As
you make the final plans for your holidays here
are a few ideas for those of you who think nature
needs a break, too!
Ecotourism,
sustainable tourism and green tourism are the new
buzz words and, in such, risk dying of a bad dose
of media overkill. For a definition we turn to the
World
Tourism Organisationin Madrid
(a UN agency) which states that sustainable
tourism should protect natural resources, generate
a reliable income for the local community, guarantee
the quality of life in the local community and offer
tourists a quality experience. But, you may ask,
what exactly is a quality experience? Vademecums
for the well-intentioned traveller abound, but,
in Italy anyway, the guide produced by AITR
(The Italian Association of Responsible Tourism)
is perhaps the most authoritative. The Association,
which works along with the WWF
and Legambiente
(an important Italian environmental organisation)
has drawn up an ID
card of sustainable travel which includes a
series of hints and suggestions for tourists, tour
operators and tourist facilities alike for all stages
of the holiday. (Both the ID card and the AITR sites
are in Italian only. You will find similar information
on the International
Ecotourism Site.)
Here
are some of our favourite links on the subject.
So here's to sustainable surfing!
Ecoturismo-Italia.it:
The Italian ecotourism portal Ecotourism.org:
The official website of the International Ecotourism
Society Friends of the Earth:
The official website of the ground-breaking British
environmental organisation. Viaggiemiraggi.com:
An agency which organises sustainable travel (Italian
only) Homoturisticus.com:
The travelling "species" since from a new viewpoint.
Toinitiative.org:
The Tour Operators Initiative for sustainable tourism
development Glossary:
A glossary of ecotourism terms EC
policy: What is laid down in the Maastricht
Treaty about sustainable tourism Centre
for Responsible Tourism: A selection of guidelines
and links from the British-based Centre for Responsible
Tourism
THE SURVIVOR'S 
Ecotourism,
sustainable tourism and green tourism are the new
buzz words and, in such, risk dying of a bad dose
of media overkill. For a definition we turn to the
