By Ethan Gelber

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A Local Travel movement is finding its legs. Strong legs. Last weekend, in a step to find good solid ground upon which to exercise those legs, I published two blog posts about it, one on Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia and the other on The Brooklyn Nomad’s blog.

It’s true. Local Travel’s here. It’s a small new movement, but it’s gaining momentum. Stay tuned for more…

Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog (hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia)

On 17 December 2009, I wrote a post about the misunderstood merits of Local Travel on Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia.

Judging by the glowingly supportive comments, I apparently tapped a rich vein of local travel enthusiasts eager to lend credence to a cause.

Given that, I was invited by Lonely Planet to write a follow-up post, digging a little deeper into the fertile earth I’d found. That text – Get Lost, Go Local – has again fielded some welcome input from readers.

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Posted under media, opinion, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, responsible traveller, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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The lion is one of the Big Five found in Kruger National Park, the country’s largest game reserve and a superb place for a safari (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

The clock’s ticking. Every hour we move closer to 4pm South Africa time on 11 June 2010, when the World Cup 2010 kicks off in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium. The anticipation is palpable, but so is the growing frustration and sometimes anger about the absurd room rates and out-of-focus travel opportunities in a country driven by high expectations.

So what are you to do? Are there reasonably priced accommodation options anywhere in South Africa? How can one find exciting and responsible travel options beyond the pomp of a month of games? And, as we’ve written about already, is there any way of ensuring that some of the money spent will be fairly distributed, so that the inflated profits benefit as wide a cross-section of people as possible, not just the already rich and powerful?
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Posted under General, South Africa, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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“The months January and February in Cusco are known for the rain,” said Raymond Scholten of Chaska Tours, an ecotourism and adventure tour operator – your whl.travel local connection – based in this famous city of southern Peru. “Everybody is prepared for the rain, but this year the amount broke all records. It rained endlessly for almost two days and nights, which caused the rise of all the rivers.”

Flooding and rainfall damaged local homes, business and roads in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, Peru

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Posted under General, Peru, countries

By Ethan Gelber

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As a follow-up to our blog post about how you can help Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, the most urgent plea at the moment is for temporary shelter for estimated one million homeless and displaced people.

Information from people actively helping to direct donations to the right places have relayed a call made by the United Nations Office of Humanitarian Assistance for 200,000 tents. By some estimates, less than 5% of what is needed has made it to people on the ground.

To help with this effort, Partners in Health, a non-profit medical charity that has been working in Haiti for for more than 20 years to build local medical capacity, has set up a special Web page for everyone able to donate money specifically for tents and bedding (sleeping pads, blankets and lightweight sleeping bags).

Donating cash is by far and away the best way to help. Partners in Health is not able to handle in-kind donations, generous though they are.

Posted under General, Haiti, countries

By Ethan Gelber

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Michelle Rodrigues, who works for the WHL Group in Miami, USA, is the newest TIES Travel Ambassador

One week ago, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) announced Michelle Rodrigues as its newest Travel Ambassador. Michelle, born and raised in New York City but now resident in Florida, USA, is also a project manager and content editor for the WHL Group in its North America and the Caribbean Regional Office currently based in Miami.

Promoting Responsible Travel

The Travel Ambassador Program is a brainchild of TIES, “the world’s oldest and largest international ecotourism association,” which plays a pivotal role as a “global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation and sustainable travel.”

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Posted under General, responsible organisations, responsible traveller, whl.travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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The devastation and tragedy are heart-wrenching following the 7.3 earthquake that leveled most of Port-au-Price, Haiti. The dispiriting pictures and tales of loss reach to the depth of our sorrow, just as the living, breathing bodies pulled from the rubble are reason for quiet celebration.

People, injured and afraid, on the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, following the earthquake (photo courtesy of Lambi Fund for Haiti)

I watch in horror, helpless from my distant perch (Sydney, Australia) but committed in whatever trifling ways open to me, reminded of just how thin the thread is that keeps us all safe on a sometimes merciless planet that, with a simple shrug, is able to wreak so much havoc. I was resident (albeit not present) in Sri Lanka at the time of the tsunami five years ago. I hastened home to Colombo a week later to do what I could then. What I feel today is laced with the anger and frustration of that time.

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Posted under General, Haiti, countries

By Ethan Gelber

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The Muğla Province of southwest of Turkey is much beloved for many reasons – its scenic beauty, historic sites and archaeological ruins, and the many, many attractions of its Turquoise Coast. The area including Köycegiz, Sarigerme, Marmaris, Göcek and Dalyan is particularly well reputed for its natural glory. Unfortunately, the pristine sanctity of this magnificent green cathedral is no longer sacrosanct, as on 13 December 2009, Akfen Energy, a Turkish company, began preparations to dam – some would say destroy – the Yuvarlakçay River, as a major step toward construction of a hydroelectric dam.

Locals visit the scene of logging along Turkey's Yuvarlakçay River to protest the destruction paving the way for a new hydroelectric power plant

However, this plan now faces strong opposition from the ‘Platform for the Protection of Yuvarlakçay,’ a growing consortium of local residents, businesses, organisations and municipalities calling for a stop to the project and new long-term safeguards for the riverbed.

(If you don’t care to read any further, but are willing to show support for the Platform for the Protection of Yuvarlakçay, please sign this online petition and/or donate to their cause and help spread the word.)
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Posted under General, Turkey, countries, opinion, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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From the top of Mt. Lovćen, a symbol of Montenegrin freedom since the villages on its slopes were never been conquered by either Austrians or Turks, the whole of Old Royal Montenegro is visible.

Until not that long ago – only about 100 years – the whole of Montenegro was still a tribal society with groups of families united by clan and living in regions called nahijas. The oldest historical part of Montenegro, today referred to as Old Royal Montenegro, which was independent for centuries, was split into four such nahijas: Crmnička, Katunska, Riječka and Lješanska nahija.

Sadly, today, despite its incredible cultural and historical importance, its proximity to other major attraction (like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kotor and its famous bay, Skadar Lake National Park and the Ostrog Monastery) and its beautifully preserved environment, the Old Royal Montenegro district is disused, neglected and its local population is in serious decline.

But that may all be about to change thanks to a contract signed between the Delegation of the European Commission in Montenegro and the Centre for Sustainable Tourism Initiatives (CSTI).
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Posted under Montenegro, countries, responsible organisations, whl.travel newsletter

When the stadiums are empty, plan a tour or activity in or near the World Cup host cities to get to know the real South Africa

By Ethan Gelber and Crystel Carre-Hodgson

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“This World Cup belongs to Africa!” declared Sepp Blatter, FIFA president, at the Cape Town Convention Centre on 5 December 2009, the long-awaited day of the World Cup 2010 draw. Needless to say, since then, Africa’s already considerable pride at hosting the world’s most popular sporting event grows by the day, in lock step with the excitement of soccer fanatics from all across the continent (and around the world) eagerly awaiting kickoff of the first game – South Africa versus Mexico in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium at 4pm local time on 11 June 2010.

Supporters of Bafana Bafana, the South Africa national soccer team (photo courtesy of South African Tourism)

The success of the World Cup will however be measured by more than just the tenacity of the teams. Nearly 500,000 people are expected to visit South Africa from game 1 until the finals precisely one month later. Their presence comes as an important economic injection, especially in the tourism sector, as the hordes head out to experience the country.

So, as a primer for the independent traveller in South Africa during the games – the traveller passionate about soccer, but also about meeting and making a difference with the local communities hosting the games – here’s a quick overview of how between games you can connect with the people, just a small but important step in being a good guest.
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Posted under General, South Africa, countries, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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I’ve been a fan of responsible travel for more than 20 years. I consider it the only way to go, although in the early days, it wasn’t always a simple thing to make happen; the time and resources required to gain local-level access to a desired destination so that I could visit it responsibly just weren’t always readily available to me. These days, however, it’s really too easy. There’s no solid excuse for not ‘going local’.

Given this, I jumped at a chance to put some thougths to virtual paper for Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Australia’s Yahoo!7 Travel.

The result – Loco for Local: Travel Like It Should Be – has already attracted some welcome and enthusiastic comments. I encourage you to add yours!

Here’s the first paragraph:
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Posted under General, opinion, responsible travel, responsible traveller, whl.travel newsletter