Responsible Tourism

According to the definition adopted by AITR (Italian Association for Responsible Tourism):

Responsible tourism is tourism carried out according to principles of social and economic justice and in full respect for the environment and cultures. Responsible tourism recognizes the centrality of the local host community and its right to be a leader in sustainable tourism development and socially responsible for its own territory. it works favoring the positive interaction among the tourist industry, local communities and travelers.
The "Thai Institute for Development and Administration " in Bangkok estimated that 70% of the price paid by a tourist on a trip in Thailand returns to the country of origin of the tourists themselves ...in Kenya the share touches 80%.

The sustainability of development, both in terms environmental and socio-economic, also concerns the tourism activity.

Current forms of mass tourism - that exports the lifestyle and of consumption of Western traveler rather than exploring new contexts - have a devastating impact on the environment and socio-economic structure of the main tourist destinations in the South of world.

The CISS is engaged in the promotion of a way of making tourism that is fair in the distribution of profits, respectful of local communities and with low environmental impact: it is a member of AITR and inside it there is a specialized area, which develops specific projects and offers touristic products diversified , realizing training initiatives orientated towards the cultural education of traveler and tour operators.

The basic behaviors of the responsible tourist are summarized in the six points of the "Code of travel" developed by the members of AITR:

• non-random: the trip is built around a human contact with a local group alien to the tourism industry
• the preparation of the trip, aimed at obtaining positive dynamics in the group and with hosts
• the importance of cultural values, tourism as a multidisciplinary investigation
• the equity in economic terms, ensuring that most of the money spent will remain in the country of destination
• the cooperation, for instance supporting small local projects for the benefit of basic groups and local people
• few destinations in depth rather than many "touch and go".

In recent years, the CISS has proposed and realized travel of responsible tourism in Brazil:
a path through the cities of Olinda and Recife (Pernambuco) with excursions along the coast of northeast Brazilian (Pernambuco - Sergipe - Alagoas) until the coast of Salvador da Bahia.

Important steps of the trips were the visits to the project "Viva Menina Teenager “ realized by the CISS in partnership with the Colet Mulher Vida (Olinda), and to the Archipelago of Tinharè (Salvador da Bahia), in a project that involves the fishing community of Garapua supported by ONDAZUL, CISS partner in the region.

On the theme, the CISS has also realized projects with schools, working with students in the top three of different schools (Classical and Scientific High School, ITGC and IPA) in order to build and experiment with the boys a path of Responsible Tourism in the Mediterranean, led to the realization of trips of knowledge in the countries of Maghreb and Mashrek.

Have been also realized several training courses for teachers in various schools of the province of Palermo.