sustainable tourism

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Changqing Reserve Staff Training Program

December 14, 2009 in In the News, On the Road by Heather.Graham | 1 comment

This week has been a somewhat inspiring one for me from a professional perspective. As I think I have mentioned in a previous blog, China often gets bad international publicity when it comes to their environmental decisions and practices. I am not saying that this publicity is unfounded nor unwarranted, but rather that ‘good news stories’ about China just seem to be lacking in the international arena.

Changqing Staff who attended training

Changqing Staff who attended training

This week, Changqing National Nature Reserve, the reserve that I am working for, held a training program for its field staff and also a small number of its office staff. The focus of the training was ‘Eco-tourism’, and it was supported financially by WWF. The training was one of the priority actions that came out of Changqing’s recent ‘Ecotourism Action Plan’, a plan that focuses upon what Changqing Administrative Bureau hope to achieve in the coming three to five years.

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Mei Zhang, Founder of WildChina, selected as Judge for 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

November 5, 2009 in In the News, WildChina Experts by Alex G | No comments

Mei Zhang, founder of WildChina, was recently named as a judge on the Finalist Selection Committee for the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The awards, organized by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), are “aimed at recognizing best practice in sustainable tourism within the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide.”

Mei Zhang will help judge the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

Mei Zhang will help judge the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards

As the Tourism for Tomorrow awards “provide the [WTTC] with the opportunity of promoting and partnering with the industry leaders in responsible tourism,” Mei Zhang and WildChina are extremely proud to be integral in creating the future of sustainable tourism with other leaders in the field. Costas Christ, chairman of the judges, noted, “at the heart of the awards is an expert judging panel representing countries from all around the world.”

Mei Zhang joins the following individuals on the Finalist Selection Committee:

• Tony Charters, principal, Tony Charters & Associates, Australia
• Jena Gardner, president, JG Blackbook of Travel, and President, The Bodhi Tree Foundation, USA
• Erika Harms, executive director for sustainable development, United Nations Foundation – World Heritage Alliance, USA/Costa Rica
• Marilú Hernández, president, Fundación Haciendas del Mundo Maya, Mexico
• Dr Janne J Liburd, associate professor and director of research, Centre for Tourism, Culture and Innovation, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
• Mahen Sanghrajka, chairman, Big Five Tours & Expeditions, USA/Kenya
• Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya, chief of party, Uganda Sustainable Tourism Program, Uganda
• Mandip Singh Soin FRGS, founder & managing Director, Ibex Expeditions (P) Ltd, India
• Shannon Stowell, president, Adventure Travel Trade Association, USA
• Jamie Sweeting, vice president, environmental stewardship and global chief environmental officer, Royal Caribbean Cruises, USA
• Albert Teo, managing director, Borneo Eco Tours, Malaysia

(Source: ForImmediateRelease.net)

Mei Zhang and her fellow judges will be involved in a three-step process that includes the selection of 12 finalists and the completion of on-site inspections for each finalist. Once these tasks are completed, the Finalist Selection Committee will pass their duties on to the Winner Selection Committee, which selects a winner in each of the four Awards categories: Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit, and Global Tourism Business.

Find more information about Mei Zhang and the judges panel for the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards here.

You can visit Mei’s blog, Mei’s China Travel Tips, for advice on all aspects of travel in China.

Improving Local Practices in Southwest China, Part III: Resource Management Techniques in Jiuzhaigou National Park

October 28, 2009 in On the Road by Alex E | No comments

WildChina recently embarked on a series of initiatives to improve local practices in rural areas in southwest China. This is the final section of the three part series examining efforts to improve life for those in rural areas and the technologies that enable a better standard of living.

Jiuzhaigou National Park sits in the rugged West of Sichuan at 2000 meters elevation on the edge of Tibet. This cluster of virgin mixed forests is home to several endangered animals; giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys traverse amongst the limestone cliffs and the effervescent blue lakes. Despite its natural beauty, Jiuzhaigou has had a tenuous history. It was discovered in the early 1970s, and hurt by large-scale logging efforts. Jiuzhaigou was declared a national park in 1978, and the park’s ecological restoration began.

Leaves turn magificent colors over a crystal lake

Leaves turn magnificent colors over a crystal lake in Autumn

Jiuzhaigou established a formal relationship with Yosemite National Park in 2006 to promote international cooperation that benefits both parks.

WildChina accompanied the Yosemite team on their first official sister park visit to Jiuzhaigou in 2009. On this trip, Yosemite preservationists completed a four day survey trek through Jiuzhaigou valley. Through these trips and related efforts, the sister parks aim to share resource management techniques and cooperate to preserve natural biodiversity. Read the rest of this entry »

WildChina on Let’s Travel! Radio (Oct. 22, 12 pm EST)

October 22, 2009 in In the News, WildChina Experts by Anita | No comments

You’ve read our blog – now hear us on the radio! On Thursday, Oct. 22, from 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST in the U.S., tune into Let’s Travel!, a weekly, global radio talk show hosted by New York-based Susan Raphael (visit NY Talk Radio.net for live streaming). This week’s show features WildChina Founder Mei Zhang and The Nature Conservancy’s Lulu Zhou on the topic of responsible travel in China, with discussion on some of our favorite areas: Yunnan and Sichuan.

Let’s Travel! focuses on the world of travel and culture. Through a partnership with the United Nations Foundation’s World Heritage Alliance, which supports World Heritage conservation and sustainable tourism, Let’s Travel! broadcasts a monthly segment on World Heritage.

There will be an encore broadcast of the show on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6:00 pm EST. Check back here for the podcast!

WildChina on the Web: Responsible Travel and Beijing Since the Olympics

August 11, 2009 in In the News by Emma | No comments

WildChina was recently mentioned in two articles about China, which we’d like to share here.

We hope you enjoy these pieces! If you’re interested in talking to individuals at WildChina about travel in China or responsible travel, please contact emma dot starks (at) wildchina dot com

Happy travels!

What We’re Reading: NatGeo in Shangri-La

April 17, 2009 in In the News by Anita | No comments

Yunnan continues to be an inspiration for interesting commentary, with National Geographic’s May 2009 issue featuring a piece on Shangri-la (Zhongdian). Mark Jenkins explores this “complicated” and “confounding” Tibetan town in southwest China and the competing visions for its future. Will tourism and development invariably lead this area to lose all of its mythical and spiritual qualities?

As Jenkins notes, “tourism saved the place” after the Chinese government banned commercial logging in 1998; but that, in turn, has led to the commercialization of Tibetan culture. This trend — seen in many other hidden gems in the developing world — is certainly troubling. But as travelers, that doesn’t automatically mean we should stop visiting such places, which still have a lot to teach us about traditional lifestyles and choices.

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