Most travellers don’t need to look hard for an excuse to head to Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Long known as one of the world’s most eco-friendly cities, it is now also one of the most easily accessible for responsible travellers, thanks to the convenient transportation services of Portland’s ecoShuttle. As the local partner of Green Path Transfers, the first global 100%-carbon-offset transfer service, ecoShuttle offers affordable airport and intercity transfers aboard a comfortable and sleek fleet of all-biodiesel vehicles.

This year at the World Travel Market, responsible tourism made its way from a niche-market corner into the mainstream. The BBC World sponsored the World Responsible Tourism Programme (WRTP), which included a series of seminars on some of the major topics within tourism and sustainability. The Programme culminated with World Responsible Tourism Day on Wednesday November 10, when the much-anticipated 2010 Responsible Tourism Awards were handed out.

As international travellers increasingly become aware of Namibia’s blend of relative government stability, natural beauty and cultural distinctiveness, the tourism industry is growing stronger and offering locals an attractive way to support their families. One meaningful way actually allows conscientious travellers to contribute actively and directly to the local economy by signing on with local travel companies like the Gondwana Collection, which is forging the way for mindful and sustainable tourism and encompasses four private nature reserves in Southern Namibia.