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Articles tagged with: sustainability

Community Based Tourism, Costa Rica, Indigenous Communities, Innovation Award, Sustaining Destinations, TIES Members News and Projects »

[8 Aug 2010 | 126 Comments | 2,243 views]
2010 Innovation Award Finalist: Rios Tropicales

The project to help develop El Tigre into a sustainable community tourism destination met the goals of the Programme for South-South Cooperation (PSC). These goals include: Sustainable tourism, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity, Access to Sustainable Energy and Efficient Energy Use, Sustainable Chains of Production and Consumption, and Gender Equity. The three guiding principles of successful PSC project candidates are Equality, Reciprocity and Participation.

Community Based Tourism, Costa Rica, Innovation Award, Sustaining Destinations, TIES Members News and Projects, ecoDestinations »

[8 Aug 2010 | 90 Comments | 1,882 views]
2010 Innovation Award Finalist: Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance provides tourism entrepreneurs and community-based businesses in Latin America with the tools and training they need to become more environmentally and socially responsible, to compete in the marketplace and to contribute to the conservation of the local cultures and nature. Last year, we launched the Rainforest Alliance Verified program.

Innovation Award, TIES Members News and Projects »

[8 Aug 2010 | 19 Comments | 1,205 views]
2010 Innovation Award Finalist: WHL Consulting

Inability of small and medium sized accommodation providers to purchase services they really need like clean energy technologies and/or market access/e-commerce services. Typically it is hard for small businesses, primarily in the hospitality sector to collateralize their assets (i.e. their rooms stock) and/or gain access to finance from traditional lenders (especially in the developing world). High energy costs and a lack of market access due to insufficient e-commerce/online competitiveness are critical constraints to their long-term financial sustainability.

Climate Change and Tourism, Ecotourism in Action »

[13 Mar 2010 | One Comment | 993 views]
Golden Arrow’s Green Business Strategies: Balancing Comfort and Conservation

By Jenn Holderied, Owner, Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort – We are fortunate to live and play in the Adirondack Park, and believe that this beautiful protected area is something worth protecting, not only for ourselves and our children, but for the thousands of visitors who pass through this wilderness each day. As you are swimming in the clean clear waters of Mirror Lake or sipping coffee from the lake-view balcony of your guest room, we think you will agree that it is worth it too.

Costa Rica, Ecotourism in Action, TIES Members News and Projects »

[25 Feb 2010 | No Comment | 858 views]
Rios Tropicales: Moving Beyond Tour Operator to Sustainable Community Development Co-Creator

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.

Local & Slow Travel Stories »

[12 Feb 2010 | No Comment | 906 views]
Ecotourism Fun for Everyone

By Ed Thompson, Ooh.com – Whether information gathering, or physically participating, there has never been a time when we’ve been so widely involved in a collective awakening about our impact on the environment. There’s also never been so much fun to be had from it. There are now more courses, classes, tours, and travel opportunities for the eco-conscious than ever. Have you always wanted to get some practical experience with sustainable living? Or considered building your own yurt? We’ll here’s how!

Local & Slow Travel Stories, Mountains & Adventures »

[27 Jan 2010 | No Comment | 1,377 views]
An Alpine Melody in Slovenia: A Perfect Nature Tour

Baa baa black sheep, now we have your wool! So say travellers in Slovenia who have had the pleasure of an exclusive Alpine Melody tour with Spin Travel. Billed as a day-long excursion that “takes you back to the times of our grandfathers,” Alpine Melody was also shortlisted in early December 2009 for the Sejalac (Sower) award, given every year since 2003 to the most promising tour providers in Slovenia by the Slovenian Tourist Board.

Climate Change and Tourism, Sustaining Destinations »

[19 Aug 2009 | No Comment | 1,143 views]
Ruby Falls: eco-friendly attraction at the world’s only solar-powered cave

Ruby Falls (Chattanooga, Tennessee), America’s deepest commercial cave and most-visited underground waterfall, receives over 400,000 visitors annually. This 80-year-old natural attraction with a 1928 Irish style castle, listed in the National Register for Historic Places, has in recent years been transformed into a more sustainable business operation with progressive energy-saving strategies, waste reduction efforts, and sustainable land use initiatives – and a Green Globe International seal to testify to the successful implementation of these sustainability efforts.

Wildlife Conservation & Education »

[17 Aug 2009 | No Comment | 1,769 views]
Tourism and Biophilia: Protecting the world’s remaining natural habitats

As disparate as the subjects of tourism and biophilia would seem, it is apparent that in my life and countless others, they are indeed closely connected. Biophilia is a term created by my environmental hero, Edward O. Wilson, to describe the innate affinity, fascination, and awe that we humans have for other species. Judging from the rates that we visit our zoos and wildlife parks, it must be a common affliction. Yet today, many of us spend our vacations traveling to natural environments not knowing the effect tourism has on the habitats of the very species we set out to see.

Caribbean, ecoDestinations »

[12 Jun 2009 | 2 Comments | 1,318 views]
"A Natural Experiment in the Caribbean" – Corporate environmental & social responsibility practices by hotels in Cuba & Dominican Republic

Excerpts from “SUN, SAND, AND SUSTAINABILITY: Corporate Environmental and Social Practice in Caribbean Coastal Tourism” (2006) by Emma Stewart, Ph.D., Research Manager at Business for Social Responsibility – the Caribbean is an important region in which to examine the patterns of corporate environmental and social practice in the tourism sector. And in fact, it also provides a sort of ‘natural experiment’, comparing two Caribbean island nations, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, that have similar tourism markets but greatly different approaches towards managing them.