Tim O’Donoghue is the Executive Director of the Riverwind Foundation. Tim provides training and technical assistance services for businesses, organisations, and destinations that wish...
Community-based tourism consultant Peter Richards reflects on over 20 years’ experience and concludes that while we can help ensure decisions take into account important social and environmental considerations, we need to commit to community members as colleagues.
The Panamanian city of Portobelo is looking to expand its existing tourism offering as part of Panama’s “Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism.” Projects include the education and training of tour guides and the rehabilitation of the historic centre. This master plan reactivates the country’s tourism, conservation and Research (TCR) strategy applied over 20 years ago by the ecologist Dr. Hana Ayala and aims to reduce the social inequality gap and safeguard the UNESCO site.
The crises of 2020, particularly the pandemic and violence against Black Americans, have caused many travellers to rethink how and where to travel. The recent rollout of vaccines gives some hope that they may be able to enact their plans sometime in the next year or two – and shift towards more values-driven travel.
Adumu Safaris is a social impact safari company working in partnership with local communities to harness tourism’s potential to protect cultural and natural heritage. They successfully combine cultural immersion experiences with traditional safari itineraries, and have the ultimate aim of restoring thousands of hectares of Maasailand. Rebecca talks to husband and wife team David and Danielle to find out more.
