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.

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, in northeastern Brazil, is an area of appeal for both the traveller on a quest for adventure and the vacationer in search of peace, quiet and balance. From 4×4 excursions on 10-meter high sand dunes to quiet walks on the beach and dives in the crystal-clear waters of the Blue Lagoon, travel in Lençóis Maranhenses has something for the nature lover inside all of us.

The Wahiba Sands of Oman, also called the Sharqiyah Sands, are a geological and ecological wonder. This 12,500-square-kilometre carpet of rolling and shifting dunes is home to an astonishing 16,000 species of invertebrates, flora and fauna, and a rich mix of nomadic Bedouin people, all of which had adapted to living in the desert, a seemingly inhospitable place. Experience these wonders through desert camps, which offer travellers a daytime of adventure and a nighttime of comfort.

THIS ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC. Jagged mountains, expansive desert, white-sand beaches and the crystal-clear waters of the Red Sea comprise the dramatic scenery of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, located in the far south of the Sinai Peninsula, in close proximity to vibrant coral reefs and with services developed around first-rate water sports, particularly scuba diving.

Enigmatic, unspoiled and replete with smiling locals, Oman is an ideal destination for the intrepid traveller. Stretching across its perch at the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, the changing terrain of endless sand dunes, unique villages integrated into canyon walls and breathtaking beaches make Oman’s variety of attractions and distractions seem almost infinite. Even…