Luxury Travel Ltd Launches New Adventure Travel Programs

Luxury Travel Ltd (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) is proud to launch new and redesigned Adventure Programs and a brand new http://www.adventurevietnam.com for its adventure travel department.

Leader in the tourism industry, Luxury Travel Ltd has its adventure travel department and adventure teams for five countries in the region. Thus, extensive research and in-depth knowledge have led to the new, innovative programs on offer in Southeast Asia.»We aim to provide unique programs in the region, exploring areas that are off the beaten path and doing so in an environmentally-friendly way. We know that by venturing off the tourist trail and experiencing the local culture first hand, and not from the windows of a bus, is the best way to truly explore the wonders of the region,» said David Nguyen, the director of sales and marketing of Luxury Travel Group Ltd.Months of research through unexplored areas led to the creation of the Vietnam – A land of adventures from North to South by road and «cycling tours in Mekong Delta, Ninh Binh and Mai Chau.»

“Everyone has a bicycle in the countryside of Vietnam. A Biking tour is a good way to get close to people in the countryside and interact with local people. Traveling by bike affords a kind of eye-level communication you can’t get in a car, bus or train. Biking has to be the ultimate way to explore all destinations. We have designed the attractive bicycle tours in Vietnam. Our mountain bikes are top quality lightweight. All our bike trips are fully supported with air-conditioned back-up van as well as carrying first aid, drinks, spares and tools. Our biking guides are great biking enthusiasts with passion, equally knowledgeable in bike maintenance, in the culture, history and geography of the country,” commented David.

Luxury Travel (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) has fostered relationships with several villages en route to create activities that benefit the local residents whilst protecting the fragile eco-systems of the area. The tour puts a strong emphasis on responsible travel as passengers are experiencing first-hand the natural and man-made wonders of the region. The company aims to create better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit.

Other highlights of the Luxury Travel Ltd’s Adventure programs include the re-launch of chic adventures in Vietnam. The twelve day trip from North to South Vietnam is a combination of luxury accommodation, soft adventures, exotic places, walking, hiking, biking, and kayaking.

«Touring is flexible, with your own expert guide and driver in each destination, and each day is tailored to your personal interests, schedule, level of energy, and travel preferences,» confirmed David.

«Discover the charm of Champassak» is a new tour package in South of Laos. Champassak is a wonderful mix of architectural jewels: typical Laotian wooden houses built on stilts, exquisite colonial villas, Lao-Chinese shop houses, and buildings from more recent interpretation. There is even a beautiful Catholic church, unfortunately still little-known from visitors like Luang Prabang. Champassak is one of the most attractive in Laos as it offers culture, nature, history, and the dramatic setting of the Mekong River,” said David.

As 2012 is approaching, Luxury Travel aims to continue to feature innovative adventure tours, researching and creating new itineraries, and offering new twists on perennial favorites.

«Today’s luxury travelers want to be entertained and stimulated, rather than simply pampered. They seek action and simplicity. They want also off the beaten track experiences, crave efficient and seamless travel, value for money and a return on personal values in a post credit crunch environment. They interest in local culture and authentic experiences. Our adventure travel programs are designed to catch this trend. We expect 30 percent growth in this market segment in 2012,» said Pham Ha, Founder and CEO of Luxury Travel Ltd.

Vietnam’s first luxury tour operator and full travel service agency (www.luxurytravelvietnam.com) based in Hanoi with its offices throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, Luxury Travel is excellent in designing tailor-made tours and providing unique travel experiences. Opened in 2004, the Luxury Travel Company Limited has its own offices in Indochina, Myanmar and Thailand, luxury vehicles, luxury travel advisors and representative offices in USA, France and Australia. The company’s depth of experience and large infrastructure enable it to create unique itineraries with the operational confidence to fulfill the most sophisticated client expectations. Luxury Travel Ltd won numerous travel awards for excellent performance including the most recent award: Best Luxury Tour Operator in Vietnam.

For South east Asia luxury adventure travel programs, contact adventure(at)luxurytravelvietnam.com or vist http://www.luxurytravelvietnam.com.

Source / Fuente: http://www.pr.com

Author / Autor: PR.com

Date / Fecha: 26/06/11

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La sostenibilidad con mayúsculas reside en Mauritania

Un proyecto de cooperación en Mauritania de la ONG Rebibir aúna todas las variables de la verdadera sostenibilidad, desde el uso de energías renovables al cultivo de hortalizas ecológicas pasando por la integración de la mujer.

Solucionar problemas de abastecimiento de agua, utilizar energías renovables, plantar huertos ecológicos, ayudar al desarrollo e integrar a las mujeres en la gestión activa de las comunidades. Rebibir, nombre del proyecto y la asociación que ha impulsado todo lo referido en la comarca de Boutilimit, en Mauritania, demuestra cómo hay que hacer las cosas para que una iniciativa de este tipo no se quede en una ayuda puntual, sino en algo que continúen desarrollando las comunidades implicadas de forma autónoma y efectiva.

Hace tan solo dos años, 50 pozos diseminados por esta comarca aparecían colmatados de arena o en ruinas, ya que era muy difícil seguir extrayendo agua de ellos con medios mecánicos y con la ayuda de burros o dromedarios. En ellos se fijaron los responsables de dos empresas extremeñas, Ingema, especializada en instalaciones de energías renovables, y Alternatura, centrada en la economía solidaria y la agricultura ecológica. Dos años después, seis de esos pozos ya están abiertos y riegan huertos ecológicos y cinco más están a punto de hacerlo gracias a la instalación de bombas accionadas con la energía de paneles solares fotovoltaicos que aportan un caudal de 20.000 litros diarios.

Mario Morales es el portavoz de Rebibir, asociación que ha tomado el relevo al impulso inicial de Ingema y Alternatura. Está a punto de viajar a Boutilimit para transportar y supervisar materiales e instalaciones, aunque se va a encontrar con parte del trabajo hecho. «Uno de los objetivos principales del proyecto es conseguir su autonomía y que no tenga fecha de caducidad, y para eso formamos a dos personas de la zona como técnicos montadores y de mantenimiento», afirma Morales. Es decir, que no llegan empresas occidentales, montan la instalación y ahí se queda, sino que se transfiere tecnología renovable y sostenible y la capacidad de gestionarla.

Además de lo que supone el acceso directo al agua en una tierra desértica, está la mejora de la alimentación gracias a los abrevaderos de los que dispone el ganado y a la innovación de la implantación de huertos ecológicos, hasta 16 por pozo. Los mauritanos obtienen hortalizas, huevos y leche en su misma localidad, algo que favorece la soberanía alimentaria. Mario Morales afirma que «en este caso también hay formación como usuarios y las mujeres se han convertido en auténticas gestoras de los huertos, donde cada año obtienen semillas derivadas de su propia producción, sin necesidad de comprarlas a ninguna empresa y con la posibilidad de compartirlas con las gestoras y agricultoras de otros huertos».

La soberanía alimentaría es algo trascendental en un país donde cuesta mucho sacar adelante las cosechas y un kilo de nabos se vende a un euro. El beneficio de las hortalizas y verduras ecológicas que crecen en los huertos es comunal, hay una parte que se lleva a los mercados, pero la principal se consume entre las 32 familias que suelen estar involucradas en cada instalación, e incluso con otras que no lo están pero a las que le llegan algunos alimentos gracias a la cultura de la cooperación comunal que existe en estas tierras.

¿Y cómo se sustenta económicamente todo esto? Con todos arrimando el hombro. A Mario le gusta decir que es un proyecto sin ánimo de lucro de «gente común para gente común». Ayuntamientos, el Fondo Extremeño Local de Cooperación al Desarrollo, un poeta que cedió las ventas de la tirada de su libro, un festival que derivó parte de los ingresos de las entradas y, sobre todo, mucha «gente común». Desde Boutilimit ceden también instalaciones y el trabajo desinteresado de algunas personas y, algo importante, con parte de los beneficios se crea un fondo de contingencia para el mantenimiento de toda la estructura, precisamente para reforzar la autonomía de las instalaciones. Pero faltan 39 pozos por recuperar, y para eso es necesaria la ayuda de más «gente común».

El presupuesto para «rebibir» un pozo en Mauritania (bir significa pozo, de ahí el juego de palabras) es de 15.287 euros, e incluye el sistema de bombeo y la puesta en marcha y seguimiento durante dos años del huerto ecológico asociado.

Source / Fuente: http://www.elpais.com

Author / Autor: Javier Rico

Date / Fecha: 29/06/11

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How clean energy can drive economic growth

Britain must not lose out to countries like France in the race for a greener future, says Chris Huhne.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne at Delabole Wind Farm in February Photo: Getty

There are three key arguments about the economics of climate change that I believe must be crucial to our national vision of the future. First, we must get off the oil hook – and onto clean, green growth. The science demands it. Our survival requires it. And our living standards will benefit from it.

Second, this low-carbon revolution can offset fiscal tightening and turbo-charge jobs. It is a large part of the answer to the question of where the jobs and growth are coming from.

And third, our economy will be more stable and secure as energy imports wane. Every business will benefit from moderating boom and bust.

Together, these arguments make up the case for “green growth”: investment in the infrastructure, industries and technologies that can change our economic future for the better.

A low-carbon economy presents an opportunity, not a cost. Investment in our clean energy future should not be mistaken for a cost to the economy, or the public purse. Instead, as Lord Stern has shown, it can be strong driver of economic growth – boosting demand, and creating new supply in a sustainable way.

Globally, the low-carbon goods and services industry is worth £3.2 trillion, and employs 28 million people. It is growing by 4 per cent a year, faster than developed world GDP, and will accelerate. It is also a sector driven by relentless innovation. Between 1999-2008, patents for renewable energy increased by 24 per cent each year. Electric and hybrid vehicles were up 20 per cent. Energy efficiency up 11 per cent. Nearly 2,000 clean energy patents were filed in the United States last year, nearly treble the previous year.

Private finance is already rushing in. In the first half of 2010, green technologies accounted for a quarter of all US venture capital investments. Globally, investment in renewables now outstrips investment in fossil fuels. This extra inward investment brings jobs and sets the conditions for growth. It also drives learning-by-doing: making companies and economies more productive.

The second reason to choose the low-carbon path is self-evident: it is more resource efficient. It uses less energy and fewer resources per unit of GDP. A survey of 300 top executives from large global corporations found more than three quarters of respondents expect their annual clean energy technology spending to rise over the next five years. No wonder 72 per cent of global CEOs actively support policies that promote economically, socially and environmentally sustainable growth. They know that a green economy is also more resource efficient. It saves money, boosts the bottom line, and helps shareholder returns.

There is a third reason to pursue green growth. Businesses hate unpleasant surprises, as the first two oil shocks showed. Green growth can protect our economy – reducing our exposure to price shocks. That is good for every business in the land from corner shop to conglomerate.

After all, dependence on oil for transport and gas for power puts us at the mercy of international markets over which we have no control. We cannot rely on the North Sea. We were once self-sufficient in oil and gas; now we importing 27 per cent of our energy. That vulnerability is projected to double by 2020.

And even home-produced oil and gas exists in a world market. It can still give us a nasty price shock.

The IMF’s World Economic Outlook for 2011 devotes an entire chapter to oil scarcity. It notes that “the persistent increase in oil prices over the past decade suggests that global oil markets have entered a period of increased scarcity. Given the expected rapid growth in oil demand in emerging market economies and a downshift in the trend growth of oil supply, a return to abundance is unlikely in the near term.”

Those emerging market economies will be ready and willing to compete for scarce resources. In extreme cases, control of and access to hydrocarbons will likely become a matter for militaries, not treasuries.

So what is to be done? We should head off the challenge of price and supply insecurity by getting off the oil hook.

The demand for oil and gas, of course, does not come down easily whatever the price. We cannot simply stop using them overnight. We are committed to car journeys. And locked into fossil fuel using capital equipment.

So protecting ourselves from price shocks is not the work of a day, a week, or a year: we must free our economy from carbon addiction over the long haul.

Some countries already have a head start. Electricity prices in France are set to rise by just 3 per cent this year. Compare and contrast with Britain, where prices are rising by three times as much. It is no surprise that France is the European country with the least reliance on fossil fuels, and enjoys some of the lowest prices – 9.4 per cent below ours.

We have a long way to go. But every long journey begins with a first step.

For us, that means building cleaner power plants, and encouraging the electrification of heating and transport. These are the fundamental components of a strategy that will deliver green growth.

The fourth and final reason to pursue such a strategy is simple: we cannot risk being left behind. Green growth is in our direct national interest. Around the world, governments are responding to the green energy challenge. The race for the future is already under way.

Chris Huhne is the Energy and Climate Change Secretary.

This is an edited version of a speech delivered by Chris Huhne to the Corporate Leaders’ Group in London yesterday.

Source / Fuente: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Author / Autor: Chris Huhne

Date / Fecha: 30/06/11

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Grandes empresas y destinos apoyan un sello global para el turismo sostenible

La multiplicación de certificaciones y criterios relacionados con el turismo sostenible además de confundir al usuario no es buena para los negocios. De ahí que numerosas empresas y destinos hayan mostrado su apoyo al Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), una alianza de entidades que promueve un estándar a nivel global.

La campaña Travel Forever promoverá «el poder del cambio positivo» del turismo sostenible

El GSTC, que se constituyó hace un año, celebró ayer en Barcelona una reunión anual de miembros a la que acudieron representantes de Meliá Hotels International, TUI, Royal Caribbean, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Google Travel, Sabre Holdings, Amadeus, Rainforest Alliance, destinos como México o Belize y asociaciones como The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Adventure Travel Trade Association o la American Hotel and Lodging Association.

El objetivo de esta gran alianza de empresas, instituciones y destinos es aumentar la demanda de productos de turismo sostenible, según expuso Kelly Bricker, presidenta del GSTC.

«Para muchos, el concepto de turismo sostenible no está claro pues hay múltiples definiciones y cientos de organizaciones involucradas. No se trata de reinventar la rueda, sino de que estemos todos de acuerdo con esa rueda, poniendo en común criterios. Ya hemos logrado un consenso del 91% tras haber realizado consultas a 4.000 expertos. Esto permitirá establecer programas de certificación», explicó Bricker.

Un caso práctico

Una de las primeras empresas españolas que ya trabaja con la alianza GSTC es la cadena Meliá Hotels International, que ya cuenta con 14 establecimientos con la certificación «Biosphere» e incluso vincula las retribuciones variables a aspectos ligados con la sostenibilidad.

Su vicepresidente, Sebastián Escarrer, comentaba ayer que se decantaron por el estándar «Biosphere» tras haber evaluado durante año y medio qué certificación era la mejor. «Hay multitud de certificaciones, pero ninguna incorporaba plenamente las tres dimensiones del turismo sostenible: la medioambiental, la social-cultural y la económica. Esta sí nos ayudaba y además el propio certificado te evalúa en el proceso de escucha con tus grupos de interés, algo que nos interesaba especialmente», indicaba Escarrer.

En la reunión de ayer, además, la ciudad de Barcelona fue galardonada con el certificado «Biosphere» en reconocimiento por sus esfuerzos para convertirse en un destino turístico sostenible.

El reto de la comunicación

El GSTC también lanzó ayer la iniciativa Travel Forever, una campaña de márketing orientada a demostrar «el poder del cambio positivo que proviene del turismo sostenible».

En este sentido, la campaña transmitirá diferentes mensajes: cómo el turismo sostenible puede contribuir a preservar culturas locales, ayudar en la educación de la infancia, impulsar el empleo, proteger la fauna, etc.

Y es que según apuntó Ted Jansen, presidente de la compañía estadounidenseTravel Holdings, «el reto del turismo sostenible es hacerlo entender a la gente de manera fácil. Tenemos que filtrar conceptos complejos para que sean más comprensibles y difundirlos vía redes sociales, medios, etc».

Según explica Tomás Azcárate, presidente del Instituto de Turismo Responsable(ITR), entidad española miembro del GSTC, «la sostenibilidad debe estar en el mercado, debe ser un bien valorado por el turista. Mal gestionado, el turismo también puede arrasar patrimonios y culturas o vulgarizar las señas de identidad de los pueblos».

Xavier Canalis (actualidad@hosteltur.com)

Source / Fuente: http://www.hosteltur.com

Author / Autor: Xavier Canalis

Date / Fecha: 30/06/11

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Number of beach closures due to pollution rose last year, report says

Mary Rodriguez builds sand castles on Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. Cabrillo was one of three Southern California beaches among the Top 10 “Repeat Offender” beaches with chronic pollution problems, a new study says. (Arkasha Stevenson / Los Angeles Times / June 29, 2011)

The number of times the nation’s beaches were closed or posted with warnings because of polluted water jumped last year to its second-highest level in 21 years, in part because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and heavy rains that swept pollutants into the ocean at an accelerated rate, according to a report released Wednesday.The Natural Resources Defense Council found that contamination from oil, urban runoff, and human and animal waste continued to take a toll on beaches across the country in 2010, according to thereport.

In California, where heavier than normal rainfall greatly increased the amount of water and pollutants being flushed into the ocean, closures and advisories nearly doubled, and the number of beach water tests that exceeded state health standards rose to 11% from 9% the year before.

On the Gulf Coast, oil washed up on about 1,000 miles of shoreline. Since the spill, there have been so many oil-related closures, notices and advisories at beaches throughout the region that adding them all up totals 9,474 days, the report calculated.

The study, which showed a 29% increase in advisories or closures over the previous year, indicates that «the problems that we have in this country with beach water contamination in general are not getting better,» said Noah Garrison, an attorney for the environmental advocacy group.

Because storm runoff is a top source of beach water pollution, closures closely mirror precipitation patterns. When it rains, viruses, bacteria, fertilizers, toxic metals, trash and other pollutants are swept into the ocean and warnings to keep out of the water are often posted. When the weather is dry, the beaches tend to be cleaner and stay open.

The report surveyed bacteria test results at more than 3,000 beaches in 30 coastal and Great Lakes states. A high bacteria count means the beach water is likely to harbor pathogens that can sicken swimmers — causing skin rashes and stomach and respiratory illnesses, as well as other infections.

The results highlight the need to halt urban runoff so that water quality doesn’t wax and wane with the amount of rainfall, the group says.

«Hoping that it isn’t going to rain is not a viable storm water management strategy,» Garrison said.

There’s an urgent need, Garrison said, to treat urban runoff before it is swept into the ocean. He suggested a key is investing in an improved «green infrastructure» that captures, diverts or treats storm water or lets it filter back into the ground to keep pollutants from washing into the ocean.

The states with the most polluted beaches in 2010 were Louisiana, Ohio and Indiana, based on the percentage of times beaches failed to meet federal health standards. The cleanest beaches could be found in New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Hawaii and Delaware.

California fell near the bottom, ranking 22nd out of 30 states.

Three Southern California beaches made the report’s list of Top 10 «Repeat Offender» beaches with chronic pollution problems: Avalon Beach on Catalina Island, Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.

tony.barboza@latimes.com 

Source / Fuente: http://www.latimes.com

Author / Autor: Tony Barboza

Date / Fecha: 30/06/11

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Cámaras de Comercio andaluzas apuestan por el turismo sostenible

Málaga acoge este jueves otra actividad del proyecto ‘Shift’, financiado por fondos europeos

Reunión en Nerja, en abril.

Las Cámaras de Comercio andaluzas están realizando una importante apuesta por el turismo sostenible dentro del proyecto Shift. Se trata del denominado Sustainable Tourism in Fragile Territories, financiado con fondos europeos, que persigue impulsar el desarrollo turístico sostenible en la cuenca mediterránea aprovechando el gran potencial la esta zona. Este jueves en la sede de la Cámara de Málaga tendrá lugar una nueva actividad del proyecto, en este caso un taller sobre gestión integral de calidad en los destinos turísticos, a cargo del profesor Domenec Biosca, experto en consultoría turística que analizará las posibles mejoras en la gestión de la calidad de la oferta mediterránea.

Lidera esta iniciativa la Cámara de Comercio de Nápoles (Italia), que está trabajando de forma conjunta con el Consejo Andaluz de Cámaras de Comercio, la Prefectura del Dodecaneso y Macedonia del Este y Tracia (Grecia), las Cámaras de Comercio e Industria de Marseille Provence (Francia) y de Valencia; la Confederación de Empresarios de Alicante, y la Fundación Comunidad Valenciana-Región Europea (España).En abril ya se produjo en Nerja un encuentro entre representantes de estas instituciones y empresarios turísticos para comprobar las actuaciones que en materia de turismo sostenible se han promovido en la Costa del Sol.

Source / Fuente: http://www.diariodesevilla.es

Author / Autor: I. T. / MÁLAGA

Date / Fecha: 21/06/11

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