From January 30 to February 5, 2011, the Mexican city of Oaxaca will host an unconventional, unconference – the Responsible Tourism Fair. Now in its 11th year, it is a veritable model of the Local Travel Movement and Slow Travel.

“Most importantly, the fair will also be a lot of fun,” said Ron Mader, founder of Planeta.com.

There is no cost for participating, except the meals, personal purchases and accommodation normally part of travel. In fact, visitors are strongly encouraged to buy direct from locals and, in particular, the co-hosts of the events.

The 2011 Responsible Tourism Fair takes place in multiple locations in Oaxaca City and surrounding towns. Visitors have a number of appealing responsible-travel options from which to choose, including weaver-guided walks in Teotitlán del Valle, photosafaris in public parks and authentic indigenous meals including Caldo de Piedra (Chinanteco), Maatsy (Ayuuk) and tamales (Zapotec and Ayuuk style). Self-guided treasure hunts asks foodies to try various cheeses, chocolates and mezcal. Photographers are invited to share photos in relevant Flickr Groups with prizes to be awarded.

If you cannot attend in person, there are many ways to participate and we want to make the most of social media. Responsible tourism amigos, buddies, cuates and mates are being encouraged to create their own events during this time and share the news via Twitter (use the hashtag #rtf2011), Facebook and all of the cool toys and tools of Web 2.0. The goal is to show what ‘responsible tourism’ looks like in your corner of the world and help extend the reach of the fair worldwide.

Read more about the 2011 Responsible Tourism Fair