The Responsible Travel Club (RTC) of Viet Nam is an informal group of tour operators dedicated to building responsible travel and sustainable tourism in all regions in Viet Nam. What to experience? If you want your travel to create real positive impact and value in the destinations, and at the same time experience genuine community based tourism, go with one of them. Each CBT tour tries to enhance the interaction between the local host and guests so they can exchange on their respective culture. For examples the local host and his family are invited to have meals with guests. After three years of running an association of responsible tour operators working towards responsible and sustainable tourism, RTC has become a platform between Tour Operators and the CBT sites they are working with. RTC organizes annually an inspection trip for their members and invite NGOs working in developing CBT in Viet Nam such as SNV and WWF, FPSC Spain to join. During the trip, experiences from each party are exchanged, open and free discussions have become a connection for all stakeholders for mutual benefits. They work closely with local communities and ethnic tribes to optimise their benefits from tourism and, seek financial support from NGOs and donors, such as in Chieng Yen, or Ngoc Son Ngo Luong. Created by Footprint Vietnam Travel, Activetravel Asia, Sisters Tours, Indochina Travelland, and GSO Travel, their members now include: Vietnam Discovery Travel, Tonkin Travel, and Aurora Travel. How does it help? Some members give back 5% of their profit to the communities they visit, which they use to build infrastructures such as schools, library. All decisions are in hand of local people. They are the one who set the prices, welcome the guests. Activities they conduct are tackling the key elements, which enable to improve tourism impacts. For example, realising that the quality and ethics of many tour guides were alarming, RTC has been working on improving the quality of guides behaviour and knowledge and set up the RTC network of responsible guides. They also organise workshops and training sessions, developed a Code of conducts for travellers as well as for staff on conserving natural and cultural heritage which is applied by its members. Their next step is to identify and grade eco friendly hotels in Hanoi. Workshops they organised include: - Workshop in La vie Vu Linh, Yen Bai Province for RTC members and member’s staff on “Environmental impacts of tourism on responsible development”. - Applied “Green Office” model for RTC responsible tour operators with the technical support from Enerteam. - Clean-up and Trash-bin Giving in Co To Island. Contact Details NGO Responsible Travel Club of Vietnam (RTC) 10A1 Ly Nam De, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: 39332844 Email: rtcvietnam@gmail.com Website: www.rtcvietnam.org