The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Awards

Have a look at the finalist of  The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) awards.The winners will be revealed on May 26th.

Destination Stewardship Award:
• Botswana Tourism Board - www.botswanatourism.co.bw, Country of
• Montenegro, Ministry of Tourism - www.montenegro.travel
• Mount Huangshan Scenic Site, China - www.chinahuangshan.gov.cn

Conservation Award
• Emirates Hotels & Resorts, UAE - www.emirateshotelsresorts.com
• Inkaterra Perú SAC - www.inkaterra.com
• Singita Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania - www.singita.com

Community Benefit Award
• Namibia's Communal Conservancy Tourism Sector / NACSO -www.nacso.org.na
• Tourindia, India - www.tourindiakerala.com
• Whale Watch Kaikoura Ltd, New Zealand - www.whalewatch.co.nz

Global Tourism Business Award
• Accor, France & Global - www.accor.com
• Banyan Tree Holdings, Singapore & Global - www.banyantree.com
• Wilderness Safaris, South Africa & Global - www.wilderness-safaris.com

New Global Online Contest from Gap Adventures

Gap Adventures has just launched a new global online contest for travelers from every walk of life to submit a trip idea on the web. It gives you a chance to get your trip published by Gap and take the journey to boot, along with two lucky friends. This could be a trip to anywhere in the world.

 The winner will be selected through public online polling and input from a panel of world-renowned judges which includes Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, filmmaker and adventurer Celine Cousteau, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, National Geographic Adventure Magazine editor-in-chief John Rasmus, explorer and BBC presenter Benedict Allen, Outside Magazine executive editor Mike Roberts, adventurer Alastair Humphreys, polar explorer and author Tom Avery, and Gap Adventures’ Bruce Poon Tip.Winners will be announced May 25, 2010.

 To participate log on to www.createyourownadventure.com before March 31^st

British Airways Picks Top Ten Travel Destinations for 2010

Here is the list of what British Airways perceives to be the top 10 outbound travel destinations for 2010.

1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Istanbul, Turkey
3. Las Vegas, USA.
4. Vancouver, Canada
5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
6. Dubrovnik, Croatia
7. New York, USA
8. Stockholm, Sweden
9. Maldives
10. New Delhi, India

Packing Light

While travelling packing light is a great idea. Packing light saves time (e.g. no waiting for baggage to be unloaded), money (no excess baggage fees), stress (no worrying about lost luggage) and the environment (less luggage means less fuel used to carry it). Go green travel has come up with 45 tips for the eco-conscious traveler. I found it practical and very useful. Read it here

World's Top 50 Ecolodges

I just had a look at the pick of top 50 ecolodges of the world done by  National Geographic adventure.  National Geographic presents  the most comprehensive ecolodge survey ever assembled, representing diverse landscapes and locales. All that you  have to do is to click on the dots on the map to find your green adventure. Really informative. Click here to go to the map and experience the adventure.

Top 10 beaches of the world

I was reading about Top 10 beaches of the world in the Guardian.The selections are

1. Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain

2. Tayrona national park, Colombia

3. Porto da Barra, Salvador, Brazil

4. Anywhere on Palawan, the Philippines

5. Nungwi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

6. Arambol, Goa, India

7. Whitehaven, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

8. Shell Beach, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

9. Sinclair´s Bay, Caithness

10. Aroa, Aitutaki, One Foot Island, Cook Islands

If you want to read the full article click here

Great EcoTourism guide for COSTA RICA

ISBN 9781569756966

COSTA RICA is destination nonpareil for ecotourism.
Here is a great EcoTourism guide for COSTA RICA

The 495-page New Key to Costa Rica by Beatrice/Gilbert Blake gives you all the information you need to get around independently in COSTA RICA with a listings for any budget. The e-mail addresses provided and tips on low-cost local transportation, private bilingual naturalist guide'driver, car rental,local airlines and information about all national parks and reserves lets you be in charge of the affairs while you travel to COSTA RICA.

Tourism Exhibitions Calendar : February 2010

Here is a list of exhibitions slated for February 2010. I hope it would be useful for tour operators

4-7 February 2010
HOLIDAY WORLD (ITTFA)
Prague, Czech Republic
Official website

---

4-7 February 2010
TIMES HOLIDAY & TRAVEL SHOW
London, England
Official website

---

4-8 February 2010
SALON DE VACANCES
Brussels, Belgium
Official website

---

5-7 February 2010
BALTTOUR
Riga, Latvia
Official website

---

5-7 February 2010
FERIEN MESSE
Bassels, Switzerland
Official website

---

5-7 February 2010
MAHANA
Toulouse, France
Official website

---

6-8 February 2010
TTF - Mumbai
Bombay, India
Official website

---

9-10 February 2010
BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW
London, England
Official website

---

10-14 February 2010
REISEN
Hamburg, Germany
Official website

---

11-13 February 2010
TTF - New Delhi
New Delhi, India
Official website

---

11-14 February 2010
EMITT
Istanbul, Turkey
12-14 February 2010
TUREST
Talin, Estonia
Official website

---

12-14 February 2010
HOLIDAY & TRAVEL SHOW
Glascow, U.K.
Official website

---

13-14 February 2010
LOS ANGELES TIMES TRAVEL SHOW
Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Official website

---

13-15 February 2010
TOURISSIMA
Lille, France
Official website

---

18-22 February 2010
F.re.e
Munich, Germany
Official website

---

23-25 February 2010
CONFEX INTERNATIONAL
London, England
Official website

---

24-26 February 2010
MEETINGS AFRICA
Johannesburg, South Africa
Official website

---

24-28 February 2010
REISE & CAMPING
Essen, Germany
Official website

---

24-28 February 2010
IFT - International Fair of Tourism (ITTFA)
Belgrade, Serbia
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
MAHANA
Marseilles, France
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
TOURISSIMO
Strasbourg, France
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
Ν.Υ.ΤΙΜES TRAVEL SHOW
New York, U.S.A.
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
FERIEN MESSE SALZBURG
Salzburg, Austria
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
FERIE FΟR ALLE
Herning, Denmark
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
VIVATUR
Vilnious, Lithuania
Official website

---

26-28 February 2010
TCV FERIA VALENCIA
Valencia, Spain
Official website

---

27 Feb.-1 March 2010
SALON DU TOURISME ET DES VACANCES
Nantes, France
Official website

---

27 Feb.-1 March 2010
TIMES HOLIDAY & TRAVEL SHOW
Bermingham, England
Official website

---

27 Feb.-7 March 2010
FREIZEIT
Nurenberg, Germany
Official website

Back Again

Many people have requested me to continue posting on this blog. In deference to their wishes I am back on stream

Outdoor Life – Naughty Ways of Spicing Up Your Love Life

I was reading this book Sex in a Tent by Michelle Waitzman. (Wilderness Press, $14.95) I found it very interesting and informative. It gives tips about spicing up your sex life while camping. Camping need not remain a mundane activity. There are ways of spicing it up in myriad ways. Even seasoned adventurers will learn some new tips or techniques from this book. The first chapter is devoted to putting things in proper perspective for a beginner, so that he or she does not scare the partner away. The book is not about getting laid only. The book discusses things like personal hygiene while camping, planning romantic meals, packing backpacks and wearing the right clothing. Go ahead and read it. It is hilarious and full of great tips. I am sure Michelle must have experienced them first hand. Well Michelle, I enjoyed your book tremendously. Great read. I recommend the book unreservedly.

· Paperback: 166 pages
· Publisher: Wilderness Press
· Language English
· ISBN-10: 0899974325
· ISBN-13: 978-0899974323