Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative
October 12, 2009
Guyana
www.guyanabirding.com
South America’s Undiscovered Nature Destination
Contact:
Kirk Smock
Senior Writer
Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative
E: ksmock@carana.com
P: 917.239.7920
GUYANA: South America’s Undiscovered Nature Destination
Guyana lies where the Guiana Shield, one of the world’s four remaining large tracts of relatively undisturbed tropical rainforest, meets the Amazon Basin in a breathtaking collision of nature. With verdant rainforest carpeting 80 percent of the country, and other habitats varying from exotic mangroves to wild coastal swamps, rugged Atlantic beaches, lofty mountain ranges and sprawling savannahs that conjure comparisons to eastern Africa, Guyana offers the chance to view remarkable wildlife against the backdrop of one of the world’s most unspoiled natural wilderness areas.
Framed by Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and the Atlantic Ocean, Guyana is a paradise for nature lovers. Besides the lure of millions of acres of primary rainforest, South America’s only English-speaking country offers a rich biodiversity, welcoming Amerindian communities, frontier villages and unassuming eco-lodges.
Most of Guyana’s 83,000 square miles (comparable in size to Idaho) are unpopulated and undeveloped: 90 percent of Guyana’s 760,000 inhabitants live along a sliver of coastland that is just five percent of the country’s landmass. That means the majority of Guyana is a wild, tangled mess of nature.
Remarkable Flora and Fauna
Guyana’s pristine ecosystems play host to a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna, including healthy populations of many species that are listed as threatened or endangered by CITES. To date, research has identified more than 225 species of mammals, 880 species of reptiles and amphibians, 815 species of birds and 6,500 species of plants.
In the past few years, Guyana’s reputation as a top Neotropical birdwatching destination has exploded. For birdwatchers, Guyana’s fantastic range of more than 815 bird species include some 70 Guiana Shield endemics and other specialties including the magnificent Harpy Eagle, fluorescent Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, and an abundance of parrots and macaws that regularly fly overhead in flashes of bright color against the emerald forest canopy.
Guyana’s healthy mammal populations are regarded as exceptional, especially when compared with other Amazonian rainforests that have been ravaged by environmental degradation. Some of the world’s largest species thrive here – Jaguar, Giant Anteater, Giant River Otter, Giant Armadillo, Black Caiman (alligator), Capybara (rodent), Arapaima (freshwater fish), Green Anaconda, Giant River Turtle, Leatherback Turtle – and odds are good that visitors will see at least a few while visiting Guyana.
Other standout species include the Manatee, Tapir, Puma, Ocelot, Jaguarundi, eight primates, 120 species of bats, colorful poison dart frogs, four species of endangered sea turtles, Matamata Turtle, Bushmaster snake and Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula.
Ecotourism Playground
Tourism in Guyana is often described as unpretentious. Accommodations in the interior are intimate family-run lodges and authentic Amerindian villages where local guides unveil Guyana’s mysteries through finely tuned eyes and ears, vast and practical knowledge, and harrowing, yet comical, stories.
Whether you come in search of birds and wildlife, to stay with an Amerindian family, to trek an unexplored jungle mountain, to try your luck at catch-and-release sport fishing, or to test your merits on a jungle survival course, there is much to explore in Guyana.
The Atlantic Coast
The northwestern region of Guyana is filled with beautiful waterways, dense forests, rolling hills, and wide savannahs, all with little tourism development. But Shell Beach, a 90-mile stretch of unspoiled Atlantic coastline where endangered sea turtles lay their eggs, is a reason for intrepid travelers to visit. From March through August, Shell Beach is the nesting ground for four of the world’s eight endangered species of marine turtles: Leatherback, Green, Hawksbill and Olive Ridley. Guests stay at a rustic beach camp that is also the home base of a turtle conservation project that uses reformed turtle poachers as ‘Turtle Wardens’ to monitor the beach.
The Rainforests
In Guyana’s central rainforest, the Pakaraima Mountains cradle Guyana’s crown jewel: Kaieteur Falls. Found within the biodiversity hotspot of Kaieteur National Park – set atop one of the world’s oldest slabs of rock – Kaieteur Falls plunges a straight 741 feet, or five-times the height of Niagara Falls. At its peak, 30,000 gallons of water per second flow over a wall some 400 feet wide.
Dubbed “The Green Heart of Guyana,” Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development is a million-acre preserve that is used as a living laboratory for scientific research, ecotourism, and sustainable tropical forest management. The Iwokrama Forest contains an amazing cross-section of Guyana’s biodiversity, including 1,500 species of flora, 200 mammals, 500 birds, 420 fish, and 150 species of reptiles and amphibians.
A visit to Iwokrama entails exploring the rainforest via forest trails, rivers (including the mighty Essequibo, the largest river between the Amazon and Orinoco rivers), the lookout atop 1,000-foot-high Turtle Mountain, and the Canopy Walkway, which dangles 100 feet above the rainforest floor. And while sightings are never guaranteed, Iwokrama is one of the best places to see the elusive Jaguar and Harpy Eagle.
The Rupununi Savannahs
In the south of Guyana, the Rupununi Savannahs are an ecotourism playground. The 5,000-square-mile area encompasses grasslands, wetlands, rainforest-covered mountains, and numerous freshwater rivers. The Rupununi is also home to an extremely rich biodiversity, including 1,500 different plant species: more than 400 species of fish; 120 species of snakes, lizards and frogs; 105 mammal species; and more than 500 species of birds.
Tourism in the Rupununi is well established and includes several of Guyana’s most well known destinations. Where the rainforest meets the savannahs, Rock View Lodge offers a comfortable oasis that features beautiful rooms, the Rupununi’s only swimming pool and excellent food and fruit juices from garden fresh ingredients.
Further south, lodges along the Rupununi River include Karanambu Ranch, home of Diane McTurk’s Giant River Otter rehabilitation program. When Diane is rehabilitating orphaned or injured otters for their return to the wild, guests have a chance to get up close and personal. Depending on your comfort level around wild animals with razor sharp teeth, visitors can swim with the otters and hand feed them piranha.
Karanambu also offers a good chance to spot two of Guyana’s stranger creatures: Giant Anteaters and the world’s largest rodent, the Capybara. The ranch is also home to a healthy population of Guyana’s national flower and the largest of the giant water lilies, the Victoria amazonica.
At Dadanawa Ranch, a multi-textured cattle ranch that was once the largest in the world, expert guides lead guests in activities that include rounding up cattle with barefoot Amerindian cowboys and searching for Anacondas, big cats, bird-eating tarantulas, and the endangered Red Siskin.
Community Tourism
Guyana is also earning recognition for the community tourism experience offered by several Amerindian villages. Surama, an idyllic village set among an enticing mix of savannah and jungle-covered mountains, has long been the role model for community tourism in Guyana. The Surama Eco-Lodge and their tourism ethos and products – village tours, birdwatching trips, mountain treks, jungle walks, dugout canoe trips, jungle survival courses – were recently recognized by the Educational Travel Community, which named the village as their 2009 Responsible Tourism Showcase Honoree.
Based on Surama’s success – more than 70 of the village’s 300 residents are employed within tourism; roughly 60 percent of the community’s income now comes through tourism-related activities; and three-quarters of village households generate income from tourism – several of Guyana’s Amerindian villages in the Rupununi Savannahs are now developing sustainable tourism products.
Yupukari village has built upon a long-term ecological monitoring program for Black Caiman started by an American scientist, and now locals are continuing the research and running an ecotourism venture that invites visitors to join in nighttime research that entails catching, studying and then releasing the caiman. With funds from Conservation International (CI), Rewa village built an Eco-Lodge that provides access to some of Guyana’s most remote wilderness and excellent catch-and-release sport fishing for exotic species such as Piara, Arapaima, Peacock Bass, Himara and Black and Red-bellied Piranha. The Maipaima Eco-Lodge at Nappi is the only one in Guyana’s Kanuku Mountains, offering great access to a mountain range that CI declared one of the most pristine remaining Amazonian habitats.
Guyana’s name may still be rising within ecotourism, but the time to visit is now. The rainforests are pristine and the biodiversity primordial, making a visit akin to stepping back in time to an undiscovered bastion of nature, wildlife, and preserved Amerindian cultures. What Guyana offers is a rare natural adventure, the awe of which can be life changing.
Guyana’s Rainforests in the News
In 2007, Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo, offered to protect most of the country’s standing tropical rainforest as carbon offsets. This was no small offer and its value to the world is just now being realized. Over the past two years, as world leaders and scientists grappled with his offer, Jagdeo was making refinements.
He aligned Guyana with the U.N. Framework Convention for Climate Change, which is set to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012, and its Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program. Deforestation is responsible for releasing nearly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than the world’s entire transportation sector – and REDD seeks to drastically reduce this number.
In February 2009, Norway agreed to cooperate with Guyana on forest issues, particularly in negotiating with international bodies and securing financial compensation that will allow Guyana to preserve its forests and create low-carbon employment and investment opportunities. With this new support and focus, Jagdeo launched Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) in June 2009. Through several sustainable economic development components, the LCDS seeks to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and global warming by protecting Guyana’s rainforests, while creating a model green economy for rainforest-rich developing countries. Expect to hear more from Guyana as a new climate protocol is worked out at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.
ATTA and Guyana
Guyana is looking to network and partner with the ATTA community to help promote the country’s tour operators, lodges, Amerindian communities, and sustainable tourism products. We’re pleased that ATTA members currently selling trips to Guyana include Cox & Kings, Geographic Expeditions, Journeys International, Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions, and we look forward to adding new companies to the list.
Representatives from the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI) – a joint project of the Guyana Tourism Authority and the United States Agency for International Development / Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAID/GTIS) project – will be attending the 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit to promote tourism in Guyana. Please visit us at our Marketplace booth and learn more about Guyana at the Sustainable Tourism in Emerging Destinations session of the Collaborative Learning component of ATWS (on day four), where GSTI Director Judy Karwacki, also of Small Planet Consulting, will present a case study.
Learn More About Guyana
The following links will help you learn more about Guyana:
www.guyanabirding.com (Basic travel information, itineraries, newsletters, press releases, articles, list of tour operators)
www.guyana-tourism.com (Guyana Tourism Authority)
www.wilderness-explorers.com (Guyana-based in-bound tour operator)
www.bushmasters.co.uk (Adventure travel specialist in Guyana: Jungle survival, 4×4, cowboy, horseback, and safari trips)
www.rupununitrail.com) (Tour company based at Dadanawa Ranch running legendary remote fishing and backcountry trips)
www.bradt-travelguides.com/details.asp?prodid=178 (Guyana’s only dedicated guidebook)
Charlevoix: Host Region of the 2009 ATTA World Summit and a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve
October 7, 2009
Pampered by Mother Nature year-round, Charlevoix has as many ecotourism activities for the contemplative traveler as ones for the visitor thirsting for the great outdoors. Charlevoix boasts awesome natural landscapes where all the elements combine in perfect harmony. This is a land of water, mountains and forests, a region blessed with thick and inviting woodlands, the St. Lawrence River and numerous lakes and rivers, towering peaks and rolling hills ideal for a host of outdoor activities.
Adventure Tourism Open to All
With such an extraordinary abundance of settings in a small area, Charlevoix is a premier destination for outdoor recreation, and one that meets your everyday needs. Beginner and expert hikers find trails leading to breathtaking lookouts. Avid mountain bikers opt for well groomed trails, or head out to discover the region’s beautiful backcountry, off-trail. And for canoeing, sea kayaking, canyoning, rock climbing and cross country skiing, to name but a few, visitors find everything required for their favourite activities. In fact, Charlevoix residents are so proud of their land’s natural wonders that they’re eager to share their passion with one and all.
Regional tourist organizations offer visitors guided tours, visits and various nature interpretation activities. There’s something for everyone! Whatever you choose, Charlevoix’s stunning natural landscapes are sure to be an unforgettable experience.
Charlevoix: An Exceptional Playground for Adventure Travellers
- A 6,000 km2 territory in the heart of the Canadian Shield, the oldest land formation on earth
- Created by the impact of a 15 billion tonne meteorite over 350 million years ago
- One of the rare inhabited World Biosphere Reserves on the planet
- The pinnacle of vacation destinations for over 200 years
Nature, culture, preservation, traditions and savoir-faire all contributed in February 1989 to make Charlevoix a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Aware of the challenge vested in this title, Tourisme Charlevoix adheres to sustainable development practices for responsible tourism.
Charlevoix and the Sustainable Development Challenge
As a World Biosphere Reserve, the Charlevoix region falls under particular scrutiny in matters regarding socio-economic and tourism development.
Long before today’s interest in sustainable development, some organizations in the area – of which the Charlevoix World Biosphere Reserve, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SEPAQ) and the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park – had already taken steps towards sound sustainable tourism practices. These precursors felt that heightened public awareness, education and scientific research were part of ecotourism, and each has favoured responsible actions for the conservancy of the flora and fauna. For instance, the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park – unique in Canada – has elaborated rules and regulations for seagoing activities which include on-water speed limits, boat limits and distancing limits from mammals. And both the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie and Grands-Jardins National Parks now rely on solar energy.
Along with several residents and businesses, both Charlevoix’s public and community bodies have pledged to develop agriculture, tourism, commerce, culture and the arts and crafts in a responsible, sustainable fashion. For example, the municipality of Baie-Saint-Paul has adopted since 2006 its own sustainable development action plan called Agenda 21. As well, certain initiatives and tourism activities, such as La Route bleue, aim to sensitize both residents and visitors alike to the particularities of the region’s ecosystem.
Contact:
François Gariépy, International Delegate
Tourisme Charlevoix
495, boulevard de Comporté
La Malbaie (QC) G5A 3G3
Canada
(418) 665-4454 ext. 230
francois.gariepy@tourisme-charlevoix.com
Tourism Northern Territory
July 29, 2009
Twice the size of California, the Northern Territory encompasses almost one sixth of Australia’s total land mass. The Northern Territory has a population of approximately 200,000 residents, of which 60,000 are Aboriginal people.
A vibrant and mythical destination, the NT is home to the legendary Outback, diverse Aboriginal cultures, and incredible landscapes and wildlife.
The Northern Territory is comprised of six main destinations including: Darwin, Kakadu and Arnhem Land, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Barkly, Alice Springs and Uluru-Kata Tujuta. Each of the Northern Territory’s destinations feature diverse topography, rich cultural heritage and offer a myriad of adventures for every traveler to enjoy.
The Northern Territory is home to a variety of Aboriginal communities, many of whom have preserved their traditional customs and lifestyle for tens of thousands of years. Visitors can experience native Aboriginal cultures through bush-tucker tours, story telling, and traditional dance performances, and artwork. The Northern Territory hosts numerous festivals year-round, and boasts some of the best art galleries in the country, showcasing a variety of works by local indigenous artists.
For the nature enthusiast, the Northern Territory also has 21 national parks, 400 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 300 species of reptiles, 50 species of frogs, 60 species of freshwater fish, and several hundred species of marine fish as well. Even if you’re not a fishing enthusiast, catching a barramundi in the NT is a must-do.
The Northern Territory provides visitors with a wide variety of outdoor activities and water sports from fishing to canoeing, hot air ballooning, biking, trekking, and camel riding, to name a few.
Darwin
Darwin is the tropical capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory and has a relaxed outdoor lifestyle with warm weather all year round. Perched on a peninsula with sea on three sides, Darwin is an excellent base to explore the natural attractions of World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park, Litchfield and Nitmiluk National Parks, the Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land.
Darwin was founded as Australia’s most northerly harbor port in 1869, and its population rapidly expanded after the discovery of gold at nearby Pine Creek in 1871. World War II put Darwin on the map as a major allied military base for troops fighting the Japanese in the Pacific.
Today travelers can see evidence of Darwin’s World War II history at a variety of preserved sites including ammunition bunkers, airstrips and oil tunnels in and around the city. Darwin again made world news when the city was rebuilt in the wake of Cyclone Tracy in 1974 – an event well documented at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.
Its colorful history has contributed to Darwin’s cultural diversity – more than 50 nationalities make up its 100,000 population, including the area’s traditional landowners, the Larrakia Aboriginal people. The cultural and culinary benefits of such a melting pot are best experienced at Darwin’s weekly markets, variety of restaurants and through the annual calendar of festivals and other Darwin events.
Alice Springs
The heart of Central Australia is comprised of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history. Alice Springs was established by the early explorers and remains as the centre of activity in this region.
From the early 1900s, the vast desert of Central Australia was explored for its promise of rubies and gold. Today, north of Alice is an adventure travel destination where visitors can still fossick for gems and explore the Australian desert while trekking, camping or four-wheel driving.
North-west of Alice, along the Tanami Track and south of Alice Springs in the Simpson Desert, the art styles and stories of the Aboriginal people give meaning to the surrounding landscape.
The most well-known natural highlights of Central Australia are the East and West MacDonnell Ranges that straddle Alice Springs and run for 223 kilometres.
Visitors to the NT’s Red Centre can enjoy views of dramatic scenery, bushwalking, swimming, four-wheel driving or quad-bike riding.
Culture, Nature and Environment
Australia’s Northern Territory is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites, both listed for their natural and cultural legacy. These ancient natural marvels inspired the distinctive artistic styles of local Aboriginal populations that comprise the oldest continuing civilization on earth. Aboriginal people represent over one third of the Northern Territory’s population and they own over half the land, assuring that visitors to the area live a one of a kind cultural experience and provide back to the local communities.
Kakadu National Park, located in the Northern Territory’s Top End and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, in Australia’s Red Center, are two of the World Heritage enlisted sites located within the Northern Territory.
Kakadu National Park
Australia’s largest national park spans some 12,000 miles of vast floodplains, billabongs, pristine waterfalls, delicate lotus flowers and a large population of crocodiles. Kakadu National Park is a nature lover’s paradise and is also rich with Aboriginal art sites, especially rock art, some sites believed to be up to 20,000 years old. The park is listed by the UNESCO as both a natural and cultural site. It is jointly managed by the Australian Government and by the traditional owners of the land, the Bininj Aboriginal people.
Kakadu is home to over 1000 species of plants and a quarter of Australia’s freshwater fish species. It is also a birdwatcher’s paradise where enthusiasts have the opportunity to spot more than a third of the bird species found in Australia. For the more serious birdwatcher, Kakadu is home to the endangered gouldian finch and red goshawk as well as several other species endemic to only this region. Millions of magpie geese also inhabit the northern wetlands providing a true spectacle.
According to archaeological studies, it’s believed that Aboriginal people have inhabited Kakadu for approximately 50,000 years. A visit to the park is an enriching experience in Aboriginal culture and its traditions of passing down through generations, laws, stories, and customs for tens of thousands of years. Visitors to Kakadu learn about the daily customs and traditions of the local Aboriginals exploring with them the spectacular bush environment and searching for traditional foods and medicines. Kakadu can also be explored on wildlife cruises past prehistoric crocodiles, from the air on a scenic light or on extended trips with a variety of local tour operators offering touring options to suite all budgets and time frames.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru / Ayers Rock, the world’s most famous monolith and a sacred site for the traditional owners the Anangu Aboriginal people exudes a sense of mysticism and immensity, providing a draw for visitors from around the world. Some 25 miles to the west of Uluru, majestically rises Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas) – a group of large domed formations that are the remains of an erosion that began around 500 million years ago. Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987 and the park was returned to the traditional Anangu owners in 1985. The park is currently managed jointly by Parks Australia and the Anangu Aboriginal people.
Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great cultural significance for the traditional landowners. Archaeological studies suggest they have lived in the area for at least 22,000 years.
In addition to witnessing the marvellous spectacle of nature, visitors to Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park can immerse themselves in the area’s local traditions and learn about the customs of the Anangu with local Aboriginal guides thus giving back to the community. Anangu guides lead walking tours around the base of Uluru sharing stories, bush food and discussing the symbolism of various rock art.
Visitors can also visit the Cultural Center that hosts art and craft demonstrations, bush tucker sessions, walks and cultural presentations.
Those looking for more fun and innovative ways to explore the area can join a sunrise or sunset camel ride to view the changing colours of Uluru from a secluded hilltop surrounded by desert oaks. More adventurous types will enjoy riding around Uluru on a late model Harley Davidson for a real sense of freedom in the Outback.
A wide range of accommodations are available in the nearby town of Yulara – from camp sites to five-star luxury resorts.
VisitScotland
April 15, 2009
VisitScotland is the national tourism organization for Scotland. Our core objectives are to promote Scotland as a must-visit, must-return destination for business and leisure travel, engage and work in partnership with the tourism industry, add value to the visitor experience, provide strategic direction to the industry and manage our operations efficiently and effectively. VisitScotland working in partnership with industry has an ambition to grow Scottish tourism revenues by 50% by 2015.
In addition, it is fundamentally important that VisitScotland works within Scotland’s Tourism Framework for Change which challenges public agencies and businesses to establish Scotland as Europe’s most sustainable – economically, environmentally and socially – destination by 2015.
VisitScotland has a key role to play in meeting this challenge. Using information and influence and leading by example and encouragement, VisitScotland’s Sustainable Tourism Unit will drive Scotland’s tourism industry towards greater environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Tourism is worth £4 billion to the Scottish economy and 80% of all visitors to Scotland originate from the UK with overseas visitors accounting for the other 20%. Our International Marketing department is split into three teams which focus on key target audiences within North America & Australasia, Europe and Emerging Markets.
Adventure Travel in Scotland
Scotland is world-renowned for its traditional iconography (whisky, tartan, stunning scenery, warm hospitality, innovation, education and architecture), and whilst these aspects of our heritage are very important, there’s so much more to Scotland than these.
VisitScotland has been working with the national adventure travel industry since 2002, in order to raise the profile of Scotland as key global destination for both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ adventures in the Great Outdoors.
Adventure tourism offers many positives for Scotland. This includes excellent opportunities to develop a sustainable rural economy and educate visitors about Scotland’s constantly developing ‘green’ credentials.
It also allows VisitScotland and tourism businesses to link adventures in the great outdoors to our unique cultural heritage and natural heritage and surprise both loyal and new visitors about what Scotland can offer in addition to our traditional iconography.
Some key adventure travel highlights include the following:
Mountain Biking: Scotland has a wide range of purpose-built mountain biking centers dotted throughout the country, featuring dedicated all-weather trails, which are accessible to all levels of biker – from beginner (green trails) right through to aficionados (black and orange trails).
In addition and importantly, Scotland also has a myriad of natural singletrack trails on offer which take the experienced mountain biker into what sometimes feels like uncharted territory. These natural trails are the perfect complement to dedicated cent res and truly offer mountain biking for all abilities. Access to these trails is also enshrined in some of the most progressive access legislation in Europe which presents visitors with unambiguous opportunities to get into the wider countryside and go exploring off-the-less-beaten-track! Log on to www.visitscotland.com/adventure for more information.
Sea Kayaking: Scotland is a relatively small country. If you travel south to north as the crow flies – it’s only a few hundred miles! But if you undertake the same journey by sea kayak you’ll discover thousands of miles of coastline to explore. And that doesn’t include the islands anchored round the coast.
There are many perfect locations for sea kayaking around Scotland, but arguably some of the finest waters in the world for this activity are to be found on the west coast and on the very western edge of Europe, in the Outer Hebrides. Paddle through an elemental, awe-inspiring landscape taking in the amazing sights with some indigenous wildlife for company along the way. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/adventure for more information.
Walking: Scotland can offer adventurers an enviable diversity of walking options, from gentle forest walks to challenging mountain treks and epic adventures through some of the finest wilderness areas in Europe via formal, informal and visitor-devised long-distance routes and trails. The UK benefits from some of the finest landscape mapping in the world, which makes planning your own route all the easier and more rewarding. And the Scottish Outdoor Access Code again provides outdoors enthusiasts with unambiguous guidance on accessing wild areas responsibly. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/walking for further information.
Wildlife: Due to the wild and undeveloped nature of the landscape, Scotland is home to an abundant diversity of resident and visiting species and can offer the adventure traveler some great wildlife-watching opportunities as part of their visit.
Drift quietly on gentle currents to see minke whale, basking shark, dolphins, seals and porpoises. Sit patiently with some binoculars to catch a glimpse of the magnificent white-tailed sea eagle or golden eagle (as well as a much wider variety of birds of prey and birdlife in general) or tread warily to catch sight of magnificent red or roe deer, red squirrel, pine marten, otter and much more besides. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/wildlife for more information.
Green Tourism: VisitScotland has green and sustainable tourism at the very core of its operations. The organization adopted an environmental policy in 2006 which covers VisitScotland’s own green practices, how we communicate and educate visitors to green issues and also sets out how we promote environmental good practice and shared responsibility with the Scottish tourism industry.
VisitScotland has had a long involvement with the Tourism & Environment Forum (now the VisitScotland Sustainable Tourism Unit), which develops industry initiatives to increase the profile of green issues and how to tackle these. Further information can be found at www.greentourism.org.uk.
Green Tourism Business Scheme: Many Scottish tourism businesses and their patrons have long enjoyed the benefits and prestige that membership of the Green Tourism Business Scheme brings. This scheme was developed and introduced in Scotland in 1997 and is now the premier green qualmark for tourism businesses throughout the UK.
There are currently 2012 member businesses throughout the UK (over 700 of which are Scottish) and the scheme is a key tool in driving sustainable tourism in Scotland forward. Membership recruitment is a key focus for this scheme and further information about it can be found at www.green-business.co.uk.
The above gives a flavour of what Scotland is doing, but there’s so much more going on! To find out more contact the above or better still, come and visit and find out for yourself!
The Dominican Sustainable Tourism Organization
June 24, 2008
The Dominican Sustainable Tourism Organization (Organización Dominicana de Turismo Sostenible, ODTS) was established in 1995 to promote the sustainability and diversification of tourism activities within the Dominican Republic. Our national organization integrates communities, the private sector and governmental authorities, working together to maximize tourism opportunities, to share correct information, and to showcase the Dominican culture, natural resources, and attractions, welcoming visitors into high-quality, fun and exciting experiences that are truly representative of Dominicana.
La Organización Dominicana de Turismo Sostenible, ODTS, establecida desde 1995, promueve la sostenibilidad y diversificación de las actividades turísticas en la República Dominicana. Nuestra organización nacional integra las comunidades, el sector privado y las autoridades gubernamentales, trabajando unidos para maximizar las oportunidades turísticas, para compartir información correcta, y mostrar la cultura, los recursos naturales y lugares de interés dominicanos, ofreciendo una bienvenida a los visitantes, a la alta calidad, diversión y emocionantes experiencias, verdaderamente representativas de Dominicana.
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