Press Releases

Tanzania: Travelers' Philanthropy Conference in Tanzania Exceeds Expectations

Washington DC, 9 January 2009

Over 225 delegates attended the 2008 Travelers’ Philanthropy Conference held in Arusha, Tanzania, making it the largest and most diverse conference ever held on this theme.
The 3-day conference, at which Nobel Laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai, founder and leader of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement, gave the opening keynote address, also marked the first time that travelers’ philanthropy had been addressed in Africa.

Travelers’ philanthropy is a relatively new concept, but it is rapidly growing into a worldwide movement and becoming part of the definition of responsible travel. At its core, travelers’ philanthropy is about tourism businesses and travelers ‘giving back’ to tourism destinations by providing financial support, expertise, and material contributions to local projects and community initiatives. Tourism frequently takes place in biodiversity and culturally rich but economically poor regions of the world.

“We are thrilled with the results of the conference. Not only did more delegates attend than we had expected, but the conference is also generating a number of new educational materials that will help to strengthen travelers’ philanthropy initiatives,” says Martha Honey, Co-Director of the Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) that organized the conference and runs the Travelers’ Philanthropy Program. “These materials will help provide, for the first time, the tools to help tourism businesses and host communities initiate and effectively carry out travelers’ philanthropy projects.”

In the wake of the conference, CESD plans to:

* Produce a new handbook (“How to Create a Travelers’ Philanthropy Program”) based on a ‘short course’ given at the conference. This handbook, which is being produced together with the Basecamp Foundation, will be launched in March at the ITB Berlin, the world’s major travel show.
* Create a CD with the conference proceedings, presentations, photos, and other documents, as well as post them online.
* Promote and distribute the first ever documentary on travelers’ philanthropy (“Giving Time, Talent, and Treasure”) which was premiered at the conference.
* Launch a new discussion board and blog for conference participants and others interested in travelers’ philanthropy.
* Expand the Experts Bureau to include more professionals who can work with companies, community organizations, NGOs, and others to develop travelers’ philanthropy projects.
* Develop a list of ‘best practices’ for both tourism businesses and travelers involved in supporting projects in the host communities.
* Incorporate additional companies and their travelers’ philanthropy projects into the Travelers’ Philanthropy website which has the capacity to receive online, tax deductible donations.

Participants to the conference, which was held December 3-5, 2008 at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, came from over 20 countries. Nearly half received full or partial scholarships to attend, thanks to funds provided by the Ford Foundation, USAID, the United Nations Foundation, and the United States Institute for Peace.

“The conference provided an important opportunity for the east African tourism industry and local community-based enterprises to engage with developments related to responsible and sustainable forms of tourism, with roughly half of all participants coming from Kenya and Tanzania,” says Fred Nelson, the lead local organizer for the conference.

The conference included 18 workshops on topics such as serving local development priorities through travelers’ philanthropy; the responsibility and response of the travel industry to climate change; moving travelers’ philanthropy from a charity model to social empowerment and entrepreneurship; and bad practices and best practices for engaging travelers.

In addition, the conference examined several issues critical to Africa, including the failure of many tourism businesses to adequately address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. At the conference, several delegates pledged that their companies would, within the next year, develop HIV/AIDS policies and programs for staff and visitor education, as well as initiate travelers’ philanthropy projects to support HIV/AIDS clinics, orphanages, education and other types of programs in the host communities.

In his keynote address at the conference, Dr. David Western, founder of the Africa Conservation Centre and former director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, described travelers’ philanthropy as an effort to “martial the well intentioned impulses of the traveler” to support needs in the local community. He said it derives from the concept of the Good Samaritan, “the wayfarer who helped even those who he did not know.” He added that “Africa wants trade, not aid,” and “tourism represents the largest transfer of wealth from the North to the South.”

The conference was endorsed and supported by a wide range of sponsors. These include 31 companies, organizations, and development agencies. In addition to CESD, the leading partners in organizing the conference were the Honeyguide Foundation in Tanzania, Basecamp Foundation in Kenya, and the African Safari Lodge Foundation in South Africa.

For more details:

Contact: Whitney Cooper
Phone: 202-347-9203 ext. 414
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.travelersphilanthropyconference.org

Bangladesh: New Blog records ecotourism strategy development in Bangladesh

Burlington, VT Jan 06, 2009

EplerWood International is kicking off the new year with a new Blog - A Day in the Life of an Ecotourism Consultant (Web: http://meganeplerwood.blogspot.com ). Follow Megan Epler Wood on her journey to Bangladesh where she will develop an ecotourism strategy for the Teknaf Peninsula on the Bay of Bengal. This far-flung peninsula borders Burma, and is becoming a target for rapid local development. Forest reserves here harbor the threatened Bengal tiger.

Megan is focusing on the process involved in developing a new ecotourism destination - providing her thoughts on every aspect of creating a cultural, natural and sustainable site that serves local people and sustains the environment. Check it out!

We are also proud to release our second essay for TravelMole's VISION on Sustainable Tourism called Tourism Change We Can Believe In. Epler Wood discusses Tourism 2.0 - a new generation of professional endeavor.

There is increasing evidence that sustainable tourism models, including ecotourism, geotourism, voluntourism and responsible tourism are all performing better in the market place than mainstream tourism. But EplerWood International argues that only by more concerted work on benchmarking and sustainably managing mainstream tourism, will there be genuine change in the tourism marketplace.

About EplerWood International

EplerWood International works in partnership with development agencies, private companies, universities, and NGOs worldwide to develop a sustainable tourism economy.
Website: http://www.eplerwood.com

South Africa: New Elephant conservation & voluntourism program from Afreco Tours

27 January 2009 - Shalstone, Buckinghamshire - UK

African bush adventure specialists Afreco Tours are offering the opportunity for travellers to work with animals, wildlife, horses and domestic cattle on a community-based project in South Africa.

The new program focuses on conservation and wildlife management in conjunction with the local community and animal husbandry aspects such looking after the elephants, horses and cattle.
The motto is 'Conservation through Education and Interaction' offering student volunteers a holistic view of conservation issues today.

Running the conservancy will require that students participate in activities such as anti-poaching patrols, fence patrols, bush clearing, maintenance of infrastructure, research on wildlife and flora within the reserve and at times game capture and release.

Duration is 14 day, 28-day, 42-day or 56 days. Rates start at approximately £875 per person for the two weeks.

>> For more information
Contact Adrian Faulkner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone +44(0) 845 812 8222 for a full information pack.
Related Link:
http://www.afrecotours.com/Elephant-Whispe...outh-Africa.asp

Mexico: Oaxaca's 9th Rural Tourism Fair

Oaxaca, Mexico - Jan 2009

The 2009 Rural Tourism Fair takes place January 19-30. Organizers
promise a very big small event. The fair is hosted each year by
Planeta.com and friends. Details
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/ruraltourism2009

"This year's event expands on what we've accomplished the past few
years in Oaxaca, Mexico," explained Planeta.com founder Ron Mader, who
created the fair in 2001 as a way of conducting an inexpensive
grassroots event to bring together locals and visitors. Among the
advances -- many of the local artisans and tour providers have their
own websites and photo galleries on Flickr.

Highlights

The objective of the Rural Tourism Fair is to highlight options
visitors have exploring the rural countryside in a responsible manner
while modeling what makes an authentic grassroots tourism event. The
fair features travel options around the world and encourages those
using Web 2.0 tools including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube to
document best practices. Among the highlights -- a walk with the
weavers in the town of Teotitlán del Valle, dining adventures at the
Caldo de Piedra restaurant, local food tastings, a video night and a
hand's on visit to a community garden.

The event -- now in its 9th year -- is held in late January as a way
to kick start the new year and help participants get traction for new
projects.

Details
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/ruraltourism2009

Greece: Ionian Eco Villagers among Finalists for 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

London, UK - 3 February 2009

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today announced the 12 finalists for the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards which recognise best practices in sustainable tourism in four different categories - Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit and Global Tourism Business. ECOCLUB Business Members Ionian Eco Villagers (Web: www.relaxing-holidays.com) are one of three finalists in the Conservation Award category.

Announcing the finalists, Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges said: "We have reached a global tipping point in the travel industry, as more businesses and countries realise that sustainable tourism is not only about protecting the environment and safeguarding cultural diversity, but that it is also an important economic opportunity. The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards judging process goes beyond just what a company says it is doing in sustainable tourism. Our next phase of judging involves an on-site expert evaluation of each finalist to assess what they are doing in practice, leading up to the selection of one winner in each category. "

Founded in 1994, Ionian Eco Villagers is an agency run by award-winning local conservationist providing carefully selected self-catering villas, cottages & apartments in the peaceful village of Gerakas within the Zakynthos National Marine Park.

Related:
http://www.relaxing-holidays.com
http://www.tourismfortomorrow.com

Mexico: Voting now open for the Indigenous Tourism & Biodiversity Web Award

Oaxaca, Mexico - 6 February 2009

Voting is open until February 20 for the Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award. The Award will be presented to an indigenous tourism operation which has a website that promotes sustainable practices and educates visitors on cultural protocols and biodiversity conservation.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to showcase best practices in web-based technologies helping indigenous people manage tourism in a biodiversity-friendly way. Tourism services owned and operated by indigenous people and communities are eligible for the Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award.

The award is part of a larger initiative by the Secretariat, aimed at building capacity for indigenous and local communities with the view to support and strengthen sustainable tourism initiatives through the use of new information and web-based technologies. It is a complement to the Indigenous Communities, Tourism and Biodiversity Workshop Series in which indigenous and local communities from each region are developing their own web based tools and methods with a view to improving their websites and their capacity to reflect traditional ways in conserving indigenous land, and to allow potential visitors and clients to learn about indigenous practices and cultures.

Planeta.com hosts a number of awards aimed at improving the quality of communication about responsible travel and ecotourism. Coverage of indigenous people and tourism are highlighted in the regional guides.

Details
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/itbw

Mexico: Voting now open for the Indigenous Tourism & Biodiversity Web Award

Oaxaca, Mexico - 6 February 2009

Voting is open until February 20 for the Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award. The Award will be presented to an indigenous tourism operation which has a website that promotes sustainable practices and educates visitors on cultural protocols and biodiversity conservation.

This initiative is a collaborative effort between Planeta.com and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to showcase best practices in web-based technologies helping indigenous people manage tourism in a biodiversity-friendly way. Tourism services owned and operated by indigenous people and communities are eligible for the Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award.

The award is part of a larger initiative by the Secretariat, aimed at building capacity for indigenous and local communities with the view to support and strengthen sustainable tourism initiatives through the use of new information and web-based technologies. It is a complement to the Indigenous Communities, Tourism and Biodiversity Workshop Series in which indigenous and local communities from each region are developing their own web based tools and methods with a view to improving their websites and their capacity to reflect traditional ways in conserving indigenous land, and to allow potential visitors and clients to learn about indigenous practices and cultures.

Planeta.com hosts a number of awards aimed at improving the quality of communication about responsible travel and ecotourism. Coverage of indigenous people and tourism are highlighted in the regional guides.

Details
http://planeta.wikispaces.com/itbw

Dominica: prepares for EcoFest, May 1-8, 2009

Rosalie, Dominica - 9 February 2009

EcoFest is getting closer, May 1st to May 8th 2009. Tickets and packages are now on sale with a 25% early bird 25% discount.

This unique one-week event, under the theme "A celebration of the world’s progress on saving our beautiful planet" is organised by Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge with the support of the Environmental Coordinating Unit of The Government of Dominica.

It aims to showcase the the advances the world has made towards preserving the planet for generations to come, including the latest renewable energy technology, and how it is being put into practice on both local and nationwide scales on the Nature Isle of the World.

In collaboration with The BioGas Helpline, there will be a workshop on BioGas, and an opportunity to meet the experts as the organisers, Rosalie Forest Eco Lodge install their own BioGas plant.

There will also be displays of local crafts & music & cuisine, village homestay programs, visits to some of the world's most spectacular nature and diving sites, hikes to the highest peak, treks to the boiling lake, and the hot springs,

A mini eco conference will also run in parallel with the festival, featuring presentations and panel discussions with well-known experts.

Visitor Packages start from US$ 360 per person (only US$ 270 if booked before March 1st).
Packages for Traders are also available and start from US$ 300 per week.

>>For more details please see:
Programme: http://www.rosalieforest.com/activities__e...__programme.php
Packages: http://www.rosalieforest.com/activities__e...t__packages.php

Belize: Ancient Mayan Ball Game revived

Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize - 10 February 2009

Visitors to Southern Belize will get a rare chance to witness the famous ancient Mayan ball game on Sunday March 29, during the Maya Day events organized by the Tumul Kin Center of Learning in Blue Creek village in Toledo district. The ball game had ritual associations and the Popol Vuh, the Mayan religious narrative establishes its importance which may have included human sacrifice. There will also be a performance of the traditional Cortes dance which tells the story of the arrival of the conquistadores in central America. The finale to the day will be a fireball game where players use s! ticks to strike a burning ball. Other activities throughout the celebrations include the finals of marimba and harp playing competitions and poetry competitions. This colourful festival attended by hundreds of villagers from the district is being repeated after being successfully staged for the first time in 2008.

To assist visitors, The Lodge at Big Falls is offering "The Living Maya 4 day/3 night Package"
March 28-31, 2009

On the second full day guests will visit the ancient Mayan site of Lubaantun where in 1926 the famous crystal skull was discovered by Frederick and Anna Mitchell-Hedges. After leaving Lubaantun they will travel through Mayan villages with traditional palm thatched roofs to the Rio Blanco National Park.

The Package includes accommodation, all meals, tours and transfers US$699 + tax

>> For more information please contact:
Marta & Rob Hirons
The Lodge at Big Falls
PO Box 103
Punta Gorda, Toledo
Belize, Central America
http://www.thelodgeatbigfalls.com
Skype name"lodgeatbigfalls"
Tel: +501 671-7172

Thailand: Community Based Tourism progresses in Southern Thailand

Kuraburi, Phan Ga, Thailand - 18 February 2009

Andaman Discoveries, in cooperation with the SEED initiative and The Thailand Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-i) hosted a partner’s forum in Ban Talae Nok in December. Stakeholders at the community- and district-level attended the forum, as well as several NGOs interested in working with the Ban Talae Nok community-based tourism (CBT) group. There were several objectives to the forum, including assessing the progress of CBT in the village, exploring options for sustainable expansion, and identifying problems. Villager feedback was overwhelmingly positive. "Income from tourism benefits the whole community. People did not realize this before, now they see others benefiting," commented Ekarat "Hem" Chuengyang.

The forum succeeded in raising awareness of CBT as a community activity. The chief conclusion was that for CBT to be sustainable as a long-term community development tool in BTN, community members must work together with a common vision of CBT as a tool to tackle shared challenges. “The people need to know that tourism is not only bringing them income, but also helping to develop their community,” observed Ms. Darunee “Cha” Pakee, BTN Community Coordinator. Increased collaboration between the CBT and other community groups will help build awareness of the possible benefits – cultural and environmental preservation, economic stimulus, and strengthened community ties – of CBT to the whole village.

The forum concluded with a presentation of a copy of the SEED award, which will be proudly displayed at the community center.

>> For more details visit:
http://www.andamandiscoveries.com