TrainingAid, an international tourism training company specialized in sustainable tourism, offers a facilitated professional course on Sustainability Management for Tourism Businesses, which provides useful tools for managing, monitoring and continuously improving sustainability practices. Based on lessons and discussions shared during t...
Mountain Homestays – An Authentic Mountain Experience Mountain homestays is a community empowerment initiative that focuses on promoting rural destinations by developing homestays in partnership with the locals. The focus is on reaching out to communities living in the remotest parts of the Himalayan belt in India, such as in Ladakh region in north...
With each passing year, the concern for people and the planet is getting stronger more than anything else. So much so that the concern has taken over our news feeds, social media posts, or even our daily conversations. It is surely an elephant in the room that we can’t ignore anymore. Rapid changes in the environment, people’s lives, negative effects of consumerism, everything suggests us to make the right choices. Not just right enough to avoid negative effects, but making sure that right actions are taken for positive impact. When it comes to making travel choices, the scope to create positive impact widens. Just how sustainability discussions are becoming mainstream, taking actions towards making positive impacts would soon become a practice. Make sure you are updated to make right as well as very unique travel choices in 2020. Here is a list of travel experiences that will help you create a positive impact. Relocating orang-utans to a safe location – Indonesia Source: https://impactdestinations.com/destinations/indonesia/?tab=1 Action – This time, have a different reason to visit Indonesia than going for a leisure experience in Bali. The 4 nights experience of relocating orangutans to a safe location would be taken place in Sintang. You will...
Creating Interpretive Experiences in Ecotourism In this post we look at How To Create An Interpretive Experience associated with an ecotourism experience within a Special Area of Conservation in Ireland. Ecotourism, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, typically incorporates a feature of conservation that may be ecological, cultural, historical, archaeological and/or spiritual. The experience should seek to simultaneously immerse visitors in this feature and it’s characteristics whilst preserving it, thus creating a ‘sustainable experience‘. Careful consideration need be taken to ensure the integrity of the site and features are not impacted by proposed use, nor the access to the features by local peoples affected. In essence, the conservation features should not be altered by the proposed activities, yet means for providing opportunities to immerse within the experience need to bring visitors into close contact with it for it to have any ‘interpretive value‘. Clearly then, ensuring the sustainability of the conservation features requires considerable research, consultation and planning. It is essential that this process include and be informed by the Interpretive Theme of the experience. Interpretive Themes vs Topics An experience with an essence of conservation at it’s core typically can be found to have a main theme or indeed multiple themes...
Community-Based Tourism (CBT) can be a great way to empower communities and support sustainable local development by providing alternative livelihoods, expanding economic opportunities, creating a sense of pride, and supporting development needs in a way that is in line with long-term priorities. So why do so many CBT projects fail? In the upcoming TrainingAid Live Session, Kelly Galaski (Program & Operations Manager for Americas & Europe, Planeterra Foundation) will discuss key challenges with CBT initiatives, and share practical insights on how to develop market-ready and financially viable community tourism products. TrainingAid Live Session, March 31st, 2016 Title: Key Factors in Successful Community Tourism Product DevelopmentPresenter: Kelly Galaski, Program & Operations Manager (Americas & Europe) for Planeterra FoundationDate & Time: Thursday, March 31st, 2016 - 10am EST (New York), 4pm CET (Berlin), 10pm ICT (Bangkok)Registration: Sign up for free here About the Planeterra Foundation Planeterra Foundation is a non-profit organization established by global travel company G Adventures. Planeterra's projects around the world support social enterprise development to connect underserved communities to the tourism value chain.
Join us in Crete, Greece, May 16-24, 2016 for Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries Educational Network Study Abroad Program with Utah State University. A distinctive faculty-led experiential learning program designed to provide an overview of the culture, nature and cuisine of Crete. Also open to non-USU students. Earn 3 Credits for this incredible experience. Organized by Nikki Rose, Founder of Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries, an award-winning program for best practices in sustainable travel, and USU Faculty: Tamara Steinitz and Janet Anderson, Professional Practice Professors, Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences. Throughout this study tour, students will meet over 20 resident teachers for presentations, including tours of archaeological sites focusing on agricultural and culinary practices in ancient Crete; organic farms, farmers' markets, and nature reserves hosting wild edible plants used in cuisine and herbal medicine; traditional villages and artisan food producers of olive oil, cheese and other traditional foods; plus cooking classes featuring one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. For more information on student registration:http://globalengagement.usu.edu/studyabroad/htm/programs/find-a-program/program_id=121 For more information on teacher or professional researcher registration. Contact
Our second Thai villa, Green Gecko, reflects traditional Thai architectural design, and equally enjoys a very private and peaceful setting in the Thai countryside. This Thai pool villa is centered around its own very private pool. Holidaymakers enjoying a family holiday in Thailand can relax to the utmost here, as daily breakfast, lunch and dinner are included - an excellent way to get to know Thai food. Many of the ingredients are grown organically on the grounds, from rice to fresh herbs and fruit and a wide variety of vegetables. Like our sister property, Green Gecko harvests rainwater, has a recycling programme, and is involved in reforestation of old rice paddies. The villa sleeps up to four guests on a full board basis.
I recently completed a Site Preservation and Tourism plan for Areni-1 Cave in Southeastern Armenia. Although difficult to photograph, the site is incredible and filled with loads of artifacts including: The world's earliest known leather shoe (3500 BCE)The world's earliest known wine-making facility (4000 BCE)Wine press for stomping grapes, fermentation and storage vessels, drinking cups, withered grape vines, skins, and seedsPerhaps the earliest existence of domesticated grapesSeeds from more than 30 types of fruit including grape seeds and vines of the species Vitis viniferaEarliest known human brainArray of culturally diverse potteryCopper Age artifacts dating as far back as 4000 BCE including knives, picks and beadsDating for metallurgy has gone back 1,000 years because of discoveries made at Areni-1 CaveBaskets, ropes, reeds, textiles, dried fruit and dozens of cereal speciesMedieval cloth Armenia is a beautiful country, with stunning scenery that changes from north to south and loads to see and do. The problem is that very few people know about the country and its treasures - aside from (sadly!) The Kardashians on American TV. The primary tourist attractions revolve around monastery tourism due to the fact that Armenia was home to the first Christian church in 301AD. The problem I found is...
