The explosive growth of social media in the past year has changed the way many of us do things like shop, get our news, get deals or simply engage with an expanding circle of people like never before.

A recent travelhorizons survey of 2,200 U.S. adults conducted by Ypartnership and the U.S. Travel Association revealed the following:

With a new year comes a desire to do something great or simply, to do something. All of us, even those who have that “greatness” quality, need to get inspired. Are you looking for some inspiration as you head into the new year?

Seth Godin, the popular author and blogger, released a new ebook, What Matters Now, a compilation of ideas from some of the most recognizable and respected thinkers today. More than 70 big thinkers, consisting of authors, entrepreneurs and bloggers, each share an idea for you to think about …

Family Travel Forum Consulting (FTFc) released their report of teen travel trends based on the submissions of 5,700 teens, ages 13-18, who entered their Teen Travel Writing Scholarship.  The findings provide insight on what we can expect from this generation of younger travelers. Today’s teens are undoubtedly more global-minded and are willing to travel far from home. They are service-oriented and are keen on exploring distant cultures.
– 48% of teen applicants have traveled outside the United States by their 18th birthday
– Africa-Middle East saw the largest increase in teen travel …

The internet has completely revolutionized the way we live. Typewriters, hand-written letters, and paper research are quickly becoming a part of a by-gone era. Methods we once used to obtain information, or stay in contact with loved ones are being replaced by emails, the internet, and of late, social media.  There are emerging signs now that social media is even taking over some of the functions of how people connected through more recent techno-advances like emails or instant messaging. Social media is injecting new life into philanthropy and new possibilities …

There’s been a slew of press on global warming, climate change, countries disappearing, etc. The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen begins next week (Dec. 7-Dec. 18) and many are hoping that governments and their delegates will cooperate and get some programs in place “to deliver results in one of the defining challenges of our century”, says incoming COP15 president, Connie Hedegaard. While we tend to look for governments and corporations to solve problems that often are created by how we chose to live, climate change really begins at …

While traveling is a favored activity of leisure for many, it can also be a great deal of stress, especially for women. Here in the United States, there is an awareness to avoid behaviors that may be construed as harassment toward women. Unfortunately in some parts of the globe, women have been subjected to greater threats of harassment even if just trying to get from point A to B. This can be a major concern for women traveling alone, but from England to Iran and everywhere in between, women have …

Volunteer tourism or “voluntourism”, which has been increasingly popular among leisure travelers, is extending its reach into the workplace. Some folks are taking sabbaticals from their jobs to be philanthropic volunteers. Some companies not only permit employees to take sabbaticals, they are putting programs in place to encourage employees to be involved in charity travel.  Both companies and employees see charity travel as a win win situation.
Multinational companies, such as India’s Infosys Technologies and global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, view charity travel as an opportunity to give employees work experience in …