WTM Fringe RT Networking goes live and global

Monday’s fringe Responsible Tourism event not only attracted a big crowd in London but established a live feed for global participation

Responsible tourism networking goes from strength to strength. The packed room in London’s Covent Garden was joined by an even bigger crowd – responsible practitioners around the world – who could participate in the event in real time.

Organised by the same people since the beginning – Gopinath Parayil of The Blue Yonder and Sally Broom of Tripbod, last evening’s event was, for the first time, sponsored by Expedia.

The event itself featured a live screen with a twitter feed with its own hashtag #rtnet which in itself is well worth looking at the event feed was also linked to Planeta’s #rtweek2010

More information atgroupspaces . com/FringeTravel/item/82156

Participants were encouraged to make 100 word pitches – the following is a selection:

From Cynthia Ord: Within tourism, I’ve been working online.  I’ve dabbled in SEO, social media marketing, PR, and freelance writing.  My project is a tourism guest blog.  I want to provide a link exchange opportunity for responsible travel entrepreneurs by inviting them to blog.

I’ve registered my name as a domain:  www.cynthiaord.com www.cynthiaord.com . The site is both a personal portfolio and a blog about “thoughts on tourism, people, and the earth.”

From Socialtours: Since 2002, socialtours.com has been working to become leaders in responsible tourism and soft adventure in Nepal where currently, it is on the forefront of responsibility expertise and for which has been nominated five times for the prestigious Responsible Tourism Awards in the UK and recommended by National Geographic Adventure.

The service offered is characterized by professionalism with a personal touch, with adherence to core values of respect for individuals, integrity, excellence in delivery, social responsibility of business, and environmental conservation. Soft adventure and voluntouring experiences are offered in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. Looking for partners in Europe and North America who believe in similar ideals and are in contact with markets that fit this product profile.

Also taking leadership in the region through the initiative to bring Responsible Tourism Operators together under the Green Circuit. socialtours – www.socialtours.com Green Circuit – www.thegreencircuit.net

From Respontour: respontour supports tourism businesses, big or small, who live responsible tourism in communicating and placing their products on the German speaking markets.  www.respontour.net

From Ecosphere: Ecosphere, shortlisted for the 2010 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards in the Mountain Environment Category, is a social enterprise that  provides responsible and personalized tours and treks in the Western Himalayas of Ladakh, Spiti and Himachal Pradesh that make a difference not just to the region but provide a memorable experience to the traveler. Ecosphere offers unique & authentic insights into these regions through its various travel programs that range from Special interest & Signature Tours, Wildlife, Birding & Floral Trails (tracking the Snow Leopard & Himalayan Wolf), Trekking & Mountaineering expeditions,  Mountain biking & Adventure tours, Cultural & Homestay tours, Yak Safaris, Educational and Voluntours. www.spitiecosphere.com

From Sally Broom:‘Tripbods’ are trusted local travel planners. We are on hand to help visitors plan their trip, using our local knowledge to offer truly authentic and personal experiences. Our goal is to ensure tourism benefits the grass roots, by empowering visitors to travel ‘organically’ and connect with the local community.

We are delighted to announce that Martin Dunford, co-founder of Rough Guides, recently joined the Tripbod.com management team, bringing a wealth of travel experience to our board. We welcome everyone with a passion for responsible tourism into our global community. Please be in touch and we look forward to meeting you. www.tripbod.com

Valere Tjolle

Get free sustainable tourism reports from Vision on Sustainable Tourism HERE

Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite: EXTRA SPECIAL OFFER at: www.travelmole.com/stories/1144671.php