Voluntourism
For Earth Day 2012, help commit a ‘Billion Acts of Green’
Since the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, over 20 million Americans from all walks of life have contributed to major environmental accomplishments, such as pressuring government leaders for the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws. Today, the Earth Day Network […]
Voluntourism vs. Local Travel – making a (sustainable) difference abroad
Many travellers get to a point in their experience when they want to make a difference in the places they’ve visited. Whether it’s by donating money to a local charity, spending a day at an orphanage, taking a week to help build a school, or spending months working on a local development project, voluntourism has […]
An interview with John McKenzie about the launch of the Geotourism Development Foundation
Launched today from its base in Washington, DC, the Geotourism Development Foundation (GDF) is a not-for-profit tourism-development organisation committed to elevating travel as a force for good. Mr John McKenzie of the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group) is the President of the GDF. He talked to the Local Travel Movement about […]
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 […]
Top five picks for volunteer holidays
According to The International Ecotourism Society, volunteer travel is one of the fastest-growing segments of the tourism market. Environmentally and socially aware travellers now require more from their overseas trips than lounging on a beach and checking out the local watering holes. As a result, the number of initiatives that combine traditional sightseeing with helping […]
Creating community through volunteering in Oaxaca, Mexico
The women filed one by one into the dirt courtyard, taking seats on a long log bench after greeting each other quietly in Zapotec. They wore traditional full aprons over their everyday dresses; most had ribboned braids and dusty sandals. There was an electric air of anticipation, as though something important were about to happen. […]
Local life with the Odula family on Rusinga Island, Kenya
Fed up with the endless grey and drizzle of a London winter and the monotony of my office job, I decided it was time to finally make my African dream a reality. For some time, I had been entertaining thoughts of roaming the Kenyan savannah on a big-game safari, but I was also keen to […]