Starting in January 2010, air travelers in the United States and Europe will have a new opportunity to support the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing countries. Travelers who purchase tickets through online or traditional travel agencies will be asked to make a voluntary contribution of $2, which will be added to the […]
In his newest book, “Eco Barons: The Dreamers, Schemers, and Millionaires Who Are Saving Our Planet,” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and nonfiction author Edward Humes recounts inspiring tales of individual efforts to preserve and protect the earth. Meet Doug Tompkins, former CEO and founder of Esprit. The first eco baron in Humes’ book, Tompkins is a […]
When travelers think of ecotourism destinations, places like Costa Rica or Belize come to mind, but not Bolivia. This is about to change because the indigenous people known as the Tacanas, of Bolivia’s Amazon region, are banking on ecotourism as an alternative way to make a living. Located at the banks of the Beni River […]
The Mayor of Capri recently blamed tourists for the fact that the Italian island had “run out of water.” Capri is not the only destination in the region struggling to meet tourist demands for water. In a 2004 “Freshwater and Tourism in the Mediterranean” study, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that the largest tourist […]
The Ogiek people of Kenya may soon become the world’s most recent refugees of conservation efforts. Their long-time home is the Mau Forest in SW Kenya, a complex of 22 forests from which several rivers originate. The Mau Forest has been a center of conflict over land and resources for several years. In addition to […]
The elephant and ivory trade in Thailand, Asia’s largest illegal ivory market, has come under fire after a report published by wildlife monitoring network TRAFFIC highlighted how corruption, legal loopholes and a lack of law enforcement are contributing to the exploitation and dwindling population of the endangered Asian elephants in that country. Although any kind […]
Travelers who want to give back to the communities that they visit, while also saving money, are increasingly signing up to work on organic farms throughout the world. One organization that helps match travelers with host farms is World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or WWOOF. Founded in Britain in 1971, WWOOF has attracted travelers […]
Travelers’ interest in devoting vacation time to volunteer in distant communities has surged in recent years. In a 2008 poll, Travelocity.com found that 38% of travelers planned on volunteering during their upcoming vacations. According to a survey by MSNBC and Condé Nast Traveler more than half of Americans want to take a volunteer vacation. The […]
People who seek plastic surgery increasingly have the option to tack on a vacation to an exotic locale. Destinations such as Jordan, Thailand, Jamaica and the Philippines offer package deals that include treatment from local doctors and a resort stays to recuperate. In Jordan, hospitals are offering package deals that include air travel. There’s even […]
