ISTM Destinations Communities Support Interest Group
Welcome to the Support Interest Group page on the ISTM website. We will be updating this page regularly and hope you will visit often. The Destination Communities Support Interest Group is open to suggestions and invites all ISTM members who feel strongly about the specific issues affecting destination communities to join our group. There is no cost to join, and it's easy. Click here to join or for more information.
The focus of the Support Group is to address specific issues pertaining to destination communities particularly in developing countries.
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The Destination Communities Support Interest Group Charter is to:
- Promote the development of travel medicine and the ISTM among countries traditionally considered host countries;
- Identify and raise awareness of social, environmental, cultural and health issues created (or caused) by travel and tourism within destination communities; and,
- Promote and conduct research and develop strategies to protect local destination communities from negative impacts of tourism.
If you have suggestions regarding the activities listed below or new ideas for the Support Interest Group to consider, please direct your comments to Interim Chair Assunta Marcolongo, Canada. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Destination Communities Support Interest Group Future Activities
- Distributing information regarding awareness about sex and tourism.
- Encourage ISTM participation of health care professionals from developing countries, especially in areas where ISTM has no members.
- Encourage the distribution and promotion of The Responsible Traveler.
- Developing training opportunities for health professionals in destination countries. Issues facing local doctors overseas are quite different - different expectations from the Western patient, language challenges, varying prescribing methods, etc. Also recent travel medicine trends have created critical medical education needs. The process would be to:
- (a) Identify regions and possible venues
- (b) Ensure the perceived need for further training
- (c) Formulate suitable programs - one or two days
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Member Activities of Interest
Buddha Basynat, Nepal: Our resource on High Altitude medicine, he is currently doing studies on multi-drug resistant typhoid in Nepal.
Trish Batchelor, Australia: Manages a project for International Porter Protection Group in Nepal and runs a rescue post for porters including a porter shelter, in the Gokyo Valley of the Everest region of Nepal.
Irmgard Bauer, Australia: Research into tourism's health impacts (including travelers' health and its implications for locals; example: Leishmaniasis); health of tourism employees (Inca Trail porters; casual sexual relationships between locals and tourists); design of tourism health impact assessment tool.
Miguel Cabada, Peru: Has performed studies on sexual behaviour/relationship of travelers and locals in Cuzco/Peru.
Santanu Chatterjee, India: Was involved with the first Studies on travelers' diarrhoea and malaria chemoprophylaxis in India. He has major interests on the impact of travel on host countries. He is our resource in travel health issues for the Indian subcontinent.
Sheila Hall, Scotland: Has lectured at the NECTM Edinburgh 2006 on "Respect for environment and local culture", and is networking on our Group's behalf with Tourism Concern and other related NGOs.
Martin Haditsch, Austria: Organises the LINZ Travel Medicine meeting in Austria every year in March and encourages participation from countries in Eastern Europe on travel health.
Mikio Kimura, Japan: Organises travel health initiatives in Japan and works actively with travel and tourism authorities.
Assunta Marcolongo, Canada: As President of the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, she has been in the forefront of promoting travel health among travelers.
Nebojsa Nikolic, Croatia: Working on Maritime Health and is currently Vice President IMHA (International Maritime Health Association).
Professor Michel Rey, France: Working in Senegal on how mass tourism can contribute to development in host countries.
Mario Masana Wilson, Argentina: Initiating travel health activities in South America as President of the Latin American Society of Travel Medicine (SLAMVI).
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Destination Communities Support Interest Group Recent Activities
A primary focus has been on raising awareness of host country issues and encouraging networking among interested members at ISTM Regional Meetings and International Congresses.
- a. Poster at the CISTM 7 Innsbruck: "Effect of Tourism on Host Countries"
This poster focused on the aims and objectives of the Support Interest Group and provided insights into the important issues for the members in our Group.
- b. IPPG exhibition at the CISTM 7 Innsbruck
This exhibition highlighted the condition of the porters in Nepal and was a major attraction at the Congress.
Linz Initiative
Martin Haditsch, Austria, has been the key to this initiative. He secured sponsorship for eight healthcare professionals from Belarus, Cuba, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Peru, Turkey, and Peru giving them the opportunity to attend the CISTM 7 and CISTM 9. We hope to encourage more such efforts in assisting our colleagues who are interested in joining our travel health community.
This document provides thoughts on the responsibility of the traveler when visiting a country with a different culture and customs. It serves as a guide for responsible behavior while traveling around the world. The first copy was in English and is available in a four page document (around 1300 words) and also in an abridged form that can be used as a bookmark.
The document has now been translated into Chinese, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. This document can be used with due permission for distribution among travelers, health and tourism authorities. For more information or to order copies for distribution, click here.
ISTM Members: Click here to go to manage my membership and join this group.