A Travel Ambassador with a Strong Portfolio

Ethan Gelber
27 January 2010

Michelle Rodrigues, who works for the WHL Group in Miami, USA, is the newest TIES Travel Ambassador

One week ago, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) announced Michelle Rodrigues as its newest Travel Ambassador. Michelle, born and raised in New York City but now resident in Florida, USA, was at the time also a project manager and content editor for the WHL Group in its North America and the Caribbean Regional Office when it was based in Miami.

Promoting Responsible Travel

The Travel Ambassador Program is a brainchild of TIES, “the world’s oldest and largest international ecotourism association,” which plays a pivotal role as a “global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation and sustainable travel.”

Only 10 Travel Ambassadors are identified each year to help empower “travellers to ‘be the change’ by spreading the word about ecotourism and responsible travel.” They become local and regional spokespeople who “inspire people to make travel choices that positively impact their communities, the environment and the future of travel and tourism.”

“I’m really excited about this opportunity to branch out to a larger audience of people who are truly concerned with the impact they make on communities and the environment while travelling,” said Michelle.

A Confluence of Responsibilities

As a strong presence for the WHL Group in North America and the Caribbean, Michelle worked daily on behalf of whl.travel to create new opportunities for local tour operators looking to reach global markets with their products and services. Michelle was also very involved with WHL Consulting as a Web marketing and media specialist.

Her new responsibilities as a Travel Ambassador were a perfect match. Working with a variety of local and global travel vendors, she has come in contact with many cultures, and deepened a resolve to help promote the growth of local businesses while sustaining the world as a whole.

“It’s great to be able to connect my WHL Group work with my role as a Travel Ambassador,” continued Michelle. “In both cases, I’m able to reach more people than ever before and bring light to issues that people really become passionate about. I’m introducing them to places they can experience while making a minimal effect on the environment and promoting local and responsible tourism.”

Michelle was just one of several growing connections between the WHL Group and TIES, two organisations busy at the forefront of promoting fun, local and responsible travel that is, today, what tourism will be tomorrow: experiential, conscientious and sustainable. Both organisations’ blogs (this whl.travel blog and TIES’ Your Travel Choice blog) sometimes share content that is particularly meaningful to their growing base of readers, and both are part of the advisory committee planning for the European Ecotourism Conference 2010 to be held in Estonia in September.

More about Michelle

Michelle completed her undergraduate degree at Florida International University with a major in hospitality management and travel and a minor in journalism. Michelle is committed to travel as a means of exploring new cultures and foods, a passion that she also pursues at home, often in her own kitchen trying out new flavours and recipes. Michelle also volunteers for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, as well as Relay for Life.

For yet more about Michelle, visit the TIES Ecotourism Explorer.

Ethan Gelber

For more than 20 years, Ethan Gelber has devoted himself to a somewhat baffling diversity of projects, most associated with writing/editing, cross-cultural communication and education, travel, bicycling and the arts. At present, he manages media and communications for the WHL Group, oversees The Travel Word (this very blog) and helped initiate the Local Travel Movement.