The Heart of Portugal: Part 2
Coimbra is the perfect launch point for the next part of my voyage. Accompanied by my brilliant guides Rafaela and Liliana of Portugal Green Travel, we set off on the…
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Coimbra is the perfect launch point for the next part of my voyage. Accompanied by my brilliant guides Rafaela and Liliana of Portugal Green Travel, we set off on the…
Lucy Daltroff travels Switzerland by train to experience the country’s sustainable tourism initiative – Swisstainable I had never even heard of the term “urban golf” when I visited Chur, (pronounced…
I first heard of the Muir hotel Halifax Nova Scotia in Canada at a travel convention in London. I was so impressed by the presentation that I put it on…
Discover the Ozora Festival 2025 Held from July 25, to August 5, 2025, the Ozora Hungary Festival is an extraordinary fusion of music, creativity and spirituality. Set in the scenic…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau resort to swim with manta rays. It’s 10.30 on a Saturday morning on a boat in the middle of…
As the focus on sustainable travel intensifies, Wisconsin, USA, is emerging as a beacon of eco-friendly tourism. Known for its pristine landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and innovative sustainability initiatives, the…
As we step into 2025, travel is evolving in exciting new directions. For those of us over 40, the way we explore the world is shifting towards experiences that nourish…
On the first leg of their whistle-stop tour through Sri Lanka, Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit Uga Ulagalla in the island’s Cultural Triangle. The teardrop of India, or the…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise discover their inner Robinson Crusoe at Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives, a very eco resort. It will read like the most overblown set of…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Katowice Poland, a city transformed from its industrial past, with a bright cultural future, where he meets bison and bebok. Two trends have piqued my interest…
Travel Begins at 40’s newly appointed accessibility correspondent Debbie North examines accessible tourism in Berlin. This year, I had the privilege of visiting the German capital to delve into both…
Something’s going very green in the French city of Nantes, as Judith Schrut discovered on her recent visit to this welcoming and eco-friendly gem on the western banks of the…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits Graz Austria, a green city with a visionary view for our future. It was on a visit to Iași in Romania a few years ago that…
Mark Bibby Jackson continues his visit to Cleveland Ohio discovering the creative side and the art in the city. My trip to Cleveland coincides with the 32nd annual Parade the…
Mark Bibby Jackson visits the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, and discovers the secret behind its popularity as a holiday destination. There are times when I feel most fortunate to…
“From here you can see the whole history of Berlin,” Sönke Schneidewind tells me from the terrace at the top of the Stiftung Humboldt Forum. To my left I can…
Do the phrases global warming and carbon footprint prick your conscience about going on holiday? On a recent visit to the Dominican Republic, I learnt how people holidaying on this…
Mark Bibby Jackson talks with Sarah Bajc, Owner and Operator of Camaroncito EcoResort & Beach, in Panama. When Sarah Bajc discovered Camaroncito she fell in love with the undeveloped stretch…
After going on his Isle of Man walks, Mark Bibby Jackson takes a couple of train rides as he explores the island’s industrial heritage including the Laxey Wheel Isle of…
Mark Bibby Jackson takes the bus and goes on one of the many excellent Isle of Man walks from Port Erin to Milner’s Tower. There is something invigorating about taking…
Summer is synonymous with sun, sand and soaring temperatures, but with the increasing effects of climate change for many travellers, the heat can be overwhelming. That’s where coolcations come in…
Mark Bibby Jackson follows the path of water in Valais Switzerland from the Aletsch Glacier to the bisses at Haute-Nendaz taking in the most spectacular views along the way. There…
The Broadstairs Food Festival is a celebration of local food and drink, with exhibitors chosen from Kent and surrounding counties. It consists of two separate free festivals, one held in…
A beautiful island set in the Irish Sea, a short ferry ride from the UK mainland, with stunning walking, ancient traditions, wonderful seafood and great beaches, the Isle of Man…
As destinations around the world complain about the negative effects of overtourism as well as the industry’s contribution to climate change and global heating, increasingly the question is being asked whether the nature of tourism needs to change. At the forefront of this is sustainable tourism.
The World Tourism Organisation, now the UNWTO, provided a sustainable tourism definition that stated that it needs the participation of all stakeholders, and is a continuous process that needs a constant monitoring of impact, including corrective measures where applicable.
It should also involve tourist satisfaction and increased awareness of related issues. In many respects Costa Rica has been at the vanguard of the movement. Allied to ecotourism this has been central to the country’s tourism drive. Tourism in Cosa Rica has thrived due to its preservation of the environment and sustainable management of tourism. Other sustainable intiatives include campaings to stop the use of single use plastics.
The term has come in for some criticism as being a bit confusing, but fundamentally in essence the effect of the tourism initiative should benefit the local community as well as future generations, as should all sustainability initiatives. Other similar terms include responsible travel, community-based tourism and regenerative tourism.
You can follow our #SustainableSunday series for more about keeping your travel sustainable. You can also read more about Travel Begins at 40’s stance in our view of Travel and Tourism: a Clean and Green Future.