About
I have been passionate about Asia ever since I first visited Thailand in 1981; so much so that, together with my business partner Margaret, I went on to run a successful Far East specialist tour operator, Magic of the Orient. We sold the company to the First Choice Group plc in 2005.
In these intervening years I have been enjoying my time discovering a life outside the travel trade; pursuing my interest in education and personal development. I am an accredited Life Coach.
They do say, however, that once travel is in your blood there is no escape and sure enough I found myself drawn back to the industry. I am currently combining my interests in travel and education providing online learning for the travel industry.
Asia continues to hold its attraction for me and hence this blog: it’s my way of keeping in touch with an industry that I have been part of for over 25 years.
I have 3 simple aims for the blog:
- To promote sustainable tourism to South East Asia
- To become a trusted source of information and guidance for independent-minded travellers planning a vacation in South East Asia
- To support educational programmes for under-privileged children in the region.
My specialisation is multi-centre itineraries staying in characterful accommodation, mainly boutique hotels, perhaps combined with soft-adventure tours.
Any Questions?
If you have a question about your tour around Asia please do contact me: there will be no charge. If I cannot answer your question I will certainly know someone who can. I will continue to answer your questions for as long as I can handle the volume.
How does this site make money?
It doesn’t. You will see I have avoided plastering the site with advertisements. When I do introduce advertising I want to be certain that it meets your needs. Also when I make this a commercial site I shall make it very clear to my visitors so that everything is transparent.
I have a very simple approach to business: win-win-win. I believe that all stakeholders should benefit from a transaction and I will only enter into a relationship when I am reasonably confident that this will be the outcome.
Sustainable Tourism
This brings me nicely on to sustainable and responsible tourism. Much has been written on these topics and I certainly subscribe to the belief that these are essential elements of a modern travel industry. In short all stakeholders and especially the local community should benefit from tourism.
The most important element for me, in sustainability, is that those children who currently make such wonderful subjects for our holiday photographs are supported in securing an education for their future, and that of their country. Although education might be free there is no guarantee, for a variety of reasons, that the children you see selling postcards are actually taking advantage of it. And if they are what are the chances they will go into secondary education and beyond? For the most part, slim.
It is for that reason that I will publicise NGOs who are supporting educational projects in the region. Obviously it is not for me to say who deserves your support but at least I am making you aware of them.
I hope you enjoy this site as it develops and any feedback you give will be gratefully received.
I also hope you will like the new project I am currently working on – watch this space: Positively Travel
Tony Champion
Hi Tony!
Thank you for this site and helping to promote tourism to South East Asia and support educational programmes for under-privileged children in the region.
@Kalyan Thank you for your comment. It is my pleasure. I still have a lot more I want to do and much to be done.
sustainable tourism is a buzzword, very similar to carbon swaps … and it is simply not possible …
at best, you can maybe, perhaps, barely, slow down the cultural pollution that is the inescapable companion of tourism, sustainable or otherwise ….
there is not a single place listed in, say, lonely planet, that is better than it was before listing …
tourism is a disease of consumption, and the sustainable tag does nothing to change that …
@gregorylent. Thank you for your comment.
I agree sustainable tourism is a buzzword. It would be far better that it and ‘responsible travel’ were the way things are, with no need for their own labels.
I disagree that tourism is a ‘disease of consumption’: Man was a ‘tourist’ way before the consumer society. I do agree though that tourism can be a ‘cultural polluter’; and a wealthier society makes travel more accessible to more people which in turn makes the pollution more likely and more widespread. That though is the point of the ‘sustainable tourism’ movement. It has become a cause to which like-minded individuals can subscribe. It is for people who refuse to accept the wholesale degradation of destinations as the inevitable consequence of tourism. The negative consequences of tourism can be ameliorated by subscribing to a sustainable and responsible approach.
I would go further and suggest that well-planned tourism development can even be a force for good supporting wildlife conservation for example or alleviating poverty in remote communities.
Sustainable tourism is not a panacea but in my opinion it is better than the alternative.
Beautiful introduction. You are right, once travel is in your blood, it never goes away. Good for you for raising awareness on publicizing NGO’s and sustainable tourism. If more people make an effort, we just may change this world together one step at a time.
Thank you so much Dave and Deb for taking the time to leave a comment. Yes, in my opinion, one step, one child, one village at a time is the way to go.