Good toilets can change the world. Bad or non-existent ones can hurt a
destination’s tourism prospects.
Travel industry futurists, MyTravelResearch.com believe public toilet cubicles
with the right kind of see-through walls can be a good thing.
Well at least sometimes.
A pop up example was unveiled recently in Sydney. When you enter the cubicle
you can see out in all directions through the walls. However, people outside
cannot see in.
Even though you can’t be seen, it is an unnerving experience that creates
psychological insecurity for a good cause, says Carolyn Childs, co-founder of
MyTravelResearch.com.
“One in three women feels that open view intimidation every day, especially in
developing countries,” she says. “Lack of access to toilets puts women in
developing economies at risk of sexual violence and causes them to drop out of
education.”
UNICEF says that around 2.5 billion people worldwide don’t have access to a proper toilet.
Childs says trying to do the business in what feels like anexposed special UNICEF cubicle in Sydney helps get the
message across about toilet infrastructure in poor parts of
the world.
The pop up was the work of UNICEF and hygiene
company Domestos. They have an innovative corporate social
responsibility programme to improve access to toilets for 25
million people by 2020. They are doing it by promoting the benefits of using a
clean toilet and making safe loos accessible to all.
In the tourism industry, MyTravelResearch previously made a splash with an
insight blog on toilets in travel, which went down well. It can be read here.
The importance of toilets to UNICEF goals can be seen here.
