The Good Travel & Tourism Wiki - Recently Updated Pages

Asheville, NC

AvlCabins — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:55:57 CST

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radak

mikegist — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:31:58 CST

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All About Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Travel

Editor/Admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:36:48 CST

Are you a conscientious traveller?

Travellers! This wiki is an opportunity for you to sound off about the good and bad you see on your travels, and for the travel and tourism industry to listen and respond to what you have to say.

Are you a responsible organisation?

Businesses and destinations! Join up for free to promote your sustainable tourism products, responsible travel packages, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. But be honest about it!

Join the discussions! (What is a "wiki", anyway?)

Join the Wiki on Facebook, LinkedIn & Plaxo!

Follow Wiki 'Updates' on Twitter!
Life insurance for seniors

Within the travel and tourism industry, and among passionate travellers, there exists substantial resources of practical and theoretical knowledge on sustainable tourism. Yet there continues to be an ongoing debate on the positive and negative environmental and social impacts of travel and tourism.

Hundreds of subject areas and specialisations, from biodiversity to climate change and energy consumption, can help the travel and tourism industry achieve sustainability.

Every industry sector and niche, from aviation to "voluntourism", is important to this aim.

The challenge for the travel and tourism industry is to collectively harness that knowledge and overcome the tyranny of distance, time and cost involved with international meetings.

This wiki is for ALL STAKEHOLDERS in travel and tourism -- industry professionals and practitioners, travellers and tourists -- to share information related to good travel and tourism practices.

Even if you don't work for a travel agent, airline, hotel, or tour operator, you are a stakeholder.

If you travel, or if your part of the world receives visitors, you are a stakeholder.

Please join and contribute to The Good Travel & Tourism Wiki.

Donations to the Wiki are always welcome. They help keep adverts off the site and contribute towards promoting the Wiki. Sponsorship opportunities are also available to the right partners. Proceeds will go towards developing new content for the website.

What We Offer:-

Free discussion and debate for travellers and the travel and tourism industry

Free exposure and outbound links to individuals, businesses, and organisations who contribute informative and inspiring content to this website

Sponsorship opportunities for the right partners

Join the Wiki on
Facebook, LinkedIn & Plaxo.

Follow the Wiki on
Twitter!

DONATE to the Wiki!

Save Money by Staying in

Bibika — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:17:57 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Quality of Family Hotels and Children's Hotels

Kinderhotels — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:46:57 CDT

This is a template page

Use this template when you want to use photos and text to tell your story. Click EasyEdit, then highlight this text with your cursor and type over it with your own words: You can write as much as you want!

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Family hotels in Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol: Kinderhotels

Kinderhotels — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:07:43 CDT

This is a template page

And finally it’s time for family holidays in Austria, Bavaria, South Tyrol and Croatia! Explore the fresh snow, the mountains and the lakes. With Fred the frog’s swim academy you can learn to swim at the Kinderhotels swimming pools or follow the tracks of Harry Potter at the Hocus Pocus Wizard School. Guaranteed!,Who guarantees that nothing will go wrong on your family holiday and everyone will just kill themselves laughing? That’s right: Smiley!
The little fellow is the main mascot of the Kinderhotels, who is always ready for some fun and will personally see to it that your holiday is full of exciting things to do.
In the Kinderhotels everyone gets pampered – young and old. Holidays should be fun – for everyone in the family.

For the very little ones there is a full range of baby equipment from bottle warmers to baby baths. Apart from the fact that you save yourself having to pack everything and take it with you on holiday – you needn’t worry about forgetting something. Or rather, you can leave (almost) everything at home. You should, of course, bring clothes and the individual items that the “child” will need. In many Kinderhotels you don’t even need to bring a particularly large quantity of baby food – you can help yourself to food for your little one at the “Baby food buffet”. Bibs to wash when you come back off holiday? Wrong – bibs are provided in the hotels that specialise in catering for babies. Should you bring a child seat? No need for this either – various types are provided.
Choose YOUR Kinderhotel and have fun! No matter if you plan your holiday for kids in Austria, holiday with children in Germany or family holiday in Croatia. Your Kinderholidays will provide fun, wellness, action, the best food for eery age - just the best holiday you can imagine. You will find all the information on the website of the kinderhotels.

Polls

planeta — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:46:59 CST

Participate in a current poll, such as:-

"ASEAN" or "Southeast Asia"
Europe Travel Survey asks where you are heading. Details...

Create and post your own poll on a new page within this section.

2011 Responsible Tourism Week

planeta — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 22:44:40 CST

Fall in love with responsible tourism. The dates are set for the 2011 Responsible Tourism Week. Our unconventional, online unconference begins Valentine's Day (February 14) and continues through February 18.

Background: Responsible Tourism Week is a fun mash-up exploring down to earth applications of noble concepts including responsible tourism, the local travel movement and ecotourism with practical and inexpensive Web 2.0 technologies. Imagine: a tourism conference with no entry fees and no jet lag!

2011 is the third year for RT Week and we expect it to take a great leap forward thanks to inspired participation. Take a peak at what we accomplished last year via the Planeta Wiki and on Slideshare.

Simply put, this online unconference is an excellent way to broaden and deepen our dialogue about sustainable practice and tourism. Responsible Tourism Week encourages participants to articulate their core values and the way they put noble ideas into practice. We spotlight living, breathing examples of responsible tourism. RT Week provides an opportunity to introduce new events, tours and research projects as well as an opportunity to summarize recent events. For those who can keep track of a hashtag, it's a new window to the world! Yes, it's a high-tech, but we also promote lo-fi media, including the foamboard.

One of the key objectives of Responsible Tourism Week is to create incentives for continuity - we'd really like to hear updates on recent tourism conferences and events and previews of upcoming events that touch upon the core values of responsible tourism. Another key objective is to strengthen relationships with existing contacts and make new friends!

How to participate? You can start now by documenting the stories you'd like to share. In particular we will highlight tweets on Twitter, videos on YouTube and recommended blogs and wikis.

Flickr members are encouraged to add photos to the following groups: City Parks , World Parks , World Food and World Trees

This year we will start to feature tours using Gowalla and Foursquare. Check out the toolbox!

During the event participants are invited to organize a local Photosafari and/or Green drinks.

Of special interest in 2011 will be the role of responsible tourism in forests and cities. Join us!

Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC)

ayakoezaki — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:26:04 CST

The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) is North America's largest and only conference focusing on sustainability in tourism. The ESTC brings together innovative minds from across the industry to discuss practical ideas and solutions that inspire positive changes.

Conference Dates and Locations

ESTC 2011 - Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, September 19th-21st, 2011 (About the conference)
ESTC 2010 - Portland, Oregon, USA, September 8th-10th, 2010 (Proceedings & Highlights)

ESTC Experience

Tourism and Web 2.0

planeta — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:03:08 CDT

Useful Links

bbiottawa — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:35:45 CDT

Please add new links in alphabetical order ...

A-C

Pakistan'sAga Khan Trust for Culture. Go to"Culture" and "Historic Cities Support Programme"
Agenda 21: The Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (New Zealand)
Asia Pacific performance meeting the MDG
The Australian Climate Forumprovides a wealth of information on the global climate change debate.
Community Action Plan:Information sheets on community action plan, sustainable development indicators, environmental management systems for councils and getting council to do indicators (Northern Ireland)
Conservation International uses ecotourism as a conservation strategy in numerous countries
Conservational International and UNEP’s 2002 publication ‘Tourism and Biodiversity: Mapping Tourism’s Global Footprint’
CSIRO:A Guidebook to Environmental Indicators
Vacation Rental : Bed and Breakfast International (BBI)
Romantic Getaway: Romantic Getaways by BBI

D-G

Foran, B., Poldy, F (2002a) Dilemmas Distilled. A summary and guide to the CSIRO technical Report “Future Dilemmas: options to 2050 for Australia’s population, technology, resources and environment. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Earth Summit Report
Ecotourism Africa Photography Group
Ecotourism Asia Photography Group
Ecotourism Europe Photography Group
Ecotourism Oceania Photography Group
Eco Trails Kerala - Socially Responsible & Eco Friendly tours in Kerala (India)
Enviro.aero: busting the myths and untruths about aviation's impact on the environment.
Global Agenda
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) is a coalition of 31 organisations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles.
Great Vancouver Regional District: Sustainability indicators on water and air, indicators on growth management and transportation are located in their annual report
Green Globe: Become a Green Globe community, company, consumer and contribute to a more sustainable world
Tourism Gender:A global e-networkto share and build quality research, activities and projects to support and enable women as agents of change in and for sustainable tourism
Guidelines for the Sustainable Development and Management of Tourism in National Parks and Protected Areas (1992; available in English, French, Spanish and Russian)

H-L

International Conservation Union
International Council for Local Environment Initiatives: ICLEI is the international agency for local governments whose mission is to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global environmental and sustainable development conditions through cumulative local actions. (Canada)
International Ecotourism Society
International Finance Corporation: Examines EMS’s, including their creation, planning, implementation, monitoring, improving, and case studies (Washington, DC)
International Finance Corporation: Identifies the road to sustainability, including the strategy, sustainability tools, project approval, supervision and learning (Washington, DC)
International Network for the Sustainable Development of Coastal Tourism Destinations
Living on less than US$1 per day in the Asia-Pacific Region: "While considerable progress has been made in the Asia-Pacific region towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals such as halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, some 766 million people there still live on less than $1 a day."-- Mr Jean-Charles Le Vallée

M-O

MEPI environmental performance: Benchmarking using indicators (United Kingdom)
Millennium Indicators Database -- Goals, Targets and Indicators: UN Statistics Division. To help track progress on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the United Nations Secretariat and the specialised agencies of the UN system, as well as representatives of IMF, the World Bank and OECD defined a set of time-bound and measurable goals and targets. GRADE (Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo/Group of Analysis for Development)
Montreal Process
National Strategies for Sustainable Development
National Geographic Sustainable Tourism
OECD:Sustainable Development --Critical Issues
Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS)

P-R

Planeta.com is the practical journal of global ecotourism. Since 1994 the site has provided place-based guides and features indices of financial institutions working toward responsible travel and ectourism; current e-conferences focus on food, health and building communities and tourism and climate change
Portland Sustainability Principles:Ten principles to achieve a sustainable city
Rainforest Alliance
Renewable Energy Policy Project
Resource Renewal Institute: RRI's main role is to promote the implementation of green plans
Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong: An official Mekong Tourism site

S-T

SE Asian Seal of Excellence of Handicrafts Products
Small business: The University of New Brunswick (Canada) has established a Web site for small and medium sized enterprises to assist them in managing in a sustainable manner.
Stay Another Day! www.stay-another-day.org
Sustainable Development of Tourism: A Compilation of Good Practices (2000 -- contains papers in English, French, and Spanish)
Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre
Sustainability
Sustainable Communities Initiative:Builds capacity in rural, coastal, Aboriginal and northern communities that wish to take control of their future, by providing them with modern mapping technologies to make informed decisions for sustainable development (Canada).
Sustainable Development: Discusses indicators of sustainable development, including headline, national, regional, local and international (London)
Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Managementand other great downloads
The Sustainable Tourism Gateway was set up in order to develop awareness and educate on issues related to sustainable tourism; to assist in policy and programme development; and to facilitate monitoring and evaluation.
Sustainability of Tour Operators' Supply Chains; Xavier Font, School of Tourism Hospitality and Events, Leeds Metropolitan University
Tourism and Climate Change E-Conference
Tour Operators' Initiative: Tourism certification programmes

U-V

UN DP human development indicators
UN EP Tourism Programme
UN ESCAP Poverty and Development Division
UN IPCC:United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division of Sustainable Development
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Climate Change information kit (Switzerland).
US Environmental Protection Agency: EMS Design, ISO14001, general management resources and sustainable business (Cambridge, MA)
Voices for Burma: An independent NGO helping visitors explore the issues surrounding the ethical minefield of traveling to Burma/Myanmar

W-Z

Web 2.0 Strategies for Visitors, Travel Professionals and Government Officials - overview prepared by Ron Mader with examples of various social media applications used by multiple stakeholders.
What Tourism Managers Need to Know: A Practical Guide to the Development and Use of Indicators of Sustainable Tourism (1996 -- available in English, French and Spanish)
WHL Travel WHL is a global travel booking site for the developing world and with a focus on sustainable tourism.
WWW.WildAsia.net Wild Asia is a social enterprise working to support the conservation of natural areas and the communities dependent upon their resources.
World Bank: The World Development Indicators (WDI) 2004 is the World Bank’s annual compilation of data about development.Data on poverty
World Bank: Going Green for Youth. Aimed at youth, this World Bank site has compiled information resources related to biodiversity, renewable energy and other approaches to sustainable development. Visitors to the site can comment on the stories. Selected comments are posted on the site.
World Bank Board of Directors: There are four Boards of Executive Directors representing the four institutions of the World Bank Group: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
World Tourism and Travel Council (2003) Blue Print for New Tourism
WMC Ltd: Community-Environment Report, Towards Sustainable Development – Community and Environment
World Ecology Report: Special Focus – From Greening to Sustainability (New Zealand)
World Resources --A Guide to the Global Environment

Vacation/Bay fishing

SPIBeachHouse — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:09:31 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

europe

planeta — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 10:31:21 CDT

Media Release (September 20, 2010)

Planeta.com - the world's first ecotourism website based in the USA - is participating in the European Ecotourism Conference in Pärnu, Estonia (September 27-30).

During the conference Planeta.com Founder Ron Mader will be giving a presentation on Web 2.0 in tourism and as part of the presentation has issued a call for photos of ecotourism and responsible travel in Europe.

"We would like to see photos of national parks, city parks, recycling, environmental education, good signage, local wildlife and quality guiding in Europe," said Ron Mader.

The Ecotourism Europe photography group --http://www.flickr.com/groups/ecotourismeurope -- is hosted on the popular user-generated website Flickr. As of September 18, group has 41 members and 247 items. The photography group is co-moderated by Aivar Ruukel, organizer of the European Ecotourism Conference.

"We would like to see a doubling of members and photos in this group over the next month," Mader said. "But more important than sheer quantity is the depth and breadth that the photos convey. We'd like to see outdoor recreation, environmental education and responsible travel in practice in Europe. Locals and visitors are invited to share their experiences."

References

Eco Travels in Europe
Europe - Planeta Wikispace
Ecotourism Europe Overview

Arizona Coutry Excursions

ArizonaEX — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:52:18 CDT

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Philippines

travelfoodguru — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:45:44 CDT

Here's a great sample of Sustainable tourism and responsible travel in the Philippines.

CALAMIAN EXPEDITIONS Travel & Tours is a local based agency promoting community tourism enterprise and committed to attain sustainable tourism in Calamianes, Palawan. Its activities and events highly involve community members such as local tour guides, mountain guides, resort and lodge operators, boat operators, transport operators, indigenous cultural groups and adventure enthusiasts. Corong Galeri Lokals (an accredited establishment of the Department of Tourism) also makes contributions to the local communities by its efforts wtih the tribal minorities and local skilled craftsmen for the promotion of Calamianes’ traditional products, arts and related handicrafts.

Island hopping tours include:

Kayangan Lake

Dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia. Don’t forget to bring bread to feed the friendly, little schools of fish! Banol Beach – Elegantly framed by gorgeous, soft white sand, and crystal clear waters, Banol Beach paints a gorgeous tropical picture. After a relaxing swim, indulge in a magical picnic lunch prepared by Coron Gateway Hotel.

Mount Tapyas

Not for the feint hearted! After climbing 600 steps, this mountain rewards travelers with the most spectacular views of Coron’s world - famous lime stone cliffs and serene waters. The view is definitely worth the laborious climb.

Twin Lagoons

Serene, calm and magical – 3 concise words to describe the twin lagoons of Coron. Teeming with colorful coral reefs and lush marine life – this is definitely a snorkeling haven for all would-be travelers!

Maquinit Hotsprings

At 38 degrees Celcius, this hotspring magnificently doubles as an infinity pool. Bounded by lush trees, and strategically overlooking the bay, consider this hotspring as the most natural and therapeutic means to relax your weary bones.

Siete Picados

Showcasing Seven Beautiful Islands of non-stop underwater wonders, you might never want to leave!

Skeletal Wreck

Left behind during World War 2, this is one of the shallowest ship wreck destinations in the Philippines. It is now abound with rich corals and friendly marine life making it a popular snorkeling site in the island.

Boracay Island Buzz: Events Asia 2010

Editor/Admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:13:18 CDT

Boracay Island Buzz: Events Asia 2010

Last April 28-30, 2010, the beautiful island of Boracay in the Philippines played host and set the stage for Events Asia 2010 Conference and Trade Show, with its theme “The Future is NOW! The Future is WOW!”. Participants converged at the Boracay Eco Village Resort & Convention Center at the Meetings which presented an array of vastly interesting subjects by international event industry experts. Delegates learned the latest trends, as well as innovations to the craft in the highly creative world of exhibitions and events.

CONFERENCE. Participants were privileged to listen and network with experts in events industry worldwide to include Mr. Steven Hacker, as keynote speaker with his topic, Global Exhibition and Events Trends in the 21st century; Mr. Mark Cochrane from Hong Kong who talked about Asian Perspectives, the Power of Exhibits and Events; Mr. Eduardo Braniff, expert on Brand Activation from Los Angeles, U.S.A.; Ms. Lara McCulloch-Carter from Canada who did a cool workshop and talk on Social Media Strategies; Mr. Robert Rogers, who awed the audience with 10 Cool New Things to WOW Events; Mr. Brian Slawin, from Missouri, U.S. did his spiel on Events Latest Tool –getting the best Lead in Events; Mr. Jeffrey Soh, of Thailand shared his tips in Organizing Events with a shoestring budget; Mr. Steve Tait, emphatically advised delegates on Event Safety and Security; and Mr. Jojo Ajero, CEO of High Traffic Ads.

SUSTAINABLE EVENTS MANAGEMENT. I had the pride and pleasure to talk on a topic very close to my heart, Sustainable Events Management with Corporate Social Responsibility, a very timely and significant issue for the conference as more events professionals are now conscientious in conservation and in trying to help protect the environment. With my experience with Inkaterra, Peru’s eco pioneer and Conservation Leader, I hope I was able to share the knowledge and concern for the need to be more responsible and sustainable in events organization: the call to Rethink, Reuse, Reduce, Recycle and Report, in order to meet the needs of the present while preserving and enduring the provisions for future generations.

FUTURE WORKSHOPS. The talk in fact, is just a tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I am looking forward to sharing this topic substantially and ideally in comprehensive workshops or seminars where participants can fully understand, assimilate and implement their own best practices to sustainable events, according to the business they are engaged in, whether they are event planners or suppliers, in hospitality, entertainment, sports, publication, media, technical production, corporation, government agency, venue, and other related endeavor in the Events and Exhibition industry. So the next time you are planning to organize conferences, you might like to include a Sustainable Events Management workshop in your agenda. Ms. Annaliza Laxamana, CEO of Next Step Events, the beauty and brains behind Events Asia 2010, is also the recently appointed Marketing Director of Boracay Eco Village and Convention Center. Her highly professional and efficient production team was able to execute the event successfully with outstanding and authentic production, lavish entertainment, live music and dance ensemble, albeit with minor technical and logistical glitches which can be easily remedied in the next productions, however, kudos to the team for their dedication to their craft, undivided attention and usual remarkable Filipino brand of sincere hospitality, warmth and friendship, which can never be equaled anywhere in the world.

Alta Vista was the official resort host for the event and it was a great surprise to know that former Islander Group and HSMA colleague Bobby Laygo is the General Manager of this literally and figuratively speaking lofty property. Its location is up on the hillsides at the northern part of the island, as Bobby would often say, they are on “the better side of Paradise”.

My own take in Events Asia 2010: the future is wow, but we have to protect in now! Less conversation, it's time for action! Please use comment/contact form if you wish to add a Sustainable Events Management Workshop in your next conference.

Peru

Editor/Admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:02:05 CDT

Peruphernalia -your travel essentials to Peru

Peru is often called the quintessential South American destination evoking images of Andean mountains, fabled lost cities, panpipe players, llamas and, of course, the ever-fashionable and functional poncho. -Blue List, Lonely Planet

If Peru didn’t exist, travel guide books would have to invent it. It’s a land of lost cities and ancient ruins, brooding Andean peaks, dense jungles, quaint cities, festivals con-celebrating Roman Catholic masses with mysterious Incan rites. It’s like a whole world in a snow dome.- from the Travel Book.

Rich with majestic natural beauty, gracious people, and the legacy of a great ancient civilization, Peru is a country that touches the soul.

When planning to travel to Peru, in order to fully capture its magic and mystique, you need to understand what to expect. I have compiled important information for your visit to Peru and how to organize for your journey. Please read this as you get ready for what will be one of the most amazing trips of your life.

PERU Fast FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Acclimatization. Acclimatization is the process of the body adjusting to the decreased availability of oxygen at high altitudes. Considering varying altitudes of destinations in Peru, travelers must try to go first to the lower ones before ascending to higher altitude cities. It is a slow process that could take place over a couple of days. Given enough time, your body will adapt to the decrease in oxygen at a specific altitude.

Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS) or soroche is a pathological condition that is caused by acute exposure to low air pressure usually above 2,400 meters (approximately 8,000 feet). The main cause of altitude sickness is going too high too quickly. Before your travel to a high altitude destination, avoid eating too much, and on the arrival day itself, eat less also to avoid altitude sickness. If you stay at a high altitude, rest. Limit any walking or activity. You can explore the area, but take it easy, especially on the first day. Drink plenty of water and avoid taking alcoholic beverages.

Communication/ Telephone/ Internet. Peru is well connected with telephone landlines and cellular phones lines in most major cities, as well as the Internet with connections in most hotels, numerous internet booths (cabinas de internet) in cities and towns and WiFi available in major hotels.

Currency/Credit Cards/ Foreign Exchange. Peru’s currency is the Nuevo Sol (S/.) or Nuevos Soles (in plural). Peru is typical of many South American countries in that it effectively operates a dual currency system where the US$ American Dollar has purchasing power. Both the US$ (Dollar) and the Peruvian Nuevo Sol are in circulation and although the government prefers people to use soles, most sizeable purchases are made in dollars. The Nuevo Sol is perfectly stable so you don’t have to worry about inflation problems during your stay. In the provinces, credit card facilities may be limited only to major establishments. Travelers’ cheques are not common, so have cash (in Soles) on hand as foreign currency exchange is limited. Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are mostly available only in the main cities. To check currency conversion, go to http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Health/ Medical/Travelers. Common Illness To keep from getting gastrointestinal infections or avoiding travelers’ diarrhea, we recommend you take care when eating raw or exotic foods. Drink bottled or boiled water and do not eat food/beverages from street vendors/ hawkers. Doctors or medical assistance may be contacted through hotel reception. Hospitals and clinics provide adequate services, especially in Lima and the other main cities and can contact health care insurance directly.

Language. The official languages are Spanish (80% of the population), Quechua (Andean and highland regions), and Aymara (in the Puno high plateau). It is possible to communicate in English with tourist service workers such as tour guides, travel agency employees and 3 to 5-star hotels staff.

Luggage/Baggage Limit. Please know the baggage limit, number of pieces and weight allowed by the airline to your destination. Most domestic airlines have lesser baggage allowance (usually max. 10 kilos) than the international airlines (usually max. 20 kilos). In case of multiple destinations, it is advisable to travel light and bring only the essentials. If you are going to Machu Picchu, please take note that Peru Rail has imposed luggage limitation on the train to Aguas Calientes. Peru Rail Luggage Transport is a maximum hand-carried allowance of only 5 kilos/11 lbs. and measuring not more than 62 inches/157 cm (height, length & width) per passenger. Your heavier and bigger baggage may be transported in another train at an extra cost (US$1.80/kilo, one way, maximum 10 kilos) or may be left for storage at Peru Rail’s Luggage Storage only in Ollantaytambo Train Station at US$5.00/day.

Security. It is important that you take common sense precautions when visiting Peru, just like in any major destination in the world, such as taking extra care with your belongings in public places or avoiding deserted places at night. The following are recommended as precautionary measures: · Get a copy of your passport, airplane tickets and credit cards. Leave all your travel documents (passport, tickets, hotel vouchers etc) in the hotel safety deposit box and take only photocopies with you. · Know the unsafe areas of the city/destination and avoid visiting them, especially at night. If you must exchange money, do so in banks, authorized money changers and exchange bureaus, or in your hotel. Avoid doing this in plain sight. It may not necessarily an immediate threat to you, but you should always be watching out for pick pockets and thieves especially in crowded places such as busy avenues, airports, markets and tourist sites. · Try to learn a few key phrases in Spanish before you go, if not to help yourself get by, then at least to make the locals think you can speak the language and thus make you a more conscientious traveler who is careful and prepared.

Travel Insurance. It is recommended to buy a travel insurance to provide you general coverage in case of emergency or medical expenses, trip cancellation/interruption, lost tickets, baggage or damage, etc. This way, for any unforeseen event or circumstances, you have an insurance to fall back on.

Vaccinations and/or Medications. Yellow fever & malaria vaccination is required for traveling to jungle destinations and must be administered at least 10 days before your trip otherwise it will not be effective. It is recommended that you take the proper measures to protect yourself, specially from mosquito bites, in order to prevent infection from, among other diseases, yellow fever (vaccination) and malaria (repellant and medication). Consult your doctor before traveling. Water Potable water is limited in some areas. It is recommended to drink bottled water only and do not buy from street vendors or hawkers.

Weather. The Peruvian Coast is hot and sunny (northern area) or very humid (raw or damp, in Lima). At the Peruvian Andes, rainy season is between November and March. Temperatures drop dramatically at night, thus one should always prepare warm clothes or jackets. The Peruvian Jungle is hot, with a tropical climate, however certain times of the year, the jungle experiences “friaje” or cold front. It has daily temperatures averaging the 30°C and night temperatures could drop to cold 15°. For more accurate information, please advise check respective Peru destination weather forecast in: Peru’s local weather agency, http://www.senamhi.gob.pe and click on current forecast available in English. Otherwise, you may also check in: www.wunderground.com or www.intellicast.com

If you have questions or if you need help in planning a trip to Peru, please leave a comment or send me private message!

Positive (& Negative) Impacts of Tourism

Editor/Admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:15:20 CDT

Help build a "definitive" list of bullet points pertaining to the positive and negative impacts of tourism on host destinations by joining the discussion below or by directly editing this page. Spirited debate is welcome in the discussion forum below!

Positive impacts of tourism:-

"Sustainable" or "responsible" tourism development focuses on the "triple bottom line". Responsible developers pursue the economic benefits of tourism while maximising the positive impacts on the environment and the host society and culture upon which the industry is based.

Economic

Foreign exchange
Tax revenues
Job opportunities

Environmental

Puts an economic value on "unspoiled" natural resources
Encourages the establishment of national parks and protected areas

Sociocultural

Puts an economic value on traditional arts, crafts, and cultural practices
Encourages the preservation of historical sites and heritage buildings
Fosters within the host society tolerance and acceptance of different cultures

Negative impacts of tourism:-

Ironically, the value of the very environmental and sociocultural assets that attract travellers can erode over time. This is particularly the case where tourism development is unregulated, blinkered by volume growth, and focused only on short-term economic benefits. This is "unsustainable" and "irresponsible" and completely unacceptable in the 21st century.

Link to The Good Travel & Tourism Wiki

Editor/Admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:11 CDT

Do you like the concept of this website? Do you think it deserves wider exposure?

Please help promote us by linking to this site URL: http://www.goodtravelwiki.com

Feeling creative? If you'd like to design a promotional banner for the Wiki, feel free to add it here.

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What is Sustainable Tourism?

Editor/Admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:43:21 CDT

Some definitions:

”Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future.It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems.” _ World Tourism Organization

“Tourism, which is developed and maintained in an area in such a manner, and at such a scale, that it remains viable over an indefinite period and does not degrade or alter the environment (human and physical) in which it exists to such a degree that it prohibits the successful development and well-being of other activities and processes.” _ Mr Richard Butler, 1993

See the discussion forum thread entitled "Don't call tourism names" for a discussion about "good tourism".

And see the sub-menu to the left for more about sustainable/responsible tourism, including:-