Research

With much of the gaze today being cast upon the environmental and economic aspects of sustainability in tourism, concerns around cultural and social issues can often take the back burner when a small business is assessing the direction and tough decisions it has to take in this competitive sector. Amongst those, thoughts about access for all to tourism opportunities can sometimes be dismissed as being best left to specialist operators or tourism providers. 

It is an exciting time for tourism in Kent. The transformation of the traditional seaside holiday and the growth of cultural tourism create opportunities for a wider range of businesses than ever to be part of the visitor economy. ‘Sense of place’ is now a key ingredient of contemporary experience based tourism, but delivering that sense of place requires a new way of working, connecting with sectors of the local economy and community that may previously have regarded themselves as unrelated.

Last year Touch TD, along with project partners in the UK, Italy and Finland, conducted a widespread survey amongst tourism managers and staff, visitors and residents in destination communities, to discover the priority training needs identified by the sector.

Based on those findings, we have produced a series of learning materials, workshops and an interactive online training tool, which we are eager to showcase. Touch TD now has two events lined up, one in central London on 23rd May, and another in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canterbury, on 1st June.

Touch TD are a busy partner in the ERASMUS+ project called 'Sustainable MAnageR in TOURism Sector' - SMARTOUR. To see what we and our partners have been up to in the opening phase of the project, please read the first edition of our newsletter either online or download the pdf to view at your leisure...

http://smartourproject.eu/news/Newsletter_March_2016.pdf

http://www.smartourproject.eu/surveys

Cumalıkızık’s reputation and attraction as an ‘open air museum’ is based not only on the tangible texture of its buildings, cobbled streets and narrow alleyways, but on the intangible values of its social and cultural fabric. It's significance was acknowledged in 2014 with the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of Bursa and Cumalıkızık – The Birth of the Ottoman Empire.

In 2015 the village was selected as one of the pilot destinations for implementing the model of sustainable community based tourism (SCBT) being developed as part of the project Touch TD is working on with UNDP Turkey and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

After almost a decade of dating, UNESCO and the Global Geoparks Network are engaged, and have finally set the date for their wedding. Here at Touch TD we are really happy about it, and we're going to tell you why.

This year luxury cruise company, Seabourn entered a new partnership with UNESCO to support and promote sustainable tourism principles at the world heritage sites visited by its 5 ships.