South Africa was a relatively early adopter of the principles of ecotourism, which The International Ecotourism Society defined as “Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” More than half of the country’s total population lives below the international poverty line, in large part due to the … Continued
Every year around this time, news and travel magazines around the world unveil a clickbait-driven list of the world’s top travel destinations. It’s become an annual rite of passage as predictable as the swallows returning to Capistrano or East Africa’s Great Migration. From U.S. News & World Report to Travel + Leisure, many of these lists seem pedestrian (U.S. … Continued
Belize had been near the top of my bucket list for 20 years before I visited in January. It’s nature/wildlife attractions are equally impressive to the ecotourism in Costa Rica, but with less crowds. It’s also among the few places we’ve explored in-depth that we’re dying to return to. There are so many great tourist attractions in … Continued
November 4 is World Responsible Tourism Day, a day designated by World Travel Market and the United National World Tourism Organization in 2007 to encourage the travel industry to focus on responsible travel issues. Their major objectives were to drive change by educating the industry and consumers alike on responsible travel behavior, exploring ways of … Continued
In general, travel helps to make the world a smaller place. But traveling responsibly and sustainably makes it both smaller and better. If you’ve ever traveled far from home, you’ve probably been personally impacted by the experience of seeing a new part of the world. When we travel, we meet new people, experience new cultures … Continued
Responsible travel is wonderful thing, introducing us to new people and places, brings cultures together and helps us appreciate the immense beauty of the world. On the flip side, irresponsible travel can have a negative impact on that world we’re trying to see. If we’re not aware of how we travel, we can wind up … Continued
Have you ever been on a vacation where you felt like you were viewing the local culture through a glass wall? If you’re nodding your head “yes,” we’re not surprised. The nature of many traditional modes of travel — buses, cruises, massive group tours — can prevent you from truly experiencing new people and places. Community-based tourism, on the … Continued
Yahoo! Earth Day is upon us tomorrow: April 22! To celebrate, you might decide to turn off and unplug all your electronics for the day, or gather all the plastics in your home and load them into the local recycling bin. You might check out one of our favorite sustainable travel blogs. These are perfectly … Continued
These awesome blogs will help you travel better — and greener!