Community-Based Tourism & The UN Sustainable Development Goals

What are the sustainable development goals?

In September 2015, the United Nations launched the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. This agenda proposes that all countries work together to achieve 17 sustainable development goals (SGDs) over the next 15 years. The goals, which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon refers to as “a to-do list for people and planet” relate to addressing the developmental needs of those in both developed and developing countries to ensure that “no one is left behind”.  

Tourism as a tool?

In order for this ambitious agenda to be accomplished, the UN has called for all sectors to begin on a pathway to sustainable development. Ban Ki-moon has asserted that tourism will be a critical tool for promoting the achievement of the SGDs stating: “Tourism helps people to develop a variety of skills. As a service sector with cross-cutting impact on agriculture, construction or handicrafts, tourism creates millions of jobs and business opportunities. Its capacity to lift people from poverty, promote gender empowerment and help protect the environment has made it a vital tool for achieving positive change in communities across the world”.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization states that the specific SGD's that they aim to address through their work are:

• Promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
•  Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns
• Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

CBT and the SGD’s

The call to action for the tourism industry to assist with the achievement of the SGD's is very clear. As tourism students, we are proud to be involved with CBT Vietnam, as it is a project that is based on the values that are apparent in the SGD's, including environmental protection, empowering women, and inclusive growth for all.

As the sustainable development agenda enters its first year, we hope that new partnerships can be formed and that communities worldwide are able to receive the benefits that sustainable tourism can bring!

To learn more about the UN's SGDs click here: 

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals

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Tết Nguyên Đán!

The CBT Vietnam team would like to wish everyone a happy new year!

Tết Nguyên Đán (or Tết for short), translates to “the first morning of the first day” in Vietnamese. This celebration is one of the biggest and most important for our friends in Vietnam. I’ve heard that there is some debate over whether or not this Lunar New Year is the Year of the Goat or the Year of the Sheep. In Vietnam, it is considered to be the Year of the Goat. In an article I read, goats are much more common in Vietnam due to the heat, which is one of the reasons why it is not referred to as the Year of the Sheep.

Thank you Sam for contributing these awesome photos from your time in Vietnam!
Much like the festivities that I go to for New Year’s Eve, this time of year for the Vietnamese is all about celebrating with friends and family and eating lots of great food. I’ve always found it interesting when you are able to draw parallels between different customs in various countries. Even though it is so far away from Canada, Vietnam may not be so different after all! However, unlike the New Years that I grew up celebrating every year, on December 31^st, Lunar New Year has a different day each year. This year, it fell on February 19, and in 2016 it will be celebrated on February 8.

I was born in the Year of the Rooster. After doing some research, I learned that Roosters are generally considered to be hardworking, courageous, talented, attractive and beautiful… I swear I’m not making this up!

I found the whole research really interesting and looked into other information about my other 2015 CBT Vietnam teammates as well.

Marina was born in the Year of the Horse. Horses are considered to be extremely animated, active and energetic. Knowing what I do about Marina’s personality, I would definitely say this is an accurate description of her.  Mia was born in the Year of the Monkey. Monkeys are typically known for their mischievousness, curiosity, and cleverness. Monkeys are also thought to be the “masters of practical jokes”. We may need to keep an eye on Mia, (just kidding!). Kyle was born in the Year of the Pig. Pigs are believed to be diligent, compassionate, and generous. Pigs also have great concentration: once they become focused on a goal, they will be completely dedicated to reaching it. Hopefully Kyle can apply that focus to the training manual he is currently working on to guide us when we are over in Vietnam.

On February 8, 2016 Vietnam will bring in the year of the monkey – but until then, bring on the Year of the Goat!

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Connections and transformations

"How was your trip?" 

I get asked that question almost every day and it's probably the most challenging question to answer. The truth is, it's hard to express how much the CBTVietnam trip means to me. Whenever, I try to explain it I never feel like I do it justice as words can't describe it. It was a trip of a life time and can only be truly understood by experiencing it for oneself. However, I want people to hear about it even if its only a taster of how inspiring and rewarding it was.

Going to Vietnam was more than I could have ever wished or dreamt. I didn't believe it when Chris, Stephanie and Caitlin said it would change my life. It seemed cliche and unbelievable that one trip could touch that many hearts so deeply but once I arrived in Lao Chai all my doubts vanished. The villagers are the most welcoming, open and loving people I have ever met. Right away, they invited us into their homes and treated us like family.

While in Lao Chai, I worked with so many amazing people and witnessed how hard they worked everyday to make a living. Ms. Sao and Ms. Di are two local batik artists who run workshops in their handicraft shops just off of the main road that travels through the village.  I had the pleasure of working with them to further refine their workshops and find ways to advertise to the tourists. It was surprising how much we were able to communicate to each other without speaking the same language. These interactions showed me how powerful body language can be and how it can often be more effective because the meaning of words vary so much from culture to culture.

Working on the batik product also gave me a chance to see how strong the bonds of community are in the village. On the last CBT Vietnam Trip in August 2013, Ms. Di was the only batik artist running workshops in Lao Chai. Since then she shared the knowledge and resources on how to run a workshop with Ms. Sao, again illustrating the strong sense of community this village has. Sharing this information was not seen as a threat to business but a growth of the whole village. The unquestionable generosity and compassion of the Hmong people opened my eyes to the self-centred attitude that I often see at home.  

When I think back to the CBT Vietnam trip, I am amazed at how much I have learnt, not only about community based tourism and Hmong culture but about how to be a better person. The Hmong people showed me how beneficial and important it is to enter every situation with an open mind and a smile. 

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What a Night, we thank you!

Well the CBT Vietnam team's event of the first screening of Kyle Sandilands' "When the Villagers Left" was a success, with over 120 in attendance! It was not without a lot of last minute calling, facebooking, tweeting, and texting though as earlier in the week we were concerned that we would not meet the goal we of 100 tickets.

I personally phoned, texted, emailed and mailed every person I could think of and invited them to the event. I felt like mission control, counting out loud every time we sold another ticket. 40 soon jumped to 50, then soared to 70. I checked the Eventbrite page more than I checked my email, Facebook and Instagram combined.

Everyone worked tirelessly on this event. Hedieh collected five amazing films to support Kyle's, Emily organized the venue rentals while Sabrina dealt with our suppliers and coordinated the liquor licence, and Maggie took on posting signs everywhere and anywhere building  awareness for the event. Working as a team was incredible which bodes well in terms of the successes we will be able to reach when we travel to Vietnam.

This entire event never would have happened without our fearless leaders. Stephanie Wells and Chris Carnovale took charge of this event and guided us through every step. The success of this event directly reflects their leadership and efforts.

When the event day finally came around everything had come together We cheered when we sold over 100 tickets, (which was our goal) and Chris promptly said "lets make it 120". Alumni of the project came through and supported us with over 15 previous team members in attendance.

We were especially honoured to have Dr. Geoffrey Bird in attendance as he was one of the original founders of this project. Dr. Chris Bottrill, Dean of the Faculty of Global and Community Studies, as well as the project's Director was our MC for the night. In addition, 12 Dao community members who not call Surrey their home, came to the event in their traditional clothes.

All in all the event was a remarkable experience. It is one that I will never forget and I will be forever grateful to our friends, family, colleagues and supporters for showing up in hoards and backing the CBT Vietnam Project.

23 Days until departure. Not that we are counting or anything. 

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A dream come true

Today at our weekly meeting I learnt the most amazing news; I will be joining the team in Vietnam! When I first heard the news, I was in shock. I just smiled and thanked our teacher sponsors Chris Carnovale and Stephanie Wells. As the night continued the news started to sink in. I was going to go to Vietnam! While writing this blog post I have cried, danced around my room and smiled like an idiot. I am so happy and excited. It is a dream come true. I am so honoured and thankful to have been chosen to be part of this project.

In February, I discovered that Capilano University was accepting applicants for the CBT Vietnam Project. I applied but I was doubtful that I would make it because there were so many amazing applicants. At the end of February, I learnt I had made it into the project team as the backup. I was super excited for such a life changing opportunity. However, after last night's announcement, I have had to dramatically change gears. Planning, rescheduling and preparing have taken a new priority.

Last year, I went to an information session at Capilano University for the Tourism Department. The reason I went was to learn a little more about the Outdoor Recreation Management Program I had just been accepted into. At first, I didn't pay to much attention to the other presentations but then a video came on about a community tourism training project in Vietnam. The video blew me away. After just 3 minutes the project stole my heart.

Emily is a first year Outdoor Recreation Management student at Capilano University. 

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Vietnamese Lessons - Lesson 1

In preparation for our adventure in Viet Nam the Capilano University's CBT Viet Nam team has been practicing our Vietnamese. So far, we have learnt the basics with the help of our tutor, Donna, from the Everyday Viet channel on Youtube. This week, we learnt how to count to 10, say hello, goodbye, you're welcome and much more!

I will definitely have to practice and work hard to learn more phrases and words but as people say “practice makes perfect!”

Next week the new team and some of the CBT Vietnam alums will be meeting at a local phở shop. Hopefully I can try and few of my new words there. 

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Sapa is one for the books!

A new book “The Lost Girls”, written by three friends, chronicling their yearlong adventure around the globe, brings readers into the region of Sapa, and a guide name Tsu, a young Hmong woman.

The Lost Girls (I immediately fell in love, realizing I myself may be a lost girl) are from New York and tired of their careers and lack of adventure pack up their lives and take off on a year long adventure around the globe. Nearing the end of their trip they travel to Sapa via Hanoi and instantly fall in love…(albeit not with the February weather that is)…and take off on a three-night trek into a few villages.

Mastering the Sapa Slide, a dance created by their lack of skill during their trek through rain torn trails, the girls arrive in a homestay, and following dinner, are served “one part lighter fluid, two parts rubbing alcohol” (aka homemade rice wine). As part of our interview, Chris asked us how we would handle being served the local specialty at an early hour. Needless to say I may be a bit hesitant, but look forward to experiencing the local favourite.

Our last meeting coincidentally landed on the day in which I read the chapter dedicated to Sapa. I shared the pages with the team and after talking with not only our current team, but also past CBT Vietnam volunteers Caitlin and Nic, we realized the importance of the project, building sustainable tourism, and the value the training brings to the local communities.

These woman make us even more excited to travel with the team to Sapa and about the opportunity all of us have to work with these truly remarkable communities. We are all nervous; will we be able to do enough? The more and more we think about it we realize we are not the only one educating, but rather the locals will be educating us.

This week's mission: Eat some more Vietnamese food, start our Vietnamese language tutorials, 

and make sure our passports are current.

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One week to go!!

Wow! After weeks of preparation and hard work, the team is now one week away from departure. We have spent the summer meeting weekly, sharing meals and laughter, planning our itinerary and putting together some exciting new ideas. We are now in the final stages, assembling our packing lists and brushing up on some Vietnamese phrases. Personally, this will be my first trip to Asia and I have never been more excited! I am thrilled to not only be part of an amazing and cohesive team, working on an inspiring project, but also to be travelling to a beautiful and interesting part of the world. 

One of the new ideas we have for the project is the creation of an environmental youth group in the Sapa region. This idea fits in well with the project's aims to reduce impacts in an environmentally  sensitive area and builds on the rich human capital found in the villages. Together with Sapa O'Chau, we will be facilitating meetings for passionate young people to learn more about how to maintain the natural environment in the region, particularly as this is one of the most noted features for many visitors. Sapa O'Chau aims to create a positive space for local H'mong to gain English language skills, particularly so that they can participate in the growing tourism industry as trekking and tour guides. Successful environmental stewardship is a long (and often winding) road but we know that we will be working with enough dedicated individuals to bring about some powerful change in the region. 

We look forward to sharing more about our adventure and we hope you'll check back regularly over the next few weeks. The team will be posting photos and updates to our blog and social media channels, so stay tuned and be sure to share with your friends!

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Into the schools of Lao Chai

Nic and Ms. Huyen heading to teach at the Lao Chai Elementary School

After some great relationship building with the Lao Chai Elementary and Secondary Schools we were invited to come into their class rooms to teach the children. Nic Alder (CapilanoU) and Ms.Huyen (HOU) went to the elementary school where they taught English to two classes. The language in Lao Chai is H'mong. The children are learning to speak Vietnamese, and have only just began learning the basics of English.


Hard at work!

Rachael (CapilanoU) and Trung (HOU) went into the secondary school to teach the grade seven class. The children were eager to learn and excited to work on the team activity Rachael and Trung had planned. It took a lot of team work and communication, and the students performed above and beyond their expectations.


Trung and a student hanging the class drawings

Rachael, Trung and the English teacher, Mr. C.

The staff at both schools were excited to have us there and can't wait for the next CBT team and HOU team to come back. We are very much looking forward to our next opportunity!

Practicing their new English words with Rachael

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Ta Phin is open for business!

Meeting with homestay owners and CBT Management Board in Ta Phin

On Thursday morning, homestay owners and a few other residents with close ties to the tourism industry met with the Ta Phin CBT Management Board. It was a great meeting with incredible outcomes. The packaging and pricing that the Board had drafted was modified with feedback from the homestay owners and approved by everyone who was present. The group also approved a penalty in case of complaints to ensure quality control would be maintained. The group also prepared for Sunday’s private sector workshop.

Meeting with homestay owners and CBT Management Board in Ta Phin

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CBT Management Board in Ta Phin taking great leaps

CBT Management Board meeting

On Wednesday evening, we held our second meeting with the Ta Phin Community-Based Tourism Management Board. The focus of this meeting was to make some decisions at the CBT Management Board level that would be brought to the homestay owners on Thursday morning. The Board worked through a number of issues, and the meeting was very productive.

We covered five key items:

1. Product pricing: The CBT Management Board was working on creating a list of tourism products available through the homestays in Ta Phin, and setting a fixed price for each. This will allow them to market themselves to the tour operators in Sapa and Hanoi more effectively, and be able to sell package tours through the Board. The group generated pricing for each of their products to be presented to the homestay owners for approval.
2. Fee for CBT Management Board: In order for the CBT Management Board to be sustainable, we are concerned that the work is being done on a volunteer basis. The group agreed on a percentage for each product offering that would be allocated to the Board in order to ensure ongoing operations and to contribute to community projects. This percentage will be presented to the homestay owners for approval.
3. Charity donations: In the past, the community had a box for receiving charitable donations from tourists for making improvements in the village, but it was not well managed. However, it generated quite a bit of revenue when it was in use. The Board would like to initiate a process for charitable donations.
4. Quality control: In this type of situation, it is important to have a strong degree of quality control. If a tour operator has a poor experience in one homestay, it negatively impacts every other homestay in the village. The Board discussed how they would manage complaints and also considered the creation of an exit survey to gain a better understanding of tourists’ experience in the village.
5. Regulations for tourists: In order to ensure a quality experience, a set of regulations was drafted for the process off tourists coming to Ta Phin. The possibility of creating a leaflet to share this information was discussed.

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Reconnecting with the CBT team in Ta Phin

Mr. Xa, Chairman of Ta Phin and their CBT Management Board

On Sunday, February 23 we are hosting a workshop between the homestay owners and members of the Community-Based Tourism Management Board in Ta Phin and a number of tour operators from Hanoi and Sapa town. They are working towards developing a relationship in which the tour operators can book directly with the CBT Management Board, trying to increase the economic benefits the community retains from homestay guests.

On Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Ta Phin and immediately met with six members of the Ta Phin CBT Management Board, as well as a few homestay owners and other residents. It is a difficult week to set up meetings and training, as all of Ta Phin is mobilized to get organized for the large festival that is scheduled for Saturday so we are taking any and all opportunities that come our way.

At this meeting, we discussed Sunday’s workshop to ensure that everyone is able to attend, and began to discuss what issues need resolution before the meeting. We decided to set up a meeting for Wednesday evening, after everyone’s workday was complete. Our agenda was lofty and we were hoping to work through five issues in preparation for our meeting on Sunday. We were hoping to set package prices that all homestay owners would agree to, so that they can present a united front to the tour operators on Sunday.

Initial CBT Management Board meeting in Ta Phin

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Let the preparations begin

To get ready for our time in the villages we have had lots of preparation to do, both in Hanoi and in Sapa. We were joined by Trung, one of the student volunteers from Hanoi Open University (HOU), to assist us with our errands in Hanoi and smooth the language barrier. Trung and Rachael purchased supplies, and got CBT business cards printed at a local print shop. 



We got our business cards printed. Can you find Kyle Sandilands card?

We met Ms. Ngoc Anh, the project lead at HOU, to refine our itinerary and finalize our plans. We also took some time to deliver invitations to a number of tour operators for the private sector workshop that the CBT team is facilitating next weekend. 

Ms. Ngoc Anh, Jen and Nic discussing logistics

We arrived in Sapa early this morning and we're off to a great start. We went for lunch with Peter Gilbert, from Sapa O'Chau, to discuss the private sector workshop. Sapa O'Chau will be hosting the workshop next weekend in their new facility. We are currently in the process of connecting with local tour operators to follow up with them about the private sector workshop.

On the training side of things, we have been out in the community connecting with people from Ta Phin and Lao Chai to let them know we are here and that we will be delivering training and working with people in the villages this week.

 

Jen connecting with women from Lao Chai

The HOU team, Ms. Ngoc Anh, Ms. Huyen and Trang, will be taking the night train to Sapa tonight to join forces with us. From there we will be making the game plan for the next week.

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When a Village was Heard - Capilano U / PATA Foundation Tourism Project (Sapa, Vietnam)

Here it is! The NEW video by the CBT Vietnam team. We hope you enjoy it! Please fell free to comment below - we love hearing your feedback!


A community tourism training project in the Sapa region of Northern Vietnam operated by Capilano University Vancouver, Canada, and Hanoi Open University, Vietnam, and supported by the PATA Foundation. The project features tourism training to help sustain vulnerable ethnic cultures and maximize benefits of tourism to small and unique villages in Northern Vietnam. Training is done by Capilano and Hanoi Open University students and faculty.

This video is illustrative of a second two-year project that will look to enhance networks between the village of Taphin and private sector tourism companies. The project will also deliver tourism training in the Hmong community of Lao Chai. 

This video was scripted by Chris Carnovale, Chris Bottrill and Kyle Sandilands, and filmed and directed by Kyle Sandilands (www.kylesandilands.ca).

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Change is Inevitable

What is the extent of the impacts we are having through working in the villages delivering tourism training? Are the impacts all positive? 

When discussing development within such culturally rich communities, it is important to consider the change that inevitably occurs through our actions. In fact, it is our belief that responsible tourism can be a tool for change that motivates our work within Sa Pa district.

Community-based tourism development, when done appropriately, is unique in that it empowers people who have very little, if any, formal education to improve their quality of life by creating employment opportunities with minimal capital investment. Our approach is to work with communities through the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders and the nurturing of important relationships amongst these individuals.

This project builds on the community's capacity to implement and manage change themselves. And this is an important concept - these communities are not static environments that will remain unchanged. CBT training hopefully gives these community members some additional tools to help them effectively cope with a changing world. And perhaps the recent dialogue, now underway after the September trip, between the villagers and Ha Noi's private tourism sector best exemplifies this.

What are your thoughts on the slippery slope of tourism development work?

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Kyle Sandilands to join us again!

I am having the pleasure of enjoying a Vietnamese coffee with my good friend Kyle Sandilands, who joined the CBT Vietnam team once again in Vietnam. Kyle Sandilands, a grad from Capilano U's film program, joined us last March when he filmed some of the project activities.

Kyle's last film, shown below, was a huge hit with the everyone who has had the opportunity to see it. So far the short film has been seen in over 30 countries and to thousands of people.

CapU/PATA Vietnam Tourism Training Project from CapU Tourism on Vimeo.

Kyle has decided to base himself in Hanoi for the next month, as he cuts a second short clip for PATA's Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur this April. He is also currently working on a web series for the project that is due to come out soon!

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