan pengajar pada Program Pascasarjana Universitas Indonesia, Tamrin Amal Tomagola, dalam diskusi yang sama mengatakan bahwa setiap kota harus mampu menyediakan tujuh fasilitas dasar, yakni permukiman, air bersih, transportasi, prasarana, kesehatan, pendidikan, dan keamanan. Administrator kota akan dinilai berhasil bila dia mampu memenuhi ketujuh kebutuhan dasar itu.

Hanya saja, bagi warga Jakarta, fasilitas dasar itu dirasakan masih jauh dari memuaskan. Kenapa? Selain karena berat dan kompleksnya persoalan, pembangunan Jakarta berjalan seakan-akan tanpa kesinambungan.

Ganti gubernur, berarti ganti program. Keengganan meneruskan program gubernur terdahulu itu menunjukkan kurangnya penghargaan terhadap konsep, pemikiran, dan usaha yang telah dilakukan. Sekaligus ia memperlihatkan seakan-akan ada arogansi: “Akulah yang sekarang jadi pemimpin, akulah kini yang menentukan.”

Kegagalan menjaga Condet di Jakarta Timur sebagai cagar budaya Betawi yang “telantar dan rusak”—sehingga harus dicarikan penggantinya di Situ Babakan, Srengseng Sawah, Jakarta Selatan—hanyalah salah satu contoh inkonsistensi merawat Jakarta.

Terminal bus luar kota yang pada masa Gubernur Ali Sadikin digeser ke wilayah pinggir (Pulo Gadung, Kampung Rambutan, dan Kalideres)—buat mengurangi tekanan kepadatan lalu lintas di tengah kota—pernah akan “dikembalikan” ke pusat kota lewat gagasan Terminal Terpadu Manggarai.

Proyek yang mengundang kritik ini urung setelah dihadang krisis ekonomi, Orde Baru runtuh, dan rezim yang memerintah berganti.

Wilayah yang oleh rencana tata ruang—disahkan menjadi peraturan daerah—diperuntukkan sebagai daerah resapan bisa berubah menjadi daerah yang sarat dengan kegiatan komersial. Ini adalah contoh inkonsistensi yang lain. Kepentingan sesaat dengan alasan mengisi “kantong” pendapatan asli daerah (PAD) menjadikan rencana dan pengembangan Jakarta berlangsung penuh improvisasi.

Memanusiakan Jakarta

Yang juga tidak kalah pentingnya, seperti yang diidentifikasi dalam diskusi ini, Jakarta punya masalah dalam hal birokrasi. Surjadi mengingatkan bahwa fokusnya adalah “memanusiakan” Jakarta.

Syarat agar Jakarta dapat dimanusiakan adalah dibenahinya seluruh tatanan lembaga, petugas, sistem, dan mekanisme yang memungkinkan terpenuhinya ketujuh kebutuhan dasar yang disebut tadi. Singkat kata, birokrasi harus dibenahi, siapa pun gubernurnya.

Birokrasi, secara personal maupun institusional, adalah petugas yang menjalankan kebijakan pemerintah untuk kepentingan rakyat. Teori mengajarkan, birokrasi harus mendahulukan kepentingan umum, mempermudah urusan, dan memberikan kepuasan dalam pelayanan publik.

Akan tetapi, dalam kenyataan yang melekat erat pada birokrat adalah ungkapan sinis “jika urusan bisa dipersulit, mengapa harus dipermudah?”.

Birokrasi impoten

Orientasi pada kekuasaan yang amat kuat membuat birokrasi makin jauh dari misi sebagai pelayan publik. Birokrasi dan para pejabatnya menempatkan diri lebih sebagai penguasa daripada sebagai pelayan masyarakat. Sikap dan perilaku birokrasi dalam penyelenggaraan pelayanan umum cenderung mengabaikan aspirasi dan kepentingan orang banyak.

Hasil jajak pendapat tentang birokrasi yang dilakukan Kompas, Maret 2007, mengindikasikan bahwa birokrasi gagal menjalankan fungsi pelayanan umum. Urusan dengan birokrasi adalah urusan yang tidak mengenal kepastian waktu. Masyarakat juga menilai, aparat mudah disuap.

Birokrasi, demikian Tamrin Amal Tomagola, digerogoti lima “penyakit”, yakni incoherence (ketidaklogisan/tanpa hubungan), inward looking (berorientasi ke dalam), inconsistence (ketidakkonsistenan/berubah-ubah), incompetence (ketidakcakapan), dan impotence (ketidakmampuan).

Ketidaklogisan dapat terjadi dalam peraturan yang dibuat. Peraturan di tingkat gubernur tidak jarang berbeda dengan peraturan di tingkat pusat. Sifat lebih mendahulukan kepentingan kelompok dibandingkan kepentingan umum, menurut Tamrin, diakibatkan oleh terjadinya pengaplingan di setiap jenjang eselon maupun di setiap instansi yang ada.

Pengaplingan berlangsung dalam beragam bentuk, berdasarkan kesukuan, agama, bahkan asal perguruan tinggi. Ketidaklogisan suatu peraturan dan sifat mendahulukan kelompok menghasilkan ketidakkonsistenan tindakan birokrasi.

Birokrasi diperparah lagi oleh ketidakcakapan para pejabat dan anak buahnya, yang bersumber pada latar belakang pendidikan, dan juga disebabkan oleh lemahnya komitmen pada profesi. Muara dari semua itu adalah ketidakmampuan melayani kepentingan umum. Birokrasi jadi impoten.

Jakarta, tempat lebih dari 80 persen uang di Indonesia beredar, memiliki beragam persoalan. Masalah itu tetap rumit manakala berada di tangan birokrasi yang sakit. Perkembangan Jakarta hanya dapat dirasakan secara fisik, tetapi daya dukung lingkungan menurun.

Ketika DKI akan berganti gubernur, banjir dan akibatnya makin parah, kemacetan lalu lintas bertambah buruk, dan korban demam berdarah kian banyak. Mengurus Jakarta menjadi kian sulit.

BE Julianery/Litbang Kompas

Sumber: Kompas, Sabtu, 19 Mei 2007

Baca Pula:

• Penataan Kota Amburadul, Warga Rugi