While the celebrated Christmas markets in Germany, Poland and Switzerland always crowd up for the holiday season, there are other well-established European markets slightly further off the beaten track that offer thinner crowds and beautiful locally made products. Eastern Europe in particular is a great place to check out the growing markets, while farther in the west of the continent, the funky holiday Christmas stirred up in Amsterdam is not to be missed.

WHL Egypt manages destination portals all across Egypt, including Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh, Aswan and Luxor, Safaga and Ein Sokhna. Now, with the addition of www.portsaid-shoreexcursions.com, the staff at WHL Egypt is excited to continue the partnership with whl.travel, a company with which it shares a commitment to ethical travel and the preservation of history and culture around the world.

Co-management of protected areas by both the state and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, at the same time that it ensures protection for the environment on which these communities rely for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

Natalie Tenzer-Silvia and her team at Dana Tours are the new whl.travel local partner in Mozambique. Tellingly, as they have been around since 2002, they are no strangers to the community development that is such an important part of Mozambique’s growth today. In addition to organising Mozambique tours and running their own Mozambique transport company, Dana Tours is actively involved in hosting volunteers.