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March 3, 2010
CSR in Tourism: Sustainability: Overarching Theme at ITB Berlin
New ideas and a fresh impetus for more corporate social responsibility
in tourism – ITB CSR Day with controversial topics and a presentation
of an exclusive study in association with the GfK on the subject of
“Top CSR companies from the customers’ viewpoint” Read More
February 16, 2010
Get moving to help Peru
In the wake of last month’s massive flooding in Peru that has
forced entire communities from their homes and livelihoods, nonprofit
geotourism group Planeterra is helping to motivate concerned citizens
to lend a helping hand to those affected. Read More
February 11, 2010
Vacations with a Heart: Voluntourism Opportunities around the World
What better time to show your love for the world than Valentine's Day?
Volunteer vacations provide a way to lend a helping hand, whether it's
across the globe or close to home... Read More
February 3, 2010
What a Way to Go: 12 Hot Family Travel Trends
Whether you hit the road, sail the seas or stay close to home—planning
a family getaway is easier than you think. We got the lowdown from
experts in the business on the hot, new trends in family travel. Read More
February 3, 2010
The World’s Coolest Travel Interns Announce Love In Action 2010!
It began with a simple challenge. Bruce called us into his office one
evening just before Christmas and gave us our biggest assignment. He
challenged us to figure out a way to raise $25,000 for Planeterra to
fund a microsurgical eye camp in Tibet enabling vision restoration to
more than 200 blind Tibetans. Read More
February 2, 2010
The Best of National Geographic's Geotourism Summit 2010
Looking for good news from the world of travel? Look no further than
the second annual National Geographic Geotourism Summit 2010 today in
Washington, D.C., where stellar examples of wisely managed tourism and
innovative destination stewardship will come together from all around
the world. Read More
January 22, 2010
In the Aftermath, Helping Haiti from next door
After the earthquake, the beach takes a backseat and kinship flourishes for travellers in the Dominican Republic. As travellers near Haiti organize ad-hoc fundraisers and make donations
through relief agencies, travel companies with stakes in the area are
offering assistance. Read More
January 13, 2010
URGENT Appeal to Support Earthquake Survivors in Haiti
In response to the powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Haiti on Jan. 12, Planeterra and Gap Adventures are sending out an urgent appeal asking for your donation to help support the survivors of this disaster. With
an estimated 3 million people affected and wide-spread damage
throughout Port au Prince, your donation will go directly to the
Canadian Red Cross whose local volunteers who are assisting with
evacuation and providing much needed shelter, clean water and medical
support. Read more or Donate Now
January 2, 2010
[Unsustainable] Tourism Development Undermining Millions in Tsunami Aid says Tourism Concern
Five years since the Boxing Day tsunami devastated the coastlines of
India and Sri Lanka, killing thousands and destroying countless homes
and livelihoods, many communities are still struggling to rebuild their
lives. This is despite massive aid flows to the region, including over
Ł400 million raised through donations in the UK alone, says Tourism
Concern. Read More
January 2, 2010
COP 15 Over, Now the Bad News for Tourism 2010+
Whether it was a failure or a success is totally irrelevant. What
has actually been agreed and will be put into practice is the really
important information, which we’ll need to make decisions for the
future. To do that, we’re going to have to try to understand two,
worrying, points of view that any measures will have to engage with in
future legislation Read MoreDecember 29, 2009
The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility: Creating Shared Value
From the Frog Blog: Professor Porter stressed that companies must
focus their CSR on areas where they can have the most direct impact. In
other words, their efforts in social responsibility should be based on
the company's strengths and deeply ingrained into its business
practices... Read More
December 28, 2009
Sir Richard Branson: the airline owner on his new war
"Carbon is the enemy," says Sir Richard Branson. "Let's attack
it in any possible way we can, or many people will die just like in any war."
Read More
December 28, 2009
A Conde Nast Traveler Q&A with Voluntourists
"From my vantage point here in Cambodia I am often lucky enough to meet
them in person and be part of their process of giving back. I felt I
would start off this dialogue with the first installment of Right Here, Right Now, a Q&A with travelers making a difference today... Read more at dotherightthing.truth.travel.
December 25, 2009
Gap Adventures Wins 6 Major Awards in Rapid Succession, Closes Out the Year Celebrating with Staff
Gap Adventures is proud to close out an eventful and accolade-laden
year with the acceptance of six prestigious awards in just six weeks.
The honours acknowledge the adventure tour operator’s leading role in
the travel industry, as well as its status as one of North America’s
most dynamic and socially-responsible companies. Read More
December 22, 2009
The Implications of the Copenhagen Climate Anti-climax on Tourism 
For many months the expectations of the Copenhagen Climate Change
Conference were immense. This conference was expected to lead us into a
brave new world in which the world would be united in global commitment
to reduce emissions and significantly reduce the human contribution to
climate change.
The reality was...Read More
December 21, 2009
New Travel & Tourism Climate Initiative launched in Copenhagen
"Live the Deal", a new global campaign to help travel companies and
destinations respond to Climate Change, reduce their carbon footprint
and move to the green economy, is launched today during the
Copenhagen Climate Summit. Read More
December 16, 2009
National Geographic and CNBC Pledge to Raise Social Tourism Awareness
A new $5 million partnership between National Geographic Channel, CNBC
and WTTC will support a global campaign to raise awareness of the
economic and social importance of the global tourism industry. Read More
December 14, 2009
Transformational Travel: The Voluntourism Experience
Seven of us pedal mountain bikes along a bumpy dirt road trying not to
spill paint from the cans balanced on our handlebars. Children look up,
calling out “Jambo!” as we pass. Some run from their homes to greet us,
their sunny smiles reaching us before they do. Read More at ReadBreathe.com or View the PDF
December 13, 2009
Smart ways to make a volunteering trip worthwhile
Even cruise ships and hotels now offer guests the opportunity to
volunteer. Last summer, Holland America launched the "Cruise With
Purpose" Read More
December 11, 2009
Partnership to Create Opportunities for Sustainable Tourism Companies in Costa Rica
Costa Rican hotel owners and managers who are committed to eco-tourism
and sustainability now have a new way to offer and promote their
adventure travel services thanks to an agreement recently signed by the
international conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American
tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism
organization Planeterra. Read More
December 11, 2009
COP15 - Travel and Tourism in the Green Economy - Symposium Contribution
The following conclusions are presented as a contribution to the Davos
process on Climate Change and Tourism and to the UN Conference of the
Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Framework on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), which will be held from 7 - 18 December 2009 in Copenhagen,
Denmark. Read More
December 2009
The Big Thinkers of Giving
Unlike their
colleagues in government bureaucracies and tried-and-true NGOs, the philanthrocapitalists are a
nimble, business-minded stock... These
billionaire donors think that the winners of capitalism have a duty to give
back to society. Read More
December 3, 2009
EthicalTraveler.Org's The Developing World's 10 Best Ethical Destinations
The places on our annual list may not be as popular as Thailand or
Italy, but they abound in natural wonders and fascinating culture. And
they're serious about preserving their natural assets, promoting
mindful travel, and building an economy in which local communities reap
the benefits of tourist revenue. See the list at ethicaltraveler.org.
November 2009 News
October 2009 News
September 2009 News
August 2009 News
July 2009 News
June 2009 News
