On Thursday 4 June at 13:00 GMT, six leading global advocates of responsible tourism spoke and listened at a free public webinar (Web-based seminar) about the present and future of their fast-expanding industry. This inauguration of a regular series of online gatherings also served as a call for future discussion topics and guest speakers.

The hosting sextet began discussing and illustrating some of the thoughts and ideas propounded during Responsible Tourism Week 2009 – an online discussion held the week of May 18-22 that focussed on responsible tourism around the world. Using examples pulled from their extensive store of experiences or promoted through their organisations, the speakers’ primary objective was to demonstrate the universal appeal of responsible tourism to a broad range of constituencies in all sectors.

If you wish to listen to and then share the proceedings of this completed webinar, a full recording, a chat transcript and written summary are all available online.

After your listen, please share with us:

• your thoughts (constructive and deconstructuve) about this first webinar
• the topics/themes you would like us to address in coming sessions
• the names and/or kinds of qualifications of guest presenters you would like us to invite to coming sessions.

We hope to see you at our next webinar: 1pm GMT on 18 June. Mark it in your calendars and share the news with others.

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Posted under General, responsible travel, responsible travel news, webinar

Δείτε παρακάτω αυτό το μήνυμα στα ελληνικά / SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN GREEK

Want to see Greece as it was in the good old days? Head straight for Kefalonia, the biggest of the Ionian islands. The charms of Kefalonia lie in its abundant verdant plains, serene lakes and sparkling rivers, thick forests, majestic mountains and pristine beaches with golden sand and crystal clear waters. This treasure trove for nature lovers holds a lot of promise for those who relish discovering wildlife, great shores (a few beaches can’t be reached from land) and spectacular caves — just some of Kefalonia’s most attractive features.

The captivating view from Kefalonia's Assos village

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Posted under General, Greece, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

SIEN ONDER VIR DIE BOODSKAP IN AFRIKAANS / SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN AFRIKAANS

For an unmatchable South African safari experience, nature and wildlife enthusiasts visit Western Kruger to see the Big 5, Little 5 and the Birding Big 6, not to mention a spectacular array of tree species.

Although leopards live in Kruger National Park, they are perhaps the most elusive of the Big 5, most likely to be seen between May and October in the north of the park.

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Posted under General, South Africa, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN MALTESE / ARA HAWN TAHT IL-MESSAGG BIL MALTI

The small but dynamic Mediterranean island nation of Malta is bursting at the seams with things to see and do. Beaches, forts, culture, history, quaint Malta hotels, colourful carnivals and lively performances – Malta has it all. The islanders are charming people and whether it is their warmth or the balmy climate that wins you over, Malta is sure to become a hot favourite on your holiday list.

A view of Valletta's Grand Harbour as seen from the Fortress

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Posted under General, Malta, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

The whl.travel office for Central and South America (CASA) is located in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Like the other whl.travel regional offices in Cape Town (South Africa), Miami, Florida (USA), Prague (Czech Republic) and Sydney (Australia), CASA supervises sales for the expansion of the whl.travel network throughout the territory it oversees and works together with its local franchise partners to maintain an effective presence.

The core CASA team includes Adrian, Vitor, Ramon, Wallace and André.

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Posted under Brazil, General, whl.travel news

whl.travel now has a regional office in midtown Miami, Florida, USA. Its presence on the continent heralds the expansion of whl.travel’s unique grassroots travel network into the important markets of North America and the Caribbean.

From this office, new destination sales efforts have already been launched in Mexico and work has been redoubled to continue expansion in the Caribbean.

The Miami office is the fifth regional presence for whl.travel, which already has staff located in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Cape Town (South Africa), Prague (Czech Republic) and Sydney (Australia).

Recently returning to the US after a 3.5 years of in South Africa and building up the whl.travel Africa office, Zachary Rozga has an interest in leveraging the mass-market orientation of the US travel industry to develop a more sustainable approach to travel. Zack manages the expressions of interest for both whl.travel and Urban Adventures in the North America and Caribbean region, and oversees the work of WHL Consulting. Please direct all enquiries to zachary [at] whl.travel.

On her first trip to Africa 12 years ago, Jodi McKeeman saw the true benefits and detriments of tourism on a place and people, and sought ways to develop a more sustainable industry. After three years in Cape Town running the whl.travel Africa office, she is now back in the US supporting whl.travel’s local partners in the North America and Caribbean region.

Michelle Rodrigues, in her final year as a hospitality management student (with a journalism minor) at Florida International University, recently joined the whl.travel team as the content editor for the region.

Posted under General, whl.travel news

SIEN ONDER VIR DIE BOODSKAP IN AFRIKAANS / SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN AFRIKAANS

A group of satisfied abseilers following their 60m abseil down the Waterval-Boven waterfall

The Mpumalanga Highlands of South Africa cover an expanse of exceptional natural beauty in Mpumalanga Province. With steep rock faces, hills that rise and fall into valleys, sparkling water ideal for fly-fishing, incredible birdlife and flowers and quaint and charming towns that dot the landscape, the Highlands are rich with adventure activities, such as first-rate rock climbing and abseiling, and are the perfect place to discover the natural world around you. Locals and international travellers alike escape the stress of city life in towns such as Dullstroom, Waterval Boven and others throughout the Mpumalanga Highlands.

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Posted under General, South Africa, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news