By Carmelina Ricciardello

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This article was first published by our friends at The International Ecotourism Society, who have agreed to its republication here.
View the original article on their Your Travel Choice blog.

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On the geographical map of Italy, at the bottom of the peninsula, lies the island of Sicily, which looks like a football being kicked away by the boot of the Italian peninsula. This might be the heartfelt wish of some Italians, mainly because of the island’s historic link with the mafia. I live in a quiet little village of Sant’Ambrogio, just five kilometres from a bustling tourist town. Founder of Sicilian Experience, I’m a firm believer that Sicily can become known as a haven for ecotourism and sustainable tourism opportunities, rather than for its Il Padrino (The Godfather) reputation.

Coastal view of Sant’Ambrogio e Rocca

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Posted under General, Italy, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

This article was first published by our friends at Intrepid Travel, who have agreed to its republication here.
View the original article on their Intrepid Express Blog.

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Faced with the daunting experience of landing in a strange city for the first time, sometimes it feels like our fate is in the hands of the gods. So these tips from Intrepid’s Danielle Jeffreson will help your Thailand holiday get off to a great start.

The floating markets of Bangkok draw both locals and tourists in Thailand (photo courtesy of Alison Agnew)

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Posted under General, Thailand, countries, local tips, responsible travel

Image by Eugenija Sniokaite
Text by Kestas Lukoskinas, whl.travel local connection
in Vilnius and Klaipeda, Lithuania

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This is a moment from a traditional Easter-morning family gathering in the awakening fields of the countryside of Lithuania. Sometimes absolutely simple things like an Easter morning breakfast can be seen as something unique, individual and precious.

Have you ever had a meal with your family and close friends in the middle of nowhere? Let me tell you, I participated in this  tradition for the first time last year and believe me I’m going to do it this year too. The feeling of your consciousness and subconsciousness opening to nature, the sense of all worries leaving your troubled mind and the experience of ‘being right here, right now’ are simply unspeakable.

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Posted under General, Lithuania, Photo of the Week

Putting responsible tourism into practice, Planeta.com and friends in Oaxaca, Mexico, are hosting the Responsible Tourism Fair (Feria de Turismo Responsable) from 17-30 January 2010.

According to Ron Mader, founder of Planeta.com and organiser of the event, responsible tourism is treating others the way they wish to be treated. The Responsible Tourism Fair therefore responds to the “growing number of travellers [who] want their journeys to be less invasive and more beneficial to the local community,” he said. “They want to better understand the culture of the people they meet in the places they visit. Those who enjoy a trip will look back fondly on it for the rest of their lives.”

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Posted under General, Mexico, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Maureen Valentine

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Off Panama’s Pacific coast lies Isla Gobernadora, a peaceful and natural haven practically untouched by modern preoccupations. For the local inhabitants, primarily fishermen, island life tends to revolve around the seasons and tides, and the absence of roads and cars means that people get around by boats or boots. This hasn’t however prevented outsiders from beating a path to the famous surfing point of Santa Catalina or establishing a base for diving trips into Coiba National Park or nearby Isla Cebico.

Boats on the Isla Gobernadora shore await use in this ideal diving area. The beautiful waters of the Pacific off Panama draw some of the best divers in the world.

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Posted under General, Panama, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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In a valley on the Pokljuka plateau of Slovenia are Alpine chalets once the homes and sheds of traditional herdsman

Baa baa black sheep, now we have your wool! So say travellers in Slovenia who have had the pleasure of an exclusive Alpine Melody tour with Spin Travel. Billed as a day-long excursion that “takes you back to the times of our grandfathers,” Alpine Melody was also shortlisted in early December 2009 for the Sejalac (Sower) award, given every year since 2003 to the most promising tour providers in Slovenia by the Slovenian Tourist Board.

“We made it to the finals,” enthused Mojca Peterka, a managing director of Spin Travel. “Even if we didn’t make it to the top 3, being among the top 6 is a big achievement for our travel agency. It tells us that we are moving in the right direction and that we deliver special experience to our clients.”

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Posted under General, Slovenia, awards, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

Image/text by Maurisun International/Kevin Koborg,
whl.travel local connection in Mauritius

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The memory that many travellers take home from a holiday stay in Mauritius is that of silent beauty – a vision of turquoise lagoons with sandy beaches, fishermen along the shore or in their boats and palm trees silhouetted against a spectacular sunset. It’s a magical, but typical take on a tropical island vacation.

Like anywhere, though, Mauritius is much much more. It can be difficult for visitors to get a real sense of all that this small island destination has to offer, but we try to help as best we can.

What is one tactic? Why not start with the gastronomy!?

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Posted under General, Mauritius, Photo of the Week, countries, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

By Iana Malikovskaya and Ethan Gelber

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Moldova doesn’t quite have the prominent profile of the big and magnificent European republics. However, despite its more modest stature and reputation, it is well known for its calm, nature, hospitability and the preserved ancient traditions kept in nearly every home.

Moldova's Old Orhei is dominated by impressive limestone promontories chiselled into place by a sweeping S-curve of the Răut River

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Posted under General, Moldova, countries, local tips, whl.travel newsletter

This article was first published by our friends at Intrepid Travel, who have agreed to its republication here.
View the original article on their Intrepid Express Blog.

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Bear for breakfast, langur for lunch or tiger for tea? We certainly hope these are not on YOUR dinner plate, but sadly these endangered creatures can be found on some menus in Indochina.

Fortunately we have good news that this situation is changing thanks to the work of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and TRAFFIC, the latter a partner of the Intrepid Foundation.

Choosing a restaurant in Vietnam’s capital city just got a little easier with the help of a tiny green chef. This cheery culinary figure is turning up on posters in eateries around Hanoi as the logo for WWF and TRAFFIC’s Green Restaurant Campaign to end illegal and/or unsustainable wildlife consumption.

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Posted under Vietnam, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news

By Maureen Valentine

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Found off the coast of southeast Brazil, Ilha do Mel, which means Honey Island, is about as far from life’s chaos as serene nature can get. Hikers, surfers, bird watchers, stargazers and nature lovers alike are in awe of all that this little Atlantic island has to offer. In fact, many agree that Brazil’s most pristine beaches are located right here, where, until the 1970s, the local economy was dominated by fishermen and the lack of traffic spared the land as an ecotourism haven.

As Ilha do Mel is an island of fishermen, this colourful pier is always full of activity. Sampling the abundance of seafood available in the eateries from the daily catches is always a treat.

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Posted under Brazil, countries, local tips, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter