Help Tourism

Sunday, April 26, 2009, 15:00 Hrs [IST]
Plans to organise Webinar at WTM, London and ITB, Asia
By TBM Staff | New Delhi

TravelBizmonitor.com

International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) India organised a Webinar (online seminar) day before yesterday in New Delhi. A large number participated in the seminar, which provided information on Responsible Tourism practices in India and abroad. It provided a common platform to various Responsible Tourism stake holders in India to share their Responsible Tourism practices with other participants. It has also offered and extended its support to other individuals who are interested in Responsible Tourism practices in India.

The Webinar was moderated by Sally Broom, YourSafePlanet.com and some of the participants who attended the event online included Raj Gyawali, socialtreks.com and Valere Tjolle from VISION on Sustainable Tourism – tourism-vision.com. Supratim Raj Basu from Help Tourism; Gopinath Parayil, Founder & Chief Executive from Blue Yonder Holidays; Ashish Gupta, Director Asia from Travel to Care.com; Sajo Paul, Chairman, ICRT India were among the distinguished Responsible Tourism stake holders from India who were physically present for the event. “There are plans to organise Responsible Tourism webinar at World Travel Market in London, ITB Asia etc.” informed Parayil.

source: http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/icrt-india-gets-good-response-for-responsible-tourism-webinar-6215

Help Tourism was one of the organisers of a conference that was held in Siliguri to highlight the links between tourism and a living Buddhism with a focus on the East Himalaya. Peace, spiritual oneness and preservation of heritage – tangible and intangible – are common aims.

Buddhism to boost tourism!

Statesman News Service
SILIGURI, Nov. 23: Dr Ravindra Panth, the Vice-Chancellor of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda Deemed University) said that the hoary heritage associated with Buddhism must be preserved and the Northeast India, being the melting pot for several cultures, must play its role to disseminate the spiritual message of eternal India far and wide.
He was addressing a seminar on ‘Living Buddhism in Northeast India and its importance in tourism’ in Siliguri yesterday. Mr PK Dong, the former director (Europe), for the government of India, department of tourism, inaugurated the seminar. It was organised by Navanalanda Mahavihara and Help Tourism.
Emphasising the importance of Buddhism in today’s world Dr Panth said that with the world in turmoil the perennial philosophy enshrined in the Buddhist scriptures and culture must again inspire the world at large.
“And the Northeast India is the right place to disseminate the message of peace and spiritual oneness far and wide. My university is looking forward to the spiritually imbued region for the regeneration of the Indian mysticism, seemingly the only way out of the deepening crisis of civilisation,” he said.
Mr Dong said that an endeavour was on to create a circuit connecting the Buddhist communities in the Northeast India including the East Himalayas.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=10&id=258947&usrsess=1 

Today, we were featured in “The Telegraph” newspaper:

For visiting Dubai team, Dooars no less than Darjeeling
OUR CORRESPONDENT

The students make their way to Buxa fort. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Buxa Fort (Alipurduar), Feb. 24: The indefinite bandh in the hills may have deprived a group of school students from Dubai of a glimpse of Darjeeling, but they are not going back any poorer.

Twenty-four students from 15 countries, including the UK, US, Afghanistan, Somalia and India, are happy for they had not expected anything like Buxa Tiger Reserve. “True, we haven’t spotted any tigers, but we didn’t know that forests here were so beautiful,” said Scott Herrington, a teacher accompanying the group.

The students from American School in Dubai was scheduled to visit Darjeeling from February 21 to 27 but shifted their tour to the Dooars when they realised that the hills are shut for an indefinite period. The group of Grade VIII students consist of 12 girls, an equal number of boys, three teachers and one nurse.

Sahin Farnood from Afghanistan said he had seen many wild birds, monkeys and squirrels. “I even saw tang ghar (a temporary structure set up in the middle of the field from where villagers keep guard on animals), salt leaks for animals and trees like teak and sal. I am so happy. But I want to see wild elephants.”

“In the last few days, we toured Jainti, Pukri hill and the Mahakal temple. The students swam in the Jainti and practised rock climbing too. The trip is named Week without Wall since we believe that proper education is incomplete when it is restricted within the four walls of a classroom. Each student paid $600 dollars (around Rs 24,000) for the trip,” said Herrington.

He praised the hospitality of the forest staff at the lodge in Rajabhatkhaowa, 15km from Alipurduar town. “They were wonderful.”

As a goodwill gesture the students might paint the walls of a village school that they are going to visit tomorrow or distribute pens and books among children there. Before leaving for Dubai on February 27, the group will spend a day at Chilapata forest.

Each student has been named after an animal. All the “animals” are expected to discuss their life in the forest and their experiences. “We hope to know more about wild lives and the local culture by interacting with the villagers here,” Herrington said.

The students came to Buxa hill today (from Rajabhatkhawa) in five cars. On the way, as they trekked through villages, they greeted the local people with polite namashkars and kemon achhen (how do you do?)

Sanjib Choudhury of Sam Sara Travels, which has brought the group here, said the visitors were forced to change their plans because of the bandh in Darjeeling. “Since we don’t operate in the Dooars, we contacted Help Tourism. They selected the tiger reserve including Buxa hills. The students are happy. We never imagined that such a beautiful place existed in eastern Dooars.”

Raj Basu from Help Tourism said his firm was determined that the students should not go back disappointed. “We want the world to know about the Buxa reserve and the beauty of the Dooars.”

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080225/jsp/siliguri/story_8943344.jsp

Coming back from Sunderbans and Kaziranga, our South Indian friend Jayanand send us some flowers:

I must compliment Help Tourism on arranging an exemplary holiday for the three of us in the Sunderbans and Kaziranga. Both parks were magical, the accommodation comfortable, and the food was first class. My friends & I were also struck by the punctuality with which all safaris started, whether by boat, jeep or elephant. Well done & I will recommend you to all my friends as the organisation to use for cultural and nature tours to the East.

Thank you, Jayanand. We will be most happy to host you or any of your friends, anytime.

The Outlook Traveller Magazine’s February 2008 edition highlighted “the best tourism initiatives in India”. And we are proud that our community tourism initiatives have been recognized as well:

More often than not tourism ends up being about large tour operators making profits. Help Tourism, which operates tours in Bengal, Assam, Arunachal and a few other Northeastern states, is one tour operator which has tried to change that by involving local communities in tourism initiatives. Communities are involved in the entire range of tours operated by Help Toursim – from wildlife tours to culturual and heritage tours. The greatest impact has been in the area of ecotourism. Help Tourism has worked with villagers in Buxa Tiger Reserve, Garumara National Park, at Bhalopahar in the Dalma forest range – helping them set up wildlife lodges. The most successful of those projects has been the Sunderbans Jungle Camp on Bali Island – which has provided local poachers-turned-conservationists with a livelihood, and has set an example for sustainable development in this fragile delta. Help Tourism has also set up the Association for Conservation and Tourism (www.actnowornever.org) through which they share their expertise in responsible tourism with others.”

We ourselves could not have described our vision and mission better. Thanks a lot, Outlook Traveller.