Plotting a path through 2020 and 2021 has been more than a little challenging for most involved in the travel sector. As per my previous post, in 2020 we saw a six month total lockdown, a 90 year drought, a cyclone and open warfare between the state governors and the president on how to navigate the storm. The politica...
The title "Utopia Inc" may be unfair, but it belongs to a well documented, critical article by Alexa Clay on Aeon. The author convincingly argues that intentional communities, including eco villages, are microcosms of our society, with the same problems of the society that they aim to replace or get away from. But they are ...
Often the discourse of sustainable development revolves around role of different stakeholders and their responsibilities in sustainable growth of tourism destinations. Although operations of each and every tourism practitioner and behavior of travellers hold significant importance, we at Mountain Homestays strongly believe that Tour Operators are t...
The classic scene in Fawlty Towers - you must have seen it (if you have not, do not yet get involved in hospitality) - with the facility on fire, where Basil, the unsurpassable John Cleese, gathers the guests in the lobby and attempts to explain the dire situation in a gradual manner: "fa fa fa fire, fa fa fire, fire !" but the guests don't get it,...
Chances are that, unless you are an archaeology buff, you have not heard about the Greek Aegean island of Keros. 60 km SE of famous Mykonos, it is its antithesis, as it is totally uninhabited, unless you count an endless stream of archaeologists from all over the world (that keep digging during the day and return by boat to nearby Koufonisia island...
On July the 18th I was at the famous Louros beach in Western Greece, along with 50 volunteers from 10 NGOs for the purposes of collecting rubbish, 10,000 litres to be exact, mostly left by day trippers. Louros beach is part of the Messolonghi-Aitoliko wetland and National Park. The cleanup was organised by the Greek Ecotourism Society, a new non-governmental, non-profit organisation. Our overall aim was to unite local NGOs, raise awareness, and support the understaffed National Park authority. Currently there are no waste or recycling bins in the area, which is popular with locals and flamingoes, while environmental awareness is low. Louros beach also suffers from illegal/unlicensed construction (summerhouses and beach bars). Our project, "Nature Guardians, Active Citizens for Sustainable Management of Preservation of Protected Areas", will continue with another voluntary cleanup and a day conference in September 2021, in Lake Trichonida, Greece's largest natural lake, also in Western Greece.
Today I am sharing my experience with Hotel Loveno. In June I wanted to do some research into accessibility in Italy, to understand what laws govern it, what the minimum and recommended standards are, and how to improve the welcome at Hotel Loveno for people with these needs. We discovered that Hotel Loveno has many limitations imposed mainly by th...
If in Athens this summer, do not miss a rare Takis exhibition at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC, https://www.snfcc.org/en) in Kalithea, in itself a green attraction as a multi-award winning, public urban regeneration and cultural project with exciting happenings, olive groves, herb gardens and a breathtaking 3...
My first digital trip to Moscow and yes it's worth to travel digitally sometimes and try something new!
The wooden images from the Kalash valleys of northern Pakistan are open for online sale. These artifacts reflect the diversity of the Kalash culture of Chitral, Pakistan. Mr. Rehmat Wali Khan, a differently-abled person, has the expertise to produce these labor-intensive artifacts. He has the skills and experience of producing amazing wooden images by hand without using modern technology. As per Mr. Wali’s instruction, the price of each artifact is described below. Please note that payment of income tax and courier charges would be the liability of a buyer. But we will facilitate you in the transportation of the artifacts. Please visit https://batutatravelz.medium.com/artifacts-for-sale-61f1928897cd for details. Those willing to buy the artifacts can contact us.
