The Getaway crew could not have made a better choice for their first foray into Urban Adventures outside of North America. Taken under the wing of the local Urban Adventures guide, Mauro Scarparti, Getaway presenter Catriona Rowntree took a leisurely three-hour stroll through this romantic European metropolis, following the pages of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling book, Eat Pray Love.

Urban Adventures look a little closer, like this detail from a fountain at the Pantheon in Rome, Italy

While Rome has a reputation for being overwhelming or disorientating to outsiders, Mauro made everything seem simple and understandable, and the Urban Adventures Dolce Vita Tour provided wonderful insight into the real character of the Eternal City. With stops at crowd-pleasing locations such as the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, indulgence in a variety of Eat Pray Love-inspired culinary delights, and a few quiet moments in known-to-locals locales, like Tiber Island, the Dolce Vita tour is an unparalleled glimpse into the soul of the city. Better yet, Mauro’s commentary is a perfect overlay of the kind of insider perspectives that make Urban Adventures experiences truly unique.

If you were not able to watch the episode live, you can whet your appetite online and learn about Catriona’s satisfaction following the Urban Adventures model of small tours that take in the sights, tastes and smells most outsiders don’t come across. Urban Adventures in Rome is just one of a growing portfolio of destinations that is expected to include over 100 cities by the end of 2010.

Remember: When in Rome…!

Darron Raw (@swazitravel) – the whl.travel local connection in Swaziland
.

Elsie C. Orabona (@UbatubaTravel) – the whl.travel local connection in Ubatuba, Brazil
.

Kate (Ward) Webb (@rscmalawi) – the whl.travel local connection in Malawi
.

Neil Lyon (@lyontours) – the whl.travel local connection in Port Elizabeth and Addo National Park, South Africa
.

Nicola Swann, (@TheFarHorizons) – former whl.travel local partner in Uganda
.

Rajendra Sapkota (@WHLNepal) – the whl.travel local connection in Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal
.

Sonja Grau (@kaunostours) – the whl.travel local connection in Dalyan, Turkey
.

Thomas Holdo Hansen (@whlcambodia) – the whl.travel local connection in Siem Reap, Cambodia
.

Tomaz Martinek (@travelslovenia) – former whl.travel local partner in Slovenia

Willie Ki (@borneoecotours) – the whl.travel local connection in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia

All of these #whltravel tweeps, plus those presented on Make Travel Fair and all the rest, can be found on the WHL Group Twitter list.

As one of the initiators of the Local Travel Movement, Gelber shared his thoughts about it and how it helps rally anyone interested in fostering the idea of ‘local travel’ as a means of helping travellers engage with the planet in a more meaningful way – one that enhances their travel experiences and provides substantial benefits to the locals welcoming travellers to their destinations.

The WHL Group, the world’s largest local-travel company, incorporates these ideas into its business model: the network helps travelers escape the constraints mainstream tourism by connecting them with responsible local travel experts.

“We want to encourage people to be more mindful of, for example, people local to destinations in which they travel, to the environment local to destinations in which they travel, to the culture that gives so much meaning to the destinations they travel to and of course to the economies in which they travel and where they spend their money,” Gelber explains. Here is the full interview:

This online get-together was in anticipation of two real-world workshops scheduled in conjunction with The International Ecotourism Society’s (TIES) upcoming Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC).

A “Global Perspective Workshop” on Biodiversity and Our Lives is slated for Wednesday, September 8th, 2010, from 12:30-2:00pm at Hilton Portland (Galleria South). The event will celebrate the roles of biodiversity in our lives during 2010, a year which the United Nations has dubbed the International Year of Biodiversity. The free workshop is open to the public and will highlight important initiatives of wildlife conservation and environmental education.

A separate one-day ‘Biodiversity Workshop’ highlighting New Information and Web-based Technologies takes place September 11 from 9am-5pm at the Hilton Portland, Cabinet Suite. Facilitated by Ron Mader, the workshop will help participants gain hands-on experience in using Web 2.0 channels for immediate and inexpensive communication for small- and medium-sized operators in the markets of ecotourism, indigenous tourism, responsible tourism and the growing Local Travel Movement.

Seattle, also known as "Jet City," is renowned for its picturesque harbour and its famous sounds. Photo courtesy of Urban Adventures

The Seattle Music Tour by Foot – which makes stops at the city’s renowned rock clubs, with time leftover to take in the talented buskers of the Pike Place Market – was the subject of the latest episode of Getaway, the highest-rated travel show in Australia, with approximately 1.2 million weekly viewers.

The full episode, which aired on Thursday August 19th, was presented by famous Australian singer Delta Goodrem and can now be viewed online.

Led by Seattle Urban Adventures’ Seattle guide Dan Moore, the Getaway special delves deep into the city’s music culture – exploring everything from the history of Sub Pop Records (the indie label that launched Nirvana into stardom) to its famous parks and landmarks. Along the way, viewers can catch sight of music venues such as the Crocodile, memorials dedicated to musical legends including Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, and visit eclectic neighbourhoods like Fremont and Capitol Hill, which are positively buzzing with entertainment of all varieties.

Whether you’re looking for a trip down musical memory lane or a glimpse into future sounds, Seattle Urban Adventures have something to offer you. And if you don’t want to take our word for it, just ask Delta Goodrem!

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, perhaps its greatest landmark, was built in 1936 and earned its name as gateway to the gold that helped fuel the development of California

The chosen destination – one of more than 50 in 30-plus countries on six continents in which Urban Adventures offers unique day tours – was the inimitable Golden Gate city of San Francisco, California. Getaway filmed with the Urban Adventures local partner and unveiled the latter’s novel approach to helping travellers step into the lives of the locals and unlock the secrets of some of their favourite urban centres.

With the San Francisco Urban Adventures guide, the Getaway host was taken on local transport for a local’s-eye view of Frisco life that took in the Mission District, Chinatown, North Beach and, back on the tourist trail, Fisherman’s Wharf, culminating in a cruise on the world-famous Bay, the location of Alcatraz and the soaring Golden Gate Bridge.

This Chinatown street has views of San Francisco's most prominent skyscraper: the TransAmerica building. On a guided exploration of Chinatown, the narrow lanes reveal a fortune-cookie factory, local markets and the city's oldest Chinese temple.

“I love Urban Adventures because it allows me to share one of the great cities of the world: San Francisco,” commented Greg Mazzola of the San Francisco Urban Adventure team. “It truly is a kaleidoscope, beautifully rich in color, character and culture. Latinos, Chinese, African-Americans and Europeans, bohemians, innovators, hustlers, trendsetters, fortune-seekers, and world-class entertainers have all made San Francisco home. From rugged cliffs and crashing surf to the eclectic neighborhoods and financial district, San Francisco offers travellers great diversity and now, having the opportunity to share it all with travellers as a job absolutely makes me one of the luckiest people alive.”

Unique Day Tours in over 100 Cities by the End of 2010

Launched in October 2009, Urban Adventures are a global range of city-based tours. Ranging from two-hour to one-day experiences, they may be short in duration, but they’re long on real-life experiences. They put you in touch with what makes a city tick and acquaint you with the local food, culture and traditions, all in the company of an expert local guide. On an Urban Adventure, you see more than just the usual sights.

Sea lions have made San Francisco's Pier 39 home since 1989. The docks where they lounge are now protected. In November 2009, sea lion numbers dropped from more than 1,000 to less than 10 in just a couple of days as they headed north to chase food. Since then, several have returned and 70 or more are usually visible.

Whether you’re after an evening of home cooking and hanging locally in Istanbul, a full-day exploration of the magnificent temples of the Angkor complex in Cambodia, visiting the history and people of Johannesburg by bicycle or sampling Los Angeles, from Hollywood glitz to the quirkiness of Venice Beach, Urban Adventures really connect with the destination.

The Urban Adventures business was developed by leading adventure travel operator Intrepid Travel and the WHL Group, the largest local-travel company in the world. Urban Adventures relies on a combination of Intrepid Travel’s experience in designing and running the world’s best experiential trips, plus the WHL Group’s network of local operators and the technology to sell these trips at low cost. Intrepid and WHL Group share a commitment to local and sustainable travel with a minimum impact on the environment and on communities.

Urban Adventures depart daily with groups of no more than 12 people. Prices start from US$15.

.

Aivar Ruukel (@ruukel and @soomaa_parnu) – the former whl.travel local connection in Pärnu and Soomaa National Park, Estonia

.

Slavica Vukcevic (@slavicaMA) – the whl.travel local connection in Montenegro (Budva, Bay of Kotor and Podgorica & Central Montenegro)

.

Guilherme Mendes Thomaz (@guimendesthomaz, @CURITIBAtravel and @ILHADOMELtravel) – the whl.travel local connection in Curitiba and Paranaguá & Ilha do Mel, Brazil

.

Paula Ferreira (@WHLmadeira) – the whl.travel local connection and Urban Adventures partner in Madeira, Portugal

.

Ng Sebastian (@basINCITO) – the whl.travel local connection in Komodo & Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

.

Lee Sheridan (@Lee_Sheridan) – the whl.travel local connection in Laos (Champasak, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Vang Vieng), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Phuket and Sukhothai) and Cambodia (Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville)

.

André Franchini (@andrefranchini) – the WHL Group’s Hotel Link Solutions

.

Wallace Faria (@wallacefaria) – the WHL Group’s Central and South America Regional Office

.

Stephen Chapman (@maketravelfair) – Make Travel Fair

.

Luke Ford (@gunyahtravel) – Gunyah

.

All of these #whltravel tweeps, plus those presented on Make Travel Fair as well as all the rest, can be found on the WHL Group Twitter list.

It’s true. Local Travel’s here. It’s a small new movement, but it’s gaining momentum. Stay tuned for more…

Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog (hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia)

On 17 December 2009, I wrote a post about the misunderstood merits of Local Travel on Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia.

Judging by the glowingly supportive comments, I apparently tapped a rich vein of local travel enthusiasts eager to lend credence to a cause.

Given that, I was invited by Lonely Planet to write a follow-up post, digging a little deeper into the fertile earth I’d found. That text – Get Lost, Go Local – has again fielded some welcome input from readers.

Here’s how I begin:

My last post about the misunderstood merits of Local Travel appears to have hit a positive nerve. It seems there’s a choir out there of local travellers who welcome a little preaching. Amen.

So from my fine pulpit, let me crack open the Great Explorers’ Almanac and thumb to the right page for a decidedly un-academic but nonetheless historical sermon about the kind of travel you may find meaningful.

I go on to look at how the earliest travel interactions – those from the pre-guidebook days – were flawed but frank. I give a few paragraphs to my impression of contemporary travel as safe but soulless. And then try to tie it all together by proposing Local Travel as the solution.

Most importantly, I drop a big hint:

Two local-travel companies with global reach have united to give oomph to this effort. Spotted by Locals and the WHL Group will soon be announcing how you too can rediscover a misplaced spirit of adventure: Get lost! Go local.

The Brooklyn Nomad Blog

I was welcomed to the pages of The Brooklyn Nomad as a Guest Nomad on 12 February. The blog piece I wrote, called Going Local –Yesterday and Again Today, is a more personal look at how

“a wedge has been driven between travelers and hosts. Both parties now float through a common space that is, alas, no longer a shared one. Most locals keep to residential areas (or keep to themselves when outside the gates), while travelers Spirograph through set circuits complete with canned commentary, the delivery vehicles of which (from buses to guidebooks to smart phones) are little more than horses of a different color.”

It posits that “we [can] bridge the divide between host and visitor, and resuscitate the merits of ‘going local’ without any of its past discredits.”

Are you with us?

.

Situated in the southeastern Europe, the Balkans is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for intrepid travellers. It’s a region of incredible untouched nature, delectable cuisines, rich historical lands begging for exploration and understanding, cool ocean breezes across golden sandy beaches, awe-inspiring mountain peaks dotted with centuries-old villages and genuinely friendly and smiling locals. The Balkans is also now quite a safe place to travel, so there’s no excuse not to visit this wonderful part of the world.

The Stari Most (Old Bridge) of Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, spans the Neretva River. Originally built during the Ottoman era, it was destroyed during the Bosnian-Herzegovian War and then rebuilt according to the old design and using as much of the recovered original stone as possible. The bridge and surrounding historic neighbourhoods are now a World Heritage Site.

Bringing new Balkan travel experiences to visitors in the region has been one driving mission of the International Finance Corporation Advisory Services in Europe and Central Asia (IFC is a member of the World Bank Group), along with the WHL Group and local stakeholders. Working together since 2008 to develop tourism market readiness and infrastructure, these partners have, through a Balkan Hotel Market Access Program, succeeded in improving access to the region for independent travellers who prefer to book and pay for services online.

The project targeted eight destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania for which Web-based travel portals were developed. In each destination, a local operator was carefully selected to own and operate the website, with follow-up support in technical development and web marketing provided by whl.travel (part of the WHL Group). It was not all about building websites though; the hard work fell to the local stakeholders, who worked directly with small accommodation owners unfamiliar with new technologies and therefore more reliant on traditional marketing. Despite the obstacles, Sarajevo and Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina; the Bay of Kotor, Budva and Podgorica in Montenegro; and Tirana and Shkoder and the Albanian Alps in Albania are now directly connected to the global e-marketplace.

A screen shot of the Tirana, Albania, website

After just one year of operation, the Web portals made possible by the Balkan Hotel Market Access Program had already generated over €105,000 for small accommodation and tour operators in the region. With over 150,000 unique visitors and some 620,000 page visits, the project had far exceeded expectations. The ongoing impact of the project is now also expected to be significant, having spurred commercial development in new destinations across Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and further destinations in Albania.

“We managed to achieve all program objectives and the project has been recognized by the IFC management as successful and efficient with significant impact on regional tourism development,” praised Denis Mesihovic, IFC Program Coordinator. “The fact that the program revenue for the first year of the operations was three times higher that the program budget and expenses speaks for itself.”

This is no time to rest on one’s laurels though. “While giant strides have been made with the development of the region’s first online e-commerce enabled booking portals, there is still quite a bit of work that can be done at the product level,” said Zachary Rozga, CEO of WHL Consulting (also a WHL Group company), the entity that managed the project for IFC. “As with many new and emerging tourism destinations, targeted assistance needs to be delivered to the individual hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses on issues like pricing and commissions, digital content development and e-commerce distribution.”

A full recording of the conversation with hosts Katy Keiffer and Patrick Martins is available online here. (The segment with Ethan begins at 30 minutes and 22 seconds into the broadcast or can be jumped to by scrolling down the page to the segment entitled ‘Ethan Gelber of www.whl.travel Talks About Responsible Tourism’.)

Heritage Radio Network (HRN) bills itself as

“a cutting edge internet-based radio station designed to protect and advance our country’s rich cultural roots in the form of interviews, reflections, musings and ramblings from America’s leading farmers, food mavericks, filmmakers, artists and tastemakers. The live radio shows are then uploaded onto heritageradionetwork.com where content is archived into audio bits and pieces and searchable by keywords or phrases. This is an unprecedented venue for future historians who want to research their past, our present.”

Launched in April of 2009, HRN now broadcasts more than 10 shows weekly, most focusing on some aspect of the food industry. However, as the network grows, other aspects of popular culture will come under the microscope. In all cases, “the programming reflects the progressive views of the founders, and incorporates a philosophy that chronicles and celebrates the growing movement to change how Americans eat, and by extension think, about the planet.”

“It was great to be able to bring whl.travel to the attention of HRN listeners,” said Ethan. “The changes in America – and around the world – to how people consume, whether that consumption be of food, other resources or the hospitality of overseas hosts, is one whl.travel is pleased to see chronicled by HRN. We hope somehow to continue to add to the creative mix and to highlight the importance of responsible travel to ever broader audiences.”

On July 16, 2009, .travel posted a congratulatory news flash recognising whl.travel’s continuing success and its recent announcement that it’s expanding into more than 100 countries worldwide.

It reads as follows:

Catering to independent and experiential travelers headed off the beaten path, whl.travel is a network of grassroots tourism professionals who own and operate booking sites for accommodations and tours in their local markets. By only choosing whl.travel partners that clearly care about their customers, staff, suppliers and the destination, whl.travel provides travelers with real travel experiences that engage, enrich and inspire by connecting them to the special character of a place, unlike the “fast food” experience with many other travel organizations.

“We are growing a critical mass of .travel sites and seeing real success,” commented Ethan Gelber, Media Liaison for whl.travel. “These sites are part of one of the largest online booking networks that taps into the strengths of local tourism experts who, alone, are local leaders, but together have become a forceful global presence for the right kind of tourism, bringing to major markets all the local opportunities that can have such a positive impact on hosts and visitors. .travel provides whl.travel with a clear message and instant validation of being a global travel provider.”

With destinations from South Africa to Brazil to Greece and Indonesia, whl.travel is not only a powerful network of great breadth and depth, but also award winning. whl.travel was recently revealed as one of five winners of ‘Globetrotting for Good – The Condé Nast Traveler Challenge’, as well as a finalist in the Responsible Travel category of TravelMole’s Web Awards 2009. With attention drawn through these contests and clients’ reviews, whl.travel and its new affiliate in Santa Marta, Colombia, will be featured in the September 2009 ‘Power of Place’ issue of Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

For travelers who want to connect with a destination while booking with locals who really care about their compatriots, communities, culture, and environment, visit www.whl.travel or subscribe to its blog via RSS at http://www.thetravelword.com/.

.travel is the top-level domain created specifically for the travel and tourism industry. Any participant in the travel industry may own a .travel name. Unlike other top level domains such as .com or .org, relevant content must be published on each .travel site within a year of purchase. For more information on .travel, visit www.travel.travel, the Source for All Things Travel.