News Stories
Financial Troubles in Popular European Travel Destinations: Can Tourism Help?
Some of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations have been hard hit in the recent economic crisis. At the same time, the recent political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has opened doors for less tumultuous Mediterranean countries to attract thousands…
Can We Protect Machu Picchu?
July marked the 100th anniversary of the rediscovery of Machu Picchu, an appropriate time to reflect on the impact of tourism on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the Associated Press, the ancient Incan city welcomes an average…
Brazilians Losing Homes, Jobs in Lead-Up to World Cup and Olympics
As Brazil gears up to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, authorities are investing billions of dollars in overhauling infrastructure, building facilities and improving security in cities soon to see the spotlight. The race to…
Community Bike-Share Programs in Africa: Challenges and Benefits
In areas without easily accessible public transportation, people must walk to commute, run errands or get to school. But in many cases, foot travel just isn’t efficient enough. For many people, a bicycle is the answer.
Community bike programs have…
Cuban Government Evolves along with Tourism Spike
Cuba is often portrayed as a travel destination that creates different worlds for tourists and locals by having two currency systems and keeping locals out of nicer establishments such as resorts and restaurants that are reserved for travelers. The government chooses to…
How to Photograph Responsibly While Traveling
Thirty years ago, when more people were traveling with cameras than ever before, Susan Sontag, in On Photography, observed that tourists had become so photo-hungry that travel was just “a strategy for accumulating photographs.” Like their counterparts a century earlier,…
In Bolivia, Ecuador and Pittsburgh, Nature Has Rights
The days of human beings having a monopoly on individual rights may soon be coming to an end.
Bolivia is in the process of enacting the world’s first law giving nature legal rights equal to those of human beings. The…
Boon or Threat? Potential Impacts of Belize’s New Highway Project on Mayan Sustainable Tourism
Belize is quickly becoming an international tourism hot spot, but will the country deal with an influx of tourists sustainably, with respect for indigenous groups and the environment? Or will it go the way of American fast food franchises, cruise…
Not on Our Land: Banning Tourists from Traditional Villages
In a remote village close to the Amazon river in Colombia, 800 indigenous people are striving to uphold their culture and tradition in the face of tourism pressure. Nazareth, located deep in the jungle, is a 20-minute boat ride from…
China’s National Museum Gets a Greener Profile
The National Museum of China reopened in March after almost four years of construction and over $380 million in renovations. Curated by the Ministry of Culture and the People’s Republic of China, the museum is located in Beijing, next to…
