Friday, March 11, 2011

Eco-tourism Today - Travel Lean and Green

The new trend in travel is eco-tourism these days, or ecological tourism to give it its full name. In a world where more and more people are looking at ways and means to save the environment as a result of environmental degradation. As a result, eco-tourism has been around for years, since the 1980s to be exact. It has only been the last few years that it has really caught the attention of travellers everywhere though.

Eco-tourism is perfect for individuals that are interested in the natural world. It is all about getting back to nature and valuing everything around us. As a result, eco-tourism is incredible and can really make you feel like you are alive. The one thing that puts most individuals off is that it sounds expensive, but if you know where to look and take the hints and tips given to you, then it need not be expensive at all.

There are many countries all over the world that have very active eco-tourism resorts, and the majority of them have received rave reviews from individuals that have already experienced them. Costa Rica, India, Ecuador and Kenya are the most popular destinations that support eco-tourism at the moment, but there are others that seem to fly under the radar and these may be the best picks for individuals or couples wanting to experience it firsthand in a remote location.

New Zealand is one such country supporting eco-tourism, as is Australia. Both countries have not publicised this fact because they are relatively new to the world of ecological tourism and are developing their resorts as we speak. The variety of eco-tourism there and the sheer beauty of the landscape is definitely worth a trip for, but you can actually turn it into a tour of the region and spend a month or so there if you so wish.

If you do want a successful trip of the eco-tourism variety then you should research the area first to find out what the customs and values of that country actually are because it is quite easy to undo all of the good work in ecological areas by making one of several mistakes. The list below will help you to distinguish between what you can and cannot do:

1. The first is obviously to do your homework. The areas that individuals visit in eco-tourist trips are finely balanced and usually value more natural ways life. If you do not know those values then it is easy to damage the equilibrium of the area. In fact, you can actually cause more harm than you realise by just acting as you would in a Western First World country.
2. Try not to give things away to those in need. This may sound harsh to begin with, but eco-tourism is all about helping individuals work their way out of poverty and giving things away simply encourages begging, which is exactly what the country is trying to avoid by setting up eco-tourism.
3. Don't barter with the locals if it is not in their culture for you to do so. The items that they are selling usually help them to live and cost just pence back home. The whole point of eco-tourism is outlined above and this applies here as well.


4. Avoid buying souvenirs that are made out of flora or fauna from the local area because the likelihood is that this is going against the principles of eco-tourism. It is about using local materials, but that does not include animals and plants.
5. Be wary of where you take photos because it may offend some people if they are actually snapped without giving their consent. This is just common decency. They are not there to be made a show of, just simply to do their job.

Experience Adventure Tourism

Another term for you to get excited about! Adventure tourism is a type of niche tourism involving exploration or travel to remote areas, where one is about to experience the unexpected. Rapidly growing, adventure tourism experiences great competition from other outdoor industry types of tourism, but the most important feature, or what is referred to as its unique selling point, is the fact it offers to those seeking unusual vacating times, a radically different perspective from the typical beach resort vacation.

With thousands of active vacation specialists, adventure tourism is the fastest-growing sector of tourism and a worldwide trend for adventure travel outfitters. Recommending a variety of trips to countless adventure destinations, from Alaska to Patagonia and beyond, adventure tourism can help you add that extra "spice" to your annual vacation holidays and enjoy the pleasures associated with ranch-based horseback riding, cycling through a wine country, or floating through the deepest canyons of Earth.

Through a variety of different organizations and with experts' assistance, interested individuals can enjoy how it feels for example to be a member of an adventure camp community, the satisfaction one enjoys while following the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, the eco-spiritual adventure in the Himalayan Mountains, or learning a foreign language while volunteering for the rebuilt of a village in Central America. The choices and destinations are endless and the only thing you will most certainly need is to follow the advice of professional adventure guides and to be open to experiences that will increase your understanding of the world we live in and will make you less subversive to your child's future choices in life.


These special vacation services are usually offered to small groups of people, who have a lust for life and a curiosity for culture and wish to explore adventure tourism's immense capabilities and immerse in the addictive world of adventure travel. Although some tend to confuse adventure tourism with that of extreme tourism -also known as shock tourism- which involves traveling to dangerous destinations or the participation to dangerous events, the adrenaline rush one experiences as an adventurous tourist, is of a lower risk level. Its greater difference is the degree of engagement and professionalism. Thus, before you decide to accept an interesting invitation from that old friend of yours who has disappeared once backpacking in South America, you should better examine the specifics of the amazingly low cost deal he or she offers. Wilderness is not something one should take lightly, especially when it might cost your own life.

Could Tourism Save Greece And Its Economy?

Everyone has heard about it on Television or read about it in the papers, on a Blog or news website. Greece is in trouble, I am not too much in to politics but I gathered that a lot of Politicians and Government people robbed the country blind. As always in situations like this its the normal people that suffer, and in this case even other countries. Here is a proposal that could solve this problem and everyone would benefit from it. The Policy applied seems to be cut pensions, salaries, health care and anything else people depend on every day of their life's. But the Solution should be rather simpler than that. Since the situation affects other countries as well, it is in everyone's best interest to help Greece back up on its feet. This could be done by directing Tourism in their direction.

Greece has a unmeasurable wealth in History, Archaeology, Culture, Beaches, Scenery, Food and Night Life. Which is in my opinion way under marketed and advertised.

An International effort to promote Greece and its Islands could drive more tourism, this would be in the interest of travellers as well as Greece and every one affected by Greece's economy.

Travellers would benefit since Hoteliers have significantly reduced their prices to attract tourism, The rate increase would then have to be controlled to avoid a sudden increase once the Tourism rises.

Greece would benefit since the newly gained Tourism would bring new money to the country and inject the country with a significant amount of Money to help balance the Economy.

The People of Greece would benefit since the new income would stop the Government from cutting Pensions, Health Care and other needs from the population of Greece. This in turn would lower the increased Crime rate again benefiting both people and country.

Other Governments would benefit as they would A) wont need to support Greece with their own economy. B) Increase the Chance of getting their loans back faster thus solving more of their own issues.

So simply by driving traffic to a specific country, weather it is using Television, Media or other means could make the difference. This would be up to the Travel Companies that already invest in Marketing the destinations they are trying to sell for the season, since they already have a budget on which they will invest to gain a profit all they would need to do is red-distribute the countries they are targeting.

A coordinated strategy between Tour Operators and Governments could easily achieve this proposal. Basically a Charity for a Country that we would all benefit from.
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Unique Attractions of Kerala Tourism

Kerala is the land of natural beauty presenting a vista of silent valleys clothed in the richest green. The National Geographic Magazine lists Kerala in the Ten Paradises of the World. It feels like a fairyland with its dense forests stately palms, extensive backwaters and blue lagoons, evergreen mountains and swiftly flowing rivers. Between the towering Western Ghats and Arabian coastline geographical location of Kerala ensures that hot northern winds are kept on bay, at the same time letting in the refreshing winds of Arabian Sea to cool the region. The Kerala is divided into hills, valley, costal belts and midland plains.

The beaches in Kerala Alappuzha Beach, Bekal Beach, Kovalam Beach, Marari Beach (Mararikulam), Somatheeram Beach and Varkala Beach are the terrific capture for Kerala Tourism. Kerala has become one of the most visiting places for the tourists in the country as well as abroad. It is famous for the backwaters, rivers and beaches without any end. If you take Kerala Holiday Packages you can perceive and have a mythical experience of the God's own country. Some of the famous tourist spots in Kerala are Alleppey, Kochi, Munnar, Varkala, Kozhikode and Palakkad.

One of the highlights of your Kerala Tour Packages is Houseboat Cruises. If you wish to experience the beauty of rural life with the urban style, pick out the Houseboat Cruises. Kerala Specially Beach Lovers come and pay to visit in Kerala. The varieties of beaches are like rocky, sandy or coconut. With having a fun of beaches, you can treat a wide range of delicious seafood cuisines to make your holiday unique. A Kerala Beach Tour gives you the perfect balance between action and relaxation.

The creative art and culture in Kerala is known all over the country. Classical arts like Bharata Natyam, Chakyakoothu and Folk arts like Kalampattu, Kalaripayattu, Kaliyoottu and Kanniyarkali are preferred by everyone and attract the tourists. Adventure lovers can have the experience here in Backwater biking and canoeing, Bird tours, hiking and biking, Wildlife photography tour, Trekking and camping and Water sports.

Now Kerala is synonymous with wellness as The Land of Ayurveda. The art of Ayurveda is thought as a university subject across the Kerala. Besides all, the festivals which attract a lot to tourism are Pongal Festival and Elephant Festival. The series of celebration rolled into Pongal. This festival includes the series like Bhogi Pongal, Thai Pongal, Mattu Pongal and Kanum Pongal. People enjoy this festival by cleaning house, wearing new clothes and making colorful rangoli at the main entrance of their houses. This festival is celebrated in the month of January for four days. Elephant Festival is also known as Thissur Pooram. The main highlights of this festival are small elephants and Firework is another attraction of this festival. The thrilling and excitement festival is Boat Race which attracts tourists from far and wide.


Tourists can plan the Kerala tour with their friends or family at any time of the season and grasp an opportunity to explore the placid regions of the state and the beauty of Kerala Tourism by availing the Kerala Holiday Packages with natural faculties.
Mohd Zaheer writes about Kerala tourism th

Wildlife and Pilgrim Tourism in South India

Expedition in jungle will give you ultimate experiences of wildlife tourism. This part of the country is known to hold some of the sacred and holy temples of India.

Periyar National Park is the most famous wildlife destinations in South India. It is located in Kerala, the God's Own Country. The main species found in the park are elephant, tigers, leopards, jungle cats, langurs, sambhar, wild dogs, reptiles, etc. one can also spot some of the rarest and endangered species of wildlife. This national park is also famous for birding. It is one of the most sought after wildlife destination in India. Bannerghatta National Park located in Karnataka is another most visited wildlife park in the coastal India. It is one of the hot spots for wildlife lovers and nature lovers.

One can easily spot majestic animals like Bengal tigers, jackals, wild pigs, sloth bear, sambhar, barking deer and numerous species of reptiles and birds. The park is also known for its Zoological Garden and Snake Park. Explore the jungle to have wonderful wildly experience of India wildlife tour. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is next other attraction of India wildlife. It is an international wildlife reserve and is combination of four wildlife parks - Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Mudumalai National Park. This biosphere reserve is the right place to see the nature closely. Apart from these wildlife destinations, there are numerous other wildernesses in the southern corner of India.

India is famous for various ancient temples and pilgrimage spots. The beautifully carved temples reflect the rich culture, tradition and history of the land. Large numbers of devotees visit the holy temple to offer prayer. Some of the sacred and popular temples are Kanchipuram Temple, Kailashanathar Temple, Mahabalipuram Temple, Rameshwaram Temple - all in Tamil Nadu, Tirupati Balaji Temple, Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple - in Andhra Pradesh, Sabarimala Temple, Guruvayoor Temple - in Kerala, etc. Other popular temples include Iskcon Temple, Bangalore, Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjaur, etc. People visit these temples during South India Pilgrimage Tour. Various types of pilgrim & wildlife tour packages are available. Seek for a suitable package and embark on holy journey to South India Temple Tour.

Travel and Tourism Online - Learning From a Distance

A lot goes into traveling outside the actual trip. The plan to get to a destination is only a small detail when compared to the overall experience of a vacation or business trip. Online colleges offer training in travel and tourism for the individual who wants to think and do all the necessary things that go into planning a trip. Prospective students can earn a degree online and be working with clients to help them get the most of their money when traveling.

There are a variety of benefits from attending school online.
Learning from a distance allows individuals to choose their study pace and take classes inside the comfort of their own home.
Online schooling in travel and tourism permits students to study on days that are set by them not the college or program.
Students have the ability to complete all the phases of education without the hassle of commuting to a campus everyday.
This is a high advantage for disabled individuals who are unable to commute to a campus and attend classes.
More colleges and universities are adding online degree programs in travel and tourism, which is enabling students to gain a better education with higher degree choices than a certificate program or associate's degree.


Prospective students have numerous choices when it comes to education programs. Students have the option to gain an education from accredited online colleges and universities starting at an associate's degree in travel and tourism to a master in business administration for hospitality and tourism management. The opportunities for students to gain an online education in this field is widening and programs are preparing students in numerous ways. Through coursework students will learn about:
sales techniques
travel destinations
bookkeeping
reservation systems
An online degree in this area could provide the best career preparation and have graduates working in many different aspects of travel and tourism.

Travel agents have more responsibility to their clients than just booking travel and securing them a discount. The job description for a travel agent encompasses the entire trip whether it's for leisure or business. A travel agent will arrange:
transportation
hotel
food options
tours
entertainment
Whatever a client is looking for in regards to their trip a travel agent will spend time getting the best discounts, looking up travel packages, and exploring what activities the destination has to offer their client. Along with the above responsibilities an agent will be the number one source on things like the weather, local customs for international travel, site attractions, money exchange rates, and more.


A new trend is developing for individuals who gain a travel and tourism degree through an online school. More students are becoming specialists in a particular area. Meaning they are choosing to become highly knowledgeable in one area like a culture, destination, or interest. This type of travel and tourism agent is particularly useful for clients who are traveling internationally. Becoming a specialist will require the student to learn the customs and in some cases the languages of a chosen location. With increasing demands on travel agents from their clients, gaining a degree in the field is becoming extremely important.


Use your passion for travel and exotic destinations to start your career training online. Accredited schools provide the best quality education. There are numerous agencies like the Distance Education and Training Council (www.detc.org) that provide full accreditation to educational programs. Students can research accredited colleges that offer a degree distinction that fits their goals and begin working towards their personalized career in the hospitality industry.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

History of Travel & Tourism

2000 years Before Christ, in India and Mesopotamia

Travel for trade was an important feature since the beginning of civilisation. The port at Lothal was an important centre of trade between the Indus valley civilisation and the Sumerian civilisation.

600 BC and thereafter

The earliest form of leisure tourism can be traced as far back as the Babylonian and Egyptian empires. A museum of historic antiquities was open to the public in Babylon. The Egyptians held many religious festivals that attracted the devout and many people who thronged to cities to see famous works of arts and buildings.

In India, as elsewhere, kings travelled for empire building. The Brahmins and the common people travelled for religious purposes. Thousands of Brahmins and the common folk thronged Sarnath and Sravasti to be greeted by the inscrutable smile of the Enlightened One- the Buddha.

500 BC, the Greek civilisation

The Greek tourists travelled to sites of healing gods. The Greeks also enjoyed their religious festivals that increasingly became a pursuit of pleasure, and in particular, sport. Athens had become an important site for travellers visiting the major sights such as the Parthenon. Inns were established in large towns and seaports to provide for travellers' needs. Courtesans were the principal entertainment offered.


This era also saw the birth of travel writing. Herodotus was the worlds' first travel writer. Guidebooks also made their appearance in the fourth century covering destinations such as Athens, Sparta and Troy. Advertisements in the way of signs directing people to inns are also known in this period.

The Roman Empire

With no foreign borders between England and Syria, and with safe seas from piracy due to Roman patrols, the conditions favouring travel had arrived. First class roads coupled with staging inns (precursors of modern motels) promoted the growth of travel. Romans travelled to Sicily, Greece, Rhodes, Troy and Egypt. From 300 AD travel to the Holy Land also became very popular. The Romans introduced their guidebooks (itineraria), listing hotels with symbols to identify quality.

Second homes were built by the rich near Rome, occupied primarily during springtime social season. The most fashionable resorts were found around Bay of Naples. Naples attracted the retired and the intellectuals, Cumae attracted the fashionable while Baiae attracted the down market tourist, becoming noted for its rowdiness, drunkenness and all- night singing.

Travel and Tourism were to never attain a similar status until the modern times.

In the Middle Ages

Travel became difficult and dangerous as people travelled for business or for a sense of obligation and duty.

Adventurers sought fame and fortune through travel. The Europeans tried to discover a sea route to India for trade purposes and in this fashion discovered America and explored parts of Africa. Strolling players and minstrels made their living by performing as they travelled. Missionaries, saints, etc. travelled to spread the sacred word.

Leisure travel in India was introduced by the Mughals. The Mughal kings built luxurious palaces and enchanting gardens at places of natural and scenic beauty (for example Jehangir travelled to Kashmir drawn by its beauty.

Travel for empire building and pilgrimage was a regular feature.

The Grand Tour

From the early seventeenth century, a new form of tourism was developed as a direct outcome of the Renaissance. Under the reign of Elizabeth 1, young men seeking positions at court were encouraged to travel to continent to finish their education. Later, it became customary for education of gentleman to be completed by a 'Grand Tour' accompanied by a tutor and lasting for three or more years. While ostensibly educational, the pleasure seeking men travelled to enjoy life and culture of Paris, Venice or Florence. By the end of eighteenth century, the custom had become institutionalised in the gentry. Gradually pleasure travel displaced educational travel. The advent of Napoleonic wars inhibited travel for around 30 years and led to the decline of the custom of the Grand Tour.

The development of the spas

The spas grew in popularity in the seventeenth century in Britain and a little later in the European Continent as awareness about the therapeutic qualities of mineral water increased. Taking the cure in the spa rapidly acquired the nature of a status symbol. The resorts changed in character as pleasure became the motivation of visits. They became an important centre of social life for the high society.

In the nineteenth century they were gradually replaced by the seaside resort.

The sun, sand and sea resorts

The sea water became associated with health benefits. The earliest visitors therefore drank it and did not bathe in it. By the early eighteenth century, small fishing resorts sprung up in England for visitors who drank and immersed themselves in sea water. With the overcrowding of inland spas, the new sea side resorts grew in popularity. The introduction of steamboat services in 19th century introduced more resorts in the circuit. The seaside resort gradually became a social meeting point

Role of the industrial revolution in promoting travel in the west

The rapid urbanisation due to industrialisation led to mass immigration in cities. These people were lured into travel to escape their environment to places of natural beauty, often to the countryside they had come from change of routine from a physically and psychologically stressful jobs to a leisurely pace in countryside.

Highlights of travel in the nineteenth century

· Advent of railway initially catalysed business travel and later leisure travel. Gradually special trains were chartered to only take leisure travel to their destinations.

· Package tours organised by entrepreneurs such as Thomas Cook.

· The European countries indulged in a lot of business travel often to their colonies to buy raw material and sell finished goods.

· The invention of photography acted as a status-enhancing tool and promoted overseas travel.

· The formation of first hotel chains; pioneered by the railway companies who established great railway terminus hotels.

· Seaside resorts began to develop different images as for day-trippers, elite, for gambling.

· Other types of destinations-ski resorts, hill stations, mountaineering spots etc.

· The technological development in steamships promoted travel between North America and Europe.

· The Suez Canal opened direct sea routes to India and the Far East.

· The cult of the guidebook followed the development of photography.





Tourism in the Twentieth Century



The First World War gave first hand experience of countries and aroused a sense of curiosity about international travel among less well off sector for the first time. The large scale of migration to the US meant a lot of travel across the Atlantic. Private motoring began to encourage domestic travel in Europe and the west. The sea side resort became annual family holiday destination in Britain and increased in popularity in other countries of the west. Hotels proliferated in these destinations.

The birth of air travel and after

The wars increased interest in international travel. This interest was given the shape of mass tourism by the aviation industry. The surplus of aircrafts and growth of private airlines aided the expansion of air travel. The aircraft had become comfortable, faster and steadily cheaper for overseas travel. With the introduction of Boeing 707 jet in 1958, the age of air travel for the masses had arrived. The beginning of chartered flights boosted the package tour market and led to the establishment of organised mass tourism. The Boeing 747, a 400 seat craft, brought the cost of travel down sharply. The seaside resorts in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Caribbean were the initial hot spots of mass tourism.

A corresponding growth in hotel industry led to the establishment of world-wide chains. Tourism also began to diversify as people began to flock alternative destinations in the 70s. Nepal and India received a throng of tourists lured by Hare Krishna movement and transcendental meditation. The beginning of individual travel in a significant volume only occurred in the 80s. Air travel also led to a continuous growth in business travel especially with the emergence of the MNCs.
Sarvajeet Chandra writes on issues that are usually brushed under the carpet, or are too everyday-ish for high street strategists. He writes on making strategic plan robust, how to execute strategy well and other tactical issues for everyday business success.

Occasionally he writes on insights and history of various indutries like travel, real estate, hospitality etc. Please visit his company website at [http://sapphirez.co.in]