By Lindsay Milich

Time and time again the people of the tiny Eastern Mediterranean country of Lebanon have picked themselves up after the stun of war and political instability, and marched forward determinedly. Despite the fact that normal progress and day to day living has been stifled in such staggering ways the people here have repeatedly found the strength to carry on. And interestingly enough, food and wine have often provided the backdrop for some of the most remarkable stories of Lebanese resiliency.

By Lindsay Milich

Lebanon has a lot going for it: Mountains, sea, history, natural beauty, diversity, energy, culture, and a culinary heritage to be envied. The wine-growing tradition here is one of the most ancient; its origins can be traced back to the sea-faring Phoenicians. Today, the industry is booming, and there are over 30 wineries operating in this small country, many in the fertile Bekaa Valley. In conjunction with this growth, wine tourism also represents a market of increasing importance.

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.

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.

Kona AfricaBike is an excellent, durable and easy-to-use commuter bike, designed for the conditions of riding African terrain. With a few AfricBike donations around Africa and promotion through Bicycling Magazine, the attention of the general public was captured. People were asking, “how can we be involved?” and “how can we buy a Kona AfricaBike?” So popular did they prove to be, Kona started to sell them on a not for profit basis – for every 2 sold, another was donated. Sales and donations have allowed over 3,000 bicycles to be donated.

Part 2 – Ecotourism Now

The wave of initiatives to incorporate local communities into the management of tourism operations hit a high point in the late 1990s, but subsequent reports of failing enterprises began to flow in, swamping any sense of progress. More and more community‐based tourism projects, designed to operate autonomously with initial donor investments, were virtually without guests and no longer operational by 2008‐2009.

In October 2010, a new group of visitors will arrive on Sierra Leone’s John Obey Beach, 20 miles south of the capital, Freetown, and begin to build a new life alongside the local fishing community. The initiative is led by Tribewanted, a social enterprise whose groundbreaking social experiment on the Fijian island of Vorovoro has injected since 2006 more than US$ 1 million into the local economy by setting up an online tribal community of more than 10,000 people.

By Laura Burns – The most rewarding experiences I’ve had while travelling have always been moments where I have truly immersed myself in the local culture, and there is no better way to get involved with the locals than volunteering. In fact, voluntourism has become an increasingly popular trend, and travellers everywhere are seeking out ways to give back to the places they visit.

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.

Born in a nearby village, Alee moved to Ton Kloy as a young man, and, for many years, supported his family by hunting wild animals. The forests surrounding Ton Kloy are renowned for rare plants, a great diversity of butterflies, and abundant wildlife. Over time, Alee began to understand that it was important “to protect the forest and keep wildlife in this area for people to see in the future.” While keeping a clear eye on the future, Alee is also addressing the pressing conservation problems of today.