Responsible Travel Report Blog
Prior to her work in El Salvador, Jones has taken on assignments such as Latin American & Caribbean regional project analysis, North American and European market research, and micro credit acquisition for the EWI project “Connecting Local Artisans to the Tourism Economy” in the Dominican Republic. She has also worked with Native Energy Travel Offsets, a provider of carbon offsets using wind and other renewable energy sources.
Jones is a published author and editor of several titles with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the United Nations Environmental Programme. Currently, she is the editor of the Ecotourism Then & Now blog, an 8-part chronicle on the evolution of The International Ecotourism Society, the first organization in the world fully dedicated to tourism as a sustainable development tool, written by original TIES founder and Director of Planeterra, Megan Epler Wood.
Much of Jones’ expertise lies within community-based tourism, a challenging, yet rewarding field that strives to support the growth of small tourism businesses as a conservation and poverty alleviation tool.
Who is doing it? How are they making it happen?
Visit Frances on her blog site http://francesfigart.wordpress.com/
Nominated for Best Tour Operator in the 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Award, STI member Terra Incognita Ecotours is based in Tampa, Florida, and operates tours to Belize, Borneo, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Galapagos, India, Madagascar, New Zealand, Peru, Rwanda and Tanzania. Gerard “Ged” Caddick founded Terra Incognita Ecotours in 2004 after more than fifteen years of working in expedition travel.
- The STI Inner View: Hitesh Me... This recent interview with my friend Hitesh provides a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of...
Her fascination with animals began in first grade, when her family adopted a tiny Chihuahua. As she grew, so did her pets; and today, she’s rarely seen without one or two seventy-pound greyhounds by her side — unless you happen to catch her “out there,” searching for polar bears, grizzlies, or Spirit Bears.
Candice is currently working on her fifth book, Travel Wild Wisconsin, to be published by the University of Wisconsin Press. Visit her website at www.candiceandrews.com.
The fictional Ace Ventura may be tops when it comes to pet detectives, but the real animal gumshoes are those of the nonhuman sort. More and more, we are recognizing the incredible powers of observation and deduction our fellow creatures possess and are using them to help us discover what’s going on in our environments.
- Tigers in the Backyard There are some statistics that you hear that knock your socks off, and you just can’t quite be...
As the founder and CEO of TravelDragon.com, a currated source and search engine for over 6,000 unique itineraries offered by 500+ of the best small tour operators in the world, she helps tour providers distribute their products through targeted networks. She continues to design and lead limited custom departures through her own adventure travel company The Dragon’s Path and is Senior Consultant for Travel Marketing Worldwide Asia/Pacific division
Kathy is a frequent international speaker, consultant, strategist and SME (subject matter expert). She's also a bit of a social media, gear and gadget geek and enjoys sharing finds through posts, podcasts and product reviews. She supports Sustainable Travel International by sitting on their advisory committee, speaking, blogging and offering member webinars. An avid trail runner, cyclist, skier and photographer Kathy enjoys Boulder CO as her home base when not traveling the world.
A funny thing happened on my way to Kilimanjaro...
As a child, I could read Where The Wild Things Are in an infinite loop without boredom.
Dave has spent more than ten years building strong nonprofit organizations dedicated to education, environmental stewardship and responsible travel. Dave is a passionate and seasoned educator who has worked with such diverse organizations as the World Wildlife Fund, Duke University, Island Press, The Nature Conservancy, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens and The Catamount Institute. Past writing has appeared in Explore Magazine.
Dave earned a master’s degree from Duke University in Environmental Policy and Economics and a B.S. in biology from Xavier University. He also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke.
Many cultures the world over have a form of goulash—typically a mix of beef, vegetables, paprika and other seasonings. It was an Italian goulash, perhaps containing some rancid meat, that sent my friend shouting through the halls of a Bologna emergency room, “Che un dottore, che un dottore,” as I lay passed out at the hospital entrance. A Hungarian goulash from my grade school days held a flavor I am still trying to recreate. This blog will be a goulash of conundrums that challenge the thoughtful traveler who wants to explore the world in a way that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. Below are a few of the issues I'll raise in the coming months. Chew on them for awhile.
Women in developing countries have it pretty tough. Sometimes very tough. Often viewed as 2nd-class citizens, commonly marginalized to very limited activities and privileges, some women struggle to earn even very basic rights. One of the biggest challenges preventing women from rising to equal status is dependence on their husbands, as men are the traditional breadwinners. Particularly in rural communities, the only paying work available is manual labor, leaving women unable to earn even the smallest wages. It's an unfair cycle – no work, no money, no power, no decision making, no work, no money,...
In 1983, Dave founded Voyagers International, a well-known nature and photo tour company whose clients included leading museums, universities, conservation organizations, and professional photographers. Voyagers merged with a larger company after twenty years.
In 1995, he founded the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) which brings together leading tour companies to promote responsible tourism. IGTOA has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Galapagos. www.igtoa.org
In 2010, he co-founded Serengeti Watch, a nonprofit whose goal is to build a permanent coalition of support for the threatened Serengeti ecosystem and those living around it. www.savetheserengeti.org/home
Dave has produced and directed several films, including a series on the Galapagos Islands. www.igtoa.org/save
We’re in danger of losing the Serengeti. Once more, the cry “Serengeti shall not die” is being raised.
In addition to her influence in the voluntourism industry, Alexia is the founder of Lasso Communications a marketing firm specializing in the adventure travel market and a principal consultant for Travel Marketing Worldwide. Alexia has volunteered in Ecuador, South Africa, Thailand, Nepal, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Switzerland but her favorite place these days is at home with her husband, baby and horses in Colorado.
Establishing your expectations is the likely the most important preparation you can undertake before volunteering abroad. Are you expecting to change yourself, or change the world? Can you accept that no matter how much time and effort you put in, the job may never get done? Taking that a step further, can you find solace in knowing that your time and effort are ALWAYS valuable no matter how small a change you think you are making?
We at Sustainable Travel International are proud of our new website, dedicated to providing you with the most comprehensive and up-to-date news and information on all aspects of the ever expanding sustainable tourism movement.
No post yet for this blogger.
Support Sustainable Travel
Make a tax deductible donation to Sustainable Travel International and help make our world a better place.
Become a Partner
Become a partner of Sustainable Travel International and gain important tools to help you protect the places you visit and grow your business.
Carbon Calculator
Meet Our Partners
Visit our Partner Directory and daily Partner Spotlight, to search for travel providers who support sustainable tourism.
