Retour Foundation

Project history of the FR Consult


2016-now: Leucate, France, Natural Park la Narbonnaise en Mediterranee

Commissioned by Retour Foundation
Currently assessing the possibilities of diversifying products and services in Leucate, on the Mediterranean coast of France, in the Regional Natural Park of la Narbonnaise en Méditerranée, mainly focussed on integrating watersports into sustainable development of tourism, with a focus on improving the opportunities of local entrepreneurs and diversifying products and services. As an extra dimension FR Consult is researching the position of immigrant workers with a focus on developing a plan to help local hotels in preventing sexual exploitation of minors.


2016: Involving multiple stakeholders in sustainable tourism project in Mauritius

Commissioned by Association of Airline Ambassadors
In December 2016 FR Consult assisted the Association of Airline Ambassadors, in inititaiting the Local Representation of the Tourism Child Protection Code and in involving and training all tourism stakeholders (public, NGOs and private) on Corporate Social Responsibility for Human Rights in the tourism industry.


2016: Research document SDG 14: Tourism and Oceans

Commissioned by Brot für die Welt, Tourism Watch Germany
FR Consult wrote a chapter for a publication by Brot für die Welt. Tourism Watch, on the relation between SDGs and tourism development. FR Consult is responsible for a paper on SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. In this chapter FR Consult pays special attention to Coastal regions and SIDS. The study has been presented at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin, in March 2017.


2016: Implementing Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy Dominican Republic

Commissioned by PLAN-RD/UNICEF
Based on the Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy that FR Consult developed in 2015 an assessment was made of the possible contributions for the various stakeholders involved and an implementation plan was drawn up, to be validated by the different partners.


2010-2016: A number of evaluations of NGOs building partnerships with governments and industry

Commissoned by multiple partners
From 2010 to 2016, FR Consult carried out action-oriented evaluations of the implementation of the Tourism Child Protection Code (theCode.org), for DCI the Netherlands, monitoring the progress and results of projects to empower NGOs in multi stakeholder processes towards Public Private Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism and Corporate Social Responsibility. FR Consult evaluated the projects to support and empower local NGOs to make contacts and communicate with the tourism industry, while evaluating, monitoring and adjusting implementation policies. Among the activities FR Consult carried out were:
* Research
* Stakeholder interviews
* Tourist surveys
* Mediating between NGO and business
* Training NGOs
* Training governments
* Training Industry
The evaluations took place in:
* 2015, The Dominican Republic, evaluating MAIS
* 2015, The Gambia, evaluating CPA
* 2015, Colombia, evaluating Renacer
* 2015, Brazil, evaluating ECPAT Brazil
* 2013, The Gambia, evaluating Child Protection Alliance
* 2013, The Philippines, evaluating ECPAT Philippines
* 2013, Cambodia, evaluating ECPAT Cambodia
* 2013, Thailand, evaluating ECPAT International
* 2012, The Dominican Republic, evaluating MAIS
* 2011, The Dominican Republic, evaluating MAIS
* 2010, The Dominican Republic, evaluating MAIS


2011-2016: Several trainings of stakeholders on sustainable tourism

Most of the projects FR Consult has been working on also involved training of stakeholders. A few of the most recent trainings FR Consult carried out include:
* 2016 Training stakeholders from industry, government and NGOs on multi stakeholder cooperation
* 2015 Training NGO staff for Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy for PLAN Brazil
* 2015 Training NGO for Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy Dominican Republic
* 2015 Training Tourism industry LCR Switzerland
* 2015 Training Senegambia Beach hotel, the Gambia
* 2015 Training for Gambian NGO s and Tourism industry on multi-stakeholder cooperation
etc


2015: Developing a Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy for PLAN Brazil

Commissioned by PLAN
The goal of this mission was to create a common understanding and an action plan for the protection of children's rights within a common sustainable tourism strategy with involvement of the stakeholders, creating a plan with priorities for the short term, and a perspective for the longer term, based on an evaluation of ongoing activities. The activities carried out were a context assessment, preparation and facilitation, and the writing of contours of a strategy for stakeholder involvement.


2015: Developing a Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy for PLAN Dominican Republic

Commissioned by PLAN
The goal of this mission was to create a common understanding and an action plan for the protection of children's rights within a common sustainable tourism strategy between the stakeholders, creating a plan with priorities for the short term, and a perspective for the longer term, based on an evaluation of ongoing activities. The activities carried out were a context assessment, preparation and facilitation, and the writing of contours of a strategy for stakeholder involvement.


2015: Evaluation of Code signatories LCR Switzerland

Commissioned by Kinderschutz Schweiz
The goal of this project for ECPAT-CH was to carry out an assessment of the level of implementation of the multi-stakeholder driven Tourism Child Protection Code by Swiss tourism industry on the basis of a review of their yearly reports for 2014 and 2013. To verify their reports interviews wih all stakeholders were carried out.


2015: The Gambia: Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy

Commissioned by DCI-NL
The goal of this mission was to create a common understanding and an action plan for the protection of children's rights within a common sustainable tourism strategy between the stakeholders, creating a plan with priorities for the short term, and a perspective for the longer term, based on an evaluation of ongoing activities. The activities carried out were a context assessment, preparation and facilitation, and the writing of contours of a strategy for stakeholder involvement.


2015: South Africa best practises of Code implementation

Commissioned by Fair Trade Tourism South Africa
Through research a collection of 12 case studies was developed to show The Tourism Child Protection Code in action. The publication is being used for training purposes.


2015: Research on opportunities and threats for Local Code Representatives

Commissioned by Retour Foundation
FR Consult has carried out a research on the basis of literature, meetings and the experiences gathered in destinations to assess the opportunities and threats for the local representatives of the Tourism Child Protection Code.


2015: Research on innovations in business models in the tourism industry

Commissioned by Retour Foundation
FR Consult has carried out a research on the basis of literature, meetings and the experiences gathered in destinations to assess the implications of business innovations for children's rights in the tourism industry.


2015: Research on innovations in CSR and Human Rights approaches

Commissioned by Retour Foundation
FR Consult has carried out a research on the basis of literature, meetings and the experiences gathered in destinations to assess the implications of new developments in approaches to CSR and Human Rights for the Code.


2014: Collection of case studies Code implementation

Commissioned by Kinderschutz Schweiz
The goal of this project was to make a compilation of short case studies in 5 different countries giving an example of 5 different regions and how they are affected by sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and tourism. The case studies highlight the particularities on the ground, raise awareness on child protection of tourists and travellers and tourism professionals.


2014: Via Francigena

Commissioned by Zangrandi Family
For the Zangrandi family, owner of numerous touristic estates, FR Consult developed a plan to improve the touristic products and services offered in Pontremoli, in the Lunigiana area of Italy, bordering the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. All tourism products and services in this area have to comply with the regulations of the national park.


2014: Assisting restaurant La Cicala e la Formica in sustainability issues

Commissioned by La Cicala e la Formica
Assistance to a small restaurant, La Cicala e la Formica, in Rome, in the area of Monti near the Collosseo, to improve its performance on sustainability and ethical issues.


2014: Developing a business plan for the Mama Company

Commissioned by la Cicala e la Formica
Developing a business plan for the Mama Company, a dispatch for sustainably and locally produced food products (from sausages to wines).


2014: Organizing Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy strategy for ECPAT Switzerland

Commissioned by Kinderschutz Schweiz
The goal of this project for the children's rights NGO Kinderschutz was to carry out an assessment on the of representation of the Code in Switzerland, showing strengths and weaknesses of the current multi-stakeholder implementation model. The assessment was part of the Reporting Process with Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and served as a basis for future cooperation.


2013: Study ECPAT Gambia 2013

Commissioned by DCI-Netherlands
The goal of this project was to describe and analyse existing reporting systems in the field of Child Protection policies and others of the tourism industry, identify possibilities of how the existing structures could be used and develop recommendations on what tools are needed to assist the establishment of efficient reporting systems.


2011-2013: IOP-TOV Project Sustainable Innovation

Commissioned by Radboud University Nijmegen, Faculty of Management
Between 2011 and 2013 FR Consult was advisor to the IOP-TOV project. This project, funded by the ministry of Economic Affairs was an academic research into sustainable innovation by translating CSR criteria (including HR) into Key Performance Indicators throughout the business organisation. In close cooperation with Chief Sustainability and Innovation officers of companies like Philips, Heinz, Arcelor Mittal and AkzoNobel, the project developed KPIs for Innovation, Research and Development.


2011: Assisting KUONI in Multi-stakeholder Sustainable Tourism strategy in Dominican Republic

Commissioned by KUONI
The goal of this project for KUONI (then the 3 largest tour operator in the world) was to assist its partners in the implementation of stakeholder participation in the Code in Cabarete and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic by developing a strategy for multi-stakeholder cooperation between KUONI, their suppliers and local NGOs.


2011: IHRB workshop on Human Rights in Tourism Business

Commissioned by Tourism Concern
In 2011, The Institute on Human Rights and Business in cooperation with Tourism Concern organized the first conference on Tourism Business and Human Rights. FR Consult assisted in the preparation and chaired the roundtable with the industry partners.