Despite being plagued with social and political problems, Zimbabwe is experiencing a renaissance in tourism as the nation struggles to thrive under the devastating effects of President Robert Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule. Thanks in part to improved infrastructure, the increasing availability of food, and the adoption of the U.S. dollar as Zimbabwe’s main currency in 2009, […]
Swimming with wild dolphins offers a thrilling opportunity to get close to one of the world’s most intelligent species, but a new study has shown that the activity may be harmful to the well-being of the animals. While organizations such as the Humane Society have long criticized captive swim with the dolphins (SWTD) programs, less […]
As more and more travelers look for ways to see the planet without leaving a negative footprint, alternatives to mass tourism are growing in popularity. Referred to as ethical travel, responsible travel or sustainable travel, these new trends range from ecotourism and rural tourism to voluntourism and community-based tourism. All of these forms of tourism […]
Bali tourism has slowly been recovering from the suicide bombings in 2002 that took the lives of 202 people, many of them foreign tourists. Thanks to political instability in Thailand, Bali welcomed a record 2.2 million foreign tourists in 2009. The Balinese government aims to break this record in 2010, hoping to receive between 2.3 […]
The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples issued a report last month condemning Australia’s Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) Act for further alienating the Australian indigenous population. The NTER Act was enacted in response to a report detailing allegations of child sexual abuse in […]
A new land conservation effort in Montana is helping to preserve the state’s natural areas through an innovative partnership between visitors to the state, the hospitality industry, private landowners and nonprofit land trusts. The program, known as Travelers for Open Land (TFOL), collects voluntary donations from visitors to Montana to fund grants to preserve the […]
A new land conservation effort in Montana is helping to preserve the state’s natural areas through an innovative partnership between visitors to the state, the hospitality industry, private landowners and nonprofit land trusts. The program, known as Travelers for Open Land (TFOL), collects voluntary donations from visitors to Montana to fund grants to preserve the […]
Nearly a third of Nairobi’s population lives in the Kibera slum, the world’s second largest informal settlement, yet the Kenyan government does not recognize its existence. The lack of government aid has taken its toll on public services. There is just one toilet for every 1,300 residents, and high crime rates drive most people to […]
The recent publication of a guidebook about Burma’s Shan State highlights the destruction and repression of its culture and people by the Burmese military junta and reveals the darker side of tourism in that region. Entitled “Forbidden Glimpses of Shan State,’ the book was published by Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) to bring readers’ attention […]
