By Laurel Angrist

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Made out of ebony or Kigelia tree trunks, traditional mokoro canoes are used by the local people of the Bavei tribe in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Photo courtesy of Flickr.com/lawmurray

Where will you head when the wild calls? We want to go where the best outdoors escapes and adventures offer phenomenal access to well-preserved wilderness areas and parks. We recognise, though, that wilderness integrity depends in large part on the level of responsibility and commitment of local tourism personnel. Given that, where should we look for tour operators eager to join forces to make a positive impact on their surroundings through community development and environmental conservation projects?

For inspiration, we turned to the Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI), a ranking system designed to spotlight and encourage adventure travel markets that are sensitive to the needs of communities and the environment. The admirable result of the combined efforts of our friends at the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Xola Consulting, as well as The George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies, the ATDI emphasises what most mainstream ranking systems overlook; it awards high marks for community and environmental development as much as hard infrastructure, all in keeping with 10 pillars of adventure tourism market competitiveness based on principles of sustainable adventure tourism.

Given the WHL Group’s commitment to working in off-the-beaten-path destinations, we were most interested in the 10 developing countries ranked highest for adventure travel competitiveness. The ATDI recommendations may surprise you, but we believe you should keep the winners on your radar. Read More…

Posted under Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, General, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, countries, responsible organisations, responsible travel

By Natasha Robinson

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According to a recent survey, the British alone spend an astonishing £1 billion on souvenirs every year. With the concept of local and responsible travel gaining momentum and finding favour with travellers everywhere, it goes without saying that giving back to the local community shouldn’t stop at where you stay or where you eat; it should extend to where you shop.

Found just off Prague's Charles Bridge, this typical souvenir shop is chock-a-block full of football jerseys, T-shirts, tacky trinkets and Russian memorabilia galore

As one of the most popular mini-break destinations in Europe, Prague is weighed down with an abundance of souvenir shops and markets offering goods of varying qualities and authenticity. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the knickknack hawkers crammed around the hot spots of Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square are mafia-run money-laundering operations and should therefore be given wide berth. Still, even elsewhere, sifting through the cheap imitations and tourist tat to uncover that bona fide little piece of Prague can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately, there are several gifts that do not fit into the kitsch category and are worthy of your hard-earned cash.
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Posted under Czech Republic, General, countries, local tips, responsible organisations, responsible travel, whl.travel newsletter

whl.travel moves from strength to strength in the two regions, with local coverage spanning 60 live destinations in 31 countries

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The St. Nicholas Church at Malostranske Namesti in Prague’s Lesser Town is the stunning backdrop of the Europe and Middle East regional office of whl.travel

whl.travel is a global online travel-booking network that began as a pilot project of the International Finance Corporation, or IFC (a member of the World Bank Group), helping unique, locally owned travel product gain access to international markets. whl.travel, now a private company, has since become a springboard for independent consumers headed off the beaten path and yearning to travel with local businesses, no matter how small, and especially those making socially responsible and sustainable decisions about their destinations, often in the developing world.

As of late December 2009, the whl.travel network spans nearly 200 live destinations in 85 countries, with another 100 or so under construction, including 10 new countries.

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Posted under General, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel news

By Natasha Robinson

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Classical music is as integral to the Prague experience as beer, goulash or a stroll across Charles Bridge, and just as big a draw for visitors. As Mozart famously once said when explaining his symbiotic love affair with his adopted home: ‘My Praguers understand me’ (’Meine Prager verstehen mich’). In fact, his Symphony no 38 is dedicated to the city where he first wowed audiences and where his star skyrocketed into ascendance.

A stunning sunset view of Prague and the Vltava River

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Posted under Czech Republic, General, countries