As part of its 20th anniversary commemorating its founding, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) has launched the annual Innovation Leadership in Sustainable Tourism Awards to recognize innovative leadership of individuals and organizations who promote sustainable tourism that results in tangible benefits to communities and conservation. TIES is the world’s oldest and largest association dedicated to promoting ecotourism.

Ever wonder if a hotel is truly green or just “green-washing”? Certifications and eco-awards are good indicators, but you”ll need to dig deeper to truly get a sense of their eco-commitments. Travel Market Report gives us six resorts that exemplify some of the best “green” practices.

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 …

People across the globe have started to adopt “greener” ways of living, including the hotels that they stay in..

Tourism is the number one industry in the world with about 700 million people spending $2-$3 trillion annually on travel. Travel can be divided into two main categories: conventional travel, like trips to Disneyworld or Paris, and alternative travel, best described as a new travel ethic that is aware of the finite, interconnected and precious nature of our world. Alternative travel is expected to grow most quickly over the next two decades.

With popularity for alternative travel growing, niches are springing up all the time…

Travel responsibly means conserving natural resources, supporting local cultures and making a positive impact on the places we visit. Whether you take big steps or small ones, they all make a difference. National Geographic Traveler put together the Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel offering 50 tips. The tips are great and you should check them out if you have time. We were slightly overwhelmed and thought we put together a simpler version that highlights the most practical ones that most travelers could easily do.
1. Choose tour operators that support sustainable …