CROSSING TIME ZONES

Microfinance helps Latin Americans lift themselves out of poverty

2009-12-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

Miriam lives in a one-room shack in El Salvador with her husband and 11 children. They store their fresh water in a barrel by the side of the house and cook on a stove in the yard. Although the kids go to school it's unlikely that they'll finish their education. Miriam is not unique, but what's interesting about her situation is that she has taken the first steps toward improving her family's

World's 10 best ethical travel destinations revealed

2009-12-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Are you the kind of traveler who wants to have a great time AND feel good about where your travel budget is going? Ethical Traveler's new report, "The World's Best Ethical Destinations" identifies the 10 countries in the developing world that are best protecting their natural environments, promoting responsible travel, and building a tourism industry which provides real benefits to local

Help Passports with Purpose build a school in Cambodia - and you may even win a great prize, too

2009-11-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

We all know that social networking is powerful, and that travel has the power to change lives. Well, here's a way to combine all those things in support of a great cause. It's the second annual Passports with Purpose (PwP), a collaborative online fundraiser dreamed up by four Seattle-based travel bloggers: Beth Whitman of Wanderlust and Lipstick, Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby, Pam Mandel of

Patagonia vs. the dams: Travel companies offer a special trip to fight a destructive project

2009-11-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Picture this: two wild and scenic rivers rushing from the glaciers of the southern Andes, through dramatic canyons, ancient forests, and productive ranchlands, traveling through some of the most pristine landscapes on earth. Now picture those same rivers tamed by megadams, the surrounding landscapes marred by clearcuts, power lines, and new roads, the livelihoods of local people interrupted.

Costa Rica seeks volunteers to teach English for sustainable tourism development

2009-11-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a way to support sustainable tourism development, have a background in English teaching, and have the ability to take off for three months to a year, here's a new volunteer opportunity worth looking into. The recently established Costa Rican English for Sustainable Tourism (CREST) program is seeking volunteer English teachers to help improve the international marketability

Supersize me: Is the world's largest cruise ship just too big?

2009-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

The big news in the cruise industry today is the official debut of Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which arrived in her home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a 14-day voyage across the Atlantic from Turku, Finland. The world's largest cruise ship, the Oasis is 1,187 feet (360 meters) long and 208 feet (64 meters) wide. She has 16 decks and holds 5,400 passengers at double occupancy in

2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award winners announced

2009-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

The 2009 winners of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards were announced this morning in London as part of the celebration of World Travel Market's third annual WTM World Responsible Tourism Day. Sponsored by Virgin Holidays, the awards are organized by responsibletravel.com together with partners The Daily Telegraph, WTM, and Geographical Magazine. This year's overall winner was New

Introducing Ethical Traveler

2009-11-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Today is World Responsible Tourism Day, so how appropriate that it’s also my first day as News Editor for Ethical Traveler, a Berkeley, California-based nonprofit organization that seeks to make travel a force for positive change. Ethical Traveler is the first grass-roots alliance uniting adventurers, tourists, travel agencies, and outfitters — everyone who loves to travel, and sees travel as a

Adventure travel industry highlights sustainability at recent World Summit

2009-11-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Adventure Travel World Summit in the Charlevoix region of Quebec. It was exciting to meet with tour operators and other travel specialists from around the world, including places as far afield as Patagonia, China, Ethiopia, and Iran. Particularly gratifying was the emphasis placed on sustainable and responsible tourism. Among the issues discussed

Health care through microfinance

2009-10-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Three of the most respected nonprofit organizations in the fields of microfinance and health have announced a joint initiative to address health issues in Latin America through a microfinance model. Microfinance organizations Pro Mujer and Global Partnerships are joining with the leading global health organization PATH in an effort to improve access to essential, low-cost preventive and primary

Journeys Within makes a difference in typhoon-ravaged Southeast Asia

2009-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

A post today on Condé Nast Traveler's Daily Traveler blog reinforced my belief that travel companies can make a difference in the lives of the communities in which they operate. In this case, the company in question is Journeys Within, a small tour company in Siem Reap, Cambodia, that is helping communities recover after the recent typhoon that devastated the region. Typhoon Ketsana seriously

World Monuments Fund identifies 93 endangered cultural heritage sites for 2010

2009-10-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

The World Monuments Fund (WMF), an international organization dedicated to preserving the world's cultural heritage, today released its 2010 World Monuments Watch. Sites listed on the Watch are considered under immediate threat from modern development, natural disasters, decay, or other factors. The 2010 list includes 93 sites in 47 countries, including 9 sites in the United States. And it's not

Cuba seeks to boost ecotourism

2009-09-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

It seems Cuba is working hard to develop its nascent ecotourism industry. According to an MSNBC article published earlier this month, ecotourism currently accounts for just four percent of foreign visits to Cuba, but Deputy Tourism Minister Alexis Trujillo and travel industry experts view it as a potentially lucrative source of income, provided development is managed carefully. Trujillo sees

Sweden to increase tourism budget by 50% for sustainable development

2009-09-21T19:19:00.001-07:00

Sweden has announced that it will increase its tourism budget by 50 percent in order to promote sustainable development in the travel industry. Maud Olofsson, the Swedish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Enterprise, Energy, and Tourism, announced the news last week at the Gothenburg Symposium hosted by the World Tourism Organization, the European Travel Commission, and the national tourist

Ecotourism in the cloud forests of Mindo, Ecuador

2009-09-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

For nature lovers, there can be few places more magical than the cloud forests that cover the steep slopes of Ecuador's Andes mountains. Located at altitudes of roughly 3,000 to 8,000 feet, the cloud forests are lush, misty, and cool - and as an added bonus, quite free of the malaria-carrying mosquitos that plague the tropical rainforests of the lowlands. Cloud forests are places of incredible

Green Living Project: Documenting sustainability around the world

2009-09-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Last night I headed over to the Seattle REI store for a presentation by Rob Holmes, founder of the Green Living Project. GLP documents sustainability in various parts of the world with the goal of supporting and promoting successful projects. GLP seeks out compelling sustainable and community-centered development projects and tells their stories through short documentary films, blog dispatches,

Photo Essay: Cape Horn

2009-09-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

The southernmost point in the Americas, Cape Horn is a promontory on an island (Isla de Hornos) belonging to Chile. It's located on the northern side of the Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica.Interestingly, the name Cape Horn does not refer to any geographic features. Instead, the English name comes from the Dutch Kap Hoorn, bestowed on it by Dutch mariners in honor of

The International Ecotourism Society publishes 2009 Travel Green Guide

2009-09-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has released its 2009 Travel Green Guide, a terrific resource that explains the ins and outs of ecotourism, beginning with what ecotourism is and why it's important. TIES defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." The guide also includes a list of Dos and Don'ts

Responsible Hotels of the World website lists environmentally and socially responsible lodging

2009-09-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a blog post at Green Lodging News, I recently came across a website called "Responsible Hotels of the World." Though the site was just launched in July, and information is still being added, it looks like a great new resource for anyone looking for hotels that truly demonstrate their commitment to environmentally and socially conscious development.The website is run by the same folks

Volunteer Tourism Effective Practices guidelines: A great new resource for tour operators and travelers

2009-09-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Incorporating volunteer work into vacation travel has been a growing trend over the past several years - so much so that it has earned its own label, "voluntourism." Yet despite the increasing popularity of voluntourism, attempts to establish guidelines for the industry have been few and far between. Now the folks at PEPY Tours have created a set of Volunteer Tourism Effective Practices, which

Photo Essay: Ladies of the Red Hat Society

2009-08-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

I love it when I go somewhere I've been a hundred times before and see something totally new and unexpected. A few months ago I was at Pike Place Market, one of my favorite spots in Seattle, and came across a group of women all dressed in purple and red. It turned out they were from the Red Hat Society, a group of women who meet for tea wearing red hats and purple outfits. On this particular day

Exciting new Afar Magazine emphasizes experiential travel

2009-08-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Crossing Time Zones has been quiet lately because I spent much of the past week driving to and from Wyoming for a friend's wedding. On my way back, I stopped in a bookstore in Missoula, Montana, and came across the premiere issue of the new travel magazine Afar. Like Crossing Time Zones, Afar targets travelers who want to go beyond the superficial. The magazine's philosophy centers on

Issues-related travel: Tugging at the heartstrings...and the pursestrings

2009-08-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

It's pretty much a proven fact that personal experience makes people care more about just about anything. That's why a growing number of nonprofit organizations are turning to travel as a way to provide donors and potential donors with a first-hand look at what their money can do. These special nonprofit travel programs offer travelers the chance to make personal connections with local

Photo Essay: Iguanas of the Galapagos

2009-08-14T14:05:00.001-07:00

Almost prehistoric in appearance, the various species of iguanas inhabiting the Galapagos Islands are fascinating examples of how animals have adapted to different environments. This is the only place on earth where you'll find marine iguanas, unique among lizards in their ability to swim and feed in the ocean. The Galapagos are also home to various species of land iguanas, which tend to be much

New study of mosquito-borne threats to Galapagos wildlife highlights ongoing danger of introduced species to island ecosystems

2009-08-12T16:25:00.001-07:00

According to a report published today in the online edition of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, British and Ecuadorian scientists have found strong evidence that mosquitos transported to the Galapagos Islands on tour boats and aircraft pose a serious threat to the archipelago's unique wildlife. According to a Reuters article about the new study, mosquitos first appeared in the Galapagos in