International Social Tourism Organisation. A fair and sustainable tourism for all

Transcription

1 International Social Tourism Organisation A fair and sustainable tourism for all Action plan

2 2 Action plan International Social Tourism Organisation 1. Goals This document sets out the major directions and main actions planned for the next two years for ISTO and its regional sections. ISTO's goals are still very topical. They involve a political dimension, that includes the development of information and promotional campaigns towards governments and institutions, and a practical dimension aimed at providing services and fostering exchanges between members. On the political level, ISTO should capitalise on current opportunities, including the greater interest in domestic tourism shown by international organisations, the changes and new programmes implemented within the European institutions, as well as the newfound interest of several countries in the development of support mechanisms providing easier access to holidays in Europe, but also in the Americas and in Africa. However, the current challenging economic and budgetary environment, and the use of the concept of "Social tourism" for other purposes, especially in Europe, are major concerns for ISTO and the sector it represents. On the practical level, the growing demand from member organisations to obtain more services and benefits, in order to justify their membership and the payment of the annual contribution, requires ISTO to strengthen its role, its communication and develop projects involving and benefiting members. Some of the initiatives that have been developed over the past few months within the regional sections are going in that direction (training, meetings with members, European projects), and will need to go even further in order to keep current members and attract new ones. In order to carry out its activities, ISTO will also need to identify additional sources of funding in upcoming months, since the contribution fees and project funding are not sufficient to match the needs and plans of the organisation. 2. Priority actions The priority actions of ISTO involve 7 main aspects: the institutional life, funding, communication, the development of the Alliance, international representation, the support to regional sections and the participation in ecalypso. The institutional life ISTO secretariat intends to keep the current frequency of statutory meetings, in accordance with the Executive Committee ("EC") and the Board of Directors (the "Board"). The EC meets four times a year, including once in the form of a discussion seminar; the Board holds two meetings, one of which in conjunction with the forum or the congress, when the annual General Assembly takes place. The search for a convenient location for the next World Congress in 2016 will continue and a proposal shall be submitted by the spring of 2015.

3 3 Action plan International Social Tourism Organisation The time and resource constraints that increasingly affect the members of those decision-making bodies, in particular those outside Europe, require ISTO secretariat to use IT communication tools more efficiently in order to enable some members to participate through video conference. Funding In relation to the work done by the Financial Commission, ISTO secretariat will pursue its efforts to widen the membership and attract new organisations, especially in countries where ISTO does not have members yet, and search for additional sources of funding outside European projects. Reaching a sustainable financial balance is essential. Communication The on-line launch, regular updating and promotion of ISTO's new website towards members and partners of ISTO will be one of the major challenges of the organisation in terms of communication in upcoming months. ISTO secretariat will also continue its communication activities, including the release of a newsletter 6 times a year, directed to members and partners, and the publication of "Social Tourism International" magazine, twice a year. The development of the Alliance The Alliance for Training and Research in Social and Fair Tourism needs to continue developing and widen the membership of academic institutions and scholars. The release of a second publication resulting from its meeting, organised in conjunction with ISTO congress in São Paulo, can contribute to increase its recognition. International representation ISTO's priority in this aspect will be to make every effort to prepare a concrete action with the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and any other international organisation interested in the topic of domestic tourism and the role of social tourism. ISTO, which is represented by its president at the UNWTO World Committee on Tourism Ethics, will continue contributing to the work of that Committee. ISTO will conduct an information campaign with its members to make them sign the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, since very few have signed so far. Among the international organisations ISTO keeps working with, let's point out the following: International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) World Leisure Organisation (WLO) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE-TC) The Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism (UNEP)

4 4 Action plan International Social Tourism Organisation Last but not least, ISTO is willing to participate once again in the ITB marketplace in Berlin, depending on partnership conditions with member organisations. ISTO will also participate in some initiatives related to the International forum of solidarity tourism (FITS) in Support to regional sections The support of ISTO secretariat to the regional sections is directly related to funding, development of membership, communication and the organisation of regional forums. Additionally, it includes the participation of local and regional authorities (as part of the Network) in the projects of the regional sections. The type of cooperation may differ from one section to another, depending on the context and priorities, but it is essential to remain consistent. The creation of a section in Asia, where the tourism sector has the strongest growth rate, is back on the agenda. Even though it is not one of ISTO's top priorities, the context and the recently established contacts could contribute to the realisation of this project. Participation in Calypso ISTO, as a member of the Board of Directors of ecalypso association, will continue its efforts to give momentum to the platform. A new coordinator to be appointed among the members of the association, and a new campaign to attract the supply of social tourism onto the platform and develop the demand almost non-existent so far, stand among the priorities. The year 2015 will be crucial to the future of the platform. 3. Regional sections A significant part of the actions conducted within ISTO originate in the regional sections, which work in close cooperation with the Secretariat-General of the organisation in Brussels. The following provides an overview of the directions and actions planned by the three sections within ISTO: Americas, Europe and Africa. ISTO AMERICAS As the Americas section celebrates the 20 th anniversary since its secretariat was founded in Montreal in 1994, the priorities set by the Board of Directors of ISTO Americas include the following points: The identification of new sources of funding, in addition to the contributions Continue the mission of promotion and information on social tourism on the American continent Strengthen the cooperation with government bodies working on social tourism policies Work with local operators on the supply of tourism products for target groups, especially for people with disabilities Fostering exchanges between members The organisation of the regional Forum of the Americas in 2015 Increase the promotion of ISTO and develop the network of members at the same time

5 5 Action plan International Social Tourism Organisation ISTO EUROPE The Europe section of ISTO, based in the headquarters of the organisation in Brussels, has established a strategy for upcoming years, which coincides with the appointment of the new European Commission and the renewal of the European Parliament. The action plan of this strategy focuses on 5 main directions: Representation Continuing cooperation or establishing new contacts with the European Commission Directorates-General and renewing contacts with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in order to revive the trade union task force. Knowledge Developing, within the section, a centre of expertise, or observatory, to know more about the best practices, stakeholders, aid mechanisms providing easier access to holidays, and all the data related to the evolution of the holiday rate. Innovation Identifying new initiatives and conducting pilot tests with partner organisations from multiple countries on various aspects (management, coordination, products, marketing...) related to social tourism. Themes Youth tourism, the coordination, relations with cultural heritage, and structural support to European organisations stand among the main themes that have been identified. Projects It includes the preparation of the European Forum 2015 in Portugal on social innovation, the realisation of the senior tourism project (SENTOUR), the implementation of other EU projects (e.g. INTERREG) and the ecalypso platform. ISTO AFRICA The Africa section of ISTO, which has been active in its secretariat in Bamako, Mali, for almost two years, has established an agenda that includes priority actions for the next two years. Priorities include: Maintaining regular contact with existing members, and monitoring contribution payments Providing ISTO with information on African events in the sector, for the newsletter and website of the organisation Designing a presentation leaflet of ISTO Africa section A campaign to inform and attract new members towards public and private bodies Contacting African regional organisations (AfDB, ECOWAS, UEMOA, AU) to find sources of funding for projects Setting up a coordination committee with representatives of at least 5 members from different countries Organisation of a regional event of ISTO Africa in 2015 Attending African tourism marketplaces in partnership with members

6 6 Action plan International Social Tourism Organisation 4. Conclusion This action plan proposal for the next two years will be subject to an interim report, with the option to adjust the plan depending on the context, during the next General Assembly in Today more than ever, many circumstances related to the economic situation may impact the operations of the organisation and its regional sections. Social tourism operators and institutions in charge of social tourism policies, many of which are members of ISTO, have faced significant challenges (economic and political crises, competition, increased regulation) over the last few years, which, in turn, impact the associations that represent them. The logic would be that resources should be pooled at the national or international levels in order to face those challenges, but it appears that many international networks are among the first to be affected. This paradox is particularly challenging for ISTO, which needs to develop new "profitable" services in order to ensure its effective operations, without putting aside its mission of general interest of promoting access to leisure, tourism and holidays for as many people as possible. A "fair and sustainable tourism for all" is a major goal for the tourism sector, and it is more important than ever for ISTO to have the means to achieve the mission it has been working on for over 50 years. Luke Mitchell