MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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New! Romance for Two, Northern Lights and Glamping Holiday in Swedish Lapland

August 8, 2019 MoralCompass

*What could be more romantic than a winter overnight glamping exclusively for two underneath the Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland*

(Luleå, SWEDEN) A tempting combination of romance and adventure is offered this winter in Off the Map Travel’s new “Sleep beneath the Stars” program in Swedish Lapland. With this new itinerary, two guests stay all alone at a NEW remote glamping site to experience the Lapland wilderness, perfect for spotting the Northern Lights.

The exclusive holiday is for two people only and includes a private sky-searching experience, a private dinner at the two-person Aurora Hideaway restaurant on skis, private snowmobiling and snowshoeing, and sleeping in a yurt on the edge of the frozen Bothnian Sea at your own private glamping site.

Guests are encouraged to rekindle both their romance and their sense of adventure as they experience the winter in Swedish Lapland as a couple. The program begins with check-in at the Pine Bay Lodge, a homey red cottage-style lodge on the Luleå archipelago in Northern Sweden. A guided astronomy experience for two sets the tone combining a search for the Northern Lights with an exploration of the myriad constellations in the area’s strikingly dark skies.

The following day, a snowmobiling tour for two travels through snowy forests surrounding the archipelago followed by an al fresco lunch with Swedish and Lappish specialties like reindeer and arctic char.

The program moves to a private glamping camp for two where you’ll stay in a luxurious Arctic yurt, kitted out with a wood-burning stove and comfy bed coverings perfect for cozying up to the sounds of complete silence and the smells of fresh air, all while awaiting the Northern Lights.

The evening’s meal is a true highlight. Following a short snowmobile ride into the wilderness you’ll dine in the Aurora Hideaway restaurant on skis, a haven for two people on the frozen sea, where candles and tea lights indoors complement starlight from outside. The restaurant is mobile, allowing relocation for optimal sky viewing and environmental placement.

Your guide will prepare a three-course Lappish meal, cooked outdoors over birch wood. While you’re waiting, you can strap on a pair of snowshoes for a quick walk to look at the stars. After a post-dinner sauna in the sauna cabin at your glamping campsite, relaxation is ensured as you return to your warm yurt and snuggle into the comfortable bed covered with high-quality linens and reindeer skins.

Daylight arrives slowly with the hushed sounds of the frozen sea to wake you. After breakfast, you’ll transfer back to Pine Bay where you can spend the balance of the day absorbing the beauty of the wilderness setting and trying out some other outdoor activities.

Because the program is arranged for two people only, advance booking is required.

“We’ve created this program for the lovers out there, who are indeed looking for an exclusive program that they can call their own. There’s no light pollution, no noise distractions, and no other participants – it’s, in effect, your own private holiday,” noted Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel.

Off the Map Travel’s “Sleep beneath the Stars program is offered from December 15, 2019 through April 15, 2020. While the itinerary can be tailored to each guest, an example five-night, four-day itinerary with Off the Map Travel (www.offthemap.travel) is priced from $2496 USD per person (at the time of this writing). Included are all meals including one dinner in the restaurant on skis, transfers, accommodations at the Pine Bay Lodge and glamping Yurt, snowmobiling, and a stargazing exploration. Flights are additional. https://www.offthemap.travel/sleep-beneath-the-stars/

Off the Map Travel is a team of travel experts who work with experiences and destinations that allow people to explore hidden wonders of the world. Specializing in soft adventure and viewing of the Northern Lights, Off the Map Travel creates tailor-made itineraries that offer a distinctive vacation based on first-hand experience. Off the Map Travel vacations anticipate travelers’ needs with pre-planning and customization. Each bespoke itinerary is tailored to the ages of participants, creating experiences for families, groups, couples and singles that are comfortable and luxurious, with activity levels appropriate for all participants. www.offthemap.travel

For more information on tailor-made Off the Map Travel itineraries visit www.offthemap.travel; call 1-646-701-0041; email [email protected] or join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest

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Uncategorized

Moab Guided Day Trip Activities Soar with Increased Tourism, Technology

August 8, 2019 MoralCompass

*Jeep rentals, private Hummer tours are among the activities that can be booked through Moab Adventure Center.*

MOAB, UT– The population of America’s red rock playground, Moab Utah, in winter hovers at just over 5,000 residents. Spring through fall, however, is a different story.

There are some 2.4 million guests visiting the region when temperatures are most inviting. They come to witness the spectacles of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and to immerse themselves in the air, land and water adventures that have put Moab squarely on the tourist map.

The go-to hub for many visitors is the Moab Adventure Center that in 2019 is experiencing a nearly 25 percent uptick in advance reservations for day or half-day adventures. Moab Adventure Center can make arrangements for everything there is to do here, from hot air ballooning and overland Hummer safaris to flightseeing, canyoneering and river rafting.

“We’ve been experiencing growth ever since we opened our doors nearly two decades ago,” said Brandon Lake, CMO. One strategy that has paid off is an ongoing collaboration with RESMARK Systems that services local and far-flung vendors in the recreation industry with tour booking software that provide state-of-art reservation and sales technology. As a result, Moab Adventure Center today may well be one of the most tech-astute companies in the country.

Recently, Moab Adventure Center adapted Resmark Systems’ TrueConnect platform, resulting in a nearly 120 percent surge in reservations from third-party, off-site bookings. These are other subcontractors and companies using the RESMARK platform and who, through TrueConnect, can now access real-time inventory for all of Moab Adventure Center’s offerings.

“TrueConnect is helping many local businesses in the tourist sector provide, through Moab Adventure Center, products that represent the best possible adventure experience for guests to the Moab area,” Lake said.

Lake points to other factors that have led to the robust sales they have seen in the first half of 2019: the local and state tourism boards’ aggressive marketing; increased lodging capacity with additions of new accommodations including popular hotel brands such as Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton; and not to be overlooked, America’s continued love affair with its national parks. All have added incrementally to this surge.

Among the most dramatic booking increases over last year are:

Air Tours – Arches National Park/Fisher Towers: up nearly 192 percent
Air Tours – Canyonlands National Park 1-Hour: up over 112 percent
Horseback Riding: up nearly 200 percent
Hot Air Ballooning (sunrise flights): up over 58 percent
Jet Boating – 3 Hour Fun Run: up nearly 73 percent
Private Hummer Tours: up nearly 117 percent
Private Sunset Raft Trips: up nearly 43 percent
Ropes Course – High Ropes 2 Hour Challenge: up over 56 percent
Zip Line Adventures: up nearly 272 percent

Other popular day activities include jeep rentals, visiting the new Dinosaur Park and standup paddle boarding.

“Moab Adventure Center’s digital activities menu provides options for the most active to slower-paced members of a family or group,” added Lake.

While some tour booking applications feature a marketplace that connects suppliers and resellers, or even their own exclusive marketplace, RESMARK’s TrueConnect takes this to a whole new level. Central to RESMARK’s core architecture, TrueConnect allows tour resellers to create their own network, tailoring their tour mix perfectly to their target customers within their unique region. It’s like becoming the Amazon of travel for any given part of the world. You can even customize tour marketing details and pricing via each distribution channel. This results in more tour sales, both self-operated and subcontracted through partners.

Moab Adventure Center is at the epicenter of nature-themed adventure, promising activities that include rafting, jet boating, stand up paddle boarding, hiking, mountain biking and hot air ballooning. Hummer safaris, rock climbing, canyoneering and horseback riding are popular. Many of these activities are conducted with guides, an arrangement that helps preclude the kind of damage to the land that can happen when uneducated visitors venture into areas where they shouldn’t be. Guides help people understand where they can move through back country with the least impact possible.

Moab Adventure Center is a division of Western River Expeditions (http://www.westernriver.com/) an adventure travel company headquartered in Salt Lake City, with operations and offices in Moab and Fredonia, AZ. The company is the largest single tour provider in Moab, Utah. The Moab Adventure Center is located at 225 South Main St., Moab, UT 84532. For information and reservations please call (435) 259-7019 or (866) 904-1163. The center also has a 2,000-square-foot retail space selling adventure related gear, clothing, maps and souvenirs.

Follow Moab Adventure Center:
On Facebook:           http://www.facebook.com/MoabAdventureCenter
On Twitter:                 https://twitter.com/MoabAdventure
On You Tube:   http://www.youtube.com/user/moabadventurecenter
On Pinterest:             https://www.pinterest.com/moabadventure/
On Instagram:           https://www.instagram.com/moabadventurecenter/
Website:                  http://www.moabadventurecenter.com/

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Endangered Places, Historic Places, Historic Preservation, Uncategorized

National Trust Issues Appeal to Help Save America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2019

May 30, 2019 MoralCompass

*National Mall Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C. is on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2019* © *Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By National Trust for Historic Preservation

Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation puts out an emergency call to protect the most endangered historic places. This year’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places sheds light on important examples of our nation’s heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. Over 300 places have been listed in its 32-year history, and in that time, fewer than 5 percent of listed sites have been lost.

The 2019 list includes a diverse mix of historic places across America that face a range of challenges and threats, from climate change to inappropriate development to neglect and disuse.

Find out what you can do to support these irreplaceable sites:

Tenth Street Historic District, Dallas, Texas

Primarily settled by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War, Dallas’ Tenth Street Historic District includes a collection of buildings dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. A 2010 change to a local ordinance allowed the city to obtain demolition permits for houses less than 3,000 square feet without Landmark Commission review, which is substantially increasing the rate of demolition. To date, at least 70 of the district’s 260 homes have been demolished.

To challenge this local law, a local preservation group filed a lawsuit against the City of Dallas. Add your name to our petition telling the City of Dallas to amend or repeal this unjust city ordinance.

Nashville’s Music Row, Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville’s Music Row is a world-class musical mecca that harbors more than 200 music-related businesses, making it unlike any other place in the world. Out of its modest homes and large commercial buildings has emerged an unmatched canon of music recordings across a wide variety of musical styles, which has delighted music fans for generations.

Despite its critical role in the identity, economy, and culture of internationally renowned “Music City,” Music Row is on pace to becoming a thing of the past. Since 2013, 50 buildings—the majority serving music-related functions—have been demolished to make way for new development. With a new plan to guide Music Row’s future under development, now is an important time to urge Nashville lawmakers to preserve and protect this epicenter of America’s musical heritage.

James R. Thompson Center, Chicago, Illinois

The James R. Thompson Center is Chicago’s best example of grand-scale Postmodern architecture. But Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed legislation allowing for sale of the building within two years to help fill a state budget gap. Without preservation protections, the Thompson Center could be demolished. Add your name to our list urging Governor Pritzker to require retention and reuse of the Thompson Center when the building is sold.

Industrial Trust Company Building, Providence, Rhode Island

An iconic part of the Providence skyline, the 1928 Industrial Trust Company Building is under threat due to deterioration and deferred maintenance after six years of vacancy. While this site is located within a qualified “Opportunity Zone” (an area eligible for capital gains tax incentive benefits), there is no redevelopment plan for the so-called Superman Building, and its future is in question. Read More.

Ancestral Places of Southeast Utah, Southeast Utah

SEND A LETTER

Archaeologists believe this area to be one of the country’s most culturally rich but unprotected landscapes open to oil and gas extraction. In the last two years, the Bureau of Land Management dramatically escalated leasing activity in the region, despite concerns from the National Trust, affected tribes, and our regional partners. Send a letter to the Department of the Interior urging them to recognize the cultural significance of these lands.

The Excelsior Club, Charlotte, North Carolina

Listed in the Green Book, the Excelsior Club was a leading private African American social club in the Southeast, hosting artists like Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong during its heyday. The Art Moderne building needs significant investment. The property is currently listed for sale for $1.5 million, but even if a buyer is found, a reuse plan and significant investments are necessary to ensure a strong future. Read more.

National Mall Tidal Basin, Washington, D.C.

This iconic cultural landscape comprises some of our nation’s most renowned monuments and famed cherry blossom trees. It’s estimated that as much as $500 million is needed to upgrade and maintain one of the most popular and visited sites in the National Park System. Join our three-year campaign to ensure the Tidal Basin is preserved for future generations.

Hacienda Los Torres, Lares, Puerto Rico

SIGN THE PETITION

Hacienda Los Torres—built in 1846 during the height of Puerto Rico’s coffee industry by Jose Maria Torres—is one of the last historic coffee plantation houses on the island and one of the oldest remaining structures in Puerto Rico. It’s also associated with the “Grito de Lares” revolt and the Spanish-American War.

Long-term deterioration and the effects of multiple hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria in 2017, threaten this historic site. Support saving Hacienda Los Torres.

Willert Park Courts, Buffalo, New York

Ask the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority to preserve and redevelop rather than demolish this important site.

This complex, a unique example of early Modernism with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of everyday life, was New York State’s first housing project constructed specifically for African Americans. Today, the site is vacant and many of its structures are open to the elements. The Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority has proposed demolishing the complex to construct replacement housing.

Mount Vernon Arsenal and Searcy Hospital, Mount Vernon, Alabama

This arsenal was held by the Confederacy during the Civil War and housed Geronimo and approximately 400 Apache prisoners of war during the 1880s and 1890s. The hospital complex served as a segregated mental health facility for African Americans after 1900. The complex closed in 2012 and is currently vacant and deteriorating. Tell the Alabama Department of Mental Health that you support the site’s preservation and economic revitalization.

Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, Bismarck, North Dakota

The Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge connects Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota. Constructed in 1883, it was the first rail bridge built across the upper Missouri River. The iconic bridge has been recognized as an International Site of Conscience for the role it played in opening the western United States to white settlement—and the resulting profound impacts to Native American communities—but it has been proposed for demolition by railway company BNSF.

The Coast Guard is in consultation with BNSF and other parties under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The Coast Guard has proposed a conditional permit that would require BNSF to retain the historic bridge until after an adjacent new bridge is constructed, in order to allow time to identify a preservation solution for the Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge. Tell the Coast Guard not to allow demolition of this iconic bridge.

For more information, follow us on Twitter and join the conversation using the hashtag #11Most.

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Rails-to-Trails Sojourn on Delaware-Lehigh Trail Showcases Repurposed Canal Towpath & History of Industrial Revolution

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Active Travel, bike trips, cycling trips, Responsible Travel, Sustainable Travel, Uncategorized

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Unveils Routing for ‘Great American’, a 3700-Mile Rail-Trail from Washington DC to Washington State

May 16, 2019 MoralCompass

*Biking the Great Allegheny Passage rail-trail, Confluence to Adelaide, PA. The GAP would be part of the proposed 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

How fitting that during May, National Biking Month, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has just unveiled its preferred route for its visionary Great American Rail-Trail™—or the “Great American”— a 3,700-mile biking trail that would link Washington DC with Washington State.

The proposal underscores the organization’s long-time commitment to creating an iconic piece of American infrastructure that connects more than 125 existing trails and fills 90 trail gaps to create the cross-continental recreational trail.

“Since the 1980s, RTC has understood the potential of a trail like the Great American Rail-Trail that could connect the nation. That vision has been a guidepost for the organization for 30 years. Now, we have the chance to create from that vision a national treasure that unites millions of people over thousands of miles of trail,” said Ryan Chao, president of RTC. “This trail is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide—together—an enduring gift to the nation that will bring joy for generations to come.”

The preferred route of the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail is detailed in a comprehensive report released by RTC today. The Great American Rail-Trail Route Assessment Report outlines RTC’s recommendation for the route, developed in close partnership with states and local trail planners and managers.

“When defining the preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail, we sought a cross-country route that would provide the highest-quality experience while delivering significant economic and social benefits to the communities it connects,” said Liz Thorstensen, vice president of trail development at RTC. “This route achieves those things and more, in large part thanks to the input, support and leadership of state agencies and local partners who have built the existing trails that will make the Great American Rail-Trail possible, and whose ongoing collaboration is vital to its completion.”

The route assessment was developed over 12 months with input from RTC’s GIS analysis of more than 34,000 miles of multiuse trails; review of state and local trail plans; and discussions with hundreds of local trail partners and state agencies representing the trails along the route. The preferred route aligns with RTC’s and its partners’ criteria that specify the Great American be one contiguous route that is initially more than 80 percent, and ultimately entirely, off street and separated from vehicle traffic; comprises existing trails to the extent possible; is the most direct route possible between Washington, D.C., and Washington State; is amenable to the state and local jurisdictions that will host it; and will serve as a catalyst for local economic development, including providing services for long-distance trail travelers.

Traveling through 12 states and the District of Columbia, RTC and its partners have defined the Great American Rail-Trail as more than 3,700 miles, comprising more than 1,900 miles of existing trails—those trails already developed that will help carry the route across the country—and more than 1,700 miles of “trail gaps,”—sections of trail in need of development to fully connect the Great American into one contiguous route.

As the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail, the Great American will connect people of all ages and abilities with America’s diverse landscapes and communities. Nearly 50 million people living within 50 miles of its route will be able to call this iconic American infrastructure their own as the trail delivers new access to the outdoors and new opportunities for physical activity and recreation. Hundreds of communities along the route will experience new opportunities for business development and tourism thanks to the Great American Rail-Trail, all while contributing to the growth of the country’s burgeoning outdoor economy—one of the largest sectors in the United States.

“We believe the Great American Rail-Trail will be a transformative project for the nation, as it magnifies on a grand scale the benefits that trails have delivered to communities for decades,” said Chao. “Whether bridging gaps within and between communities, creating safe walking and biking access to jobs, transit, shopping and green space; or serving as recreation for cyclists, runners and casual daily explorers, this will be America’s trail.”

While completion of the Great American Rail-Trail is a significant undertaking and several decades away, 52% of the path is already complete and available for public use, with plans for RTC to work in partnership with states and local jurisdictions and organizations to bring new segments online year after year.

RTC and its partners view the route assessment as a blueprint for the trail’s development that is based in the reality of existing plans and priorities. To spur trail completion, RTC has identified initial catalyst initiatives—projects or challenges that would most benefit from RTC’s national breadth of resources. Through these initiatives, RTC will directly support local and state partners, investing time, expertise and organizational resources in specific projects that are critical to catalyzing the completion of the Great American Rail-Trail. RTC is also enlisting the support of trail lovers across the country to demonstrate national enthusiasm for the Great American’s development.

Setting a goal to reach 1 million pledges in support of the cross-country trail, RTC is asking the public to pledge at greatamericanrailtrail.org.

“We know that it will take a significant investment of time, resources and energy to complete the Great American Rail-Trail—but it will be worth it. It will take the help of trail lovers and leaders to bring this vision to life,” said Kevin Mills, RTC’s vice president of policy. “Federal, state, local and private investment will all be needed to complete this project. To support the ongoing advocacy necessary to secure critical public resources, we hope everyone will be inspired to proudly pledge to show the widespread desire that exists for this trail.”

The Great American Rail-Trail is a signature project of RTC and the most ambitious in its portfolio of TrailNation™ projects—the organization’s initiative to encourage the rapid replication of regional trail networks across the country. The Great American was first envisioned at RTC in the late 1980s, and for decades has been an underpinning of the organization’s strategy to create a nationwide network of public trails.

Separately, New York State, which already offers a 353-mile long Erie Canalway from Buffalo to Albany, is in the process of filling the gaps for a bikeway that will extend the entire north-south expanse, from New York City to the Canadian border.

To learn more about the Great American Rail-Trail and RTC and to view the preferred route, visit greatamericanrailtrail.org and follow @greatamericanrailtrail on Facebook and Instagram.

It will take public and private support to complete the Great American Rail-Trail. To learn more about how you can support the project and RTC’s national leadership to plan, organize and advocate for the trail, contact Alisa Borland, vice president of development at RTC, at [email protected] or 202.974.5126.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong— dedicated to connecting people and communities by creating a nationwide network of public trails, many from former rail lines. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Rails-to-Trails Sojourn on the Delaware-Lehigh Trail: America’s Revolution Comes to Life at Washington Crossing

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy To Focus on TrailNation Advocacy for New Biking/Walking Trails

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Active Travel, bike trips, cycling trips, European travel, Uncategorized

Tourissimo and Ride & Seek Announce New Cycling Tour Exploring Italy’s ‘Boot’ – Puglia

March 17, 2019 MoralCompass

*A new cycling tour being offered by Tourissimo and Ride & Seek as part of their PLUS Tours series highlights two UNESCO sites – Alberobello and Matera*

(Turin, Italy) – Situated between the blue waters of the Adriatic Sea and the forests and mountains of Basilicata, Puglia offers a landscape of beguiling views, ancient olive groves, and UNESCO sites. This new cycling tour being offered by Tourissimo and Ride & Seek as part of their PLUS Tours series highlights two of these UNESCO sites – Alberobello and Matera. The former is known for its trulli, whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs, whilst the latter for its cave dwellings built into the calcareous rock. Guests will cycle the road-less-traveled with average daily rides of 40 km, and spend evenings dining on gourmet cuisine and fine wines.

“From the Adriatic Sea to the stones of Matera, this Puglia tour explores the most beautiful riding destinations in Southern Italy,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “We will cycle rolling landscapes carpeted with olive groves, vineyards, whitewashed hill towns, fishing villages, and thousands of trulli.”

The trip starts in Savelletri with fig trees, blooming cacti, and herb gardens offering delightful fragrances. Guests will ride through one of the gems of Puglia: the Valle D’Itria. Its wooded slopes, vineyards, and endless olive groves are punctuated by the coned roofs of trulli.

“While many regions of Italy boast of having the best food in the world, Puglia could claim this title due its simple preparations that allow the true flavors of the food to stand out,” said Beppe Salerno, Co-Founder of Tourissimo. “But the charm of Puglia is rooted in the people themselves. Their hospitality is renowned throughout Italy.”

Tour Highlights:

Touring Matera where the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur was filmed
Discovering the white-washed town of Ostuni and the beaches near the fishing village of Savelletri
Visiting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Alberobello & Matera
Riding among the orchards and trulli of Valle d’Itria
Attending a demonstration by a master cheese maker
Exploring the Greek Ruins of Egnazia
Lodging in the award-winning Sextantio Hotel

The trip is scheduled for October 10-17, 2019 and starts at $4,195.

For more info, visit https://www.rideandseek.com/tour/puglia-the-best-of-southern-italy/.

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Cuba Travel, Cultural Travel, Uncategorized

US Tour Operators and Educational Travel Organizations Urge State Department to Lift Punitive Travel Advisory Against Cuba

March 2, 2018 MoralCompass

John McAuliff, Executive Director & Founder of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, fields questions from interested travelers at the Cuba-US People to People Partnership booth at the New York Times Travel Show. © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com

WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 1, 2018 — A group of 28 leading U.S. tour operators and organizations specializing in educational travel and exchanges with Cuba is calling on the U.S. State Department to re-staff its Embassy in Havana and change Cuba’s travel advisory from a Level 3 (“reconsider travel”) to at least a less intimidating Level 2 (“exercise increased caution”). The request comes on the eve of the State Department’s decision about whether or not to return the U.S. diplomats to the Embassy, expected to be announced on March 4.

(The US State Department said it would not restore the diplomats.)

Beginning in late September 2017, after reports that 24 U.S. Embassy employees in Havana had suffered unexplained health ailments, the Trump Administration withdrew 60 percent of its Embassy staff from Havana, issued a Travel Warning urging Americans not travel to Cuba, and expelled 15 diplomats from Cuba’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. In January 2018, the State Department issued a new global travel advisory system, which ranks Cuba as Level 3.

“A Level 3 rating is not justified for Cuba since there are no confirmed causes of private citizens or travelers contracting symptoms similar to the diplomats,” says Andrea Holbrook, President and CEO of Holbrook Travel, one of the companies that signed the petition. (The list of signatories is provided below). “This inappropriate travel warning has caused fear and confusion and has sharply reduced the number of U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba,” Holbrook adds. “It has also affected travel businesses in the States and in Cuba, including those small businesses, like B&Bs and home restaurants, which depend so heavily on American tourists.”

A survey of 42 tour operators and educational travel organizations conducted in late January 2018 by the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) found that not one of their travelers reported suffering from health issues similar to those of the Embassy employees. Collectively, those surveyed sent more than 42,000 U.S. travelers to Cuba in 2016 and 2017. In addition, there have been no confirmed cases of similar illness among the estimated 700,000 private U.S. citizens who visited the island nation in 2017.

A lengthy ProPublica article, published February 14, 2018, provides the first detailed chronology of the diplomats’ afflictions and the subsequent official — but, to date, inconclusive — investigations by the United States, Cuba, and Canada, and makes clear that the general public is not threatened. In fact, in January 2018, Cuba was voted the safest place to travel at the International Travel Fair in Madrid.

During a meeting on January 12 with State Department officials, a group of American tour operators, travel associations, and Cuba experts were told that a Level 3 rating is automatically triggered by a “drawdown” of U.S. Embassy personnel as a result of the “No Double Standard” policy articulated in the Foreign Affairs Manual.

According to the State Department, this policy originated after the terrorist bombing of a passenger airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, in the interest of sharing information publicly about potential threats against U.S. citizens. That policy, however, also states it is “not intended to prevent the limited distribution of information about threats to specific U.S. citizens/nationals or U.S. organizations.”

“The ‘No Double Standard’ policy leaves the option for the State Department to report threats only to those parties that might be affected by similar incidents,” says Kate Simpson, President of Academic Travel Abroad, Inc, a Washington, D.C.-based educational travel company. “So why was this more limited approach not employed in the case of Cuba, given that the affected group consists only of diplomats, many of whom are known to be intelligence officers and their families?”

Simpson adds, “The fallout from the State Department’s actions has negatively impacted not only U.S. companies and institutions sending travelers to Cuba for educational purposes, but the lack of Embassy staff in Havana has also made it extremely difficult for Cuban citizens to attain visas for visits to the United States.”

On March 4, the State Department faces a mandatory deadline requiring that, six months after an Embassy drawdown, staff must either be reassigned or sent back to their original post. The draw down in Havana began in early September 2017 as Hurricane Irma hit the island and was increased to 60 percent of staff later in the month, in the wake of media revelations about afflictions to the two dozen U.S. diplomats and a handful of staff in the Canadian Embassy. Canada has launched an investigation but has not downsized its Embassy or issued any travel warning to its citizens.

The 28 tour operators and organizations specializing in educational travel to Cuba are calling for the State Department to return more consular officers to the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, President of the American Foreign Service Association, the union that represents U.S. foreign-service officers, and some diplomats who were interviewed for the ProPublica article indicated that this is also their wish — to return U.S. diplomats to Cuba. This would, the group hopes, eliminate the trigger that has categorized the country as a Level 3.

The group further questions how Cuba can be rated as a Level 3 while countries with known security risks — such as Israel, Egypt, Algeria, Mexico, and Ethiopia — are rated as Level 2. In addition, the State Department advisories for some countries include alerts pertaining to particularly dangerous parts of their countries. Mexico, for instance, while rated Level 2 overall, is given ratings of Levels 3 and 4 (“do not travel”) for certain states.

“While the new travel advisory system is a welcome improvement, in terms of clarity and organization,” says Ms. Simpson, “it is disappointing to have the Cuba rating starkly reveal political bias, undermining the credibility of the State Department’s consular services.”

A more acceptable alternative, Simpson and the other signers suggest, would be to rate Cuba at least Level 2 overall and designate the parts of Havana where the health incidents took place as Level 3. “Until it’s discovered what caused these ailments, a Level 2 rating, at least, would more accurately reflect the situation in Cuba,” explains Ms. Holbrook. “And it would help encourage those considering traveling to Cuba to do so.”

To read the full petition, click here. The list of tour operators and educational travel organizations who have signed the petition are:

Johann Besserer, Executive Director, Intercultural Outreach Initiative

Reid Callanan, Director, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

Karin Eckhard, CEO & Co-founder, Espíritu Travel, LLC

Michael Eizenberg, President, Educational Travel Alliance

Malia Everette, CEO, AltruVistas

Michele Gran. Co-founder and Senior Vice President, Global Volunteers

Bob Guild, Co-coordinator, Responsible and Ethical Cuba Travel (RESPECT)

Kendra Guild, Director, Marazul Charters, Inc.

John Haffner, President, Cuba Trade and Travel

Marcel Hatch, President,Cuba Explorer Tours

Richard Hobbs, Esq., Executive Director, Human Agenda

Andrea Holbrook, President and CEO, Holbrook Travel, Inc.

Martha Honey, Ph.D., Cofounder & Executive Director, Center for Responsible Travel (CREST)

Adriana Isaza-Mohring, Founder, Elite Tennis Travel

Tor D. Jensen, President, Jensen World Travel, Ltd.

Gabrielle Jorgensen, Director of Public Policy, Engage Cuba

Collin Laverty, President, Cuba Educational Travel

Lee Marona & Aja C. Napolis, President & Administrative Coordinator, Vaya Sojourns, Inc.

John McAuliff, Executive Director & Founder, The Fund for Reconciliation and Development

Janet Moore, President, Distant Horizons

Tom Popper, President, insightCuba

Bill Robison, Director of Expedition Development, Lindblad Expeditions

Melisa Riviere, Ph.D., President, Son Dos Alas: Cultural and Educational Travel

Peter Sanchez, CEO, Cuba Tours and Travel

Kate Simpson, President, Academic Travel Abroad, Inc.

Mark J. Spalding, President, The Ocean Foundation

Ned Sublette, Founder & President, Postmambo Studies

Kristen Tripp, Program Director – Cuba, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures

The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a policy-oriented research organization dedicated to increasing the positive global impact of responsible tourism. CREST assists governments, policy makers, tourism businesses, nonprofit organizations, and international agencies with finding solutions to critical issues confronting tourism, the world’s largest service industry.

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Backyard Travel Introduces ‘Best of Malaysia in 9 Days’ Tour

February 11, 2018 MoralCompass

*Backyard Travel’s new tour is an odyssey of highlights across the Malaysian Peninsula.*

Bangkok, Thailand– Backyard Travel, an online boutique tour operator specializing in insider tours throughout Asia, has introduced a new tour for 2018, The Best of Malaysia in 9 Days, an odyssey of highlights across the Malaysian peninsula: urban safaris, cave expeditions, foodie discoveries, cultural encounters and plenty of time to relax and soak up the sights.

The tour sets off from Singapore, where travelers get a chance to learn some local history and delve into the sophisticated city-state’s colonial past. Next, it’s off to the former trading port of Malacca, to explore its colorful streets and markets, before heading to the capital of Kuala Lumpur for a look at its architecture and hawker food scene. The tour also includes a jaunt to the Cameron Highlands for some locally grown tea, a visit to the famous Batu Caves, and time in Penang, where travelers embarking on a cycling tour through the countryside for a glimpse of local life.

“Peninsula Malaysia is often overlooked when it comes to travel in Southeast Asia, and we think it’s about time people got to know this diverse and dynamic country,” says Maeve Nolan, General Manager of Backyard Travel. “We’ve created this tour to meet demand for a Malaysian experience that showcases its rich culture, stunning natural scenery and world-famous foodie scene.”

Visit www.backyardtravel.com.

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Adventure Travel, Cultural Travel, ecotourism, Environmental Activism, Expeditionary Travel, experiential travel, Responsible Travel, Uncategorized, Voluntourism

andBeyond Launches Philanthropy-Focused Itineraries in Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa

February 11, 2018 MoralCompass

andBeyond travelers on the “Travel With a Purpose in Tanzania” program visit Ololosokwan Clinic, primary school, and Meirowa School, and can join a group of school children on a game drive and conservation lesson.

andBeyond, a leading luxury experiential travel company, has launched philanthropic-focused itineraries in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa to give guests a first-hand look at its core ethos of caring for the land, wildlife, and people. The activities range from adopting an elephant at the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Kenya to participating in local school conservation lessons in Tanzania to visiting the Grootbos Green Futures College in Cape Town, an organization that provides educational training to unemployed young adults in the city.

Tanzania: Travelers on andBeyond’s 9-day Travel with Purpose in Tanzania tour start the adventure off in Arusha before heading to andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge to explore the Mayoka and Moya communities by bike, and the new science labs at Kilimamoja School, funded by the Africa Foundation. The excursion continues to andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, perched above the edge of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, before ending at andBeyond Klein’s Camp on the Serengeti. Here, travelers will visit Ololosokwan Clinic, primary school, and Meirowa School, and can join a group of school children on a game drive and conservation lesson.

Kenya: andBeyond’s new Travel with Purpose in Kenya 12-day itinerary weaves travelers through the Kuku Group Ranch at the foot of the Chyulu Hills in Nairobi, Lewa Downs Conservancy in Laikipia, and the Masai Mara to learn about and engage in various conservation projects. Highlights include a private visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi to adopt an elephant, feeding giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, and a Maasai community visit led by the African Foundation Program Manager, in which travelers can interact with a Maasai family and visit a traditional boma.

South Africa: andBeyond’s Travel with Purpose in South Africa journey is a 10-day excursion spanning from andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve to Cape Town to the Cape Whale Coast. At andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, travelers take an excursion with Africa Foundation to visit projects in the Mduku and Mngobokazi communities, and assist in an exclusive rhino notching experience. Travelers then head to Cape Town for a half-day tour of Uthando, a non-profit that supports various community projects (day care, urban agriculture, environmental, and youth development programs), followed by a half-day tour of the city to explore Table Mountain, Greenmarket Square, and Company Gardens. The tour continues on to the Cape Whale Coast (known for its prime whale watching location), where travelers will have the option to explore the Grootbos’s Green Futures College or the Siyakhula Organic Farm, visit the African Seabird and Penguin Sanctuary, and of course enjoy a whale watching excursion.

In addition to these opportunities for travelers to engage in voluntourism, andBeyond offers Small Group Journeys affording the opportunity to explore Africa, Asia’s and South America’s extraordinary landscapes in the company of an intimate group of like-minded safari enthusiasts, on a set itinerary. The newest is Land Rover Expeditions around Patagonia Lakes, and another around Chile/Argentina Wine & Country. Snow Leopard Expeditions (India) is on many travelers’ bucket lists and Botswana Mobile Camping Expeditions is THE way to see Botswana for the adventurous.

Also, andBeyond owns and operates lodges and camps in Africa. New lodges opening in 2018 include Bateleur Camp in Kenya, Tengile River Lodge in South Africa, Phinda Homestead in South Africa, Phinda Vlei also in South Africa.

Guests travelling to &Beyond lodges in Africa can take advantage of “Fly Me” offers where the entire package price, including flights, is known; others who build an itinerary lodge by lodge, can benefit from long stay discounts. And for couples who have recently celebrated their nuptials, there is a Honeymoon Offer where a partner only pays 50%.

Asia travelers also can take advantage of long stay and “Fly Me” offers on some Indian itineraries, showcasing the best of the region at great deals.

Established in 1991, andBeyond is one of the world’s leading luxury experiential travel companies, designing personalized high-end tours in 15 countries in Africa, five in Asia, and four in South America. andBeyond also owns and operate 29 extraordinary lodges and camps in Africa’s iconic safari and island destinations. In addition, andBeyond operates small group, set-departure expeditions throughout Africa and Asia. This enables us to positively impact more than 9 million acres of wildlife land and 2,000 kilometres of coastline.

For information, visit www.andBeyond.com.

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2018’s Best Places to Find a Job – WalletHub Study

January 4, 2018 MoralCompass

*San Francisco, one of the best places to visit, is also one of the best cities for jobs, according to the personal-finance website WalletHub © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com*

With the unemployment rate at a 17-year low and employers expecting to hire 4 percent more college graduates from the Class of 2018 than from the previous graduating cohort, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best Places to Find a Job.

To determine the strongest local job markets in the U.S., WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 26 key metrics. The data set ranges from job opportunities to employment growth to monthly average starting salary.

Best Cities for Jobs		Worst Cities for Jobs
1	Chandler, AZ	173	Mobile, AL
2	Scottsdale, AZ	174	Montgomery, AL
3	San Francisco, CA	175	Fresno, CA
4	Peoria, AZ	176	Hialeah, FL
5	Gilbert, AZ	177	New Orleans, LA
6	Plano, TX	178	Birmingham, AL
7	Portland, ME	179	Columbus, GA
8	Irvine, CA	180	Newark, NJ
9	Madison, WI	181	Detroit, MI
10	Boston, MA	182	Shreveport, LA

Best vs. Worst

Columbia, Maryland has the highest median annual household income (adjusted by cost of living), $89,013, which is 3.4 times higher than in Hialeah, Florida, the city with the lowest at $26,352.
San Jose, California has the highest monthly average starting salary (adjusted by cost of living), $5,441, which is 3.1 times higher than in Brownsville, Texas, the city with the lowest at $1,778.
South Burlington, Vermont, the city with the lowest unemployment rate, 2.1 percent, which is 5.2 times lower than in Detroit, the city with the highest at 10.9 percent.
Plano, Texas, the city with the fewest number of part-time employees for every 100 full-time employees, 37.63, which is 3.6 times fewer than in Burlington, Vermont, the city with the most at 134.34.
South Burlington, Vermont is the city with the lowest share of workers living in poverty, 1.90 percent, which is 10.1 times lower than in Tallahassee, Florida, the city with the highest at 19.28 percent.

To view the full report and your city’s rank, visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-jobs/2173/

More from WalletHub

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