Today the world is faced by the twin challenges of Climate Change and Poverty. UNWTO says that the world must respond in a holistic way to these challenges and that the tourism sector can effectively contribute to the solutions. Addressing these challenges require innovative and changed behaviour to effectively respond over time and Tourism can and must play its part in the solutions to both, says UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli.

If there is one necessary action that can be taken by tourism stakeholders it would be to make solid sustainable plans that will support livelihoods and bring benefits to local peoples, conserve the environment and use resources responsibly through profitable tourism businesses. In a nutshell, tourism for people, planet and profit. EcoStorm embraces this new thinking.

EcoStorm is about methods and travel plans that produces minimum negative impacts as much as it is about business and destination management models that that positively impact on the natural and social environment to ensure sustainable destination development.

Why the name EcoStorm?
EcoStorm is an abbreviation for Ecological Brainstorming.

What is EcoStorm?
EcoStorm is a program of the Basecamp Foundation that promotes a tourism approach that centers on people, planet and profit. It is an adaptive, accessible and practical global resource for development and promotion of sustainable tourism destinations. It also provides opportunity for building synergies between tourism practitioners, host communities, public sector and investors in promoting sustainable tourism approaches.

Goal
To be a branded Tourism Social Movement

EcoStorm Vision
To shape global tourism through dialogued and interactive participation of parties

EcoStorm Mission
To avail an accessible global resource for sustainable destination development

What are the objectives of EcoStorm

• To bring together experiences of developers, innovators, professionals, investors, managers,resource owners
  and users and policy makers in development of sustainable tourism destinations;
  
• To create awareness and share best practices in sustainable destination development and management in a dynamic and practical manner
  
• To showcase best practices and tools in development of sustainable tourism destinations using experiences of developers, innovators, professionals, investors, managers, resource owners and policy makers,
  
• To use practical and tested best practices in finding winning combinations for developing sustainable tourism destinations;
  
• To apply obtained knowledge to develop blueprints to guide stakeholders in planning for tourism that embraces people, planet and profit

Is EcoStorm a workshop/conference
Workshops are one of several approaches that EcoStorm uses in achieving its objectives. Other approaches include awards, information dissemination, training, research and new destination appraisals/ feasibility studies. The workshops methodology is currently the most developed tool. Others are in the process of development.

How is an EcoStorm workshop different from other workshops?
An Eco storm workshop/conference is different from other workshops in several ways:

• It is practical- it addresses a need of the destination where it is held
  
• It is a productive- the outcome is a unique blueprint on how to develop that specific destination.
  
• It is demand driven- organized on request by a destination facing challenges of developing tourism
  
• in a sustainable way or in Basecamp explorer destinations facing similar challenges.
  
• It is a participatory planning process. Facilitators share experiences and the participants use these
  
• experiences and their own to make recommendations / plan for the destination.
  
• It is engaging- it uses dialogue to interrogate tourism practice to find solutions

How often are EcoStorm workshops held?
The strategy is to have at least two EcoStorm workshops each year with at least one being held in a Basecamp Explorer destination. The Basecamp Explorer destinations are Masai Mara Kenya, Lamu Kenya, Dharamsala India, Rajasthan India, Pyrenees France, Spitsbergen Norway.

Who should participate in an EcoStorm workshop?
Participation in an EcoStorm workshop is open to tourism investors, local and central government policy makers, national marketing agencies, organizations representing the interest of investors and tour operators, CBTs in tourism, sustainable tourism lobby organizations, conservation organizations, development and aid organizations, travel and tourism foundations, academics, researchers, students and all other interested persons and groups.

What are the benefits of participating in an EcoStorm workshop?

• Get to know about innovative and novel approaches to linking people, conservation issues and business in sustainable tourism
• Learn about benchmarking in sustainable tourism- how do you compare with the best.
  
• Learn about innovative and cutting edge technologies that support sustainable development.
  
• Learn about sustainable tourism concepts and how they are shaping global tourism trends.
  
• Familiarize with new challenges in sustainable tourism and how destinations are responding e.g. climate change.

How does EcoStorm benefit the destination where it is held?

• Availability of international experts on sustainable destination development under one roof for consultation
• Blueprint to guide future planning
• Several stakeholders under one roof focusing on the destination

How is an EcoStorm venue selected?

There are two ways in which an EcoStorm venue is determined:

• In a Basecamp Explorer destination in which case Basecamp Foundation is seeking to engage with partners as part of sharing best practices and opportunities for improving the destination towards sustainability
• In any other destination through request/invitation by a destination, institution, investors and/or policy makers
• NB: An EcoStorm destination (venue) must be virgin area in need of planning for sustainable tourism, a developed destination facing challenges and threats from growth, or one with which has experiences/ good practices to share.

PREVIOUS ECOSTORMS

Basecamp Masai Mara, Kenya.
Dates: 17 th – 20 th November 2008

House of Peace and Dialogue Dharamsala, India
Dates: 24 th - 28 th March 2008