G Adventures and Planeterra will co-host the upcoming GX World Community Tourism Summit from September 24 to 28, with Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) coming onboard as the headline sponsor for the event.
Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the project first-hand, or to sample it during a Planeterra Marketplace, which will showcase the projects and people running them.
Four new initiatives will be available to travellers. The first is Anoothi India, which offers a deep dive into the local culture through a textile workshop led by women from marginalized communities in the Jaipur region. Travellers will interact with the women and learn about their experiences, observe the intricate techniques and browse through and purchase some of the products created.
Next, Pink City Rickshaw in Jaipur offers women from low-income households in Jaipur sustainable livelihoods as they drive designer e-rickshaws, taking tourists to iconic landmarks like the Hawa Mahal, providing a unique and personal experience beyond traditional tours on eco-friendly transportation.
Sheroes’ Hangout in Agra is a café that aids acid attack survivors in their medical recovery and pursuit of justice, while arts and crafts centre Sunder Rang in Chandelao, Rajasthan, provides training and a platform for rural women to showcase their traditional handicrafts.
These enterprises join G Adventures’ and Planeterra’s long-standing community tourism experiences that have been delivered to travellers for many years, including Women With Wheels’ airport transfer service, and Salaam Baalak Trust’s Delhi City Walk, which trains and empowers youth to enter the tourism and hospitality space – both also available during the summit for attendees to experience.
Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures and Planeterra, shared: “We are delighted to be able to collaborate with Incredible India as we showcase our newest community tourism experiences. These are all designed to give back through travel and help change the lives of local people through the economic support of tourism, as well as delivering memorable and life-changing activities to our travellers.”
Almost one third of people living in Japan’s most popular tourist destinations are feeling overtourism to some extent, but most remain positive about tourism’s overall impact, according to a recent study by EY Japan.
The report Leading the Japanese economy towards growth in the tourism industry explores perceptions of tourism based on a survey carried out in 10 of the country’s top spots, including Kyoto, Nara, Asakusa (Tokyo), Shizuoka, Miyajima (Hiroshima), and Asahikawa (Hokkaido). It also considers how Japan can continue to promote tourism as a foundation for economic growth.
Around 40 per cent of respondents reported a positive view of the number of tourists in their area, and 60 per cent said tourism plays an important role in enriching their lives and boosting the economy in their region. Only 15 per cent said tourism plays a negative role.
Respondents also noted that their area’s popularity had sparked their own interest in local attractions including nature, history, culture and food, while giving them a sense of hometown pride.
The highest proportion of those witnessing overtourism were in Kyoto, followed by Asakusa, Nara and Miyajima, citing problems such as bad manners, traffic congestion and difficulty riding public transport due to overcrowding.
While opinions on tourism remain largely positive, the report noted that disruptions to daily life caused by visitors “highlight the challenge of tourism becoming the growth engine of the Japanese economy” in the longer term.
It recommends proper management of tourism destinations, such as by a destination management organisation, to ensure local communities receive sufficient economic benefit, thereby helping to counteract any negative impacts that residents may experience.