Culture and Religion

“Getting to know the country and its people” is a central motive especially when travelling to countries of the Global South– spiritual travel offers are booming all over the world. During their holidays, many travellers find the time and tranquillity to visit churches and temples or they visit isolated mountain villages, to learn unique weaving techniques of the indigenous craftswomen.

The opportunity to look beyond their own lives changes the perspective on the world. However, there is a fine line between honest curiosity and touristic voyeurism. With Many beg the question, whether they are really desired by the local population or are rather developed for travellers. Our aim is to motivate travellers to experience encounters at eye level and to support community based travel initiatives to gain economic autonomy.


Article

SDG 4: Education

Tourism can support education SDG 4 in many ways. Suyatri in the southern Indian state of Karnataka provides an example of how this can be done.

 ... read more

Article
[Translate to english:] Frau mit Kind auf FAhrrad

Pacific: A “Blessing in Disguise”

Tourists are returning to the Pacific, but not all people are as entranced by the tourism sector as in pre-pandemic times.

 ... read more

Mann arbeitet mit Laptop in der Natur

Travel Trend Workation

More and more people are combining work with vacation – and go on "workation." But digital nomads are a relevant group among traveling sex offenders.

 ... read more

Frauenmeeting

India: On The Way Up

Trekking guides in India are usually male. But that can change, as this year’s TODO Award winner Himalayan Ecotourism shows.

 ... read more

Starke Frauen - Starker Tourismus

Latin America: Female Entrepreneurship in Tourism

Three women from Brazil and El Salvador report on the ups and downs of their entrepreneurship.

 ... read more

Madagaskar Boot auf Fluss

Progress for Women in Tourism in Madagascar

While gender inequalities persist in Madagascar, women are increasingly free to choose their activities. The pandemic gave a boost to their

 ... read more

Afrobrasilianische Frau am Fenster bei Tag

Brasil: Postcolonial Bahia

Tourism in the Brazilian state of Bahia thrives on the cultural heritage of the Afro-Brazilian population. But instead of authentic culture, the

 ... read more

Zaun aus Surfbrettern

Surf tourism worldwide

Travelling to surf becomes more and more popular. However, the way the sport is being practiced today is based on a colonial past whose power

 ... read more

Bunt gestreifte Wand mit einem Mann davor

Europe: No more whitewashing

Baroque splendour makes Europe's metropolises a tourist magnet. What guests usually don't learn is that this prosperity is based on exploitation in

 ... read more

Stop greenwashing - reduce air traffic now!

The aviation industry is trying hard to get a green image. Stay Grounded has critically reviewed the industry's claims for greenwashing in five

 ... read more

Woman looking through Telescope_Uganda

World Tourism Day 2021

Since 50 years, the international community celebrates World Tourism Day annually on September 27. We have compiled some statements and demands from

 ... read more

Woman looking through Telescope_Uganda

Uganda: A game changer for women

Due to COVID-19, domestic tourism is moving into focus in many countries - also in Uganda. This strengthens women in the industry and promotes female

 ... read more

Beach_Bali

Bali: Domestic Tourism as a Glimmer of Hope

With their borders closed to international tourism, the people of Bali use their creativity and collaborative spirit and rely on domestic tourism.

 ... read more

Community Based Tourism_CBT_Brasilien_Gemeindebasierter Tourismus

Brazil: Not Yet an Option

Disrespectful behaviour, waste and noise pollution, lack of interest, and now COVID-19. In Brazil the risks that domestic tourism entails for

 ... read more

virtuelles reisen

Virtual traveling

Virtual travel experiences can help tourism providers achieve a low income in times of crisis and give access to places and encounters – even without

 ... read more

World Heritage Watch Report 2020 released

While sustainable tourism is implicit in the idea of the World Heritage, unsustainable tourism is increasingly morphing into a threat to the sites.

 ... read more

Titelbild Gemeindebasierter Ökotourismus im Dorf Esfahk

Together In Crises

Iran is not only fighting COVID-19. Political crises, trade sanctions, environmental disasters and a weak economy are pervasive. How do local tourism

 ... read more

Interaction between tourists and members of a community-based-tourism project in Cambodia

Bridging the Digital Gap for Tourism Projects in Cambodia

Most community based tourism initiatives in rural Cambodia do not have the necessary skills and conceptual understanding of the digital revolution

 ... read more

Schild auf Demo: Queer Liberation, not Rainbow Capitalism

Bon Voyage vs. Boycott

How can LGBTQI* tourism contribute to the rights of homo- and transsexuals in travel destinations? Reflections from Cambodia, Colombia and Saudi

 ... read more

Gorilla im Baum

Encouraging Change

Homosexuality is a punishable offense in Uganda. A tour operator describes his efforts to fight homophobia and discrimination of LGBTQI* persons in

 ... read more

Bunte Surfboards an einer Mauer

Precious Human Rights

Rika Jean-Francois is in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility at the ITB Berlin and on the Board of Directors of the International Gay & Lesbian

 ... read more

Bangkok - lebhaft und bunt. Doch nicht offen für jeden?

LGBTQI* Refugees in Thailand

Thailand is marketed as one of the world's most LGBTQI*-friendly destinations. But transsexual refugees face a different reality: a harsh and

 ... read more

Avoiding the Trap

On their journeys to the Global South, tourists from Europe and North America risk to unknowingly reinforce stereotypes about other countries. Videos,

 ... read more

Lempuyang Tempel auf Bali. Instagram Instagram-Touristen in der Schlange

Using their Influence for Good?

Via Blogs, Instagram or Youtube travel bloggers reach thousands of people in search of inspiration and information for their travel - influencing a

 ... read more

Book Review: “Justice and Ethics in Tourism”

In her book Professor Tazim Jamal advocates for more attention relating to questions of justice and ethics in order to foster "good" tourism.

 ... read more

Erntestand auf den Bahamas

Agritourism in the Caribbean

Caribbean islands have increasingly turned to tourism as a pathway for economic advancement, often to the detriment of other industries, particularly

 ... read more

San Group Namibia

Regaining Control Over Land Through Tourism?

Tourism could contribute to preserving the Sans' cultural identity and thus to strengthening their land rights in southern Africa.

 ... read more

Jerusalem

City of Peoples, City of Nations

In alternative exposure tours, Ir Amim shows how tourism attractions in East Jerusalem, such as the City of David, become politicized.

 ... read more

Beneath Our Feet

The Slave Castle Elmina in Ghana transmits to visitors the historical significance of slavery and underlines the importance of today's

 ... read more

Quilombo Communities in Brazil

Community-based tourism in marginalized Quilombo communities of African descendants in Brazil offers coping strategies and opportunities for valuing

 ... read more

The Killing Fields of Cambodia

Museums and memorials in Cambodia impressively inform about the mass murder of the Khmer Rouge against their own people and make an important

 ... read more

Travelling into an unknown future: 2050 – Tomorrow's Tourism

„2050 – Tomorrow's Tourism" by Ian Yeoman brims with enthusiasm, optimism and daring prophecies as his predictions are projected from today’s wealth,

 ... read more

"I Can Make Choices"

Ella Mahlulo (40) is one out of many. She is one out of very many people in South Africawho have suffered in the past. But she is one out of not so

 ... read more