The island nation of Mauritius (aka Ile Maurice) sits in the waves of the southwest Indian Ocean. Its white sandy beaches and immaculately groomed hotel grounds draw in thousands of travellers every year. Many are also eager to find the ‘real Mauritius’, so here is a special inside look at how a Mauritian might take…

Fiji is truly a jewel of the Pacific, fabled for both its amazing scenery and some of the happiest, friendliest people you have ever met. Here are ten helpful hints from a local eager to see you make the best of your time in paradise. * First things first: Exchange currency at Western Union outlets,…

West of Panay Island, in the Visayas of the Philippines, Boracay is the holiday hotspot many people still haven’t yet found, although not for lack of services, reputation and attention. There is so much more to Boracay than its 300 resorts. So much that most visitors do not even scrape the surface. In particular, there are great day trips and experiences that avoid the crowds and impart a sense of life as lived by a local!

Responsible travel is all about the people who practice it. It’s not just a principle; it’s a way of life, something you do in your home and in friends’ homes, as well as in your extended home community, which in responsible travel terms includes the whole world. In the interest of promoting best practices, we…

Over the coming months, we will be examining the many and various qualities of what we believe qualifies as responsible tourism. It comes in may forms and is known by many names – ecotourism, sustainable tourism, pro-poor tourism, ethical tourism, geotourism, community-based tourism, inclusive tourism, agritourism, tourisme rural etc. But with such a generous and…

The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria has announced the release of landmark universal sustainable tourism criteria, a new global framework intended as a guide to the practice of sustainable tourism. The criteria focus on best practices in four fundamental areas: maximizing social and economic benefits to local communities reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage…

The Old News: In 2002, a Cape Town Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations (held in anticipation of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development) brought together 280 tourism-industry representatives from 20 countries. They issued a joint declaration defining the role and potential of responsible tourism. The terms they set and the path they began…