GRM NEWS

GRM expands into Sustainable Tourism

GRM has joined forces with the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC), Australia’s centre of excellence in sustainable tourism research, to form the Sustainable Tourism Development Consortium Pty Ltd (STDC).

STDC has been incorporated as a private limited company in Australia, and it is 50% owned by GRM (Australia) and 50% by STCRC. STDC will be headquartered in Brisbane and will also open a Regional Office in Bangkok, to manage ongoing and future projects in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Current STDC sustainable tourism projects include the Mekong Tourism Development Project (Cambodia), Mekong Tourism Development Project (Vietnam), Andaman Coast Sustainable Tourism Project (Thailand) and Agri-Tourism Project (Serbia).

Tourism is increasingly being recognised by aid donors and international funding agencies as an effective tool for poverty reduction. For more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries tourism is ranked first, second or third in terms of their economies and tourism is the only service industry to show a positive balance of trade, with flows from first world countries to developing countries.

Active donors within the EU include UK’s DFID, Germany’s GTZ and The Netherlands’ SNV. In addition USAID, the World Bank, the United Nations (through the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)) and ADB are also active. STDC is currently stimulating the debate within AusAID, which has started to fund some tourism work in the South Pacific. There are significant opportunities in the Middle East (especially Abu Dhabi), and also in Africa.

As this new field of endeavour grows within development assistance bureaux and international funding agencies, STDC has the unique ability to achieve real tourism outcomes of economic, environmental and social significance.

The STDC inaugural Board Meeting was held in Brisbane on December 16th 2005. STDC’s Board comprises of five Directors: two from GRM (Kim Bredhauer and Rowan MacTaggart), two from STCRC (Sir Frank Moore and Prof Terry de Lacy), and one independent (yet to be appointed). Under the shareholders’ agreement, GRM will provide the initial Managing Director (Rowan MacTaggart) and STCRC the initial Chairman (Sir Frank Moore).

Key GRM people involved with the operations of STDC include Professor Trevor Sofield, Jackie Heath and Heidi Myers. Trevor is GRM’s Technical Director for Sustainable Tourism, Team Leader of the Mekong Tourism Development Projects in Cambodia & Vietnam, and the leading international expert in sustainable tourism. Jackie Heath, GRM’s Project Manager for sustainable tourism projects, is currently looking after the two Mekong projects, and has also made technical inputs to both. Heidi Myers, who recently joined GRM through our Young Professionals programme, will provide general project and business development coordination assistance.

STCRC involvement in STDC is provided under the leadership of its CEO, Professor Terry de Lacy. STCRC’s International Director, Adjunct Professor Steve Noakes, will play a significant role in business development and promotion of STDC. Steve is a specialist on public/private tourism partnerships, with tourism experience in the Greater Mekong Subregion and the South Pacific.

This has been an important and successful year for GRM’s involvement in sustainable tourism and there are some exciting prospects for the future. STDC looks forward to collaborating within the GRM group to grow this exciting sector.