International Conference on Spiritual Tourism for Sustainable Development Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ninh Binh City, Vietnam, 21 and 22 November 2013. Topic: Can ‘spiritual tourism’ add value for environments, communities, tourism businesses and tourists?

1. International Conference on Spiritual Tourism for Sustainable Development
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ninh Binh City, Vietnam, 21 and 22 November 2013.
Panel session: Sustainability in spiritual tourism destinations –
Inclusive development and responsible management.
Topic: Can ‘spiritual tourism’ add value for environments, communities,
tourism businesses and tourists?
Presenter: Steve Noakes
Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd
NGOs: Global Sustainable Tourism Council, Sustainable Travel International &
Judge: Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards

2. My topics:
Chủ đề của tôi:
• Planet/Hành tinh
• People/Nhân dân
• Profits/ Lợi nhuận
- from spiritual tourism adding
value to sustainable practices:
applying an example from India
Image source: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Earth

3. Spaceship earth.
View of Asia & the
Pacific
Image from
Voyager 1 (1977)
Beyond our moon
11.7 million km
from Earth
Thanks
for the photo.

4. Physical forces beyond human control …
http://didyouknow.org/the-size-of-the-sun-in-comparison/
Antares is not the biggest star.
Thought to be a star called VY Canus
Majoris - about 2,000 times the size
of our sun - or more than twice the
size of Antares.
Our sun is a star - makes up 99.8% of the
mass of the entire solar system.
Without the sun's intense energy there
would be no life on Earth.
Sources: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sun

5. The Universe – beyond our Solar System
Image source: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Beyond
Different forms of spirituality helps some people understand the:
 nature of the evolutionary dynamics of the universe
 role & purpose of humanity in the unfolding story of earth & cosmos

6. Human species on spaceship earth.
Impacts & resource use
Vietnam’s population
hits 90 million

7. Sustainability – need or greed?
‘Regretfully, human
activities have also
contributed to the
severe degradation of
our natural ecosystems
and its regenerative
capacity.
Our reckless behavior
puts pressure on our
biodiversity, fresh
water & food access.’
H.E. Dr. Susilo Bambang
Yudoyona, President of the
Republic of Indonesia – at the
launch of the UN SDSN Southeast
Asia Regional Hub, Bali.
6 Oct. 2013
Kalimantan, Indonesia
Air pollution, China

8.  More people
 More people travelling
 More people travelling for purposes of ‘spirituality’
pilgrimage, religion, secular

9. Spiritual tourism: adding value for environments,
communities, tourism businesses & tourists.
Example: India
Rich in its culture – varied attractions - many places of
worship – for centuries
For followers of major religion & sects: Hinduism,
Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism & Christianity
Architecturally lavish temples, mosques, monasteries &
churches across the nation = dispersal of spiritual
travellers
Image source: http://www.incredibleindia.org/travel

10. Small steps towards 'greening’ pilgrimage.
12th century Jagannath Temple - holy pilgrimage centre in Puri, east India.
Photo from 1890s.
Image source: http://www.oldindianphotos.in/2011/02/various-photograhs-of-jagannath-temple.html

11. The Trip Advisor test

12. • Community-based initiative - commenced 2009 on UNWTO World Tourism Day.
• Financed (non-polluting) 24 new rickshaws - soft loan from State Bank of India +
donations from tourists.
• Pro-poor: Started with 40 Green Riders – now 75 + Green Riders on the streets of
Puri.
• New skills - rickshaw-pullers trained on basic etiquettes of greeting & hosting
tourists.
Green rider rickshaw service, Puri.
Winner ‘Inspiring Stories from Destinations’ Competition.
Now recommended in Lonely Planet guide book for Puri.

13. Addressing environmental challenges to the 12th century shrine
"An NGO will be engaged in distributing saplings among pilgrims. The saplings will
be given at the entrance of the temple and some other places in Puri. We will also
distribute leaflets with environment-friendly messages," Arvind Padhee, Temple’s
Chief Administrator
‘Battery-operated vehicles would soon be pressed into service to reduce carbon
footprints. "We have consulted some companies. It will take final shape shortly," said
Padhee

14. Some challenges Some solutions
Sustainability issue. Sustainability tools.
Lack of awareness on sustainability
principles.
Distribute leaflets with locally relevant
environment-friendly messages in range of targeted
languages – locals & visitors.
Reduce local carbon footprint. Battery operated vehicles between Market Square
& Jagannath Temple.
Green rider service.
Poor drainage & sanitation around
the temple.
Increase public resources for basic infrastructure –
public health issue.
Waste management - temple's
kitchen, generates nearly 80 tonnes of
garbage every day - often dumped along
the boundary wall of the temple.
Increasing resources & skills in local Urban
Development Authority for effective waste
management procedures.
Traffic congestion for all visitors:
pilgrims, tourists, locals - vehicles & foot
traffic on roads, narrow pathways,
bridges etc
Off-site carparks & green rider rickshaw transfer
services.
Green Rider NGO deploy on key streets for
regulation of traffic during nine-day festival.
Innovative techniques for visitor circulation.
Sustainable Spiritual Tourism: Puri

15. Some challenges Some solutions
Avoiding or reducing potential
for host/visitor
misunderstanding or conflict.
 Provide information to visitors on appropriate
codes of conduct at spiritual sites: rites & rituals,
sacrifices, meditation, worship, penance,
donations
 Prescribe special/restricted areas
for the devout.
 Understand there will be a diversity
of religious motivations among
tourists & pilgrims.
Encroachments by micro-
enterprises.
 Ensure authenticity & integrity of the original
character of spiritual site.
 Minimise/avoid/remove unplanned visitor
facilities & illegal encroachments.
Boost local economies from
tourists without annoying
tourists.
 Learn how to encourage responsible/ethical local
entrepreneurship & manage misbehaviour from
both tourists & locals.
Sustainable Spiritual Tourism: Puri

16. Can ‘spiritual tourism’ add value for environments, communities,
tourism businesses & tourists?
Transport GHG Policies to encourage use of Sustainable Aviation
Fuels (SAF) - advanced turbine biofuel.
Introduce electric powered tourist coaches..
Safety & security Disaster prevention plans and implementation
training & resources.
Overcrowding Allocate different access points & parking spaces for
buses, cars, rickshaws/tuk-tuks, bicycles etc – helps
prevent delays, bottlenecks, air & noise pollution.
Local community/people changes in
attitudes, values or behaviour resulting
from observing & imitating tourists
(Demonstration effect)
Identify & harness positives from contact
with foreign ways of life to the host population and
minimise the negatives.
Long-term cultural change from
tourism (Acculturation)
Strategies to balancing ‘commodification’ &
revitalisation & strengthening of cultures.
Displacement of locals for tourism
related development
Understand & ethically manage the power
relationships between key stakeholders in tourism
development, government & local communities

17. Thank you/Cảm ơn bạn
www.gstcouncil.org
‘ A tourist is half pilgrim, if a pilgrim is half tourist’ Turner & Turner 1978

18. Acknowledgements
Brunet, S., Bauer, J. & De Lacy, T. (2001) Tourism Development in Bhutan: Tensions between
Tradition and Modernity, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 9, No. 3.
Jafari, Jafar and Scott, Noel Robert (2014) Muslim world and its tourisms. Annals of Tourism
Research, In Press : .
Smith, V. (1992) Introduction: The quest in guest. Annals of Tourism Research, 19 (1), 1-17
Turner, V. & Turner, E. (1978) Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture: Anthropological
Perspectives. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978, p.20
Venugopalan T. Emerging dimensions in tourism: India specific.
http://www.du.ac.in/fileadmin/DU/Academics/course_material/Lesson21-23.pdf
Winter, C. (2007) The Intrinsic, Instrumental and Spiritual Value of Natural Area Visitors and
the General Public: A Comparative Study, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Vol. 15, No. 6.