Nowhere in Europe are there so many different peoples living in such a small region. Although the cultural wealth is made possible by their peaceful coexistence, the different communities cultivate their unique traits in an effort to preserve their national identities. The Wealth of Diversity project was therefore launched by the Magelan Travel Agency DMC and the Istar 21 Danube Tourism Cluster, with the goal of spotlighting multiculturalism in the Danube region as a unified tourism product on the world market and lend this part of Serbia a recognisable brand.

By Cynthia Ord

Living in splendid isolation in the remote mountains around Luang Namtha in northern Laos, the country’s most traditional ethnic groups have for centuries cultivated rice and inhabited small rural villages. These tribes, however, are at a crossroads between traditional ways of life and the forces of modernity and tourism. In 1993, the surrounding region was declared the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, and since then, streams of tourists plan treks to enjoy the outdoors of Nam Ha and the culture of Laos’ ethnic groups.

By Lenka Uhrova

In July 2010, I published an article on the Local Travel Movement website about how I saw tourism in Iceland at the time. I’ve always been particularly interested in regions off the beaten tourist track, which in the past would often be overlooked and overshadowed by the more commonly promoted highlights and ‘must-sees’ of Iceland.

By Alexandra Frischmann

Travel2change is a nonprofit organization with the mission to connect travelers, organizations, and local communities in order to initiate change in a sustainable manner. The goal of travel2change is to capitalize on the potential of travel to make a positive difference in the lives of travelers and local communities alike and to create projects that will have an impact and foster sustainable change.

By Kirsty Barnby

Community Support Network (CSN) is Fiji’s newest non-profit voluntourism organization offering a two-week volunteer and island discovery tour program on Fiji’s untouched Northern Islands. This off-the-beaten-track experience prides itself on being an authentic cultural immersion program and puts a wholesome 80% back into the island communities in the form of training, equipment, infrastructure and education.

By Melissa Lim

The Borneo Ecotourism Solution and Technologies (BEST) Society is a non-profit foundation formed by Borneo Eco Tours, a leading tour operator specializing in regional ecotourism adventures and accommodation. The BEST Society was established in 1995 in Sabah, East Malaysia, when Borneo Eco Tours joined hands with the Sukau Rainforest Lodge to organize a large environmental protection project in Kelananap oxbow lake.

By Vinzenz Schmack

In 1974, I moved to Costa Rica as a bank manager in San José. At the time, the tourism industry hardly existed and nobody imagined that it would play, as today, such a dominant role in the local economy as a major generator of foreign exchange and employment. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would become the owner of a jungle lodge in one of the most remote and most underdeveloped parts of the country and would contribute to the development of this poor region.

Yurts – rounded wooden structures, canvas covered, comfortable, spacious, more like a home than a tent – are easily dismantled and moved (in theory). Mongolian yurts evolved as the home of choice for the nomads of Central Asia. In Mongolia, one of the regions yurts originally hail from, an innovative foundation called Ger to Ger (or ‘Yurt to Yurt’) is working with nomadic families to invite adventurous soles to discover their world.

In March 2011, the Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa (TCKP) and the Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) joined hands to celebrate Navrouz, or the Persian New Year, and to honor the beauty of Chitrali culture and cuisine. In the town of Chitral, a lively festival featuring indigenous cuisine and folk music was held with the aims of sustaining local traditions, as well as promoting the marketability of these cultural elements for regional tourism development.

The new manual, “Stepping Towards Sustainability: A Manual for Sustainable Tourism Suppliers and Supporters,” presents 20 common principles to realize sustainable tourism, developed through an extensive consultation process with over 200 representatives of Thai tourism supplier groups. The manual serves as a handy guide for suppliers developing and striving to improve their sustainability practices. These principles have been developed based on a consensus reached by participating local tourism supplier groups who compared the main pillars of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria