partners
What Local Travel means to local travel experts
Every month, the WHL Group delves into the travel experiences of travel experts in its extended network through interviews that appear on The Travel Word. One of the requests made of each of these local partners is for them to briefly explain what they think local travel is. What follows is a revealing selection of […]
We suck at collaboration
In early May, 2011, Ron Mader, founder and editor of Planeta.com and 2010 winner of The International Ecotourism Society’s Innovation Award, gave a slideshow presentation at the Responsible Tourism Cities Conference in Durban, South Africa. Entitled Why We Suck at Collaboration, it “addresses failure in many guises, including massive tree failure and online tourism promotion […]
“Authentic travel” is about accepting things as they are
I have just read an interesting article, which I don’t agree with: 7 Reasons Why the ‘Authentic’ Travel Experience Is a Myth by Gary Arndt (@EverywhereTrip on Twitter). Gary Arndt writes: One reason people travel is to have an “authentic experience.” They envision traveling to a foreign country and living, eating, and doing the things […]
iPhone apps by locals
We recently improved the Spotted by Locals iPhone apps that were created by our handpicked locals (who speak the local language, live in the city and are really passionate about their city) in 33 cities in Europe. All the apps work 100% offline (including the very detailed maps), so if you visit one of our […]
Bringing responsible tourism to the hills of Darjeeling, India
Set against the jaw-droppingly gorgeous backdrop of the snow-covered Himalayas and surrounded by the phenomenal forests and streams of rural Darjeeling, India, the little village of Mineral Spring is a community knit together by strong cultural values that have made it a model of sustainable growth. Two of these values are commitments to traditional agriculture […]
Responsible Tourism Week – A better answer to some tough questions
We at The Responsible Safari Company were excited to celebrate Responsible Tourism Week, but it also sparked some heated discussions and questions in the office about how responsible we are. Should we be shouting it from the rooftops or just quietly getting on with what we do? Are there guidelines on how to be a […]
Viking village in Denmark makes a difference
No culture is more grossly misunderstood and under-appreciated than the Vikings. Few people realize that the Vikings, though they led simple lifestyles, were amazingly effective and advanced. Circular forts, for example, are among the most impressive examples of Viking construction technique. Harald Blåtand Gormsen constructed two unique circular forts around 980 AD in Denmark. The […]