The Destination Communities Support Interest Group of the ISTM: A Member Survey GK Brink, Durban, South Africa; A Marcolongo, IAMAT, Canada; S Hall, Travel-health Related Education & Care, U.K.; I Bauer, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia; M Haditsch, Labor Hannover MVX GmbH, Germany; S Chatterjee, Wellesley Medicentre, Kolkata, India
WHO ARE WE? RESULTS Future Topics / Areas of Interest Originally the Host Countries Committee formed in 1999 *URXSUHFRQ¿JXUHGLQ± The Responsible Traveller Document and Bookmark Topics for future talks and presentations are summarized below: Renamed Destinations Communities Support Interest Group (DCSIG) RI WKH UHVSRQGHQWV ZHUH DZDUH RI Travel insurance Currently 385 group members WKHVHGRFXPHQWV ZHUHLQWHUHVWHGLQ GLVWULEXWLQJWKHPDQG H[SHFWHGWKHP Impact, negative and positive, of tourism on destination countries WHAT DO WE DO? to be free of charge. All respondents agreed that Mutual interaction of travellers and destination communities 7KHIRFXVRIWKH6XSSRUW*URXSLVWRORRNLQWRVSHFL¿FLVVXHVSHUWDLQLQJWR the documents should be downloadable from Stratifying risk: violence, accidents destination communities particularly in developing countries. the ISTM website. The preferred International adoption Changes tourism can generate in aboriginal populations language of those documents is English Chinese German CURRENT PROJECTS indicated in the Pie Chart at right. Adventure travel Spanish French 1) The Responsible Traveller documents which are traveller education Medical tourism tools developed by the DCSIG and available to all ISTM members as a Education programmes for doctors participating in global care PHPEHUEHQH¿W Medical Tourism Sex Tourism and its impact on the destination community $FFRUGLQJ WR UHVSRQGHQWV WKH '&6,* QHHGV WR DGGUHVV 0HGLFDO Sex tourism 3) Medical Tourism may result in a number of medico-legal and ethical Tourism. 5LVNSUR¿OHVRI\RXQJSHRSOHZRUNLQJDW1*2V issues that impact not only on the returning patient developing Reasons Why Medical Tourism Should be Addressed Infection control and prevention complications, and on the medical infrastructure of both the country of origin Involve other organizations dealing with responsible tourism and the destination country, but also on the population of the host country. Medical Tourism is increasingly popular and will continue to expand The impact it has on local structures and communities Overuse of disposable water bottles, garbage build up PURPOSE OF STUDY The need to counsel and educate patients prior to travel Better education of travellers The purpose of this study was to ascertain members’ views on those projects Assisting practitioners develop travel medicine centres, mentorship and also to understand their expectations for future activities to ensure that To address complications and post-travel/treatment issues $QDO\VLVRIYROXQWHHUWRXULVP±JRRGRUEDG" the DCSIG continues to achieve the Charter’s objectives. :KLOH SDUWLFLSDQWV KDG QR H[SHULHQFHV ZLWK PHGLFDO WRXULVP KDG WUHDWHG SDWLHQWV IURP RWKHU FRXQWULHV WUHDWHG SRVW WUDYHO Ethics and best practice for doctors and health professionals assisting in METHOD complications, knew of patients travelling for lower cost health care, or treated developing countries In June 2011 a questionnaire was distributed electronically to the then 339 military, airline crews and other business travellers. DCSIG members and was completed on-line. The link was available for ten Destination Communities days. Two reminders were sent within the ten day period. Sex Tourism RIPHPEHUVUHTXHVWHGDZRUNVKRSV\PSRVLXPDW,670FRQIHUHQFHV This questionnaire was divided into four sections: (1) The Responsible ZHUHLQWHUHVWHGLQUHFHLYLQJWKHGRFXPHQWRQ6H[7RXULVPDQG pertaining to destination countries. Sample topics are listed below. 7UDYHOOHUGRFXPHQWV 0HGLFDO7RXULVP 6H[7RXULVPDQG )XWXUH ZDQWHGDWUDYHOOHUKDQGRXWIRUGLVWULEXWLRQWRWKHLUSDWLHQWV Topics/Areas of Interest. Each section had a subset of four questions. members supported links between DCSIG and other organizations such as Injury insurance for local people at high risk (&3$7 (QG&KLOG3URVWLWXWLRQDQG7UDI¿FNLQJ Mountaineering The sixteen questions took no longer than ten minutes to complete. There Rafting ZHUHUHVSRQGHQWV Health Issues Importance and Support Medical emergencies when abroad, e.g. trekking, dental Destination Communities Support Epidemiological data of disease in African communities 40 “How much Interest Group Charter 35 importance and Impact of tourism on resource-poor communities, including exploitation of 30 support should cheap labour The Destinations Communities Support Group (DCSIG) has 25 be given to the Mass events: effect on host community and travellers responsibility for promoting the development of travel medicine and 20 health issues the ISTM among countries traditionally considered host countries 15 of people living The DCSIG is charged with identifying and raising awareness 10 permanently in General Comments 5 travel destination of social, environmental, cultural and health issues caused by 0 countries?” There were a few general comments, most being supportive of the DCSIG and travel and tourism within destination communities and with the the work it does. responsibility to encourage and conduct research and develop 1 = Not important n = 65; x = 4.37 5 = Very important strategies to protect local destination communities from negative CONCLUSIONS impacts through tourism Relevance of Educational Sessions from Groups Although the responses rate was low, the study clearly indicated the relevance The DCSIG will work with other ISTM committees and groups in RIWKH'&6,*DQGXQGHUOLQHGLWVPDQGDWHDVUHÀHFWHGLQWKHJURXS¶V&KDUWHU “At ISTM 35 areas of mutual interest especially membership, research, health conferences, how 1RWRQO\DUHWKHFXUUHQWWRSLFVDQGSURMHFWVPXFKQHHGHGDQGZHOFRPHGE\WKH 30 of migrants and refugees, the travel industry and public education relevant would members, the suggested further topics and areas of interest provide directions committees it be to include 25 for the group to enhance the members’ skills as travel medicine practitioners. educational 20 sessions from 15 The complete survey results are available at www.istm.org. groups such as 10 Alliance for Rabies Contact Details:)RUIXUWKHULQIRUPDWLRQUHJDUGLQJWKH*URXS¶VDFWLYLWLHV International Society of Travel Medicine 5 Control, Roll Back Established 1991 0 please contact: Malaria Campaign, Promoting healthy travel worldwide Garth Brink ([email protected]) | Sheila Hall ([email protected]) Water Aid?” 1 = Not important n = 67; x = 4.13 5 = Very important