Ethan Gelber
How good is the tourism marketing where you live?
Against all expectations in our constantly squabbling tourism industry, a sort of consensus seems to be emerging about how ably the majority of tourism marketing organisations are representing their clients: not really all that well, especially when it comes to today’s swiftly changing travel climate and to representing the interests of local communities and travellers […]
Going local with AWOL – a guide to getting lost
Here at the Local Travel Movement, we have always believed in the power of getting lost to go local. The beaten path really has been too well trod, so why not throw caution to the wind – and with it the bucket lists of must-sees and must-dos – and detour through that alluring alleyway filled […]
Why aren’t more bloggers writing about responsible (and local) travel?
Most mainstream newspapers and magazines today give periodic lip service to the evolution of travel, acknowledging that more and more travellers consider themselves ‘ecotourists,’ but not really giving their readers enough to feed their ethical penchants. Hamstrung by shrinking budgets, market-deaf advertisers and cumbersome bureaucracy, major travel media look like they’re being outpaced by the […]
The Travel Word’s best local travel pictures of the year 2011
It’s hard to believe another year has gone by. And with it the grace of another 44 incredible Photos of the Week. We are nevertheless once again proud to present our Photos of the Year – the travel pictures of the year 2011 that most captured the imagination of The Travel Word team and a […]
How to become a responsible traveler: 5 tips from a local travel expert
I remember the first time I saw ‘local travel’ mentioned in writing. I don’t recall the actual article, but I must have been thinking about food; I read ‘local’ as ‘lo-cal’ travel (i.e. travel on a low-calorie diet). My confusion didn’t last long, but it made for some welcome chuckles while I pondered the possibilities. […]
What Local Travel means to local travel experts
Every month, the WHL Group delves into the travel experiences of travel experts in its extended network through interviews that appear on The Travel Word. One of the requests made of each of these local partners is for them to briefly explain what they think local travel is. What follows is a revealing selection of […]
We suck at collaboration
In early May, 2011, Ron Mader, founder and editor of Planeta.com and 2010 winner of The International Ecotourism Society’s Innovation Award, gave a slideshow presentation at the Responsible Tourism Cities Conference in Durban, South Africa. Entitled Why We Suck at Collaboration, it “addresses failure in many guises, including massive tree failure and online tourism promotion […]