responsible
Indigenous People’s Week: August 8 to 12, 2011
Indigenous tourism is the topic of the moment thanks to an innovative and fun ‘unconference’ that is taking place around the globe as part of Indigenous People’s Week, from August 8 to 12, 2011. As the founder of Planeta.com, I’m co-hosting the event with Sweden’s Nutti Sámi Siida. Their Anders Kärrstedt tweeted more than a […]
The Zikra Initiative helps the people of Ghor Al Mazra’a, Jordan
In 2007, after I learned that the government of Jordan had declared a poverty pocket in the community known as Ghor Al Mazra’a (Jordan Valley) in the governorate of Al Karak, I founded something called the Zikra Initiative, an ‘exchange tourism’ program through which city-based people can immerse themselves in the uniqueness of a rural […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]