Destination transformation

Shyam Ranganathan and Teeluck Bhuwanee, head of UNESCO/UNEVOC, at the symposium

TORONTO—Shyam Ranganathan is proud to say that Centennial College’s Culture and Heritage Institute (CHI) is committed to environmental and community sustainability by embracing the principles outlined in the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, The ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter, and The National Geographic Society’s Geotourism Charter.

That’s a lot of acronyms and a lot of international organizations, but what it boils down to is this: through the implementation of these principles, CHI strives to help minimize the negative social and environmental impacts of tourism while maximizing its economic, geographic, and sociocultural benefits. And the Institute has been internationally recognized for its efforts.

This year the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture (SHTC) and CHI became Affiliate Members of the UNWTO. And six post-secondary diploma programs in the school have been certified by UNWTO.

“This is a remarkable achievement of the faculty,” dean Ranganathan noted at CHI’s Geotourism and Neighbourhoods Symposium held recently at the college.
He added that the school is now a UNESCO/UNEVOC TVET centre promoting technical vocational education and training. The school offers 13 full time programs with enrolment of close to 900 full time students. “We are excited with these developments and are looking forward to some very interesting work ahead,” Ranganathan told the symposium.

Symposium attendees heard about a number of destinations that have been transformed thanks to some lateral (and sometimes outside-the-organization) thinking and “daredevils” or committed champions.

Carol Patterson of Calgary-based Kalahari Management Inc. spoke about Eastern Arkansas where local residents thought the big attraction was the local cemetery.  It took an outsider to convince them that the area’s boardwalks and walking paths, and their place as home of the endangered Ivory-billed Woodpecker, were bona fide cultural tourism attractions.

In Northern Iceland, people thought the Vogafjos (or cowshed) Café would never take off.  But it turns out that guests like sitting in an actual milking barn where cows are being milked. It gives them a sense of place, Patterson noted.

At the cafe, brown bread is heated in a steam oven powered by Iceland’s thermal energy.

Fran Hohol and Carol Patterson

Fran Hohol, who usually speaks to audiences on broad-picture lodging facts and figures, outlined two of PKF’s geotourism studies in Newfoundland. CLN has already written about Zeta Cobb and her Shorefast Foundation with its artist’s studios and 29-room luxury hotel due to open in Fall 2012 on Fogo Island. Hohol also spoke about Gordon Slade’s work in Battle Harbour, an even more remote Newfoundland outport, which offers a ferry ride, guided tour, a cod plate meal and overnight stay for 34-40 people.

“As a private sector model, it doesn’t make any sense at all,” said Hohol of Battle Harbour. “But it’s hard to say why not to get involved for other reasons.”