I participated in my first #ExpChat, a weekly Twitter chat hosted by Expedia on different travel topics, last week. The topic was “sustainable travel”. Admittedly, I was a bit taken aback by what I heard.

“Q1 What comes to mind when you think of sustainable travel?”

Some replied with honest ignorance, like —

“I’m not sure.”
“I’m here to find out!”

Many others centered on another theme—

“Using the same towels and linens for more than one day at my hotel.”
“Yes! I’m annoyed that more hotels don’t offer a discount for reusing your towels!”

Sustainable Travel is not the same thing as “green travel” or “eco-tourism”. Absolutely, YES —environmental stewardship is a very important component, but there is a reason why it is not lumped together. The environmental piece is only half of the picture.

Sustainable Travel is just as concerned with cultural preservation as it is with environmental preservation. Without discounting the important of biodiversity, habitat restoration and the like, sustainable travel is about making tourism work for host communities in the long run. It views the traditional culture and beliefs as equally important to protect as the natural setting these communities call home.

Sustainability means “the capacity to endure“. This is where the conversation MUST be elevated beyond reusing linens.

How do we give communities the capacity to endure, and even thrive, in the face of tourism? What broad-spectrum benefits must be built-in for locals to embrace and grow with tourism? A large part of looking at sustainable tourism is the benefit that local communities see – economically, for sure, but also on an emotional/spiritual level.  How do indigenous communities who now deal with tourism on a daily basis relate to it and all it brings? Does it promote cultural pride rather that erode at traditional values? Does it bring new opportunities for prosperity, new access to beneficial technologies and overall, a better way of life? And who determines that?

To me, sustainable travel seeks to answer questions like these, and in the process, create lasting, meaningful tourism structures that preserve and promote the cultural and environmental treasures of the world.

I have no intention of shaming my fellow tweeters on #ExpChat; I gained a lot of insight from the discussion and came away with a feeling of great hope. Even with the limits of definition, there was a genuine interest to learn more, and a couple of very valid concepts and ideas being volleyed around. It’s discussions like this which will move things forward.

So, let’s talk! How do you see sustainable tourism defining itself today? What do we need to focus on to elevate the conversation about sustainability in travel?

Hotel linens photo by violarenate via creative commons

JANUARY
Festival au Desert – Essakane, Mali
Billed as “the most remote festival in the world”, this amazing celebration of the Tuareg culture features the sublime tunes of Malian and other world music performers out in the middle of the Saharan Desert. Festival-goers caravan out of Timbuktu and most camp in traditional Tuareg nomadic tents for three (surely unforgettable) days.

FEBRUARY
Carnival – Venice, Italy
This lavish spectacle emerged in the heady days of  the Middle Ages during Venice’s peak as a center of world commerce, but it faded away as the canal-filled city’s power faded over the centuries, eventually being banned entirely by Mussolini. But today, Carnival is back and bling-ier than ever, creating a total dreamscape out of this enchanting water city.

MARCH
Holi – India
A true riot of color! Hindus throughout the country amass in the streets and throw colored powder and water at each other, in a crazy joyful frenetic welcome to spring.

APRIL
Paro Tsechu – Paro, Bhutan
This is one of the biggest festivals in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, a place where Gross National Happiness stands as the guiding principle. Performers in elaborate costumes and traditional masks carry out ceremonial Buddhist dances that are considered an honor to be able to witness. You can also observe the unfurling of the world’s largest religious Thangka scroll, the Paro Thongdrel.

MAY
Dragon Boat Races – Hong Kong
These traditional races actually commemorate the death of a historical Chinese hero called Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the Mi Lo River as an act of protest against corruption. Watching these spectacularly carved and painted dragon boats race is both a spirited and colorful experience.

JUNE
Inti Raymi – Cusco, Peru
The Inca “Festival of the Sun” fills Cusco’s historic streets and ancient ruins with thousands of revelers who connect with the ancient, mystical culture through processions, reenactments and dances. Traditional animal sacrifices may be observed by the less-squeamish, too.

JULY
Olympic Games – London, England
Londoners will wear a particular pride of place when the Olympics’ opening ceremonies take place on July 27th, as they’ll become the first city to host the modern Olympic Games three times. New facilities, including this 377-foot-high observation tower, are sprouting up all over the city to host the expected throng of one million spectators.

AUGUST
Burning Man – Black Rock City, Nevada
More of a spontaneous city than a festival, each year as many as 50,000 people sojourn to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week “dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance.” Check out the Ten Principles of Burning Man to start to get an idea of what this is all about.

SEPTEMBER
Oktoberfest – Bavaria, Germany
Actually kicking off in late September, Oktoberfest brings beer and culture lovers together in Munich’s great beer halls to quaff brews and dine on German specialties like pretzels, sausages and sauerkraut. Lederhosen and dirndl are optional, but highly encouraged.

OCTOBER
Cirio de Nazare – Belem, Brazil
Second only to Rio’s Carnival in size for Brazilian festivals, this fascinating celebration takes place near the mouth of the Amazon in the northeast coastal city of Belem. The sacred and secular worlds collide as locals dress provocatively and dance and drink with wild abandon in honor of Belem’s Virgin Mary icon. It’s a solid two weeks of partying and, the story goes, the more you imbibe the more honor you show!

NOVEMBER
Loi Krathong – Thailand
Thailand’s own festival of lights is truly magical to witness. Thais light candles and set them adrift on decorative floats along the waterways, as well as sending thousands of paper lanterns sailing into the night sky. The flames of these million candles carry away the wishes of those who send them off.

DECEMBER
Mayan Culture Celebrations – Mexico
With the much-anticipated end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012, Mexico expects to draw a horde of visitors to the Mayan regions of Chiapas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Campeche. Ancient rituals and dances will take place alongside celebrations of modern-day Mayan culture while some wait for “the end of the world as we know it”!

Venice Carnival photo by US Army Africa
Burning Man sculpture by Tanais Fox
Loy Krathong lantern photo by adactio

The flames were fanned on my big library crush when I learned that this year’s Passports with Purpose travel bloggers fundraiser would be in support of Room to Read with the goal of building two libraries in Zambia.

Passports with Purpose is a fundraiser that lets travel bloggers raise their collective voice and rally support for a great cause. Now in it’s fourth year, this grassroots fundraiser has gathered major momentum and seen some inspirational results. Each year, Passports with Purpose has blown waaay past its goal and has successfully built a village for Dalits (Untouchables) in India, a school in rural Cambodia, and raised funds to support the great work of Heifer International. As a travel blogger, I’m so thankful to have a philanthropic outlet for some of my hedonism!

This year’s Passports with Purpose fundraiser is kicking off today and YOU can be a part of this year’s success story. Not only that, you can win some really cool travel swag in the process. Win-win!

Here’s how it works:

Bloggers like me procure a killer prize that one lucky donor will win. A master list of all the prizes is on the Passports with Purpose website.

After browsing the prize list, make a tax deductible donation to Room to Read. For every $10 you donate up through December 16th, you get one entry to win the prize of your choice. Pick your prizes and please help spread the word! Everyone involved with PWP will be chatting it up on Twitter, Facebook and on our blogs. The PWP peeps will be notifying each prize winner on December 23rd, so some of you will see the bounty under your virtual Christmas trees get a boost.

And… are you ready for this? I have an awesome prize to give away this year!

You could win a 3-night Unlimited-Luxury stay at Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa in Mexico for two people, which includes gourmet dining at seven international restaurants, premium beverages at six lounges, 24-hour room service, an array of day and evening activities and more!

I had a lovely and eye-opening experience earlier this year staying at Dreams Riviera Cancun, just up the coast from this location, and I came to some pleasant conclusions about the whole resort thing (which is detailed in my post, ‘Resort’ is not a dirty word). The folks at Dreams know how to do it right – they create a beautiful, relaxed atmosphere with top-notch amenities and amazing service. Not only that, Dreams resorts have a sharp eye to keeping their practices ecologically sound and they offer fantastic career opportunities for scores of local residents – both important factors in my book.

I don’t think I need to tell you that you totally deserve a break. During your stay at Dreams Tulum, your Unlimited-Luxury privileges will give you full access to unbridled dining and drinking at any of the 7 onsite restaurants and 6 lounges, as well as 24-hour room service. And the food is really, really good – I can vouch! You can opt to split your time between adventuring (visiting the breathtaking local Mayan ruins, snorkeling one of the world’s greatest reefs, shopping and partying in nearby Playa del Carmen) and relaxing by the amazing pool and thinking about how good life is. Or you can focus all your efforts on fully unplugging and just plan to book daily spa treatments. Up to you! And this trip is for two people – so you can share the joy with a partner, sweetheart, parent, best friend or favorite travel blogger. Talk about a killer holiday gift! And to do so knowing you’ve supported a great cause along the way? Even sweeter.

A BIG thanks to AMResorts for this awesome prize and support of Passports with Purpose, which to me just further goes to show that they get it. Thanks also to this year’s amazing sponsors: Round the World with Us, Traveller’s Point and HomeAway. They totally get it, too.

The full prize details, rules and restrictions are as follows: Your prize will be a 3-night hotel only stay at Dreams Tulum, including resort taxes. Airfare, airfare tax and transportation are not included. Accommodations are for 2 adults, in the lead in room category. Winner can choose to upgrade to a higher room category upon check-in, at an additional cost. Winner can also bring additional guests for additional charge. Blackout dates include, but are not limited to, Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, New Years and Presidents Day. Stay is valid for one year from the date of the drawing and is based on availability. Certificate is non-transferable, holds no cash value and cannot be extended. Ground transportation, room charges incurred, spa treatments, telephone calls, incidentals and all other additional expenses are not included.  The resort will attempt to accommodate winner’s preferred itinerary, but all specifics thereof will be at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. A prize letter form must be filled out and signed within 30 days of the drawing to be considered valid.

Photo credit: Fierce Bad Rabbit book by snigl3t