Association “Neni E” (meaning “Neni, Yes!”) was founded in 2004 by two French brothers, who had lived with an African family for four months and observed the tourist flow passing by the village of Neni. The Association aims to provide a different way to discover the Dogon Country: in a humane, ecologically responsible and ethical manner, giving the travelers a real insight into the life in an African village.
El Remanso Lodge (Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica) has been awarded with the “Level 5″ of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), a rigorous certification program by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) that evaluates tourism companies’ sustainability practices in natural, cultural and social resource management. El Remanso Lodge implements various sustainability practices such as: utilizing local and sustainable construction materials; progressive waste management to avoid excess waste; banning bottled water; and using fully biodegradable cleaning supplies.
Tourism activities under the Sápmi Experience Quality Label are based on the common heritage of the Sámi. Sámi tourism must be sustainable over the long term. This means that tourism must be accepted and established, culturally and socially, in Sámi society, and the host must be able to communicate Sámi values and way of life. Sápmi Experience operators strive for social, cultural, ecological and commercial sustainability. They are companies that respect the integrity of the Sámi culture and work to prevent its objectification.
By Lisa Andersen and Robert Wake-Walker
Voluntario Global is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of local grassroots community projects in Latin America. It has 17 projects currently running in Buenos Aires as well as Jujuy, Bariloche, Misiones and Villagrande in Bolivia. This article covers ideas, challenges and opportunities related to Voluntario Global’s work, based on conversations with three partners and supporters of this important cause.
Cited for excellence in both service and marketing, The Boat Company, a luxury eco-cruise line specializing in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest adventures, is the honored recipient of three 2011 Magellan Awards. Sponsored by Travel Weekly, the leading publication of the travel industry, the Magellan Awards are recognized as the premier awards in travel.
Ecoventura has announced a 2012 scholarship program for local students from the islands of Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz to study conservation and ecology-related issues. The company has pledged up to $4,800 to cover the cost of 12 scholarships for one course/module for 2012. Guests aboard Ecoventura’s fleet will be invited to donate to the scholarship fund that is dedicated to training young people to become leaders in society and contribute to the sustainable development of the Galapagos islands, a World Heritage Site.
By Teresa Berninger
Projects like the Al Auja Environmental Center give hope, by increasing people’s independence and resilience by promoting water management strategies and water saving techniques. One such example is our grey water recycling systems. Waste water is collected, treated, and reused. Since this type of waste water system was installed at the local mosque and people realized how beneficial it is, many private households have started using the system.
By Aaron Smith – I spent over a year traveling around doing sustainable hotel/resort site inspections. Rarely did I get to spend more than one, or two nights, at each property. For me to be thorough, I needed to have an action plan, call it a comprehensive checklist to ‘grade’ each property. I saw every shade of ‘verde’ from the washed-out, to the vibrantly pure, and it was in this journey that I formed a deeper understanding of the industry, its operational challenges, and perhaps surprisingly, I grew a transcending appreciation for those not quite green enough yet.
Mynatour ecotourism community, sponsored by WHL.travel, is launching the Ecotourism Travel Blog Contest, an innovative competition inviting travelers to share their travel blog in order to promote green travel and ecotourism best practices. The idea of the contest is to promote ecotourism and responsible tourism through a travel blog competition where the audience is involved in electing the best ecotourism story.
