I had two emails from people last week asking me to sponsor them on charity climbs. Because this is the beginning of ‘peak’ season, when people scale the heights to raise much needed funds for charities. However, this fundraising phenomenen is growing at such a rate, that it starting to throw up many other challenges.
Unlike some of Ireland’s most well known, such as Focus Ireland’s Four Peaks Challenge, which takes place only once a year, the UK’s National Three Peaks Challenge, for example, sends at least 30,000 people up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowden through three seasons. I say ‘at least’ because the challenge is ungoverned, and you are not obliged to sign up with an event organiser to take them on. Some conservationists estimate closer to 60,000.
The John Muir Trust, founded in 1983 to protect against the development of the UK’s wild lands, owns Ben Nevis’ summit. “I’ve seen organised parties of 800 on the Ben in one day” saysTrust Chairman John Hutchison, adding, “Access to the Ben should always be free but we would expect people who generate income from organising these events to put something back.”
Consequently, the Trust is working closely with The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) to create a Code of Practice. Louise Richards, IoF’s Director of Policy and Campaigns states, “This Code needs to be followed by fundraisers…An important part of promoting best practice also involves exposing bad practice.” So if you are looking at a UK event, make sure you do so with an event organiser and one which supports the IoF.
Many people are also now looking for challenges abroad, but do shop around to see which organisers have ethical policies. One event organiser states on its website,”At least 60% of the money you raise goes directly to charity – the balance is the cost of the Challenge, such as flights and accommodation.” No mention of substantial social and environmental costs to the hosts. I don’t doubt their impressive fundraising records, but none of these charities would want to take destinations for granted either. Some argue that the hosts benefit financially, but not if everyone drives into town at dawn, climbs a mountain and leaves at dusk. In contrast, the organisation Charity Challenge (charitychallenge.com), which also offers worldwide challenges, has a detailed responsible tourism policy committing to, among many ethical steps, a donation of $500 per group (max. 20 people) to a community project.
Mountaineering Ireland’s Chief Officer Karl Boyle (mountaineering.ie) is also concerned about this unsustainable growth: “Mountaineering Ireland supports Challenge Walks and Charity Climbs, once the event promotes Leave No Trace principles and is managed in a sustainable manner.” Indeed, many do work with Leave No Trace, a network of organisations and individuals advising on everything from waste disposal to low impact walking(leavenotraceireland.org). Events such as The Beast of Ballyhoura, Gael Force West as well as those organised by ACARA, have all taken a positive lead in this area, says Beverley Pierson, Leave No Trace Project Officer: “Each event creates its own impacts and each impact can be devastating to the environment. More and more event organisers are now starting to show their concern and thinking about ways to reduce these effects”.
Regarding sustainability, Focus Ireland’s Fundraising Director, Mark Mellett, assured that they wouldn’t respond to the surge in demand for challenges by developing countless more climbs, but favours one-off events saying, “We are conscious of the fact and respect that we mustn’t overuse the mountains.” If charities like this continue to keep an eye on their potential impacts, not just their income, then they can have my sponsorship money again and again.
When the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami hit, many tourists raced back to beloved beaches to help. Because everyone was desperate to help, even in some small way. People have donated generously to Haiti, but few have raced back to its beaches. Because, sadly, Haiti was only just starting to paddle its feet in the murky waters of tourism before disaster struck. But it is not tourism Haiti needs now. It is money, water, food, energy and expert support. Not tourists. If you want to travel to Haiti as a volunteer, do so only if you can offer expert help, and through an agency or charity. Haven (havenpartnership.com), for example, is an Irish charity already with substantial experience on the ground, and which is looking for volunteers to go there in April. This charity has also been recommended by Richard Morse, whom I have been following on Twitter. He runs the Oloffson Hotel in Port-au-Prince, and has been Tweeting ever since the earthquake struck. Do check him out for an up to date voice from someone on the ground, at www.twitter/RAMHAITI.
In the meantime, one thing we can do as tourists is support other areas struck by natural disasters in the past, but now on the road to recovery. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan swept away 80% of Caribbean island Grenada’s infrastructure, devastating its spice and tourism industries. Hotels have been rebuilt, but a great ethical choice is to opt for a homestay, and homestaysgrenada.com has received international recognition for its work in bringing tourism right into local communities. Or check out Paradise Bay Beach Resort (paradisebayresort.net), an eco-accommodation committed to helping local farmers get back on their feet. Just staying here will help the local economy, but you can do even more by choosing their volunteer holidays, where you give hands-on help on a farm in the morning, and holiday at the beach in the afternoon.
Hurricane Katrina was not strong enough to stop the Mardi Gras Carnival in New Orleans either, and it is not too late to go and support the many businesses in need of tourist dollars. The party is just about to start, but keeps going until 16 February (mardigrasneworleans.com). Or Cyclone Aila, which hit Eastern India & Bangladesh in May 2009 and which also left a massive path of destruction. Ethical travel organisations Travel to Care and Help Tourism both rose to the occasion, raising funds for many of the small communities they represent. Their websites traveltocare.com and helptourism.com will lead you back to the ones which are ready and more than willing to have visitors back in their homes.
And let’s not forget the people of L’Aquila, Italy, where an earthquake struck last April. Nearly 300 people were killed, and 40,000 left homeless. Bizarrely, there is no obvious mention of it on the Italian Tourist Board (italiantouristboard.co.uk) website, unless you dig deep. Many hotels in the region of Abruzzo have been accommodating those who lost their homes, so they deserve a helping hand from tourists as the season begins. But do check that they are open for business. For information on agritourism, (farm-based) holidays in this region, see also, http://en.agriturismo.it/abruzzo.
The opportunities to holiday ethically in post-Tsunami destinations are many. A first port of call should be Tourism Concern (tourismconcern.org.uk) which has campaigned forfair and sustainable post-Tsunami tourism development. Its book, The Ethical Travel Guide, available on their website, lists leading ethical tourism providers, such as Andaman Discoveries, born out of the relief efforts, and which now brings tourists to community-led tourism projects and homestays (andamandiscoveries.com).
In the meantime, let’s hope that if Bill Clinton, UN special envoy to Haiti, is considering tourism development there in the future, he does so sustainably. By consulting with experts who have successful rebuilt from grassroots level, such as those above, he could eventually create a tourism industry which will benefit all Haitians well into the future.
An edited version of this article was first published in The Irish Times, 30 January 2010
Catherine and family coming into Dublin Port with Irish Ferries
I had a call from a friend who was stuck in London during the worst of the snow, “You must know how to get me home without flying”, she said. “I need to be back in Dublin tomorrow and every airport in Europe seems to be closed”. Within minutes she was sorted. “ Catch the 9am train from London Euston direct to Holyhead with Virgin Trains, arrives four hours later, then onto 2pm Irish Ferries crossing to Dublin port, arriving just after 5pm. Hop in a cab or shuttle bus, and home and dry in time for tea” I said.
She booked it immediately online via Virgin Trains and Irish Ferries, with last minute rates of £55 sterling for the single train journey and £25 sterling for the one way crossing. She had a lot of work to do on the way, so upgraded to first class on the train, (£97 sterling). This is the best train upgrade around, in my view, with free food and drink the whole way. Enjoy smoked salmon and scrambled eggs as you lash through the Shires, bagels on the border and a glass of something lovely to strengthen the sea legs as you follow the North Wales coastline. With free WI-Fi and generous reclining seats, you won’t want to get off at all. Although to be honest, Virgin’s latest speedy trains are so comfortable, economy feels like first class compared to any of my memories of what was the journey from hell all those years ago when ‘budget’ meant the ‘bus’.
I got a text at 5.15pm from my friend – “just drifting past the South Wall. Best trip home ever. Will never fly again”. This I doubt, but every snow cloud has a silver lining. It’s hard to convince people about the joys of greener, slower travel, unless they actually experience it. You can bring as much luggage as you want, including bikes. You check it all in now, so no lugging it round the ship anymore. You don’t have to hide your make-up bottles either. Even Holyhead terminal is better these days. On a recent trip, a Donegal man who makes the trip six times a year told me, “It breaks my heart.In the old days we begged them for a new terminal and now it’s here, but it’s empty. It used to be a cattle market, dirty and full of drunks”. Sounds like a bad budget airline, I thought.
If you aren’t making a last minute booking, book a Sail and Rail package. This is possible using various methods. If you are travelling out of the UK, go through booking agency Raileasy, and remember to put your home station first, not just Euston, as you can get a through ticket from any station in UK. Do check if you are travelling direct to Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire, as some services mean you have to change at Crewe or Chester stations. You can’t get a first class ticket on this package, but book well in advance with Virgin Trains (virgintrains.co.uk), and you can get a First Class Single for approx. £50 sterling, with great food and drink served all the way through Wales and England. Note, however, that this is a mid-week deal, and there is no food at weekend, so you are just paying for a bigger seat if travelling Saturdays or Sundays.
If you are travelling from Ireland to UK and want to get a good SailRail package, do this at Irish Rail, either by phone
On our way home
+ 353 1 8366222 ( Mon to Fri 9-5), email sailrail@irishrail.ie, or call in to one of the following Irish Rail stations: Athlone, Ballina, Cork, Drogheda, Claremorris, Dublin Connolly, Dundalk, Ennis, Galway, Killarney, Limerick, Limerick Junction, Longford, Mallow, Mullingar, Sligo, Thurles, Tralee, Tullamore, Waterford, Westport or Wexford.
Or you can do just as my friend did, and book online the night before, roll on, roll off, no bother. I’m not sure she really cares that her carbon footprint was at least half of flying, to be honest. But if she can see that travelling the greener way is a much better experience all round, then it’s a win win. Any other converts can check out all European rail routes with details of journey lengths, transits, and overnight accommodation, as well as green places to stay nearby, at the newly launched www.greentraveller.co.uk
An edited version of this article was fist published in The Irish Times, 16 January 2010
Copenhagen has, despite everything, planted seeds of change. As world leaders debate degrees and dollars, those of us who are trying to embrace sustainability into our everyday lives can do so without feeling like we are ‘do-gooders’ anymore. Green is going mainstream, and ethical holidays are no longer seen as simply ‘the right thing to do’, but as fantastic experiences in their own right. So, at last, we can come out of the closet.
Green travel is no longer a fad. It is moving rapidly from niche to norm, with many Tourism Boards and leading tour operators realising that people who offer superb tourist experiences, without compromising their commitment to local environment, economy and culture, are onto a good thing. This is great news for everyone, as these businesses are now being given the support they need by destinations that are on the ball about such things, helping to create even better holidays for all of us.
For example, in New Zealand, a tiny Maori community now runs one of the country’s most prolific tourism businesses, a whale watching company (whalewatch.co.nz), which is totally community-run. This revival of people-led tourism rather than cold corporate ‘products’ is, thankfully, on the up. In Thailand, The Community Based Tourism Initiative has key players signed up as partners, listening to the needs, interests and passions of local people (cbt-i.org) In Italy, they have not only kept tourism firmly in the hands of rural residents through their agritourism movement (en.agriturismo.it), but also as pioneers of the world-famous Slowfood ethos which aims to “counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat and where it comes from”. In Ireland too, Slowfood is rapidly becoming part of the food culture (slowfood ireland.com) and, consequently, part of tourism.
Cycling is no longer just for yellow shirt travellers either and, along with the recent addition of Dublin, many European cities have free or cheap bike hire schemes. Join the citizens on a saddle inParis, Barcelona, Seville, Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Oslo, Lyon, Rennes, Seville, Cordoba, Giron, Brussels, Vienna , Oslo and of course, wonderful , wonderful Copenhagen. A decent green accommodation often has bikes available, or organises bike hire for them, as well as providing information on local cycling trails.
Travelling between these cities without stepping on a plane is a breeze now too, with European train travel on the up. Unfortunately that breeze turned to a Christmas snowstorm, when Eurostar came to a halt. Assuming it will get itself back on track eventually, and sort out what exactly went wrong, this link between London and Paris, Lille or Brussels is, usually, the most civilised way to cross the Channel. if you haven’t experienced the 2 hour 15 minutes trip from London to Paris yet, then it’s a must for 2010 (from €44 one way). Even better for Brussels at one hour 51 minutes door to door (eurostar.com). And with the opening of high speed lines between Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne in December 2009, London to Amsterdam is do-able in four hours and 16 minutes.
However, as this feelgood wave is gathering speed, it also drags a load of rubbish along with it. Businesses which change their practices from dodgy to do-good overnight are often to be avoided. Some of the green policies which are being copied and pasted onto websites are laughable. ‘Ecoresorts’ with four swimming pools, a golf course and a spa equate ‘eco’ with planting a few trees, or giving books to a local school. Look out for well certified businesses, with a proven track record in responsible tourism practices. Companies which say they are green, responsible, ethical or eco, (they all more or less amount to the same thing) are those which have had detailed visits from experts in the field, been certified accordingly or awarded accolades for their work. Similarly, if a place shouts about being green, but has no evidence of low carbon transport options, then you can often question its validity.
There are, however, many organisations, big and small, leading the way in ethical travel. Picking a few from the rich crop of the latest for 2010 was hard, but here are a few just to get those travel juices going.
You don’t need to be heading off to an ecolodge in the rainforest to be ethical. You could be camping on
Really Green Holiday Company, Isle of Wight. Photo: Catherine Mack
a farm, buying food at their farmshop, drinking at the local, cycling from beach to beach, and coming home by train and/or ferry. Glamorous camping, or ‘glamping’ as it has become known, allows you to leave your two man tent in the shed, and discover the wonders of yurts, tipis, geodesic domes, circus tents and even nomadic bivouacs. The glampest site around is goglamping.net, also worth following on Twitter to keep up with regular updates of canvas creations around the globe (twitter.com/Glamping). Not listed on their site, but just reopened for this skiing season, is one that is so green it is pure white. Check out the jaw dropping beauty of Whitepod, hidden away in the Swiss Alps. (www.whitepod.com).
Travelling ethically on a landmass as vast as the Indian subcontinent has been made so much easier with the recent creation of The Green Circuit (thegreencircuit.net). It is the baby of five local tour operators spread throughout India and Nepal, all specialising in deep rooted community-based responsible tourism initiatives. Unlike many tour operators, which compete fiercely against each other, the companies on this
Yak Safari in Himalayas, Photo: The Green Circuit
eco-circuit, such as The Blue Yonder in Kerala (theblueyonder.com), or SocialTours in
Nepal(socialtours.com) have collaborated to provide a wide range of natural and cultural heritage trips. Experiences vary greatly, including a yak safari into the trans-Himalayan deserts, monitoring elephant migration corridors in East Himalaya, and learning traditional drumming with villagers living along Kerala’s River Nila. Watch the roots of this exemplary circuit grow and grow into the next decade.
In Ireland, one of many dynamic green hostel devotees, The Wicklow Hostel, re-opens its doors just in time for the Tinahely Walking Festival 17th April, after a long process of sustainable building renovations to get this converted schoolhouse up to top notch green spec. From traditional hemp and lime plastering to a new cedar clad timber- framed extension with geothermal heating, this will soon take pride of place on Ireland’s green map. Located on the Wicklow Way, the
The Wicklow Hostel, Ireland
opening will coincide with three new looped walks making the hostel, and the town itself, a hikers’ hub. It’s not just about boots and backpacks here though, with planned courses in cookery, literature, creative writing, fly fishing, stone sculpture and wood turning. It is already taking bookings, so get in quick. With such impressive eco-credentials the Hostel will get huge international attention, and much deserved too (wicklowhostel.ie). For details of other innovative Irish hostels, check out my book, Ecoescape
Ireland (ecoescape.org).
Moving from Ireland to Wales will be much easier in 2010, with the return of the Cork to Swansea ferry on 1 March, operated by Fastnet Line (www.fastnetline.com). It will carry foot passengers, so you can leave the car at home, and discover the wonders of walking in Wales, for example. One of the most quirky, ethical accommodation providers, awarded many accolades for its commitment to restoration and heritage, is Under the Thatch. Browse through some of its heavenly hideaways at underthethatch.co.uk. One other exciting development is the spring launch of a 50 minute high-speed ferry link across the Bristol Channel from Swansea to Ilfracombe, North Devon (at least four hours by car). This opens up a whole world of cream teas and uncrammed beaches, superb coastline and moorland cycling, and cyclists are welcome on board (severnlink.com). For green places to stay in this area see greentraveller.co.uk.
Many African countries are dependent on tourism for vital income, and Rainbow Tours is one of the most respected and well established ethical tour operators to take you there (rainbowtours.co.uk). One of its most exciting trips for 2010 is to Mozambique’s GorongosaNational Park, recently rescued from the
Yellow billed storks, Gorongosa. Photo: Rainbow Tours
ravages of civil war, and now safe in the hands of conservationists. The dying populations of lions, oribi, reedbuck and waterbuck, to name but a few, are being re-stocked – in 1992, when the war ended, only 50 of 14 000 buffalo remained, and nine of its 3500 zebra. Rainbow Tours have access to a bushcamp on the banks of the
MusicudziRiver, run by the first safari operator licensed to work inside the Park. After two decades of war, the flora and fauna are returning, and so too can the tourists.
An edited version of this article was published in The Irish Times,
I had two emails from people last week asking me to sponsor them on charity climbs. Because this is the beginning of ‘peak’ season, when people scale the heights to raise much needed funds for charities. However, this fundraising phenomenen is growing at such a rate, that it starting to throw up many other challenges.
