Tourism businesses specializing in excursions to rural destinations seemingly could benefit from a boom in guests—if they play their cards right. So have such companies been able to conduct successful tours in the midst of a pandemic?
Matt Kurth and Humboldt Cannabis Tours Several years ago, Matt Kurth reached a crossroads in his life. After working as a whitewater river guide for ten years, he got “tired” of it and realized he was ready to tackle another challenge. It just happened to incorporate his experiences as a tour guide, a longtime passion […]
When Shirley Mason was a young girl, she participated in an activity one summer that ended up being a life-altering experience. “They would do special things during this two-week long summer camp and they kept talking about this one special thing we were gonna do,” she says. It was something she has ended up doing […]
Greening up summer festivals (Copyright: Woodford Festival) Synonymous with summer, music festivals welcome large numbers of live music aficionados making long treks to hear their favorite bands perform – as well as pour lots of money into the coffers of organizers. Between 1999 and 2009, the North American concert industry saw profits jump by 40% as […]
Colonizing. That’s a term Leon Mach has used to describe surf tourism. “Colonizing in the sense that surf tourism often arrives first to remote coastal areas and effectively takes over the development process,” says Mach, the co-founder of SeaState, a program that offers courses related to sustainability in several countries. “Often this entails rapid development […]
In 2004, Justin Francis decided to visit Phuket on vacation. It certainly wouldn’t seem out-of-the ordinary for a Westerner to holiday in Phuket – after all, a little less than 3.5 million non-Thais visited the island in 2004. But his excursion to the popular tourist destination didn’t come at the best of times. Phuket – […]
Sea Turtle Shell Bracelets (Photo: Hal Brindley) Several years ago, Brad Nahill, co-founder of ecotourism organization SEE Turtles*, was shopping for souvenirs in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua when he noticed something rather troublesome. “I was shocked to see how many [turtleshell products] were being sold in the souvenir shops and artisan stands around town,” […]
Note: See end of article for new policy update When Malia Everette came back from Cuba in 1991, one word summarized her feelings about the experience: inspired. “I saw a nation doing so much to steward their social successes over decades of socialism, with so little in terms of material resources,” said Everette, founder and […]
More than 15 years ago, Josh Grisdale was exploring Tokyo when he encountered a problem that few of us actively consider. After maneuvering his electric wheelchair off the train, he discovered there was no elevator. The subway staff were quick to help, and carried Grisdale down four flights of stairs. “[To the staff], I was […]
