Tourism of doom

Tourism of doom is a new word coined by travel industry specialists for the growing number of tourists flocking to far-flung corners of the world to see endangered natural wonders before they disappear. These include melting glaciers, shrinking tropical rain forests, threatened coral reefs and other places these tourists believe will be destroyed in a generation due to climate change.
Tourists visiting the melting glaciers in the Antarctic have increased so much that cruises must now be booked well in advance. During the 2007-08-tourist season about 46,000 tourists visited Antarctica an exponential doubling of figures in five years time. Churchill in northern Canada described as “Polar Bear Capital of the World” is also flocked by tourists of doom. This same logic is ascribed for a rise in the number of foreign visitors to Africa’s wildlife reserves.
Let us hope that this tourist influx does not hasten the doom. Prudently planned the influx can be used to tap the money urgently needed to further the cause of conservation

A great Traveller’s toolkit

BootsnAll has recently relaunched their Traveller’s toolkit. It is a great place to get first hand information about various aspects of travel. There is a plethora of allied information. For the ecotraveller there is a separate space chockfull of ideas.

The main titles are Accomodation Travel Guide, Transportation Guide, Budget & Money Travel , Travel Gear Guide, BootsnAll Insiders, Eco Travel Guide, Travel Gear Guide, How to Travel Guide, Family Travel Guide, Guidebooks & Resources, Food & Travel Guide, Travel Health Guide, GLBT Travel Guide, Travel Jobs Guide, Languages Travel Guide, Travel Safety Guide, Living Abroad Guide, Travel With Pets Guide, Senior Travel Guide, Solo Travel Guide, Travel With Disabilities , Student Travel Guide , Volunteering Abroad Guide, Teaching Abroad Guide, Women's Travel Guide and Work Abroad Guide
I recommend this Traveller’s Kit unreservedly. Click here to go to their site

Guide to low-carbon lifestyle

WWF has come out with an excellent guide that will help you to reduce your carbon footprint, The WWF Pocket Guide to a One Planet Lifestyle. Essential tips on how to be more environment friendly at home, the workplace and when planning a holiday is lucidly explained. The report is a sequel to recent launch by WWF of their “Living Planet Report” which warned that humanity was heading towards an “ecological credit crunch”. We currently use 30 per cent more resources than the planet’s ecosystems can naturally replenish. Americans have a “five planet lifestyle” and the Europeans a “three planet lifestyle”. With the aid of this eBook you can easily calculate your personal footprint, measure the positive effects of your lifestyle changes, find low-carbon alternatives to travel, and get help on how to find energy-efficient appliances or a green electricity supplier. The report is primarily available as an online e-book, The printed version is produced digitally on-demand on FSC certified paper and bound by screw rivets which enables the readers to easily unbind the book and insert updates, Paper wastage is virtually zero, and non-hazardous inks has been used. If you want to access the guide click here

Fodor's 1001 Smart Travel Tips, 2nd Edition

Here is a great book for those smitten by travel bug. It is a compendium of advice from the Writers, Editors & Traveling Readers at Fodor’s. I recommend this book unreservedly.

Published by Fodor's

Category: Travel - Special Interest
Format: Trade Paperback, 320 pages
Date Published: April 1, 2008
Price: $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-4000-1938-0 (1-4000-1938-9)

Here is what the blurb says

Fodor’s well-traveled writers and editors have acquired their travel savvy the hard way. And with this book in hand, no one else has to. Fodor’s 1001 Smart Travel Tips expertly guides all kinds of travelers -- from the moment they start planning until the day they return home.

· Straightforward, topical chapters cover everything from booking---including getting the best prices and avoiding scams---to making any journey comfortable to seeing the sights and staying safe and healthy.
· Boxes address real-life travel problems and how to avoid them.
· Checklists and entire chapter help even the most disorganized of souls choose the best luggage and pack like a pro.
· A special Destinations chapter prepares travelers for trips to dozens of countries.
· Lists of contacts and resources show travelers where to turn when it’s time to book trips, when they encounter a problem, and when they need destination information.
· A comprehensive index makes it easy to find guidance on any destination or for any travel situation.

What kind of shoes are the best for travel?

I was perusing the Fodor's site when I came across this discussion on what kind of shoes are the best for travel?. I found it interesting and informative.Want to have a look at it? Click here

BlogCamp Kerala a runaway success

The first ever blog camp held in Kerala on 16th in a house boat cruising along the placid backwaters of Alappuzha, was a smashing success. The attendees got a chance to get to know the fellow bloggers from across the country. The presence of Guillaume Marceau from Quebec, Canada gave the proceedings an international flavor. The lively discussion centered on the future of blogging with the experts chipping in with their dose of distilled wisdom. For the budding bloggers it was a dream come true. The typical Kerala style non vegetarian lunch tickled the palate. The breathtaking scenery added that extra punch to the lunch. Full marks to the organizers of the conference. I eagerly look forward to the second edition of the meet next year.

Seven steps to more responsible travel

I came across a good piece of writing on green travel in Guardian by green travel experts Liane Katz and Richard Hammond recently. The seven steps they advocate are.

1)Fly less:Plan breaks by rail and ferry as alternatives to short-haul flights whenever possible.
2)Find green accommodation: Look out for green accreditations when choosing a holiday. There are more than 20 'green' accreditation schemes in the UK and more than 100 worldwide.
3)Find a green tour operator: In UK the Association of Independent Tour Operators (aito.co.uk) has a rating scheme for members.
4)Play detective: Ask the hotel management directly what they are doing to control carbon emissions, for minimizing energy and water use and whether they employ local people and buy food and other supplies from local producers where possible.
5)Report bad practice: If you encounter exploitative practices in destinations or among tour operators, complain to the company that made your booking. Write a review on a site such as irresponsibletourism.info.
6)Take good habits with you: Stick to recycling, avoid unnecessary car journeys and take care not to waste water. Use public transport as far as possible. Keep heating, lighting and air-conditioning to a minimum and take showers rather than using the bath. Go for Environment-friendly suncreams and toiletries, such as the Dr Hauschka and Lavera.
7)Consider volunteering: If possible Offer your time and skills for the benefit of a developing country. It will be a very rewarding experience. The website ethicalvolunteering.org has some useful tips on how to choose the right agency.

If you want to read the original article click here

Blog Camp Kerala

Log on to http://www.blogcampkerala.com/ for details

Reducing the environmental impact of our travels.

Friends have requested me to post WWF guidelines for environmental impact of our travels. I am posting it below.

1. Selecting your destination…

When you travel to your holiday destination by plane you are contributing to significant emissions of climate change causing carbon dioxide.
• Try to take vacations nearer to home, or pick locations that you can reach by other forms of transport.
2. Getting there

•If you have to fly carbon offsets to compensate for the emissions caused by your flight.
•Rather than hiring a car at the airport choose other ways to get around like taxis, trains or buses.
•If you do travel by car turn off your engine when you’re parked, or stuck in traffic. It will save you fuel and reduce emissions.

3. Choosing the right place to stay…

•Choose accommodation that have effective waste treatment systems, that recycle, that are energy efficient, and, where possible, that use environmentally friendly energy sources such as solar energy or hydroelectric power.
•Look out for hotels that participate in WWf checkout for nature programme. Participating Hotels will add a Euro (or its equivalent value) to your hotel bill when you check out at the end of your stay, which will be used to support our conservation work around the world.


4. Whilst you are there…

•Look at eco-tourism options. Many travel companies now offer holidays which support sustainable development, do not impact negatively on the environment and provide financial support to local communities.
•Respect the environment and stay on trails and public footpaths. Do not remove plants or feed animals, and never litter.
•Conserve water and take showers rather than baths. Use a refillable water container, sterilizing water when necessary rather than buying bottled water.
•Limit energy use, including your use of air-conditioning and hot water. Turn off all lights and taps when you leave hotel rooms.
•Minimize your use of personal care products and detergents to wash linen, and reuse your hotel towels and bed linen.
•Dispose of sanitary waste properly. Don’t flush cotton buds, condoms, tampons and plastics down the toilet, or you might just find them on the beach!
•Recycle newspapers, magazines and your beverage containers (many can be returned for refunds), and reduce the number of bags, napkins and disposable cups you use when you eat fast food.
•Rent a bike. In many places you can rent them out. They are not only environmentally friendly and cheap, but also a great option for sightseeing.
•Take a hike. walking in cities or going on a hike in the countryside is great way to avoid emissions and yet discover some of special things about where you are, things you may otherwise simply "drive by".
•Reduce the impact of your recreational activities by avoiding sports which have a significant harmful impact on the environment, or choose more progressive establishments (e.g. golf courses which recycle water).


5. Coming home…

Some souvenirs could end up costing a lot more than you paid for them.
•Think twice before you buy any products made from any endangered species, including animal hides and body parts, tortoise-shell, ivory, or coral - they could be illegal.
•Visit WWF-US’ buyer beware website for information that can help you say "no" to illegal wildlife products.

Reuse of water bottles- Venice shows the way

A used plastic water bottle thrown away carelessly is a big headache in tourist centres. I came across this new scheme launched in Italy recently. It impressed me with its simplicity and inherent great potential. If implemented properly it is going to be blessing.
Italy has the largest consumption of bottled water in the world. For tourist centers like Venice discarded water bottles is a big bother. Venice has come out with this innovative scheme called 100%public whereby tourists are given an empty water bottle and a map showing 122 fountains that have been installed in the city. The authorities hope that this will solve a major problem for them
Ecolodges congratulates the civic authorities of Venice for this innovative scheme.