The UK tourism industry was today presented with the opportunity to promote and support sustainable tourism through our TOPS – Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability – programme. TOPS is a specialised global platform of tour operators dedicated to advancing sustainable tourism practices worldwide. The announcement was made during the Americas annual workshop at the Royal Geographical Society in London. Read the rest of this entry ?
Posts Tagged ‘Tourism’
Bringing together tour operators committed to sustainability
13/03/2012International Women’s Day 2012 – Moon of the Morning Project
08/03/2012
Photo courtesy of Quilla Pacari
To celebrate International Women’s Day, today’s blog takes us 10,682 feet above sea level to the Ecuadorian community of San Francisco de Cunuguachay in the Chimborazo province. Here, a group of women run a tourism project called Quilla Pacari or “Moon of the Morning”, which aims to improve the well-being of their families and the community in general. Read the rest of this entry ?
10 Reasons to Travel Sustainably
30/01/2012Snow hit much of the UK this weekend, which makes us in the Rainforest Alliance office in London dream of far sunnier and warmer places. So we thought we’d end our tourism-themed January blogs with 10 good reasons to travel sustainably. When you start to plan your holiday, do you consider how much good your trip could do for others? Some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations are now being managed sustainably, which means that in addition to benefiting your own mental health, your next trip could also benefit the environment and local communities:
A Beach Holiday Is Good For The Body & Soul – But Is It Good For The Beach As Well?
23/01/2012
Had enough of the damp weather? Feeling the need to start planning that tropical getaway yet? Nothing alleviates the pain of getting through those chilly winter months like the promise of an upcoming holiday, full of warm sunshine and sand between your toes.
A beach vacation can rejuvenate you inside and out, leaving you feeling refreshed and relaxed for weeks even after you return to the real world–but is your relaxation at the expense of the coastal ecosystems you’re enjoying? Despite some travellers’ best intentions, tourism activities have been known to have a negative effect on the environment. So, a beach vacation is good for the body and soul–but is it good for the beach as well?
If you are a sustainable traveller, the answer is–YES! The hotels, tour operators, and other tourism businesses on SustainableTrip.org have all made a demonstrated commitment to actively protect the ecosystems in which they are located. So if you support one of these sustainable businesses, your trip will actually help conserve the world’s beaches and oceans as well as the birds, turtles, and other wildlife species that depend on it. Here are some of our favourite sustainable beach destinations: Read the rest of this entry ?
The Secrets of Costa Rica’s South Pacific
19/01/2012It couldn’t get any damper or any greyer here in the UK this morning, so what better way to cheer ourselves up than visiting Costa Rica´s Southern Pacific region. So read on if you want to experience bountiful nature and the vibrant shades of green that provide a welcome boost of fresh air and rejuvenation. And then if you’re really hooked, why not visit www.sustainabletrip.org and start planning your next holiday…
Can Travel Ever Really Be Sustainable?
16/01/2012
As we continue with our travel theme this month, today we look at whether travel can really be sustainable. Unless you’re traveling on foot, tourism inevitably has an impact on the environment. Though cars, buses, trains, and planes have made leaps and bounds in recent years in terms of mitigating environmental impact, they still use fuel and yes, often release harmful emissions into the atmosphere. This has led some to call for people to stop travelling altogether and to ask, “What’s the point of sustainable tourism, when any kind of travel is still bad for the environment?” We’ll attempt to answer this question and leave it to you to decide whether sustainable travel does more harm or more good. Read the rest of this entry ?
Mexico’s World Heritage Sites
10/01/2012Continuing with our holiday theme as we try to beat those January blues, today we’re focusing on a long-haul destination that is popular with lots of British tourists…Mexico. For savvy travellers looking for sustainable options, Mexico is featured on our SustainableTrip.org site, and offers a range of experiences that is as large as its geographical size. Driving through vast deserts for hours, sipping cocktails by the beach, visiting authentic and colourful markets, strolling through colonial towns, and exploring Mayan ruins are all possible in this spectacular country. Mexico features a total of 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, or those deemed by UNESCO to be of special cultural or physical significance. Here, we feature five of these amazing sites – if you are headed to Mexico, we highly recommend fitting at least one of them into your trip. Read the rest of this entry ?
Beat the January blues…visit Sustainabletrip.org
05/01/2012
With Christmas and New Year celebrations over for another year, it’s all too easy for those January blues to set in. So, what better way to beat those blues than planning your summer holiday? And the Rainforest Alliance is here to help…
More and more travellers are venturing further afield, so it is more important than ever to consider the environment. SustainableTrip.org is the perfect resource to help the savvy traveller looking for sustainable holiday options in Latin America and the Caribbean. Read the rest of this entry ?
Linking Cultures Through Sustainable Tourism
27/09/2011
Join us in celebrating World Tourism Day! This year’s theme “Linking Cultures“ highlights the power of travel to connect people from different walks of life and parts of the world.
We have even more reason to celebrate this year — SustainableTrip.org, the Rainforest Alliance’s directory of sustainable tourism businesses in Latin America and the Caribbean, turns one year old today! Take a look at a few of the hotels listed on the site — each providing tourists with unique opportunities to interact with local people and learn more about their cultures.
Take a Trip…Sustainably
22/09/2011Today’s blog in the Rainforest Alliance Week series is taking a look at tourism.
Many of us will have travelled abroad on holiday this summer, spending time playing on a beach or trekking through forests, staying in hotels or camping, eating in local restaurants and buying souvenirs.
Whilst such holidays and activities provide a vital source of income for many developing counties, tourism can also cause pollution, deforestation, inefficient energy use and cultural exploitation. Read the rest of this entry ?
