Mountain Film Festival 2009 Highlights Adventure Travel’s True Spirit
May 28, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure People, Adventure Tourism and Social/Environmental Issues | Leave a Comment
I was lucky to spend last weekend at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado as the guest of National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine, one of the event’s sponsors.
This was my first time to the Mountain Film Festival and I expected to see such films like the snow-boarding thriller “That’s It, That’s All” and “Solo,” which [...]
Meeting Planners Look to Volunteering
May 26, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure Tourism and Social/Environmental Issues, Meeting Planning, Travel and Volunteering | Leave a Comment
Last week I attended an educational conference for members of San Diego Meeting Professionals International. It was great to talk with attendees and observe such interest from corporate groups to bring community service projects and volunteerism into their meetings and incentive programs. It’s clear to me that the increased focus on Corporate Social Responsibility combined with the many new outlets for group volunteering, puts meeting planners in a position to truly get creative, offering innovative programs while making a positive contribution in the destinations they visit.
Read More →An Alternative to Mass Tourism: The Adventure Opportunity the Wall Street Journal Didn’t Mention
May 18, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure Tourism and Social/Environmental Issues, Product Development | Leave a Comment
Headlines like this make me cringe: “To see some of the most spectacular spots on earth before the tourist buses arrive, visit the sites being considered for World Heritage designation.”
Why? Because it assumes that the only way to bring tourism to a region is to bring it with loads of buses and inconsiderate people who destroy the place.
In the Wall Street Journal’s May 15, 2009 Weekend Journal the cover story is by Stan Sesser, who highlights a number of sites around the world that may become World Heritage Sites in 2009. This designation can be a blessing or a curse, depending on how destinations manage their resources, and Sesser quotes an official at the World Heritage Organization who rightly observes that the program “has been turned into simply a branding scheme.”
Read More →Social Investing and the Adventure Tourism Opportunity
May 16, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure Tourism and Social/Environmental Issues, Rural Communities | 1 Comment
You might hear “adventure tourism,” and think of mountain climbing, whitewater rafting, or trekking. When we hear “adventure tourism,” we think of all that, too, but we also see tremendous opportunity for rural economic and environmental development. We think that for social investors, the adventure tourism niche is worth a look.
Here we’ll describe why adventure tourism businesses offer an opportunity for social investors and provide some suggestions on how to move investing in the sector forward.
Read More →Adventure Travel Companies in Geotourism Competition
May 16, 2009 | Filed Under Adventure Tourism and Social/Environmental Issues, Rural Communities | Leave a Comment
I was recently invited to the group of “official commentators,” for the “Geotourism Challenge 2009″, sponsored by Changemakers.net and National Geographic. Kathy Dragon, another representative from the world of adventure travel, is also among the group of commentators.
Scanning the entries I was thrilled to see familiar faces from our adventure community - PEPY and SEE Turtles for example, as well as numerous other adventure operators mixing adventure with projects to address social and conservation issues. I think it’s terrific that the adventure community is being recognized and incorporated with mission-focused businesses, and that the “adventure” brand is expanding. At Xola we recently put a new page up on our website: Adventure Travel Saves the World to build further awareness for concept with our government and tour operator clients.
Read More →Off the Radar
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