Archive for October, 2010
Responsible travel – does it make sense?
Can travelling change the world? Unless you are a celebrity like Madonna, or a famous politician like Bill Clinton, it’s sometimes hard to see whether responsible choices have significant effect at all. But let’s put this in another perspective: What will happen, if all those millions of people that trot the globe every year change […]
Awakening: what local experiences are really about?
The other day I remembered a passing incident from the mid 90s and realised something profound about the character of local experiences. I had succeeded in becoming a shareholder (probably by looking and dancing so Cretan!) of Vamos SA, a village company for preserving local livelihoods in Apokoronas in Crete. Without being an insider it is […]
Local Travel in Greece?
Local Travel is a great movement. We are really happy to know that there are lots of people that like to travel like we do – experiencing the true life of the locals. Living and working in Thessaloniki, Greece, we see thousands of tourists every year visiting our country and living nothing more than the […]
Six storybook guesthouses in the northern Albanian Alps: a photo essay
Local-minded travelers in Albania love to get deep into the heart of Albanian nature and culture. That is why they choose traditional, family-run guesthouses for visits to Theth and the northern Albanian Alps. These wood-shingled stone structures have long endured the harsh winter-weather conditions of the region and now exhibit a visual charm captured by […]
Travel with respect
There are few among us who wouldn’t like getting away for a relaxing holiday on a sunny beach far away from the daily routine. The dream is even more attractive if we feel that our holiday can contribute to sustainable development in the local community of our destination. Travelling creates possibilities for development, but as […]
What is an ‘authentic’ Local Travel experience: rice and beans or fillet steak?
I often wonder if a tourist experience can ever be ‘authentic.’ Do visitors want authenticity? Do they even recognize authenticity when they see it? Whose responsibility is it to prepare them for it? Do people expect rice and beans or fillet steak… or perhaps a nice splattering of both? As a small travel company, aiming […]
Experimental travel
Next time you’re in a city you know very well, or if you want to experience your own city in a new way, try Experimental travel – a travel game where you follow certain pseudo-scientific rules, which lead you to new experiences. The “inventor” of the term Experimental Travel, Joel Henry, created Latourex – a website with many […]
Anyone for a Lime&Tonic in Prague?
The WHL Group has this past week launched its latest online venture, called Lime&Tonic (L&T), an exciting new business in the service of independent travellers and locals alike. L&T is a fresh twist on the travel industry that is breaking new ground. It’s a GroupOn-style ‘collective-buying’ site with a TripAdvisor-style traveller-rated destination guide. See how […]