Responsible Travel Week Q&A #rtweek2013

Responsible Travel Week 2013 launches in two weeks. VIP tickets available Thursday!

To get everyone up to speed, here’s some frequently asked questions and answers. (If you have any question, just ask!)

What is Responsible Travel?

Responsible travel is treating others the way they wish to be treated. It’s a variation on the Platinum Rule… it’s also good manners. Rephrasing the Cape Town Declaration “Responsible travel creates better places for to live and better places to visit.” Good friends agree that responsible travel is a must-have in the growing movement that connects visitors and locals.

 What are the featured topics?

We are seeking some interesting stories about tourism’s connections to accessibility, biodiversity conservation, indigenous peoples, food, parks and protected areas, volunteering and water cooperation. Other big questions to be explored are the connections between city and rural environments. Other topics: child protection, public transportation, e-waste and the proper disposal of batteries.

 What’s new in 2013?

• We’re changing the name of the event from ‘Responsible Tourism Week’ to ‘Responsible Travel Week’
• We’re hosting local events in Las Vegas
• We’re focusing on responsible tipping
• Spotlight on food and tourism, including the issues of eating locally and recycling food waste
• We’re ranking the leading countries in responsible travel. Top voting-receiving countries receive bragging rights!
• We are using Google+ for Live Hangouts
• Gameification! What are the best games and rewards for responsible travel players?
• VIP tickets! (Beginning Thursday)

What matures in 2013?

• We’re holding our second poster challenge!
• We’re connecting responsible travel to cities
• We’re connecting responsible travel to events
• We’re connecting responsible travel to parks
• We’re connecting responsible travel with indigenous culture
• We’re updating our directory of tourism portals with links to specific info about responsible travel

How do we document responsible travel?

Photos and videos are ideal. Show us responsible travel in action. If you don’t have a camera of your own, think about curating pictures via sites like Pinterest or assembling the info as a story via Delicious or Storify. If you cannot create, curate!