The nominees are in and voting is underway for the 2010 Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award (ITBWA). Fifteen tourism operations representing 10 countries will compete for the award, which recognizes private tourism enterprises owned and operated in a sustainable manner by indigenous and local communities pursuing traditional lifestyles. Two awards will be given, one […]
Ecotourism is getting a face lift in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis, where visitors who want to experience the natural beauty of the desert without wasting local resources can head to a new crop of eco-lodges that have sprung up in response to local concerns. According to news reports, local villagers worry that too many tourists might […]
Is there such a thing as a sustainable cruise? After all, cruise ships emit three times as much carbon dioxide as airplanes, according to an article in the Telegraph. The fact that many passengers fly to their cruising destination only compounds the carbon footprint. Then there’s the issue of pollution. According to the environmental group […]
Over the past few years carbon offsets have become a popular tool for combating global warming, but recently ethical travel advocates have begun to question the practice. One prominent organization, UK-based responsibletravel.com, recently decided to stop selling carbon offsets to its customers. Carbon offsets or credits are most commonly purchased by travelers to help counteract […]
Even after a decade of debate, the question of whether or not tourists should travel to Burma remains a much-contested issue. Evidence suggests that travel to Burma only indirectly supports the military regime’s harsh policies with tourist dollars. Is a boycott appropriate or counterproductive? Those in favor of boycotting travel cite the Burmese government’s disregard […]
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides North and South Korea—once described by Bill Clinton as “the scariest place on earth”—is being promoted as an ecotourism destination. Located an hour north of Seoul, the 249-kilometer (155-mile) long, 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) wide DMZ is known more for its armed soldiers, land mines and barbed wire than for being […]
Wild Asia, a social enterprise that promotes sustainable travel, community-based development and conservation of natural areas, recently announced the 2009 winners of its Responsible Tourism Awards, presented annually to tourist accommodations that exemplify best practices for sustainable tourism. This year’s awards ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 28. Awards were given in […]
While ecotourism and sustainable travel operators are minimizing the damage inflicted on World Heritage Sites, the sheer volume of travelers and irresponsibility on the part of tourists, urban planners and multinational corporations could see some of the world’s most famous wonders being closed to the public. The latest biannual watch list compiled by the World […]
A new organization called Angel Says: Read is working to promote literacy in Belize by collecting books from tourists on vacation and donating them to public libraries. When author and former Washington Post reporter Jackie Spinner first visited Belize earlier this year, she decided to leave her heavy stack of used books behind at the […]
