In 2008, Rios Tropicales, led by co-founder Rafael Gallo, moved into international sustainable community development collaboration by winning a South-South grant for a rural tourism project between Bhutan and Costa Rica. Rios Tropicales has historically kept a low profile about its sustainable tourism practices and philosophy within its company operations and across its local Costa Rican communities.

By Rafael Gallo, Co-Founder, Rios Tropicales – In 1985 Jimmy, Fernando and I started Rios Tropicales because we loved running rivers, we knew our small country of Costa Rica had some of the world’s best paddling in the world, and we wanted to share these rivers with others. It was natural to us to protect the rivers we were running, help the communities we were visiting and train fellow Costa Ricans to do what we were doing. From our years of international paddling experience we knew guide school best practices and started our own guide school right away.

By Mikael Castro, TIES Travel Ambassador – “Welcome to the Capital of Ecotourism” read the sign at the entrance of town Bonito, in Brazil’s state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A rather ambitions statement, I thought, confident I would find only a few great ecotourism establishments among a pool of green-washed want-to-be’s. I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find an amazingly organized, conservation-driven, municipal-wide, policy-driven, multi-stakeholder system for ecotourism.

From Wild to Web, an ecotourism-based wildlife monitoring project in Guyana’s Yupukari village was announced this year as a winner of the ECOCLUB.com’s annual eco-project competition with the theme, “Their Crisis, Our Communities – Progressive Change through Social Ecotourism.” TIES member Judy Karwacki of Small Planet Consulting works with the From Wild to Web as project manager for the Rupununi Learners Incorporated (RLI), a Guyanese nonprofit corporation whose Board and membership are composed entirely of Yupukari village residents.

Costa Rica is a small biologically diverse country in Central America, hosting 6% of all the species of flora and fauna on the planet in an area about the size of West Virginia in the USA. Costa Rica has been the global leader in the areas of conservation and sustainable tourism. Throughout its history, Costa Rica has demonstrated its progressive efforts to promote peace, conserve the environment, and strengthen the cultural identity of the Costa Rican through responsibly managed tourism development.

In June, Dream Nepal Travel & Tours organized a three-day outdoor rural tourism program in Nagarkot (33km north east of Kathmandu) for the students of Silver Mountain School of Hospitality Management (SMSHM). Working with tourism colleges, Dream Nepal organizes these trips across Nepal, encouraging education and capacity building through outdoor activities. As part of the SMSHM program, the students prepared presentations on their skills and what they have learned about setting up tourism and hospitality enterprises.

Boundless Journeys recently received Travel + Leisure Magazine’s annual “World’s Best” Award as the #7 best tour operator in the world. Offering a range of small group and expert local guide trips for adventure travel vacations worldwide, Boundless Journeys continues to braze new trails in innovative and enriching adventure experiences. Diversity of adventure, unique itineraries and local expertise are among the most important ingredients that have defined the success story of Boundless Journeys.

La Selva Jungle Lodge, located in the heart of the pristine Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador has created what they call The Indigenous Spa, offering rejuvenating treatment by two native Quichua Indigenous women. This unique 1 hour and 20 minute spa treatment features native plant-based “rainforest spa” products and is a spiritual and educational experience. The treatment, for instance, includes a magical dusting away of evil spirits with special leaves, a foot massage with special scented plants from the forest..

Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset – “The World’s Most Beautiful 100km Run” – is an annual event that allows runners to experience some of the most spectacular and pristine trail running in the world as well as a week of discovery and exploration. While the race offers a challenging competition, it also provides the opportunity to be part of the important efforts to preserve the beauty of Hovsgol National Park and the local cultural identity. Participants taking part in the Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset have the option to complete a marathon (42km) distance or the 100km course.

By Len Cordiner, CEO, WHL.travel – WHL is owned and operated by a team from Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, Switzerland, the USA and Vietnam, working with local partners who do all the things best done locally (e.g. working directly with the local accommodation providers and with travelers), and WHL does all the things best done centrally (e.g. technology, web marketing). Generally, we seek out experienced local tour operators as our local partners, although occasionally we also work with local industry associations or NGOs.