 As part of its efforts to promote ecotourism in Daebu island, Ansan city organized a fam tour for foreign residents in Korea on Oct. 26, 2019. It can be sometimes challenging to promote a fragile and vulnerable ecosystem such as an island, when the least thing you want is to see it become a mass tourism destination. Nonetheless, sustainable tourism is definitely a powerful tool for local development and community empowerment, and a smart marketing strategy can help target and attract the right people: those who care and are equipped to co-create a sustainable, fair and responsible experiences with the locals. Within the framework of its project to develop ecotourism in Daebudo (Daebu island), the tourism department of Ansan city, South Korea, organized a fam tour (familiarization tour) for foreign residents in South Korea on Oct. 26, 2019. Millennium Hikers, the international community of walkers and hikers founded by Millennium Destinations was invited to part of it. Once called “the Hawaii of Ansan” and now dubbed “the Treasure Island”, Daebudo has been praised for its beautiful landscapes and has kept the appeal and characteristics of an island even if it is now linked to the Ansan mainland through the Sihwa seawall. With several thousand visitors per day day during peak season, Daebudo has indeed become a popular destination for Koreans, and particularly families or anyone looking for a beautiful, quiet and exotic escape. Many people, and particularly photographers, visit Daebudo and surrounding islands as top spots to watch the sunset. On the other hand, most visits to Daebudo usually do not last more than one day and the island does not seem to attract many foreign tourists or foreigners living in Korea, if we refer to the number of mentions on the Internet and in social networks. Moreover, Daebudo has not been promoted as strongly as Ansan and/or is not perceived as an ecotourism or nature-based destination, even if Daebudo and Daesong wetland in Ansan have been designated as eco-tour zones by the Korean Ministry of Environment in 2014, together with Sanmakyi old trail and Lake Goesan in Goesan, Gasiyeon wetland and Lake Gyeongpo in Gangneung, Hyodon stream and Haryeli village in Seogwipo and Gochang dolmen. According to researches, ecotourism is still considered a niche market but it has developed steadily over the past years. The market demand for ecotourism has been largely centered in the western world, mostly English-speaking countries, but more and more ecotourists are now coming from other regions such as the Asian Tigers. For many ecotourists, the main motivation is the inherent quality of the landscape and wildlife of the destination, together with the opportunity to meet local people and experience cultural traditions and lifestyles. Many of them like to take photos and are even professional photographers. This is the case for more and more birdwatchers. Some ecotourists are looking for complementary activities such as hiking, cycling, etc. In South Korea, outdoor and leisure / leports (leisure and sports) activities have become more and more popular. There are over 15 million regular hikers in South Korea and biking / cycling has developed recently. In general, a growing public interest in ecotourism has been reported in Korea. Regarding Daebudo, it seems that tourism marketing efforts have been more focused on domestic visitors, and short term visits. Due to its characteristics, the island may compete with similar ecotourism destinations, in Korea or not, that are better known and/or or promoted, such as Suncheon Bay, which has become a renowned ecological tourism destination even among foreigners. Having said that, competition may become an opportunity if synergies and partnership can be created with those similar destinations. The Ecotour in Daebu island designed by Ansan city included the following experiences:
Millennium Destinations provided its support to the project for the marketing and communication strategy and through arranging a diverse group of around 40 "Millennium Hikers", expats living in Korea and Koreans from different backgrounds (diplomats, professionals, professors, consultants, students, social media influencers, etc. ). According to the results of the post-tour survey, all participants have been either very satisfied or satisfied with their experience in Daebu island, mudflat walking and interacting with the locals being their favorite activities. Conversely, foreign participants expressed their need for more information and interpretation in English (at least). In any case, Ecotourism products in Daebudo should focus on protected areas as focal points. They should also intend to include experiences and activities that would contribute to reduce overcrowding and seasonality. Promotion activities should consider the carrying capacity of the island and should be carried out in concertation with the local residents. 
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 Sustainable tourism may have become popular over the past years but what do we really know about it, and how to best achieve it?
If you want to be familiar with sustainable tourism and become an informed practitioner, join our upcoming 2019 GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training in Seoul! This two-day training class is designed for travel, tourism and hospitality professionals interested in learning about sustainability good practices for businesses and destinations. Through this interactive leaning journey you will gain an in-depth understanding of the GSTC Criteria as the global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism, the roles of accreditation and certification in advancing the sustainability agenda in the tourism industry, as well as topics such as global trends in sustainable tourism, sustainability marketing, and sustainable tourism product development and management. Trainers: Ms. Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, Millennium Destinations, Founder & CEO Dr. Mihee KANG, GSTC, Director for Asia-Pacific Hosted in partnership with Millennium Destinations, with the support of GreenBIM Engineering. Information and registration here. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is managing the GSTC Criteria, the global baseline standards for sustainable travel and tourism; as well as acting as the international accreditation body for sustainable tourism certification. 
By Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL
Whereas France has been recently re-branded as a "startup nation", is there anything innovative, new and/or smart France can be proud of in the field of travel and tourism? And the answer is: absolutely (yes, I'm French)! At least, this is what I intended to highlight during the 2nd OCOVA Forum in Asia hosted by the GSIPA - Gangneung Science & Industry Promotion Agency, on Oct. 16, 2019, under the theme of Tourism and the 4th Industrial Revolution. In my presentation, I introduced French innovative inititiaves towards smart sustainable tourism, including France Tourisme Lab, the national network of incubators and accelerators in tourism, and tech for good initiatives that can be applied to tourism sectors. As of today, 7 structures are part of France City Lab:
During the Forum, a partnership agreement was signed between GSIPA and Grand Sud Formation, a tourism high school based in Toulouse, France. The Forum OCOVA has been organized annually since 2004 in Les Orres, a French ski resort located in the Hautes-Alpes department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has been providing a venue for networking and knowledge exchange on smart technologies and innovation, particularly in mountain areas. The Asian edition of the OCOVA Forum was launched in 2018 in Gangneung, South-Korea.  When it comes to promoting green inititiaves and eco-friendly behaviors, the grass should not be greener on the other side. The grass is actually greenest where it is properly watered, nurtured, and loved. This is why the Green Drinks Seoul's community is getting bigger and stronger than ever. On September 10, 2019, Green Drinks Seoul hosted a networking event featuring a presentation by Christoph Heider, President of the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK), titled "ECCK Going Green". Christoph introduced ECCK, and reminded that the Chamber has mentored Green Drinks Seoul for one year before it can fly with its own wings. He also presented other initiatives of the ECCK such as the ECCK Go Green Month campaign in September 2019, aimed at promoting 11 measures so that the Chamber becomes more sustainable as a service provider. Script of the speech here. This move has spread among ECCK's employees, and is now inspiring Green Office campaigns led by ECCK member companies.
The event was also an opportunity to promote the upcoming campaign Anatomy of Action on September 15 to 30, 2019, a partnership project of UN Environment and the Unschool of Disruptive Design aimed at defining and communicating the most positively impactful actions anyone of us can take to add to the global movement around sustainable lifestyles to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.  Green Drink Seoul is a group of professionals from the public and private sectors involved / interested in environment, sustainable development, green growth and ecology. We organize regular events aimed at promoting inititiaves in Seoul towards the achievement of the sustainable development goals with a strong focus on SDG12: Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Green Drinks Seoul is supported by the ECCK, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Korea, and the Cercle des Entrepreneurs Francophones en Corée. Facebook Group: GreenDrinksSeoul Green Drinks Seoul web page: www.greendrinks.org/Seoul Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to host / support a GDS event. Guest post - written by Clayton Miller Responsible tourism isn't just about jumping on a trend. It’s about being part of a crucial movement that minimises our carbon footprint, promotes eco-conscious awareness and helps us become mindful of adopting environmentally friendly habits. Responsible travel means choosing your destinations carefully, finding ways to support local communities, staying in hotels which advocate sustainability, picking restaurants with a strong focus on organic and local food, and travelling in a way that has as little impact on the environment as possible. Here are five ways you can be a more sustainable traveller. 1. Carry reusables Bringing reusables when you travel may seem like a small step but the more we all participate, the chances are that big brands will start to wake up to the demand of less plastic packaging. With one in three millennials prepared to spend as much as £5k on a summer vacation, it's easy to think buying a few more bottles of water on your holiday and extra toiletries aren't going to add too much extra to the bill. But it's the cost on the environment that is the biggest concern, and reducing travel waste plays a big part. If you're camping or going self-catering bring canvas grocery bags for the farmers' markets. If you know you'll be drinking lots of water make sure to carry a reusable eco-friendly bottle. Use reusable bags if you're taking snacks on the airline and carry decanted toiletries in a reusable clear zippered pouch. Take it even further by bringing a fabric bag for dirty laundry.  Photo by Phuong Tran on Unsplash 2. Choose hotels that promote minimal impact Make sure to do your research before booking a hotel. Big resorts and all-inclusive hotels are often owned by foreign companies that have little care for sustainability. But there are eco-friendly hotel portfolios out there doing their utmost to create a positive impact on the environment. Look around and you'll find luxury hotels which have a zero plastic policy, use renewable energy, build with local recycled or renewable materials, and have rainwater filter systems. Examples include the Bucuti & Tara Resort in Aruba which has become North America's first CarbonNeutral® resort hotel.  Photo by Catherine Germier-Hamel 3. Support local communities From avoiding imported foods flown into the county, to choosing hotels that source food from their own vegetable and herb gardens, there are many ways to support local communities when you travel. And it doesn't stop with dining. You can immerse yourself in local life by taking part in community volunteering projects, buying ethically made artisan gifts and clothes, and avoiding experiences where wildlife is put at risk or exploited. Making informed decisions about your carbon footprint is a critical step in travelling more sustainably.  Photo by Catherine Germier-Hamel 4. Conserve water Water is renewable so why do we need to conserve it? Pure and simple, it takes a lot of energy to pump and treat water and reducing your usage helps preserve the freshwater that fish and plant life thrive on. The best way to help minimise water usage is to choose hotels that use a rainwater filter system, take quicker less frequent showers, and be mindful of reusing towels instead of sending them over to housekeeping to be laundered every day.  Photo by Catherine Germier-Hamel 5. Choose environmentally friendly activities Leave no trace of waste and make sure your footprints are respectful to the environment. This can be anything from ditching the gas-guzzling taxis and choosing to cycle, swim or hike to using public transport instead of a private car from the airport to the hotel. Pick off-the-beaten-path destinations that haven't been over damaged by tourism, take part in eco-friendly sightseeing tours and use non-motorized boats such as traditional jukungs or kayaks.  Photo by Catherine Germier-Hamel  On the occasion of the Fête du Sport 2019, the celebration of sports initiated by the French Ministry of Sports and supported by the French Embassy in Seoul, Millennium Destinations organized a special Millennium Hikers event, aimed at promoting sustainable, international and intercultural hiking in urban environments. The hike took place in Gyeyang mountain in Incheon, South Korea, and was hosted in partnership with Décathlon store in Songdo, and the French Institute in Seoul. "Hikers who care" Millennium Hikers was created in 2016 to increase awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as promoted by the United Nations, and the role of hiking experiences in promoting sustainable behaviors and mindsets. This international and intercultural group is dedicated to all sustainable and smart hikers / trekkers / walkers around the world who care about their social, environmental and economic impacts on destinations, while co-creating, promoting and sharing unique, community-based experiences between local hosts and their guests, especially in mountain destinations but not only. 
  Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations attended as Panelist the 18th Asia Pacific Forum for Graduate Students Research in Tourism (APF), which took place at Sol International School - Woosong University in Daejeon, South Korea, on June 21 to 23, 2019. The Forum was co-organized with the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and included three general sessions; 1. Sustainability in Hospitality & Tourism Industry, 2. Travel Industry in Asia Pacific Region Trends and Developments, and 3. Hospitality & Tourism Education in the 4th Industrial Revolution Era. Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL was a Panelist of session 2, moderated by Dr. Richard Johnson, Dean, SIS/Woosong, together with Dr. Mario Hardy, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and Dr. Jin, Hong-Seok, Chairman of the Korea MICE Convergence Leaders Forum. She particularly insisted on sustainability as a value added to tourism and hospitality, as well as the necessity to secure loyalty not only from visitors and guests, but also from employees. Finally she reminded that sustainable tourism was about promoting quality over quantity, or value over volume.
Green Drinks Songdo and Green Drinks Seoul join hands during the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 20196/19/2019  On the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019, Green Drinks Seoul and Green Drinks Songdo happily and successfully co-hosted their first joint-networking event on 20 June 2019. Green Drinks Seoul is set-up by a group of people working on environmental issues from the private and non-profit sector. It is supported by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea - ECCK, the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry - FKCCI, and the Cercle des Entrepreneurs Francophones en Corée. For more information, feel free to contact us: [email protected] Green Drinks Seoul Page: www.greendrinks.org/Seoul Green Drinks Songdo Page: http://www.greendrinks.org/Songdo   Within the framework of the Herost project, Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, Founder & CEO of Millennium Destinations undertook a mission to Laos on April 12 to 19, 2019, in order to identify potential local partners and explore eco-friendly and community-based travel (CBT) experiences, especially in Luang Prabang region, in Northern Lao.  Celebrating Pi Mai, Lao New Year, in Vientiane The mission took place during the Lao New Year, or Pi Mai (Lao: ປີໃໝ່), which is celebrated every year on April 13/14 to April 15/16 in Laos, as well as in Cambodia (Chaul Chhnam), Myanmar (Thingyan), and Thailand (Songkran). During three days, corresponding to the hottest time in the region, more or less copious amounts of water are sprinkled or thrown at passers-by on the street, very often using buckets, hoses, water guns or any available tool. This may put a strain on water resources, in spite of their relative abundance in LAO PDR. Particularly in Luang Prabang, listed as UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, the Buddhist festival has become a very popular attraction for domestic and foreign visitors. It offers many opportunities to share unique cultural experiences with the locals, including a spectacular procession with the golden statue of Prabang, the most revered image of Buddha, or building sand stupas in order to keep the evil spirits at distance for the coming year. Apart form Buddhist monks, thousands of locals take part in the Pi Mai parade, wearing a variety of traditional outfits, such as the traditional Hmong hand-embroidered costumes.
In 2018, Luang Prabang was granted an ASEAN Clean City Award and an ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award for Phousy Hill at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Several eco-friendly initiatives have been implemented, particularly aimed at reducing the generation of single-use plastic waste, including safe drinking water refill stations and the spreading of bamboo straws.
The mission found out that Phousy Hill (Sacred Hill), located in the center of Luang Prabang on the peninsula between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, was littered with candy wrappers, and other plastic waste, probably due to an increased affluence of visitors during Pi Mai. Apparently, candies are common Buddhist offerings and some visitors (likely kids but may be adults as well) like to eat them before littering the wrappers on the spot, instead of using the many bins that have been installed.
Finally, the mission got a preview of some CBT projects and eco-friendly sites, such as Ta Kuang Si, 30 km away from Luang Prabang. In spite of the beauty of Kuang Si waterfalls, a popular tourist attraction, the sides of the Discovery Trail were littered with plastic bottles and snack wrappers, while several waste bins have been installed. In less than 10 mn, a full bag of trash was brought back.
Herost has been designed and developed by Millennium Destinations and its partner GreenBIM Engineering as an online platform and marketplace aimed at co-creating, promoting and sharing community-based travel experiences, with a focus on South-East Asian countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as Korea and Japan.
 On April 11, 2019, Green Drinks Seoul co-hosted a networking event with the Global Green Growth Institute. From 6.30 p.m. around 70 participants gathered at the headquarters of GGGI and were given a presentation about its history, activities, and HR policy and management, before visiting the newly LEED-certified premises. The event was supported by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea - ECCK, the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry - FKCCI, and the Cercle des Entrepreneurs Francophones en Corée - CEFC, and sponsored by Millennium Destinations and GreenBIM Engineering. Green Drinks Seoul is set-up by a group of people working on environmental issues from the private and non-profit sector. GDS' organizing team includes: Magali Deschamps, Catherine GERMIER-HAMEL, Louis HAAG, Se Jeong KIM, and Hortense SERRET. Facebook Group: GreenDrinksSeoul Green Drinks Seoul Page: www.greendrinks.org/Seoul Contact: [email protected] Chaired by the 8th UN Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. Working across the thematic priorities of sustainable energy, green cities, sustainable landscapes, and water & sanitation, GGGI aims to deliver impact through six strategic outcomes:
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