Cheapflights UK, a leading travel website has identified three top destinations based on searches on its website that are “the latest benefactors to the spoils of the recession.”
“Perhaps the two most interesting trends to come out of the recession are a heightened global conscience and a thirst for exploration,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights UK, “Travelers are more up to going the distance not only in flight time, but also in adventure. Whether it’s helping to feed an economy that’s fighting to grow or getting better acquainted with …
One of the most common questions from would-be volunteer travelers is how to select a good volunteer travel company…
People across the globe have started to adopt “greener” ways of living, including the hotels that they stay in..
We found seven online tools and websites aimed at organizing travel tips that are worth checking out.
A question many have been asking and the answers vary because global citizenship means different things to different people.
Affordable trips that combine vacation and volunteering. Explore and find out different travel destinations and opportunities including DIY options.
Traveling with your family to give back. Your kids can discover their place in the world, learn about other cultures, and grow into responsible, caring changemakers.
Travel that respect, promote, and support local culture, economy, and environment. Explore issues, tips, and development in eco-, green, and sustainable tourism.
After a year of staycation or traveling close-to-home, travel providers are seeing a resurgence of international travel bookings for 2010. This means that U.S. travelers are feeling more comfortable with their job and economic situations. They are overcoming doubts about the economy as shown by their willingness to invest in travel, leave the office for longer periods, access discretionary funds, etc. At the very least these booking gains indicate their belief that things are stabilizing and that an economic turnaround is in progress.
“Travel is the ultimate barometer of consumer confidence,” …
We conducted an informal poll on our website to find out our readers’ interest, preference, and experience with philanthropic/volunteer travel. Here are the results…
MASSIVEGOOD is a new fund-raising initiative aimed at raising funds for global health causes by allowing travelers to make “micro-contributions” when they book a plane, hotel, or car. MASSIVEGOOD uses the power of social media to help stop the millions of preventable diseases and deaths in the developing world. Travelers can make their trip really meaningful and connect with fellow contributors on the website, a social network for those committed to building a healthier world.
MASSIVEGOOD will go live this Thursday. This hassle-free, easy-to-give model will work like this: a traveler …
We’ve rounded up some interesting news and stories around the Web this week:
Spring Break Only for College Students? Think Again (CNN)
New and Improved in France for 2010 (Chicago Tribune)
China’s Wild Wall (Intelligent Travel)
How to Evaluate Volunteer Opportunities in Haiti (Good Intentions are Not Good Enough)
10 WWOOFing Opportunities in Ireland (Matador)
Want to satisfy your wanderlust cravings and do some good at the same time this spring break?
A surge of alternative spring break (ASB) trips have emerged in the last few years to satisfy a growing number of socially-conscious young people and those who are no longer happy with the typical spring break party vacations. Opportunities are plentiful. There are numerous destinations and ample ways to contribute and do something meaningful and gain insights into community and environmental development. You can volunteer in a low-income school, help out on an archaeological …
Want to build a personal portfolio of favorite charitable causes to give to? With so many organizations to choose from, is the donating process overwhelming? Are you looking for a new model of convenient giving?
Texas-based non-profit Givv.org has made setting up a personal giving portfolio simpler. It organizes all your charitable giving to your favorite organizations from one location and with a single monthly payment.
With three easy steps, your personal giving portfolio is ready to do some good! You complete a free registration, set up your monthly giving budget and …
This is a guest post from Daniela Papi of PEPY:
Our trips during our first few years at PEPY were all about service. We were enthusiastic about offering travelers a chance to give back to the places they visited, otherwise known as voluntourism. Tour participants taught classes at local schools, visited orphanages, and repaired educational buildings. Often times, the needs the travelers were filling were not the biggest needs for the projects we were partnering with but were instead the things they were able to physically contribute to. When our guests …
There has been considerable excitement (and press) about green travel certification initiatives. Everyone agrees that sustainable practices in tourism is important and good. But plenty of questions still need to be answered about global sustainability criteria, application and monitoring standards. Meanwhile, everyday more green travel products are being offered to travelers. Often, travelers buy travel offerings based on “good faith” because they have no way to evaluate providers’ green initiatives.
There has been efforts to develop a Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, but Professor Harold Goodwin of the International Center for …
Volunteer and Eco Toruism in Peru. Peru is a land that is full of nature’s beauty. While most people come to Peru to see the “Lost City of the Incas,” there’s much more to see beyond Machu Picchu. The country is also known for its culture, food, vast rainforest, temples, and a variety of wild life that roams the land. There are ample volunteer opportunities for those who want to give back while traveling through Peru. Read More 
