Spotlight on Zimbabwe: where sustainable tourism is changing lives

If you stand still long enough, Costa Rica’s flora and fauna has a way of making you feel like it’s closing in, threatening to drag you into the dense vegetation’s fold. It’s difficult to not linger when you see a busy chain of leafcutter ants crossing the trail or when you marvel at an ecosystem bursting with trees and vascular plants like angel’s trumpets, lipsticktrees, or—my favorite—wild sensitive plants, with leaves that curl and close when touched.

Already valued at an estimated $185 billion, the worldwide ecotourism segment is expected to exceed $374 billion in global impact within the decade.

In 2015, website Booking.com, the world’s largest online travel agency (OTA), released its first ever Sustainable Travel Report. 62% of respondents said they planned a trip staying in sustainable accommodations within the next 12 months. By 2021 this number had skyrocketed to 81%. The 2021 numbers, garnered from surveying 29,000 travelers, also showed that a substantial majority of global travelers (87%) want to travel sustainably and 61% said the pandemic had made them want to travel more sustainably in the future. The most common answer to the question of “What sustainable travel means?” was staying in eco-friendly or green accommodations, yet half (49%) still didn’t think there were enough sustainable lodging options.

One of the most visited national parks in the US is the Grand Canyon National Park, with nearly five million visitors per year. Of those millions of tourists, only about five percent dip below the rim and broaden their exploration. Further, of the five percent that hike below the rim, only about ten percent actually make it to the Colorado River. This is the magic of a backpacking trip to one of the most beloved national parks in the country. You don’t have to go far to have the place to yourself.

There’s something so beautiful, so meaningful, about distilling an adventure down to everything that you need and nothing that you don’t, keeping the focus on manageable ways to get outside and get outside often. If it’s easy, if you have the trappings at your fingertips, you’re more likely to take advantage of the real prize: spending quality time in nature.

I meet Donald Macauley, the 37-year-old founder of Sierra Leone's first surf school, along a sunny swath of silky yellow sand at Bureh Beach, a surfing destination on the Western Peninsula where he’s been catching waves for more than 20 years. Macauley learned how to surf from a British soldier; before he had access to a proper board, he and other local teens would ride wooden surfboards shaped from busted fishing boats. In 2012, he launched Bureh Beach Surf Club—whose slogan, “Di waves dem go mak u feel fine,” says it all—and today he leads a handful of instructors, mentors street kids, and rallies behind some of Sierra Leone’s most promising young talents. Among them, I meet 25-year-old Kadiatu “KK” Kamara, the country’s preeminent female surfer. “My dream is to teach more girls in Sierra Leone how to surf,” says Kamara, who herself learned at Bureh Beach eight years ago and hopes to someday open her own school. When girls sign up for lessons, she refuses their money. “It’s my responsibility,” she says solemnly. “I want to motivate them not to be afraid of the water.”

The outdoor industry, and all of the wild and thrilling careers within it, is an exciting arena to be a part of. As a seasoned travel and adventure writer, who has journeyed all over the planet to experience and write about exciting locales, I’ve been lucky enough to connect with folks who love to play in the outdoors: wilderness experts, naturalists from diverse destinations, and even surfing guides.

As a seasoned travel and adventure writer, who has been all over the planet in search of not only indelible nature and wildlife experiences, but also, insights into diverse communities, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to connect with wilderness guides, flora and fauna enthusiasts, and environmental stewards who have made brilliant careers in the outdoor industry.

Comfortable and trendy shoes are a must-have in today’s footwear industry, but what if you could wear a shoe that was as stylish as it was revolutionary?

Looking for the best cities to live in or retire abroad? The world’s most livable city is once again Vienna, Austria, according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s annual Most Livable Cities ranking.

Choosing a destination is the first of many vacation decisions, and those who choose to visit Bonaire will no doubt want a hotel that matches the Dutch-Caribbean island’s quirky, colorful, relaxing, and nature-centric vibe. Among the many Bonaire resorts in and around the capital of Kralendijk, the Courtyard Marriott Dive Resort Bonaire became the island’s first American property on the island in 2016.

Centrally located within walking distance of Nashville’s most famous attractions—like the Grand Ole Opry and Madame Tussauds Nashville—and just a 10-minute shuttle ride from the airport, the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center has long been a luxury destination in Music City. But last December, the resort added a whole new reason for families to visit: America’s first upscale indoor-outdoor water park, called SoundWaves, a sprawling four-acre, three-level playground filled with one-of-a-kind water experiences.