It’s a cycle that is playing out clearly here in Nicaragua. The two main tourism towns, Granada and San Juan del Sur are also the two most important real estate investment areas. In fact there are more real estate developments catering to international buyers located in Nicaragua’s tourism heartland area (the south west of the country on the pacific side that also includes Ometepe, Crater Lake Apoyo, Lake Nicaragua, the “islets” and Mombacho volcano) than the rest of the country combined. A recent study revealed for example that over 70% of beach-side real estate communities are located between El Astillero and the Costa Rican border – an area that only makes us around 1/8 of the entire coastline – (and of course and even smaller fraction if one were to include the Caribbean coastline in the calculation.)

Seeking Nicaragua real estate listings in tourism areas not only caters to “speculator investors” who purchase in the hope that tourism and infrastructure will arrive in a location, but also to the so-called “lifestyle investors” looking for an existing community and an opportunity to rent out their property to visitors. This whole relationship is further boosted by the fact that tourism areas are often the most attractive parts of the country – places with the kind of inherent value that real estate investors are attracted to.

This concentration of real estate and tourism activity in Nicaragua and other Central American countries has important social and environmental implications which need to be monitored closely. I have listed three of them below:

• Lax real estate developers can undermine the environmental integrity of key tourism areas if their projects don’t take into account sustainability principles.
• Infrastructure provision can be severely tested in the more remote tourism areas that are getting the attention of real estate investors.
• Without an overall water management plan there may simply not be enough water to fill all the swimming pools and golf courses that are being planned by ambitious real estate developers.

The trends are clear, now the development community needs to come together with the tourism ministry to seek a sustainable way forward that balanced economic capital with social and environmental concerns.  I have no doubt that bodies such as the WTO and this site have best practice case studies available that could serve as a good starting point.

Shrinking coral reefs

Coral reefs are beautiful to behold, and I’m sure you have felt at some time that you would like to have some decorative coral in your bathroom. Many people who go traveling to exotic tropical locations and also go scuba diving in coral reefs will break off parts of the coral to dry and take back to their houses. But did you know that coral is actually alive? Did you know that this can start a process that kills much of the reef? What if everyone did this, would there be any coral left in the sea? You should consider some decorative plastic coral for your bathroom and leave the coral where it belongs — in the ocean.

Hiking and mountaineering

There’s a reason why park rangers are always going on about staying on the trails and it’s because there are many flora and fauna which are endangered. You could inadvertently destroy a rare plant or crush a rare insect or reptile. In addition to this, the hiking trails go through areas that have a minimal impact on erosion, whereas if you would just go anywhere you wanted, then you might erode significant parts of the natural habitat you are in. If everyone did this, the effect would be cumulative and after a while top soil would disappear, underbrush would become damaged and that can cause landslides and flooding in the spring. It’s very important that as a world tourist, you stay on the marked trails.

Cultural heritage

As a world tourist, when you visit historical and cultural treasures, you should be very careful to leave them intact. If you are visiting castle ruins in Europe, do not break parts of the walls off as souvenirs. Be careful when you are in museums and make sure you do not damage anything. Also, many countries prohibit their cultural treasures being removed, so be careful you do not bring any rare paintings or coins with you as there are serious consequences if this is discovered.

The greenhouse effect

The greenhouse effect is a bit like garden greenhouses. The sun shines in the top and the plants wither and die inside if they are not taken care of and the temperature is not regulated inside. That’s what our planet is like too. Carbon dioxide emissions are slowly destroying the atmosphere and also heating up the temperature at the same time, which means the earth warms up globally. Our planet is not like greenhouses for sale — we can’t just get up and go to a new one when it’s used up. We have to take care of it now, while we still can.

So do your part!

Description: The greenhouse effect is like a garden greenhouse whose temperature is not maintained properly. Read on to find out what you can do to help save our planet.

By using a credit or debit card, your fees will be much less. The standard percentage charged by the international networks is 1%. Credit card processing banks will also tack on their own fee, just because they can, but it’s rarely more than an additional 2%. And if you travel overseas quite frequently, you might want to open up a Capital One card. At this time, they do not tack on a surcharge for international purchases.

Be sure that the foreign merchant charges you in the foreign currency and not in US Dollars. Some merchants use this as a scam to charge a horrible exchange rate to make money and you wouldn’t be the wiser.

If you do end up needing paper currency when you are traveling, use your debit card at the ATM. Some banks just charge a flat fee for a foreign withdrawal no matter how much money you take out. If you open a debit card with Citi, they have ATMs in many foreign countries and do not charge a transaction fee when you use them.

So when you’re traveling, don’t forget that to save some money, leave the cash at home.

People travel for different reasons such as weather, family, a break, an experience. Booking a holiday can be a stress for some, as there is a lot to do from deciding where to go to how much it is going to cost. Greece has very cheap accommodation compared to Thailand. Yet they are both very popualr country to visit. The cost of small thing can build up and add to the overall cost to a holiday. for example eating out, this is why many people decide that the hotel restraint could be the best and cheapest option for them.

The choice of travailing abroad than staying in the UK for your holiday is narrowing, this may because of the economy or the fact that people are more aware of  environment and how travailing is one of the major factors effecting it.

Some people own numerous houses in country’s miles away from there home land.  These house are often available for anyone to rent, this has its benefits as it usually cheaper, you have more freedom, more space, possibility for pets, feel more comfortable/at home.  Houses to rent can be very convenient as there is more flexibility for you renting homes abroad is a great way of seeing the world.

France has a lot to offer travelers, from the sunny beaches of Nice to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Paris is the most visited city not just in France, but in the world. The French Alps also attracts a lot of tourists who are looking to ski. Other popular cities in France include Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon and Strasbourg. Of course, travelers can go off the beaten path as well. Some travelers may prefer spending the evening around the glow of fire pits at small campground outside of Giverny as opposed to strolling along the Seine.

The country that ranks second on UNWTO’s list is the United States. Popular places to visit in the U.S. include New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. According to a USA Today article from September 2011, Times Square in New York City is the most visited tourist attraction in the U.S., followed by Central Park. Rounding out the list is Union Station in Washington, D.C., the Las Vegas Strip, Grand Central Terminal in New York City, Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in California. Like France, the U.S. has a wide variety of experience to offer travelers from luxury vacations to camping in the wilderness.

Rounding out the top five world tourism destinations are China, Spain and Italy.

With a good tour program, they will show you the best places go to while avoiding any environmental hazards. But not all tour programs can provide you with this option, so you must ask them before you plan on traveling.

Another way is to ask fellow travelers who have traveled to the place you want to go before. Most likely, they will tell you if an area is environmentally friendly or not because they have been there before. You can also ask the locals that live there for further advice on eco-friendly traveling. But that might mean you might have to take a flight there before knowing if the area is environmentally stable.

Of course, you can also travel without leaving your home. What does that mean? Well with a program like the pro flight simulator you can literally fly to different parts of the world from your computer. This program comes with realistic views as well as google maps to make it even more realistic. With the pro flight simulator you can definitely travel the world without the worry of environmental hazards and without even leaving your home.

Other then flying and using flight simulator programs, you can also travel to places of nature. What I mean by this is that you can travel to anywhere that isn’t man made. An example could be traveling to national parks, mountains, the ocean or any other country with a nice scenery.

Some good places to go, could be to the tropics, the beaches of any Caribbean islands, or maybe to any mountain-like terrains such as the Grand Canyon. You can find plenty of environmentally friendly places if you just use a little creativity and look where people aren’t looking.

I’ll explain some  tips for organizing your planning. First of all, you should make sure that you pack lightly. I know that many people will disagree with this, but it is better if you go with a free pack and also a free mind than if you go with a heavy load. You can always buy the things you need there, and most of the times, you don’t even need all that much. So, only bring what you really need and leave everything else at home.

Secondly, you should make a calendar of events and also a list of what you want to do when you arrive at your destination. And even though you have a list, the whole point of traveling is to relax, so don’t stress out if you end up not doing everything on the list. Just take things slow and enjoy your travel.

You can also talk to some of the locals to get to know the place better and also to find out where the best places to go are. Make sure to do a lot of adventuring and have some fun. It’s not everyday that you can travel to an environmentally friendly place.

Due to the popularity of jeep safaris there have, in recent years, been real concerns about the impact they are having on the local environment. One place in particular is Marmaris in Turkey where these safaris are one of the main attractions in the area. Environmentalists have been calling for a ban on these trips but as it stands the governors of Marmaris are reluctant to do so as they bring  much needed tourist cash into the region.

There have also been calls to ban tourists from smoking cigarettes on these trips as there is a real chance of starting bush fires from cigarette stubs. This is proving difficult to enforce though and one of the best solutions could be to promote the use of e cigarettes. This may not be realistic at the moment but taking a look at a some e cigarette reviews to get an idea of what is on offer could go a long way to helping, there are even cost cutting measures that can be taken, for example this E-Lites discount code will help smokers save more.

Other steps they are looking to take are with the vehicles that are used,  minimum requirements could be brought in with vehicle emission testing topping the list as to whether the jeeps are passed ok for road use. It also goes without saying the general upkeep of the vehicles and the way in which they are driven will also be addressed.

For those of us who are truly interested in sustainable tourism, it pays to think of thinks on a larger scale.  Rather than flying thousands of miles back and forth to spend a week in a rainforest lodge, we should explore vacation opportunities closer to home.

RV travel is one type of touring that truly is sustainable.  Living in a RV is a lot more environmental friendly than living in a traditional brick house.  Recreational vehicles are small, and do not require a lot of resources when used for day to day living.  Getting away in an RV for a week – provided you only drive a couple of hundred miles – can be very eco-friendly.  One tank of gas for driving, maybe a little propane for the refrigerator and heat, and that is about the extent of your carbon footprint.

The great thing about RV living is that not only is it a great vacation alternative, but it is also a viable full time lifestyle.  Full time RV living allows you to periodically move your home – once a week, perhaps once a month – from one scenic location to another whenever the urge strikes you.

Not only are you living a sustainable lifestyle, but you are also living a life of unparalleled freedom.  Tired of the rat race?  Find an RV park in the country for a few weeks.  Miss the hustle and bustle of city life?  Stop at an RV campground close to a big city and enjoy all it has to offer.

Also, by RV living fulltime, you can do away with the requirement of keeping a stick house full time.  Imagine the reduction in your environmental footprint if you did not have to keep house.  No furnace, no central air, vastly reduced water and electricity usage, the savings are endless.

It is very clear to me that if you are seriously interested in sustainable travel, and are willing to take bold steps and change your life to accommodate that type of lifestyle, that fulltime living in an RV is one of the best things you can do to fully embrace your beliefs!

It was very successfull and the Indian Government attracted initial investment worth many millions of Rupees.There wre 12 projects including five extremely large projects which were outlined during the summit. One of the biggest was an Eco Tourism project near Vikarabad, being run by Malaxmi Industries Ltd.Other similar sized projects are being run by a variety of Indian and Internation companies.For example one project was the setting up of a mythological theme park at Tirupati.

It all sounds really encouraging for the communities involved. However some apprehension exists over whether they woudl happen at all. The major problem is that funding is dependent on the grant of Infrastructure status to these Tourism projects.It is a crucial stage, as once granted the projects will have much easier access to loans from various financial insititutions. One commentator who wished to remain anonymous suggested that without this status the projects would simply collapse with insufficient funding. The status would also enable other entrepreneurs to get involved due to the tax advantages that are applied to infrastructure projects.

It is interesting that many of  the commentators and critics of this situation were so concerned about maintaining their anonymity.   Few people were prepared to speak on the record and others used various anonymity devices including encrypting voice and data when communicating.   Whether this points to something more sinister it is unclear, it certainly doesn’t inspire confidence in the transparency of the projects.

There have been several assurances given that this status would be applied but there seems to be little activity in making it happen.

The problem is that it is difficult currently to raise money for eco tourism and hotel projects because of the way they are viewed alongside tradition real estate projects.Simply put – Banks are unwilling to give loans and support to an Eco Tourism project without some sort of assurances.In order for these eco tourism projects to proceed, the Indian Government needs to show it’s support of these tourist projects particularly the ones with a strong environmental bias.

Tourism is actually a huge employer in India and these projects are essential to develop a sustainable sector. The growth of eco travel and tourism is set to grow and India is currently poorly placed to benefit from this sector despite having huge natural advantages in this area.