Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT) is a unique campaign.

Founded by a group of concerned Tour Operators, TOFT has now expanded to become a pioneering International ‘collective action’ campaign, run by Travel Professionals, aimed at those within the nature travel industry and all visitors to India’s wildlife parks, to advocate, endorse and support more responsible use of wilderness areas in India, and the Indian sub continent.

Problema

India has some of the most staggering and beautiful wilderness and wildlife in the world. Housing one of the richest diversities of life forms on earth, the Indian peninsula is a veritable Eden. Today it is under siege like never before and yet, remarkably, it survives in all its diverse forms, from the high mountains of the Himalayas to the rich tropical forests of the Western Ghats; from the deserts of Thar to the cloudforests and swamps of Eastern India and the Sal and teak forests of Madhya Pradesh. Experience and research shows that responsible wildlife and nature tourism can provide an invaluable platform to support and sustain parks, wildlife conservancies, buffer zones and local communities. It can also play an important role in poverty eradication. To date there has been too little effort to enforce wildlife laws, too little communication and information to help Parks and tourists support each other and too little effort to encourage locally run responsible wildlife tourism. Its critical that local communities become stakeholders, rather than conservation victims, in the battle to save India's forests and wildlife. Tiger tourism derives hundreds of millions of pounds, rupees and dollars of revenue for travel operators, accommodation and service providers in India yet a tiny, almost negligible, fraction of this is currently reinvested in the conservation of the very parks and reserves you will enjoy as part of your holiday. Average park entry fees for Foreigners are around 300 rupees per visit raising a mere £4.00 or $8 per overseas visitor per entry, or 25 rupees for Indian visitors (35p/65c)- a sum not nearly sufficient to stem the tiger's decline, enhance park's ant poaching efforts, support local communities more directly or indeed cover the real costs of your wildlife experience. Often only a small part of this even gets back to the Park itself as it is lost to regional or central government funds. This must change if we believe there is a future for Indian wildlife conservation, for all of us to enjoy, experience and benefit from in the future.

Solução

The Travel Operators for Tigers is a 'supply chain' pressure campaign initiative aimed at a Global collective and inclusive Travel trade response to the tiger crisis in India, and by association, all the forests and wildlife being affected in the Indian subcontinent . Objectives: To advocate and support better tourism practices in wilderness areas, with specific guidelines for operators, service and accommodation providers and visitors. Look out for the TOFT signs and PUG ratings. To empower local communities to become involved in wildlife tourism projects and initiate low impact and sustainable development which helps conserves the parks and benefits the communities through employmnet and business opportunities. To catalyse initiatives throughthe lodge communty that enhance wildlife conservation and community support, including waste and water management, trade cooperatives, local employment, fair wages and local enterprises and services.

Exemplo

Travel Operators for Tigers is a Travel Industry campaign, not a body or organisation in itself, so as to keep administration as simple and easy as possible. It is aimed at delegating responsibility for administrating the campaign objectives to the individual members who join, placing responsibility on their shoulders to ensure maintenance of Codes of Conduct, supply chain pressure, TOFT lodge collectives supporting projects and community initiatives, and feedback to Travel Operators for Tigers Executive where necessary. The partnering charity, Global Tiger Patrol and invited industry representatives oversee this campaign, review procedures and help market it to garner new members and drive the objectives - all on a purely voluntary basis. Our Indian Director is the only paid employee. Funds, in the form of TOFT Members applying a 'Small Levy' to visitors travelling to wilderness areas are collected from TOFT member companies, overseas or within India on an ‘honesty’ basis and placed in Global Tiger Patrol's charity account. These funds help run the campaign and programme. All other expenses are kept to a basic minimum, with some sponsorship and partnering opportunities being possible. Funds raised by Travel Operators for Tigers will be used by Global Tiger Patrol further our current and future objectives. Travel Operators for Tigers will not look to be funded by anything other than the tourism industry, so is not aimed at competing for funding with other charities, except where governmental or Intergovernmental funds can be accessed by Travel Operators for Tigers alone; which may be the case in some instances.

Ofertas e demandas

TOFT has a simple belief. Well conceived, well planned and well managed tourism is a critical tool in wildlife conservation, rural and community development and sustainable livelihoods. It's one of the only non extractive industries that places economic value on forests; as living breathing intact ecosystems critical to the long term health of India and all who live within its reach. Responsible tourism offers the opportunity to support poverty eradication, and offer employment and small scale business enterprise opportnities beyond those of the extractive industries or unsustainable agriculture or livestock livelihoods. India has a rapidly increasing demand for wilderness and wildlife tourism, and this can provide the driver to effect an extraordinary new template for saving the remaining forests critical to the survival of Tigers and the continent precious biodiversity. TOFT's aim is to help guide and develop this vision.