What’s the future of the tourism industry in the next five years?

While many in the tourism industry are asking that question most are already seeing and adapting to the inevitable changes.

Those in the know seem to feel that although there will be a decrease in the overall numbers of people traveling it won’t be as awful as you might assume. The trend so far seems to be that vacationers will still travel, but their tourism plans will be closer to home with traveling long distances being curtailed.

What this means is that vacationing families will plan their trips to be closer to home than in the past and they will combine some of their travel with visiting family at holidays or with business.

Other changes in the tourism industry will be that those traveling will stay longer at each destination in order to keep expenses as low as possible. Additionally it seems to follow those lines that there will be more use of recreational vehicles by those owning them instead of hotel or motel stays and possibly more people taking camping type vacations.

With the use of either recreational vehicles or camping; food and lodging costs could be kept more closely within a family’s normal budget.

Some of the ways that the industry will be able to combat the changes will be by offering discounts to travelers to encourage longer stays, group discounts, better meal prices by encouraging family style dining and those types of changes.

Already as a means to cut expenses many hotels and motels are requesting that consumers not have their bedding and towels changed daily, but instead using these items for two or three days in order to keep laundry costs down as well as labor costs for housekeeping staff. It’s less time consuming to pick up a room and make the beds than it is to strip the linens and remake the beds thereby cutting costs.

For those wishing to travel longer distances especially by air there will be more need to plan ahead in order to take advantage of lower costs, but as the tourism industry changes there will be more reward for those that do plan ahead.

Another way a consumer may look at travel and tourism is to look for all inclusive packages for travel, lodging and food similar to how cruise lines package their cruises.

A biofuel airline is a concept that may become reality when hurdles and problems can be resolved. Several airlines have successfully tried biofuel journeys including Virgin Atlantic Air, Japan Airlines and Continental Airlines. With the cost of jet fuel continually fluctuating and a key operating expense, airlines are seeking alternatives to costly energy.

Although the first test flights were successful, there are some stumbling blocks requiring removal to make biofuels a successful alternative. One fuel source evaluated was jatropha, a plant considered toxic. The seeds make an efficient jet fuel.

An eco-friendly plant source must be sustainable. What sustainable plants means is this plant must not interfere with other plants necessary for food, and cannot become the cause of further deforestation.

Jatropha can grow in marginal lands with minimal water. This plant would be a temptation to other food and plant industries in places such as Southeast Asia where farmers could see the ease and value of growing such crops.

They may take the short-sighted approach and forego food crops for cash crops resulting in food shortages for the area. Effective control of the raising of this poisonous plant must be carefully studied and restrictions on growth maintained by governments.

Any biofuel requires cost effectiveness, another obstacle to this fledgling industry. Even Jatropha requires refining and currently the cost to refine one gallon of fuel is higher than current jet fuel prices. Although airlines wish to be more eco friendly, the high fuel costs will negatively affect airline profitability. Until refineries can make fuels that are cost effective, airlines will continue using conventional jet fuel.

Biofuel availability is another impediment for use by airline industries. Fuel needs to be readily available to airlines and biofuels have not established consistent sources to provide the necessary volume required. Airplane modifications will be required so an established biofuel is necessary.

Airlines may be many years away from use of biofuels as investors seek cost effective and sustaining plant sources for fuel sources. Eco-friendly must be eco-sound and biofuel sources can create more eco-damage. As most areas for biofuel plant growth are in Third World countries, a delicate balance will require monitoring. Without monitors, fuel crop overproduction can occur adversely affecting food crops and vital plant life.

The Dome – credit: artonline – Marco Musso

Milan is a city in Lobardy, Northern Italy. This metropolis is famous for its fashion houses and shops (such as along via Montenapoleone) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in the Piazza Duomo.

When to Go: Milan has a humid subtropical climate. In respect of most of Italy, which is famous for a comfortable Mediterranean climate, Milan’s winters are typically damp and cold, while summers are warm and muggy at times.

Average temperatures are -3/+6°C in January and +15/+28°C in July. Snowfalls are fairly common in winter, even if in the last 15-20 years they have decreased in frequency and amount. Humidity is high during the whole year and annual rain averages about 1000 mm (40 in).

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele – credit: Welshdan

What to See: Milan is one of the major artistic centers of northern Italy. Worth a visit:

• The Dome, the world’s largest collection of marble statues with the widely visible golden Madonna statue on top of the spire, la Madunina (little Madonna), the symbol of Milan.
• Teatro alla Scala. Milan is also one of the most important centers in the world for lyric opera, with his famous Teatro alla Scala (La Scala).
• The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a large, covered arcade linking the Duomo’s piazza with the Teatro alla Scala.
• The Castello Sforzesco
• The Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio
• The Palaeo-Christian Basilica of San Lorenzo
• The Biblioteca Ambrosiana, containing drawings and notebooks by Leonardo da Vinci among its vast holdings of books, manuscripts, and drawings, and is one of the main repositories of European culture. The city is also the home of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.
• The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses one of the most famous paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper (L’ultima cena or Il cenacolo).
• The Pinacoteca di Brera, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Poldi Pezzoli, the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum and the Musei del Castello galleries, which host a great number of pictorial masterpieces.

How to Arrive

Airports – The city has a large international airport known as Malpensa International Airport (MXP). It’s connected to the downtown with the “Malpensa Express” railway service (from Cadorna Station and central station ). Milan also has the Linate Airport (LIN), connected with bus line 73 (from S. Babila). A third airport is Orio al Serio (BGY), close to the city of Bergamo.

How to Move Around

Subways – Milan has 3 subway lines (M1 – red, M2 – green, M3 – yellow) and the system, called Milan Metro – “La Metro”, running for more than 80 km.

Milan also has one of the most extensive tramway systems in the world, with more than 286 km of track, and 20 lines. The local transport authority (ATM) transported more than 600 million passengers in 2003 .

Railways – Milan is the second railway hub of Italy, and the five major stations of Milan, among which the Milan Central station, are among Italy’s busiest. Regional railways are the ferrovie nord.

Thanks to Etnaboris

Experts noted violent strombolian activities but no danger to homes.

Catania (Italy), May 10 – Mount Etna is erupting again, a new eruption from the south-east crater anticipated by a strong strombolian activity with emission of ash and lava.

The effusive activity of the lava flows arrives to the base of the crater. The volcano launches incandescent lava fountains high hundreds of meters.

The eruption is constantly under the control of the “Civil Protection” and the Institute of geophysics and volcanology of Catania.

They do not report threats to the towns.

1. Top 10 Outdoorzy Blog Posts of 2007 – The 10 Outdoorzy blog posts that received the most traffic.
2. Besthike’s tips to make a good hiking trip, great
3. The Gear Junkie: Top 10 Gear of the Year Awards 2007 – Without the right apparel and equipment adventures would not have been possible.
4. 6 Reasons To Pack Light – Just in case you need a few reminders why it pays to pack lighter….
5. Slow travel and tourism – What exactly is slow travel?

Thanks to Gisuser

I’ve recently finished to read this new from Reuters about a new research from the Colorado State University. The Hurricane study team predicted that 13 tropical storms will develop in the 2008 Atlantic season. The long-term average is for 10 tropical storms and six hurricanes during the six-month season starting June 1.

It’s important to note that the main adventure travel destinations are just in the hurricanes paths.

So it’s better to do a list of possible tips to know more info and plan a more safe vacation.

Countries at risk

2 countries hit by the most hurricanes are the United States and Mexico.

Other countries are:

• Cuba
• Central America
• Lesser Antilles
• Canada on rare occasions
• Some East Asian nations are hit by typhoons

Landlocked countries like those in Europe, Africa and other mountainous countries are quite.

Forecast

A good idea is to watch forecasting before travel. Here this website gives a good list of forecast

Weather.com gives a good list of satellite maps:

What to do in case of hurricanes:

• The first thing is to stay tuned with local institute of Meteorology. Television and radio play a vital role in informing the public as the level of alert rises.
• Stay away from disaster areas unless local authorities request volunteers.
• Drive only when necessary. The streets will be filled with debris. Roads may have weakened and can collapse under the weight of a car.
• Stay away from river banks and streams until potential flooding has passed.
• Stay away from downed power lines and report them to the power company. Report broken gas, sewer or water mains.
• Contact your insurance agent. Take photos of or videotape the damage.
• Check battery-powered equipment. Your battery-operated radio could be your only source of information, and flashlights will be needed if utility services are interrupted. Buy extra batteries.
• Store drinking water in clean bathtubs, jugs, bottles and cooking utensils as your town’s water system may be contaminated or damaged by the storm. Obtain extra prescription medications and medical supplies.

There’s no way to predict what will happen before a hurricane strikes, but there are many ways to prepare for the worst. Ease your mind by having a hurricane kit on hand.

Follow the latest news on hurricanes

Buy a good insurance

Trip Cancellation insurance is the best way to protect your travel investment

Additionally, Trip Cancellation Package Policies also provide coverage for baggage, medical and medical evacuations. Find more info here.

Read more about Hurricanes

• www.louisiana.edu
• www.here.vi

95% of travel pollution comes from flights

After the success of my last post about eco friendly facilities I’ve decided to write some tips about eco-friendly travels.

Every time i watch TV there is someone who talks about pollution, global warming, etc…

But what travellers can do to save the planet?

I think that today “Ecotourism holidays” are a fashion way to travel. Ski resorts prepare for a future without skis and Luxury travel is going “Green”

Most people think: “If I book an eco-lodge it’s Eco-tourism…not?”

But how being green with long flights? Luxurious can be everything but not Eco-friendly…everything requires a lot of money spending is not environmentally friendly per se.

Plan to travel green and reduce air pollution

I’ve tried to do a little search on Google to find tips to travel environmentally responsible, but i’ve noted that most tips can reduce only 5% of global warming problems.

The real problems are airflights.

The solution? Simple: Don’t travel long distance or chose Trains and Boats

The aviation industry is responsible for releasing approximately 0.55 billion tons of CO2 pollution annually; An amount that equates to about 2% of total global carbon emissions.

Air travel often involves longer distances than car travel and so produces more carbon

If you have to fly, consider buying carbon offsets to compensate for the emissions caused by the flight.

Members can offset flights when completing reward bookings online. They’ll gain credits that will be transferred to the Carbon Reduction Fund.

This is an initiative that encourages passengers to pay a voluntary surcharge for flights. The income from the surcharge finances green projects such as reforestation, renewable energy development, energy efficiency projects, and other initiatives designed to help to balance out the environmental impact of airborne journeys.

So do your homeworks

Choose the Most eco-friendly airlines:

• British Airways
• Air Canada
• Cathay Pacific
• Delta
• Virgin Blue

Choose companies that follow efficiency rules

• Invest in design to promote maximum fuel-efficiency by minimal aerodynamic resistance. Boeing and Airbus are interested in working with British carrier easyJet to produce a new design that has garnered the nickname “ecoJet.”

• Virgin Atlantic Airways spend 1.5 billion to research clean fuel sources over the next ten years. The objective is to create engine that uses biofuels that can be used in commercial aircraft.
• Low-cost airline Flybe has made a 500 million investment in environmentally friendly Embraer 195 aircraft.
• Air One is the first airline to fly aircraft equipped with latest-generation, environment-friendly engines. The new CFM56-5B6/3 engines permit polluting emissions to be cut by 40% with respect to the current international standards

Follow these tips to reduce airflights pollution

• Reduce the number of bags you carry with you
• Book electronic tickets. It reduces paper waste.
• Have fewer, but longer holidays
• Fly directly to your destination

Strickly related

• Use alternative way to travel: Take the train or bus. You will reduce your emissions by 3-7 times over taking an airplane.
• Eat local fruits, vegetables and meat to experience true local cuisine. Not local foods require long distance airtravel transfers.

Sustainable tourism to reduce 5% global warming

• Go in Australia and feed Kangaroos. This could help in global warming
• Travel in family and don’t divorce!!
• Send e-cards instead of paper cards or make sure the ones you buy have recycled content material
• Use rechargeable batteries for cameras, flashlights, etc.
• Use a digital camera and be an environmentally friendly Photographer

• Buy local and fresh foods in bulk. You will save a trip and use less packaging. (You’ll help also local community economy)
• When cooking, use a Hobo Stove
• Choose to visit parks and nature reserves and support them by paing the ticket. You’ll support existing protected areas.
• Stay on trails during hikes, do not remove plants or feed animals, and never litter.
• Don’t take any corals, shells, dried fish, starfish, sea-fans and other marine souvenirs
• Do not anchor on reefs which can be easily damaged.
• Choose other ways to get around like trains, buses or bikes.
• If in a car or bus, encourage drivers to turn off their engines when they’re parked, or stuck in traffic.
• Take showers rather than baths.

• Limit energy use, including your use of air conditioning and hot water.
• Minimize your use of personal care products and detergents. Don’t flush cotton buds, condoms, tampons and plastics down the toilet.
• Say “No” to Bad Souvenirs (Don’t buy any products made from any endangered species)
• If your destination is a warm climate then close the drapes. This will keep the room cooler.

• Encourage your hotel or travel agent to promote and institute more environmentally friendly activities.
• Try to use glass bottles and aluminum cans as they are at least recyclable.
• Carry a water bottle and always check if there is somewhere to fill it up. Consider purifying your own water to avoid creating garbage.

Stay in environmentally friendly hotels (Eco lodge)

Follow the tips by Responsibletravel.com to verify if your eco-lodge is really an eco-lodge

• Search for a written policy regarding the environment and local people.
• Ask them how they measure their contribution to conservation and local communities.
• Verify how many local people they employ and in what position.
• Ask them what they have specifically done to help protect the environment and support conservation
• Ask them which local charities they work with.
• Ask them how they treat waste water and how they heat their building
• Select a hotel close to public transportation or near the places you are going to visit during your stay.
• See this list of Eco friendly b&b

Read more:

• Count your Web site’s carbons
• Co2balance.com
• Carbonneutral.com
• Climatecare.org

Thanks to Midnight-Digital

What’s travel?

• Meet new people
• Live new experiences
• Learn new cultures

Have you noted the word “new”?

Is new is the key to answer the actual problems…

I don’t believe in war…so what could it be if we’ll create a new form of tourism?

Yes nuclear tourism is the answer!

A travel across the “Nuclear risk countries” to meet their people, culture, history and traditions.

I think that knowledge is power…why don’t we start giving a lesson to our governments by travelling in risk countries?

This month I’ll start with Iran.

I don’t need to write what’s happening these days about their nuclear programs etc…

I want to keep your attention to the main tourists attractions of this wonderful country.

I did a little search on wikitravel and I’ve found a lot of beautiful cities and attractions.

Have a look on the map look how many great things you can visit:

Note: As you can see the map has 2 type of icons:

• Attractions
• Nuclear centrals

This is to create a link to what could be destroyed in case of an attack.

Last day I’ve found a great PDF [#] about a Marketing analysis of the Adventure tourism market.

I’ve read a good Psychographic profile of what an Adventure traveller is.

I was too curious because there are a lot of websites, tour operators, magazine that refer their business about “Adventure Travel”

But what exactly is Adventure travel and who is the Adventurous people who travels?

It was a good question, because when I’ve started this blog I didn’t know exactly what were all the Adventure travel activities.

Generally the most known are:

• Outdoors
• Hiking, Trekking, Walking tours
• Mountain biking and Bicycling
• Animal watching, Birding
• Etc…

So I did a little search on Google to find a profile that will help me find my target audience…the results were amazing!

I’d like to share my findings. I hope this could help other people like me to have a clear idea of what adventure travellers are and how to reach them.

The profile of the Adventure traveller

Starting by Demographics, generally, people that choose to practice outdoor adventure activities are:

• The most part of travellers are women that travel “Solo” or with a “Female friend”
• Average age 45-60 years
• Men are generally seniors who are early retired or your grand parents
• All have high level of istruction (College, Hold professionals, Specialty)

Behaviors

• Follow word of mouth, advices from their friends, trip notes, customer reviews or testimonials (Written, Audio or Video)
• Don’t like big corporations

Activities they like

• Fitness oriented
• Healthy and exiting activities
• Watch shows on TV about: History; Culture; Wildlife
• Actively contribute to charity organizations
• Like to visit museums and art galleries
• Some of them like Relax and/or Luxurious
• Educational travels

Needs

• Like little travel company with peer to peer tailor assistance
• Love customization
• Search for safe destinations
• Want an experienced adventure travel company
• Look for fun activities to do
• Unexpected tourist destinations
• Want someone who hears them and gives answers to their questions

Motivations

• Stay 50 weeks of the year in an office and have the desire of getting away for an experience off the beaten paths
• Like travel environmentally friendly and immerse in the nature
• Learn from news cultures
• Hear and speak different languages
• Reflect on ancient religions
• Try new activities
• Eat in ethnic restaurants
• Are skeptical of large scale advertising
• Don’t shop for the cheapest items and prefer good value

Way of travelling

• Solo
• Couples
• Private groups
• Honeymooners
• No package tours or Fancy resorts

How to use these data

• Useful to find communities and provide the right contents.
• Find the right web 2.0 service to find interested travellers
• Calculate how much on-line effort you’ll need to attract them

Outdoor activities they like to do

[#] Backpacking. Backpacking (also tramping or trekking or bushwalking in some countries) combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.

[#] Ballooning. A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner. It is also distinct from aerostat, which is a balloon that is moored to the ground rather than free-flying.

[#] Bicycling. Cycling is a means of transport, a form of recreation and a sport. The bicycle carries riders across land, through tunnels, over bridges, snow, or, less frequently, over ice (icebiking). Cycling involves riding bicycles, unicycles, tricycles, quadricycles and other similar human powered vehicles (HPVs).

[#] Bird watching. Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more readily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birders and birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who are engaged in the formal scientific study of birds.

[#] Bungy Jumping. Bungee jumping (or bungy jumping) is the sport that originated from New Zealand and was created by maverick daredevil A J Hackett, and his original jump from a bridge in Greenhithe, Auckland. The sport denotes jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large rubber cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge, or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or a helicopter, that has the ability to hover over one spot on the ground; fixed-wing aircraft are clearly unsuitable because they only stay aloft when moving rapidly forward. The intense thrill comes as much from the free-falls as from the rebounds.

[#] Camping. Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants, known as campers, get away from civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or more nights, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, a primitive structure, or no shelter at all.

[#] Canoeing. Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip), sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power. A kayak is propelled using a paddle with two blades where the paddler sits with their legs in front of them, whereas canoes are propelled using single- or double-bladed paddles where the paddler is kneeling or sitting.

[#] Climbing – Mountain-Rock. Ascending rock formations, often using climbing shoes and a chalk bag. Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.

[#] Cultural activities. ‘Cultural tourism’ (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region’s culture, especially its arts. It generally focuses on traditional communities who have diverse customs, unique form of art and distinct social practices, which basically distinguishes it from other types/forms of culture. Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres. It can also include tourism in rural areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle.

[#] Diving-scuba. Scuba diving is the act of swimming underwater while using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. By carrying a source of breathing gas (usually compressed air), the scuba diver is able to stay underwater longer than with the simple breath-holding techniques used in snorkeling and free-diving, and is not hindered by air lines to a remote air source.

[#] Dogsledding. A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function.

[#] Ecotourism. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment, and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is in the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities.

[#] Educational Programs. Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs often involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges such as hiking, climbing, canoeing, ropes courses, and group games. Outdoor education draws upon the philosophy and theory of experiential education and on environmental education.

[#] Hang-gliding. Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies an unpowered and light foot-launchable glider aircraft known as a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminum -or composite- framed fabric wing which lacks moving control surfaces. The pilot is mounted on a harness hanging from the airframe and exercises control by shifting his body weight.

[#] Hiking. Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in rural or wilderness areas.

[#] Horseback riding. Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.

[#] Kayaking. Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. They also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. Kayakers sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legs extended out in front of them. Canoeists will either sit on an elevated bench seat or kneel directly on the bottom of the boat.

[#] Mountain Biking. Mountain biking usually refers to the sport of riding bicycles possessing particular design characteristics, mountain bikes, off-road, although sometimes the term simply refers to riding a mountain bike. The sport requires endurance, bike handling skills and self-reliance. It is an individual sport which can be performed almost anywhere. Mountain biking is roughly broken down into five categories: cross country, downhill, freeride, dirt jump and trials/street riding.

[#] Mountain Climbing. Mountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains. It is also sometimes known as alpinism, particularly in Europe. While it began as an all-out attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specializations addressing different aspects of mountains and may now be said to consist of three aspects: rock-craft, snow-craft and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require great athletic and technical ability, and experience is also a very important part of the matter.

[#] Orienteering. Orienteering is a running sport involving navigation with a map and compass. The traditional form (sometimes referred to as “Foot Orienteering” or “Foot-O”) involves cross-country running, though other forms have evolved. The competition is a timed race in which individual participants use a special purpose map and a magnetic compass to navigate through diverse terrain (often wooded) and visit, in sequence, control points that are indicated on the map. The course of control points is kept a secret from competitors before the start, when they are provided with a detailed topographic map on which the course is marked. Competitors start at staggered intervals, are individually timed, and are expected to perform all navigation skills on their own.

[#] Paragliding. Paragliding is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglider is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing.

[#] Rafting. Rafting or whitewater rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers.

[#] Rappelling. Abseiling is the process of descending on a fixed rope.

[#] Rogaining. Rogaining is the sport of long distance cross-country navigation. It is closely related to orienteering and many people enjoy both sports. For all participants, compared to an orienteering meet, a rogaine: Is a much longer event, usually 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours; Is a team sport (important for safety, given the long duration); Has checkpoints (controls) assigned point values reflecting the distance from other checkpoints and the technical difficulty (terrain, navigation) of visiting them; Requires each team to plan the order in which to visit checkpoints, so route choice is a very important element.

[#] Safaris. A safari is an overland journey. It usually refers to a trip by tourists to Africa, traditionally for a big-game hunt and in more modern times to watch and photograph big game and other wildlife as a safari holiday.

[#] Sailing. Sailing is the art of controlling a sailing vessel. By adjusting the rigging, rudder and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails (main and/or jib) in order to change the direction and speed of a boat. Mastery of the skill requires experience in varying wind and sea conditions, as well as knowledge concerning sailboats. Today most people enjoy sailing as a recreational activity. Recreational sailing can be further divided into racing, cruising and “daysailing” or dinghy sailing.

[#] Skiing. Snow skiing is a group of sports and activities holding in common the use of skis, devices which slide on snow and attach with ski bindings and ski boots to people’s feet. Skiing sports differ from snowshoeing in that skis slide, and they differ from ice-skating, water skiing, and in-line skating by being performed on snow. Although snowboarding shares the general characteristics of skiing sports, it evolved from surfing and skateboarding and so is not considered a type of skiing.

[#] Skydiving. Parachuting is an activity involving a preplanned drop from a height using a deployable parachute. One type of parachuting is skydiving, which is recreational parachuting, also called sport parachuting.

[#] Snorkeling. Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn. Combining these tools allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for extended periods of time with relatively little effort.

[#] Snowshoeing. Snowshoes, sometimes colloquially referred to as webs, are footwear for walking over snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person’s foot doesn’t sink completely into the snow, a quality called “flotation”. While today they are mainly used for recreational purposes, primarily by hikers and runners who like to continue their hobby in wintertime, in the past they were essential tools for fur traders, trappers and anyone whose life or living depended on the ability to get around in areas of deep and frequent snowfall.

[#] Soaring. Soaring is a mode of flight in which height is gained slowly by using air that is moving upwards. It arises in the flight of both aircraft and birds.

[#] Spelunking. Caving, also called spelunking, is the recreational sport of exploring caves. In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment.

[#] Trekking. Backpacking (also tramping or trekking or bushwalking in some countries) combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.

[#] Windsurfing. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating flexible joint called the Universal Joint (U-Joint). Unlike a rudder-steered sailboat, a windsurfer is steered by the tilting and rotating of the mast and sail as well as tilting and carving the board.

In the travel industry getting the right advices before starting a vacation is very important.

But the net is very big and some times finding the right information requires time and patience.

You can save your time by reading this big list of outdoor and adventure travel networks.

They are organize by topic and source (Forums, travel 2.0, blog, social bookmarks, etc…).

Communities and networks

[#] The Argonauts – An Adventure-Travel Community An adventure-travel community dedicated to inspiring the human spirit, and to enabling people to venture into the unknown and express their dreams and discoveries.

[#] Adventure Travel Trade Association The Adventure Travel Trade Association exists to: Promote and grow the adventure travel market; Provide professional support, development, marketing, and cost-saving resources to members; Represent and unify the industry to facilitate knowledge sharing and a common vision; Collect, interpret and share exclusive trade and consumer research and trends.

[#] The Adventure Travel World Summit Hosted annually by the Adventure Travel Trade Association, the Adventure Travel World Summit provides the global adventure travel community with the single most powerful, creative and productive gathering of influential executives and strategic staff members. The Summit brings together diverse facets of the industry to network, collaborate, learn and more effectively and readily tap into the burgeoning potential of adventure travel.

[#] Student Travel – Community Service, Language and Adventure Summer Programs for Teens Community providing service programs all around the world for high school students.

[#] Academic treks – Community Service Summer Programs for Teenagers, Teen Adventure Travel Abroad Academic Treks the Academic Adventure & Community Service Division of Broadreach Summer Camps for Teenagers. Marine Biology, Language Immersion, Cultural Studies, Community Service.

[#] Global Works – Community service summer programs for teens – combining service, language, adventure and teen travel Global Works offers community service summer programs for teens. International summer community service programs for high school students including travel programs, youth trips and camps for teens. For teenagers interested in travel adventure and community service abroad or community service summer programs.

[#] Gap year, adventure travel & volunteer work abroad. Working holidays, gap year travel & jobs overseas. Specialists in gap years, career breaks & adventure travel holidays. Realgap are experts in providing unique & exciting volunteer projects, working holiday programmes & backpacking packages across the world.

[#] Outdoor Adventures Creating the community that connects adventurers throughout the world. Offers Outdoor adventure travel, tours and the ability to find trip partners & companions, articles & adventure information and wilderness sports. They are working to create an adventure community that cares for the planet.

[#] iExplore | Adventure Travel Experts & Community iExplore is a one-stop shop to research an adventure trip, get expert advice from adventure consultants and fellow travelers, book all your travel arrangements, and purchase gear.

[#] Adventures Great and Small – An adventure travel resource for the independent traveler. Information to organize your own adventure: safaris, hiking, scuba diving,rafting, unusual places and cultures.

[#] Travel, adventure, action, eco-tourism and backpacking community the world over with ExtremeTourist.com The independent traveller’s web community devoted to active travel, adventure and eco tourism. Extreme Tourist has everything the independent traveller needs – accommodation, transport, eating and partying, activities, forums and travel tools.

[#] Travel Community – Backpackers.com Backpacker Destinations, Hostels, Festivals around the World.

[#] Nomad Community – Nomad Adventure Travel Store Travel goods equipment and accessories, travel clothing and vaccinations for worldwide travellers all from Nomad Travel Store

Forums and message boards

[#] Travel Forums – BootsnAll Travel Network Forums to share information on the most visited continents, learn about transfers and what to do in the most important cities.

[#] Forums from Discovery Discovery.com has updated and enhanced our message boards with greatly improved functionality for our fans.

[#] Travel Forum A comprehensive easy to use travel search engine run by Aaron Aardvark to ensure quality results. Aaron and friends are constantly sniffing out the best travel sites from around the Net, saving you time and money.

[#] Adventure travel budget forum Travel secrets for backpackers, student and budget travelers. Cheap airline tickets, hotels, youth hostels, train and bus travel. Adventure Travel 101 is your partner for adventure, low-cost and budget travel around the world. Get the best advice on cheap travel and discuss the best travel tips with adventure lovers worldwide! You get insider advice and info on free accommodation, humanitarian travel, travel with kids, work or study abroad, expat advice, tips for plane train taxi bus and mule ride.

[#] Outdoors / Adventure Travel forum – TripAdvisor Visit TripAdvisor, your source for the web’s best unbiased reviews of vacations, hotels, and resorts, worldwide. Also features discount vacation and travel packages.

[#] Backpacker Adventure Travel Forum : Lost Luggage Tales Advice on all the things you could imagine when it comes to planning your round the world trip…

[#] Responsible Travel – Thorn Tree Travel Forum – Lonely Planet Responsible Travel – exchange travel information, advice, hints and tips. Get help, get connected, get inspired, have your say

[#] Discussion Forum about Adventure Travel Adventure travels forum discussion about adventure travels with Lois Friedland

[#] Browse Sports & Recreation, Outdoors – Forum Discussion Search with BoardTracker.com Forum search & track all threads on all forums and boards for Sports & Recreation – Outdoors.

Blog networks and social communities

[#] Hottest Hugged Stories | Hugg 2.0 – Seen some green? Hugg is your source for user-submitted green news.

[#] Trip Adventure – List all the best blogs about outdoor adventure travel

[#] Blog Catalog Sport and Recreation Blog communities Blog Catalog is the premiere social blog directory on the internet. Search, Browse, Rate and Review thousands of blog sites.

[#] Travel community @ BUMPzee! Top blog entries and most popular blog entries for the Travel community.

[#] Adventure travel communities – MyBlogLog My Blog Log is a community of blog owned by Yahoo! It lists a lot of travel related communities and users.

[#] Squidoo Groups : Topic : Sports & Recreation Squidoo is a community where everyone’s an expert on something! You can share your knowledge and passion with the world.

[#] Outdoors groups on Stumbleupon StumbleUpon discovers web sites based on your interests, learns what you like and brings you more. Discover your web with StumbleUpon.

[#] Outdoor Recreation – Yahoo! Answers Yahoo! Answers is a new way to find and share information. You can ask questions on any topic, get answers from real people, and share your insights and experience.

Groups

[#] Environment groups on Care 2

[#] Recreation & Sports groups on Care 2

[#] Travel discussion groups on Care 2

[#] Google groups – Outdoors

[#] Yahoo groups – Outdoors

• Ecotourism
• Backpacking
• Walking
• Caving
• Geocaching
• Orienteering
• Parks
• Camping
• Hiking
• Trails
• Whale Watching
• Hang Gliding

[#] Msn groups – Outdoors