Posts Tagged: "tourism"

The Rise of Farm Tourism: Rent a Cow and Other Trends

You may be used to renting a house or a car when you go on vacation, but how about a cow? An enterprising farmer in Switzerland is offering the chance to do just that. It’s part of a trend toward farm tours, extended farm stays and other vacations that promote sustainability and the preservation of […]

In Search of the Authentic Ecolodge

With all the green buzzwords flying around these days, it can be hard for travelers to know what to trust. How do you know if a tourism business is truly sustainable? How can you be certain that an ecolodge is really “eco”? What kinds of criteria should you be looking at? Enter Hitesh Mehta, a […]

Ecotourism Is Not the Answer, Says Expert

An expert on the ethical side of conservation and tourism development has published a controversial new book strongly criticizing current conservation efforts. In Nature Crime: How We’re Getting Conservation Wrong Rosaleen Duffy claims that the dominating Western approach to conservation damages the environment and criminalizes local people. The current approach is based on separating people […]

Iran’s Isolation Encourages Sustainable Tourism

Iran does not top most lists of sustainable travel destinations, but the country’s isolation may have unwittingly made it a pillar of responsible tourism. “Iran has not been McDonaldized yet,” said Jerry Dekker, a former humanities professor who has led over 30 cultural tours for Americans with Iran Traveler and lived there for 13 years. […]

Argentina’s Growing Whale-Watching Industry

Jutting out from Argentina’s east coast some 800 miles south of Buenos Aires, the oddly shaped piece of land known as Peninsula Valdés has become known as one of the best places in the world to observe the southern right whale. From May to December, close to 1,000 of these whales gather in the waters […]

Syrian Tourism Threatened in the Wake of Political Controversy

Many would agree that Syria is home to a proud people with a great cultural tradition. It is well known to tourists for its religious travel as well as its significant historical value. Although the history of Syria has been a tumultuous one, having undergone several periods of political instability, it is still best known […]

Microsoft and United Nations Team up to Improve Tourism in Africa

Microsoft Corporation and the United Nations have partnered to create an online infrustructure they say will improve tourism in Africa. The idea is that increased promotion, centralized information, and connectivity will lead to a more efficient tourism sector and increased visitation, ultimately contributing to the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. In addition […]

Indonesia Tourism Battles Back from Disaster

Following the May 27th 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Bantul region of Indonesia and further disruptions in tourism after the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Merapi, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism formed the Java Media-Crisis Center. Under the patronage of the Ministry’s leader, Mr. Jero Wacik, the information center pools the resources of public […]

Tourism Contributes to Machu Picchu’s Status as an Endangered Historical Site

Recently, considerable attention has been paid to tourism’s affect on particular travel destinations. One site under scrutiny is Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca city in Peru’s Andes Mountains. Geological research, controversial development projects, and actions by preservation groups have caused the world to turn an increasingly watchful eye on this historical landmark. A recent Newsweek […]