As more and more large animals are driven to the brink of extinction, one of the primary challenges facing conservationists lies in counteracting the belief that such wildlife endangers human settlements and livelihoods. A number of organizations are now aiming their work at alleviating conflict between humans and large animals, with tourism identified as an […]
Performing short-term volunteer work abroad is “potentially exploitative” of vulnerable populations, according to a recent study of “voluntourism” in African orphanages. Authored by researchers from South Africa’s Human Sciences Research Council and Queen Mary, University of London, the report found that foreign volunteers who came, bonded and left harmed the emotional and social development of […]
Is your vacation choice blasphemy? Travelers visiting churches, mosques and temples are used to making concessions such as wearing head coverings, removing shoes or refraining from photographing sacred items. But what if the holy site is a living mountain? How do you preserve its sanctity? Do you opt not to hike or photograph it? Indigenous […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
