If you ask Rich Cahill to define sustainable tourism, he'll tell you about the wilderness next to the Panama Canal where you can find ocelots, howler monkeys, and three-toed sloths. It's about explaining to visitors that nature is both fragile and resilient — a contradiction that's on full display in these lush Central American rainforests.
"People think they know sustainability," says Cahill, who runs Ancon Expeditions, a Panamanian tour operator. "But they're not thinking big enough."
Sustainable means something different to David Kianni, general manager of the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo. To him, it's about being a responsible corporate citizen — no single-use plastics, and having an active conservation initiative — and by creating a mentorship program that supports native culture.
Just down a cobblestone street in Old Town Panama City, you'll find yet another definition of sustainability at the just-opened Amarla Casco Viejo, a boutique hotel. For general manager María Antonieta Ramírez, it's about following all the best practices of conservation and promoting artists like Phoebe Montague Warr, whose riveting images of Panama's biodiversity are on display in the guest rooms.
Sustainability in tourism is a broad topic that covers environmental protection, supporting local communities and cultural preservation. But what does sustainability really mean?
I'll be asking that question as I travel through the Caribbean, a part of the world that has aggressively pursued a reputation for sustainability in tourism. But how sustainable is the Caribbean when compared to other places? How can you tell if a destination is really sustainable? And ultimately, is sustainability worth it, not just to the visitor and the business, but also to the affected communities?
For a benchmark, I decided to start in Panama, perhaps one of the sustainability pioneers. Guides like Cahill were leading tourists through tropical rainforests decades ago, before ecotourism became a household word. Panama also has a colorful history as an adventure destination, featuring dictators, military invasions and plenty of intrigue. Plus, it's an airline hub that connects to many Caribbean islands, as well as other destinations in the Americas and Europe.
Experts will tell you that, on its broadest level, sustainable tourism is about reducing the negative environmental, social, and economic consequences of travel. But it's also about helping local communities and preserving natural and cultural resources for people who live in the affected areas.
Sustainability means that you can keep coming back to the place again and again without worrying about it being depleted or destroyed. And here are three main ways a destination can pursue a
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Airline delays and cancelations are frustrating enough, but having to spend time fighting with the airline to get compensation or getting stuck with an airline voucher you’ll never use makes the situation even worse. Fortunately, that’s all about to change—the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) just announced a new policy that requires airlines to automatically issue cash refunds to passengers when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.
There's nothing that gets a traveler's heart racing like the impeding doom of missing a connecting flight. We've all been there: wildly sprinting through the airport terminal, hoping against hope that the boarding door hasn’t closed yet. Then, the worst feeling of them all: finding the door closed shut but the plane still there—and you're not allowed on it.
Imagine my horror when I woke up early one Tuesday morning to find several emails from American Airlines AAdvantage and Rocket Rental Car Awards confirming my successful redemption of hundreds of thousands of AAdvantage miles for several car rentals set to begin later that day.
Skytrax has released its annual ranking of the world's best airports — and if you're a frequent flyer it may come as little surprise that none in the US made the top 20.
If you've searched flights from the US to Morocco, you've likely encountered Royal Air Maroc (RAM). And, if you're like me, you may have wondered if you should book with an airline you haven't heard of before. Here's the thing: If you're headed to Morocco, there's a good chance you'll end up onboard a RAM flight.
Flying business class can be a real treat. And with Emirates, the experience is unparalleled, featuring exceptional service, comfortable seats and top tier in-flight food and beverage. Generally considered one of the best airlines to fly overseas, Emirates offers top tier business class, comparable with (or better than) first class on countless other airlines. A winner of several travel and service awards, Emirates offers outstanding business class, from pre-boarding to de-planing. Here’s what you need to know before booking a seat.
Travelers who live on the West Coast of the United States have long bemoaned the lack of direct flights to the Caribbean from international airports in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Normally, flying to the Caribbean from the West Coast requires stopovers and plane changes in hubs like Atlanta, New York, Houston, or Miami. Between the time difference and the layovers, flying from the West Coast to the Caribbean can easily take at least a full day—or may even require an overnight stop. With closer warm-weather destinations like Mexico and Hawai‘i beckoning, many travelers in the Pacific time zone simply skip the Caribbean.
Attention, Alaska Airlines elite members: If you are an MVP Gold 75K or 100K elite member, check your email inbox for your systemwide American Airlines upgrade vouchers.
A handful of new lounges opened by credit card issuers, including Capital One and American Express, have recently landed in airports across the United States, promising posh spots of refuge for select travelers awaiting their flights. At La Guardia Airport, caviar service will be available for pre-order. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, travelers can get complimentary massages, and at Denver International Airport, there are nap pods. In addition to amenities, the new lounges provide an ambience reminiscent of a luxury hotel lobby, both in interior design and scale, and fit several hundred people at a time.