Animal exploitation in tourism is not a new issue. Across the world, experiences once marketed as “once-in-a-lifetime” have come under scrutiny—from elephant riding in Thailand, to holding sea turtles in the Cayman Islands, to “walking with lions” in South Africa. As travelers, we are naturally drawn to these experiences but too often, tourism continues to […]
Could you tell us a bit more about ‘SocialBnB’, the platform you co-founded? What is the difference with ‘Airbnb’? Socialbnb is a social enterprise that creates meaningful encounters between travelers and the local population that have a long-lasting positive impact. On the socialbnb platform, travelers can book accommodations (Impact Stays), experiences (Impact Experiences), and tours […]
In response to the humanitarian and civil rights crisis in Burma (Myanmar) sparked by the military coup in February, activists and artists in the San Francisco Bay Area have banded together to organize the Burma Spring Benefit Film Festival, streaming online from June 3rd through 14th, in a curated selection of films and live talks.
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?
Dear Fellow Travelers, Ibn Battuta was a 14th century Moroccan traveler. During his lifetime he covered nearly 73,000 miles—far surpassing Marco Polo’s 7,500. “Travel leaves you speechless,” he wrote, “then turns you into a storyteller.” Let me first acknowledge that all of us in the global travel universe—an industry that, only months ago, supported about […]
Ethical Traveler’s list of “The World’s Ten Best Ethical Destinations for 2019” included Nepal for the first time, primarily for the progress the country has shown in areas such as LBGQT rights and animal welfare. And while the country was included to encourage even greater strides in ethical areas, Nepal still faces many serious concerns […]
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 […]
