National Partners

International Partners

Ongoing Projects

Community based tourism project

Print PDF

31 August 2010

Subtitle: Common quality standards and marketing for Community Based Tourism Businesses in Asia

Period: February 2008 – August 2010 (30 months)

Funded by: Asia Invest (European Union)

Partners: SNV (Netherlands Development Organisation)

Project partners: ECEAT (Netherlands), INDECON (Indonesia), CCBEN (Cambodia) and STDC (Mongolia)

Introduction:

The proposed project will develop and introduce common Community-Based Tourism standards within South & East Asian countries based on the destination context and the expectations of the international consumer and tour operator markets. 16-22 Community-Based Tourism destinations and their suppliers in Indonesia, Cambodia and Mongolia will be assessed and trained according to these standards. Existing networks of CBT suppliers will be strengthened, and they will be trained to position their CBT suppliers in an international tourism market. Standards for quality and sustainable CBT products will be developed in line with international quality and sustainability standards. Outbound and inbound tour operators will be actively approached and provided with trustful information on the CBT destination and ask to commit themselves to include assessed CBT products in their packages. Internet technologies will be introduced in order to facilitate Business to Business contacts and information exchanges.

Project objectives:

  • Widely supported, assessed and accredited Asian Community-Based Tourism (CBT) products;
  • CBT Standards are implemented and communicated throughout the whole product supply chain between Asian CBT suppliers and international tour operators and consumers;
  • Close collaboration between the CBT networks of all Asian countries and use of the harmonized quality and sustainability standards
  • Available B2B internet technologies and B2B marketing tools effectively used by most CBT suppliers from South and East Asia and European Tour Operators;
  • Accredited Asian CBT products widely known among inbounds operators and European tour operators; European tour operators distribute the best practice standards to all their suppliers in Asia;
  • Substantially reduced  exploitation of - and increased contribution to - the local traditions, cultural heritage and the natural environment of Asian rural communities by tour operators

Activities

  • National workshops will be held to define national indicators and the development of comfort and sustainability quality standards, checklists and assessment systems and procedures.
  • on-site quality assessments and training visits to anumber of selected communities. A tour operator Advisory Board will evaluate the products from a market point of view.
  • The CBT networks and its members will be trained in various important sustainable tourism issues, such as quality and sustainability assessment, legal and juridical aspects, and commercialization. CBT trainers will be updated on supply chain management methodologies.
  • Newsletter to 500+ European tour operators and Asian national tourism representatives; online portfolio/database of assessed CBT products; orientation workshops for interested tour operators on tourism trade shows in the main generating markets of Europe will be held, signing of at least 9 contracts for three year period between suppliers and operators.


Expected results

  • Clear national and regional quality and sustainability standards, widely agreed upon and communicated within the tourism sector;
  • CBT suppliers will use the new quality systems to gain competitiveness;
  • Quality assessed CBT suppliers will be widely recognized in (inter)national business policies;
  • CBT networks in Asia will be significantly professionalized in the field of quality and sustainability assessment and commercialization;
  • CBT networks will get more and higher quality members;
  • Assessed and accredited CBT products will be recognizable by the introduction of an international recognizable logo; More CBT products will be taken up in the package of inbound and outbound tour operators;
  • The benefits for the local communities generated through CBT will increase significantly.

Khuvsgul lake children's eco club

Print PDF

In August 2008 we initiated a Children's Eco-Club in Khatgal Soum of the Khuvsgul province. The opening ceremony was held on August 16th, 2008 on the Western bank of Khuvsgul Lake and was followed by a deep cleaning of the area.

Children's Eco-Club is based on Khatgal high school and already 50 pupils united in order to gain more knowledge on environmental education and experience as involving trainings and protection activities to their living area which leaded by a team composed by local governor, natural protection advisors, teachers and rangers. Also the Club members usually attend in workshops and set up events related to eco-friendly tourism.

With the kind support of Weissensee Skating Event organisers from Holland we donated overall costs of maintaining a special cabinet room at the school, garbage (cans & plastics) pressing equipment, handbooks and reference materials useful for the Children’s Eco Club.

 

Responsible tourism project

Print PDF

09 May 2008

From September 2008, Sustainable Tourism Development Center started imlementing the project “Responsible Tourism Development” in Mongolia with Mercy Corps Mongolia organization.

Mercy Corps Mongolia has one overall strategic goal – to support rural communities to mobilize resources to meet their economic and social needs, and by extension, to provide a better quality of life for rural residents. Please visit to get detailed information www.mercycorps.org,  www.mercycorps.org.mn

As result of this project:

  1. Organize trainings of tourism theory for the professors and advisors of universities and institutes, adminstration officers of selected provinces and teachers, students from local Business Development Service. Training topics and materials on value chain and competition advantage, destination management and responsible tourism will be prepared.
  2. Tourism service organizations for follow the recommendation and rules of responsible tourism will be prepared.
  3. For tourism business organzations, the workshop and training would be organized, supporting the destination management of two pilot aimags Arkhangai and Umnugobi.
  4. Develop tourism as sustainable in western Mongolia, first study will be researched. In beginning level of the research get choose Khovd aimag.

 

Nomad library project

Print PDF

STDC is initiated Nomad Library project and started to implement it successfully since 2008. The main goal of the project is to give an opportunity for rural children and youth to read Mongolian and international literature, stories, history, legends and scientific fictions, and by extension, to improve their ecological knowledge and nature conservation. Nomad library has thirty scientific, environmental and traditional documentaries, more than thousand books, journals and about ten traditional games in Mongolian language.

Overall activities of the program:

We are planning to implement Nomad library as ongoing project throughout the countryside. Implementation of Nomad Library will be divided into 3 stages in near future

  • First stage is preparation of library. We are planning to collect books, materials and to make study of aimags and soums for implementation, in 2008. During this period we aim to open the library in selected soum. During this period we have chosen Gurvanbulag soum of Bulgan aimag and planning to open it in May, 2009. Gurvanbulag soum has 3052 residents, and 32.5% and 993 of them are children and youth aged between 07 and 18 years. Percentage of youth is relatively high and it is the main criteria for implementation. Teaching English to interested is planned for the July of 2009.
  • Second stage of the program is to study the possibility of cooperating with other soum and aimag administration. The main focus area is Selenge, Tuv and Khentii aimags.
  • Third part of the program is to open Nomad library in Arkhangai, Uvurkhangai and Umnugobi aimags. We are aiming to operate all year around in aimag or soum and looking for the possibilities and cooperation. We are planning to open Nomad library during winter time in soum or aimag centers where most of the children go to schools and move around selected area during spring to autumn.

You are very welcome to contribute to local children and youth and you could contribute books, journals, documentaries etc.