Mercy Corps Mongolia Responsible Tourism Brian Watmough, VSO Tourism Adviser, Mercy Corps. Nukht 5 April 2008

Mercy Corps Mongolia GOAL: TO SUPPORT RURAL COMMUNITIES TO MOBILIZE RESOURCES TO MEET THEIR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL NEEDS 1)Improved quality of life in rural areas resulting from increases in locally available services and in economic production, productivity and income; 2)Enhanced ability of rural communities to make informed economic and social decisions, to act on those decisions, and to be empowered to participate in public sector decision making at the local, regional and national levels.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS  Gobi Regional Economic Growth Initiative (Gobi Initiative)  USAID funded / Budget USD $  Rural Agribusiness Support Program (RASP)  USDA funded / Budget USD $  Baruun Bus Regional Economic Development (BB RED)  SDC funded / Budget USD $ 614,000

Mongolia – Geography

Mercy Corps & Tourism RASP & GOBI Tourism value chain Responsible Tourism Mongolia

VSO & tourism VSO Mongolia has identified support for tourism as one way it can assist rural communities VSO Kazakhstan

Responsible Tourism The Responsible Tourism project arose from a need for a mechanism that supports tourism business development in the aimags, connects these businesses to the market and at the same time encourages the tourism sector to practice responsible tourism. A Mongolian certification program for responsible tourism that offers voluntary certification to both tour operators and tourist service providers based on a set of achievable standards can be such a mechanism. To make it effective RTM should have credibility in the tourism industry. Credibility comes with independence; RTM should not be directly related or associated with any player in the Mongolian tourism industry, whether private sector or Government.

Responsible Tourism (1) Partners Community-based tourism initiative Economic Policy Reform and Competitiveness Project Fish Mongolia Ltd Ger to Ger Mongolian Ecotourism Society Mongolian Agency for Standardization & Metrology Mongolian Tour Guides Association Ministry of Road, Transportation, Tourism Nomadic Journeys Ltd. Nomadic Trails Ltd. Nomadic Expeditions Ltd. Sustainable Tourism Development Center

Responsible Tourism Benchmarks A systematic approach Benchmark group had 6 meetings in February and March 2007 and did 15 hours of group work Benchmarks for hunting and fishing to be developed separately, by relevant Stakeholders Made use of case studies of certification programs in other countries Defined benchmarks, indicators, levels, tools & procedures and assessment Focused on the contents But recognized the need to work on grouping and communication strategy, to define what products and tools we need to successfully implement this program and to define assessment criteria per benchmark

Responsible Tourism Benchmarks The Draft RT Certification system Process & performance Benchmarks for company and product Fundamental & advanced Individual, compulsory & with stakeholders in the destination area, voluntary Product specific Specific benchmarks for specific products Open question Clients inform RTM about best practices in responsible tourism

Issues in tourism certification Scope Private sector input Value chain approach

Scope What should be certified? What do we mean by community based tourism? International confusion, - sustainable tourism, community based tourism, responsible tourism, ecotourism, nature tourism Mongolian perspective

Where is the private sector? Where are the customers? “In general, previous donor interventions have been done in isolation of the private sector, and failing to get the private sector on board, these have had little sustainability. They have also sometimes be counter-productive as it disturbed the normal development of appropriate patterns of cooperation.” quotation from international tour operator working in Mongolia Certification has to be clear for tourists

Value Chain Analysis Standards & certification are just one tool Certification is expensive and demand is uncertain

Centre for Sustainable Tourism Questions: Umbrella organisation 1.a) Strong support for umbrella organisation

Centre for Sustainable Tourism Questions: defining Community Mercy Corps has used term Responsible Tourism (but principles not terminology important) Principles of Responsible Tourism –Society & Culture Social sustainability for local communities, empower local customs and traditions –Economy Improve livelihood of local communities by sustainable economic development –Environment Minimise negative impacts of tourism activities on the environment, make appropriate use of resources, support conservation effort –Quality & safety All certified products meet basic quality & safety requirements –

STDCM:Future Opportunities Mercy Corps has agreed to work with STDCM Mercy Corps prepared to meet commitment to project Would like to see wide partnership with members of RT group involved and private sector Organisation should be open and independent Organisation should follow international best practice not just for CBT but for environmental management systems as set out in ISO 9000, &65 Work with partners to develop a business plan for certification organisation

MERCY CORPS & TOURISM Support tourism as a tool for economic development Commitment to support body which develops standards and certification