tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23162248236436658322024-03-07T15:44:58.810+05:30The Blue YonderCreating better places for people to live in and for people to visitGPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-72140170866051658242014-08-12T19:41:00.000+05:302014-08-12T19:41:09.405+05:30 Artisans Along The Nila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffvx741F1EG7k_wtBK2nXTdPPjAqKtiTiknkQ49FRq9hgtliG1Y_mrNjKNdH3kyZyNLXxf28J6qc5VcbtIFKkuhWENXPW0605YO4UNNUPU6Bab_sFO8s8oMLiVrunBrpsHrgDGTBlw9bn/s1600/CIMG4511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffvx741F1EG7k_wtBK2nXTdPPjAqKtiTiknkQ49FRq9hgtliG1Y_mrNjKNdH3kyZyNLXxf28J6qc5VcbtIFKkuhWENXPW0605YO4UNNUPU6Bab_sFO8s8oMLiVrunBrpsHrgDGTBlw9bn/s1600/CIMG4511.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Gopalan Ettan is a potter.<span> </span>Just
like his father and his grandfather before him he spends his days at
his wheel shaping clay brought from the Nila’s banks into bowls and
water jugs to sell. <span> </span>There are still plenty of potters
along the banks of the Nila; small family-run cottage industries that
survive despite of the factory production lines.<span> </span>But when the last of this old generation of potters dies, there may be no one left to continue the craft.<span> <br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Gopalan
takes a lump of clay and begins to knead it expertly while his wife
sits on the ground sifting through sand to remove stones.<span> </span>Gopalan’s son perches on the wall beside his father playing with his mobile phone.<span> </span>He doesn’t aspire to be a potter.<span> </span>Who can blame him when he now has the chance to be anything he wants.<span> </span>The breaking down of the caste system has made it possible for this to happen.<span> </span>The problem is that for anyone who did want to become a potter, there is simply no recognition for the work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />Making pottery has generally been a low-caste job and as such, is looked down upon. <span> </span>It’s no wonder Gopalan’s children aren’t interested in carrying on the family tradition when it garners little respect.<span> </span>Interestingly tourism, could in its way, provide a solution.<span> </span>Bringing
tourists to watch the potters at work could instigate recognition of
the importance of this craft and the skill of its artisans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />Gopalan throws the clay onto the hand-propelled wheel and expertly begins to shape it.<span> </span>Like anyone who’s been practising a craft for a lifetime he moves with ease, completely at home at the wheel.<span> </span>His thin sinewy arms deftly move around the clay forming it quickly and efficiently into a water jug.<span> </span>He puts it aside and immediately begins work on another lump.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />As I leave I am told that the word ‘kusavan’ in Malayalam means creator but is also used to describe a potter.<span> </span>I’m not at all surprised.<span> </span>This is an ancient and important trade and I hope Gopalan isn’t one of potteries last master artisans. <br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Note: A blast from the past. This article was written in 2009 by Jessica Lee
after winning a travel assignment organised in partnership with World
Nomads, Footprint Handbook to India and The Blue Yonder</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-52883710732906982452014-08-12T19:35:00.001+05:302014-08-12T19:35:41.262+05:30Just Another Roadside Attraction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckAZPCseaEc7dzTjf4EjEzj6eYfmubMJ_WQ-jAGEI0Bp7IbwognXzRHj5P_SgWvlmaxmzvi1Mg69El2KsmzhS_bgPgvWOz4nk5mSqeZHkkZQg24PO9Hl9qBsNKFlKQPT3BeIj8WRU6P7L/s1600/CIMG4547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckAZPCseaEc7dzTjf4EjEzj6eYfmubMJ_WQ-jAGEI0Bp7IbwognXzRHj5P_SgWvlmaxmzvi1Mg69El2KsmzhS_bgPgvWOz4nk5mSqeZHkkZQg24PO9Hl9qBsNKFlKQPT3BeIj8WRU6P7L/s1600/CIMG4547.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The workmen walk along the road dressed in crisp blue shirts tucked into colourful lungis.<span> </span>I love the fact that here you see men proudly wearing sarongs of dazzling floral displays of fuchsia-pinks, aqua-blue and lemon.<span> </span>You never know what you’re going to see next while driving down the street here. <br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Elephants
plod down the street led by their mahoots, tiny temples spew out
ear-piercing tinny music from massive speakers, crumbling red-tiled
bungalows slump in half-decay at the roadside.<span> </span>It’s impossible to be bored by Kerala’s daily road-side entertainment. <span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />We
stop to watch a road-side festival procession for Vela: all clashing
cymbals and banging drums provided by a tiny but enthusiastic orchestra.<span> </span>A
massive gaudy effigy sits beside the players waiting to be heaved
upward onto the shoulders of an army of devotees to the nearest temple.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />A rickshaw passes by with a sparkling tinsel creation mushrooming out of its roof.<span> </span>It looks like a Dr Who dalek who decided to dress up for the night.<span> </span>Then
it’s an entire invasion of daleks as a whole platoon of rickshaws
bearing this weird cargo begin to whizz by, another then another,
turning the rural roads into a surreal sci-fi tribute show. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />Driving along in the evening I come across a more modern distraction.<span> </span>A
van we are stuck behind has converted its rear into a TV screen which
plays a flickering succession of glossy, gauche advertisements. <span> </span>All the cars behind putter along at a snail’s pace to bathe in the shimmering glow of the mobile TV.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />Just when you think there are enough diversions on the roads here, they go and create one more. <br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">Note: A blast from the past. This article was written by Jessica Lee
after winning a travel assignment organised in partnership with World
Nomads, Footprint Handbook to India and The Blue Yonder. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-8679104893334655352014-08-12T19:32:00.001+05:302014-08-12T19:32:03.466+05:30Snapshots From Along a River: The Snake Worshippers <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFYIhwzkj_IF96_Buk4N7q6sY-EBc_FKre8ITFuYlKYuKXD4CLEx6dKzJzcnRJzawSRtWHHCGFIis_7aNpGC8dEkIEzLMKDTah85lZZBk4IFg6wVUqTfCvMY7Hc79JsrPIsy6LG62N2Ff/s1600/CIMG5021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFYIhwzkj_IF96_Buk4N7q6sY-EBc_FKre8ITFuYlKYuKXD4CLEx6dKzJzcnRJzawSRtWHHCGFIis_7aNpGC8dEkIEzLMKDTah85lZZBk4IFg6wVUqTfCvMY7Hc79JsrPIsy6LG62N2Ff/s1600/CIMG5021.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The picture is slowly taking shape: two massive entwined serpents which cover the courtyard.<span> </span>The
little girl beside me looks out from heavily kohl-rimmed eyes,
entranced by the strange colourfully swirling shapes emerging upon her
courtyard.<span> <br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Bent over in concentration, a woman and three men are drawing on the floor.<span> </span>Beside
them are bowls of coloured powder: black, white, green and red made
from ground up charcoal, rice powder, leaves and turmeric.<span> </span><span> </span>The picture is known as a Kalamezhuth and is drawn in praise of the serpent gods. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Pulluva community are traditional snake-worshippers.<span> </span>There is none of our western perception of snake charmers here.<span> </span>No cobras hiding in baskets in Indiana Jones’ style dramas.<span> </span>This
ceremony is performed to bring health and well-being to a household and
the only snake included is the one being drawn on the ground.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />An oil lamp is lit.<span> </span>The Pulluva sit to one side of the drawing and pick up their instruments.<span> </span>The youngest boy stands to one side carrying a lit flame.<span> </span>The music is eerie and haunting and slow and seems to exist without needing a steady beat to make it flow.<span> </span>It’s like an orchestra unleashed from a conductor, a jangling jam-session with no rhythm.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />The
music becomes wilder and the young boy with the fire begins a willowy
sinuous dance, running the licking flames over his body.<span> </span>We all hold our breath as he moves panther-like around the drawing with hypnotic eyes. <span> </span>Slapping the flame continuously over himself like a man possessed.<span> </span>The air is brushed with the smell of his singed skin as he leaps and dances in front of us wielding the flame.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">And suddenly it is all over.<span> </span>The music croaks and groans to an unexpected end.<span> </span>The boy stands still.<span> </span>The woman puts down her instrument and picks up a broom of twigs.<span> </span>She bends down before the drawing and sweeps it into a Jackson Pollock swirl of colour.<span> </span>The intoxicating atmosphere is broken.<span> </span>The little girl next to me giggles.<span> </span>The fire-wielding boy puts his t-shirt back on and chats happily to one of the family.<span> </span>I sit there startled and wonder if that all just actually happened or if I just made it all up.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />Note: A blast from the past. This article was written in 2009 by Jessica Lee
after winning a travel assignment organised in partnership with World
Nomads, Footprint Handbook to India and The Blue Yonder. </span></div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-13183917805075371942014-08-12T19:27:00.000+05:302014-08-12T19:27:50.564+05:30 Snapshots From Along a River - Vayali Folklore Group<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vLaJjObhC7GsHX3y_fDSk1v4yeOkW114z6vojbJzU2WnXFOZPs29nSWM9dmt3073GxbbztDUCeerHoCi9RaCisDia8_22klJOE0tu-_GkLpNZS0ckhFB8wERQUH__EuzXPpPGx6Vvj61/s1600/CIMG5070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vLaJjObhC7GsHX3y_fDSk1v4yeOkW114z6vojbJzU2WnXFOZPs29nSWM9dmt3073GxbbztDUCeerHoCi9RaCisDia8_22klJOE0tu-_GkLpNZS0ckhFB8wERQUH__EuzXPpPGx6Vvj61/s1600/CIMG5070.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s at least a dozen kids all sitting on the floor in front of me.<span> </span>They are wriggling about torn between curiosity and shyness.<span> </span>Furtive glances and whispers are exchanged before the boldest one is half pushed by the others to come over.<span> </span>All neat pig-tails and shining eyes she stands in front of me.<span> </span>“What is your name?”<span> </span>She finally blurts out.<span> </span>“Jess,” I answer, “what’s yours?”<span> </span>But she’s already collapsing into a fit of shrieks and giggles and is darting back to the safety of her friends on the floor.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">They eye me up with trepidation but I’m only an entree for the real entertainment tonight.<span> </span>The
Vayali folklore group began in 2003 when a group of young local people
set out to preserve the indigenous traditions of song, dance and drama
in the region.<span> </span>With little more than bags of enthusiasm
they have succeeded in launching a revival of folkloric culture and
bringing back to life the songs of their ancestors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />Dancers
weighed down with huge silver anklets and elaborate headdresses of
peacock feathers shake and convulse in front of me as the choir sways to
the beat and sings stories of old.<span> </span>These oral traditions
may tell of the battles of Hindu gods on the surface but behind it all
is the story of daily life in the paddy fields, of harvests and
celebration.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />Local
families have squeezed into the small courtyard to watch; parents,
children and teenagers clapping along to the rhythm of the drums and
swaying to the beat.<span> </span>Dancers disguised with thick make-up
and masks stalk sneeringly in front of the children who recoil screaming
and then cry out for more.<span> </span>There’s a tangible feeling of
community here, an inclusive connection between performer and audience
that is rarely seen elsewhere. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />And suddenly the children are up dancing, spontaneously lifted by the beat to join in.<span> </span>The
musicians thump their drums faster in response and the singers pick up
the change and flow with it, raising lilting voices to a quicker pulse.<span> </span>The
dancers begin to grab more people and I am thrown into the whirlpool of
the stage with them dancing around and round till it’s all a blur.<span> </span>It’s
like one of those mid-90’s warehouse raves before drugs and health and
safety precautions sprayed cold water on the enterprise.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />The music stops, we all collapse back into our seats trying to catch our breath and laughing at the same time.</span></div>
</div>
<br />Note: A blast from the past. This article was written by Jessica Lee in 2009
after winning a travel assignment organised in partnership with World
Nomads, Footprint Handbook to India and The Blue Yonder. </div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-77998366443354958882014-08-12T19:23:00.000+05:302014-08-12T19:23:13.419+05:30Snapshots from along a river<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="post">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hy1KuplTQdM2NwmsKaOqAZD1OtHLtk5ufUPoMNlTbZTYcl9WxTgxRncM045R_C08DXk1f6Bc17cjyMt8zmwgh3xU68NJ-ptfUOykZSQameqhJLSJLDfmLyrdLeHwa7gLcUv-aXyMzHkt/s1600/drums.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Hy1KuplTQdM2NwmsKaOqAZD1OtHLtk5ufUPoMNlTbZTYcl9WxTgxRncM045R_C08DXk1f6Bc17cjyMt8zmwgh3xU68NJ-ptfUOykZSQameqhJLSJLDfmLyrdLeHwa7gLcUv-aXyMzHkt/s1600/drums.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today
is the opening day of the Kalyani Para music centre and the atmosphere
around me is electric. Sweaty cameramen from Malayalam TV jostle for
good vantage points while assembled villagers excitedly take their
seats.<span> </span>Dedicated to the memory of his father, a famous
temple devotional singer, Hari Govindan is setting up this centre so
that the Nila’s music continues on and to make sure that the caste
system will never be an obstacle to being able to perform.<span> <br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Despite the public demise of the caste system, it still can be used as a barrier in real life. <span> </span>The
right to perform inside temples at festivals has often been reserved
for musicians from a high-caste leaving other talented performers
without a platform to be heard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />The talented musicians of the Mannan caste were among those not allowed to perform.<span> </span>Unable
to find an audience, The Blue Yonder and Hari conspired to bring an
audience to them; taking tourists to hear the unique music of the Nila
played by these musical masters.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />Tourists
who heard them came back raving and those who had once banned them from
playing began wondering what they were missing out on.<span> </span>Now
the original musicians of those first tourist performances are in such
popular demand at temples that new players have to be found for the
tourists.<span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />The Nila’s musical traditions revolve mainly around percussion.<span> </span>There’s
the Mizhaeu: recognised as the oldest theatre drum in the world, the
Maddalam: which weighs a whopping 30 kilos, and the Idakka: a bizarre
contraption decorated with colourful pompoms and the world’s only drum
that can produce every note on the scale. <span> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"><br />This morning the air is alive with the pounding vibrations of these instruments as the musicians skilfully beat out their songs.<span> </span>Music
here has a history as long as the river itself and these traditions are
thankfully in no danger of disappearing anytime soon. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />Note: A blast from the past. This article was written by Jessica Lee after winning a travel assignment organised in partnership with World Nomads, Footprint Handbook to India and The Blue Yonder. </div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-56213940741142658522014-05-11T14:07:00.000+05:302014-05-11T14:11:43.434+05:30A to Z of Responsible Travel wins Das Goldene Stadttor 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigX7FSfq9mJ4WfbVzh9fzLIQkFUx8lg8UErqJJ8foo-p0KwosSroIwA4yzEC2XIEuKeY4JVASxRfFLYUIYY7PDvuZqHbnFwQEvpBR1fCMq1mKZeiF4126GvwRn38fpoFBPNUn5gMHl0M2/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigX7FSfq9mJ4WfbVzh9fzLIQkFUx8lg8UErqJJ8foo-p0KwosSroIwA4yzEC2XIEuKeY4JVASxRfFLYUIYY7PDvuZqHbnFwQEvpBR1fCMq1mKZeiF4126GvwRn38fpoFBPNUn5gMHl0M2/s1600/001.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.atozofrt.com/" target="_blank">A to Z of Responsible Tourism</a> campaign designed by The Blue Yonder has won second prize at the prestigous Das Goldene Stadttor award 2014 in Berlin. Into it's 13th year of functioning, International Tourism Film-and Multimedia competition is considered as the Oscars of Tourism Industry. <br />
<br />
Considering that this campaign was designed and implemented with a lot of budget constraints and normally such awards are won by large tourism boards or big companies with deep pocket to spent on PR and promotions, this is a humble recognition to the innovative style in which the all campaign was developed. <br />
<br />
A-Z of Responsible Tourism was designed <a href="http://www.tbya.co/" target="_blank">TBYA</a> for The Blue Yonder as
part of it's initiative to demystify the concept of Responsible Travel.
Conceptualised by Zainab Kakal, the initial
sketches for the exhibition space of The Blue Yonder at India's first
Biennale - <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/" target="_blank">The Kochi Muziris Biennale</a> 2012 was done by two design
students Akshan Ish and Sudeepti Tucker from National Institute of
Design, Ahmedabad, India. Second phase of the backdrop for an
interactive installation at<a href="http://itb-berlin.de/" target="_blank"> ITB Berlin</a> 2013 was completed by Ameya
Kulkarni. These were later converted into separate post cards by Binit
Basa of <a href="http://www.triature.in/" target="_blank">Triature</a> with text from Zainab and Jeremy Smith who were associated with <a href="http://www.tbya.co/" target="_blank">TBYA</a>.
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANA45K4ITlpAm235kDQ6D-35LgOg2-vmcLFvtbaogTdKPlAOq1cKCiwEhIAcRGRI2Tee9FzX7g2bL73QjZYP5EqHJWThQtPjoAzPxn5O1N78td3y_jf0RuTQ_ivSdOPSpDsevboYbl5gg/s1600/S_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANA45K4ITlpAm235kDQ6D-35LgOg2-vmcLFvtbaogTdKPlAOq1cKCiwEhIAcRGRI2Tee9FzX7g2bL73QjZYP5EqHJWThQtPjoAzPxn5O1N78td3y_jf0RuTQ_ivSdOPSpDsevboYbl5gg/s1600/S_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-21.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
These cards were used at <a href="http://itb-berlin.de/" target="_blank">ITB Berlin</a> to interpret the backdrop on the
theme of Responsible Tourism to trade visitors and consumers by Mariska
van Gaalen. The interactive installation of A-Z of responsible travel was exhibited once again at ITB Berlin 2014 interpreted by Christopher Lomholt. <br />
<br />
Irrespective of the fact that responsible tourism is being talked
about and practiced in the last two decades, for many in the tourism
industry as well as travellers, it's still something like an accessory
and not a mainstay in their business or as a choice of travel. We
created these set of cards to demystify the idea of Responsible Tourism.
These ideas were crowd-sourced on Facebook mostly through <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/rtnetworking/" target="_blank">Responsible Tourism Networking Group </a>and other social media in
the run up to ITB Berlin 2013.<br />
<br />
What is interesting for many who followed this campaign was the fact that The Blue Yonder was a tour operator and not a media company. Seeing the struggle the industry had / has in understanding and positioning various travel experiences and pushing Responsible Tourism as a definition similar to viz, ecotourism, we
decided to take the responsibility of sharing our concept with them. Responsible Tourism for us is a way to achieve Sustainable Tourism, where sustainability is the aspiration and responsibility is the DNA with which one runs the business. We are not selling responsible tourism, but travel experiences. <br />
<br />
We
created set of cards ( 26 alphabets) which are available both offline and online, which are being used by several universities and European Tour Operators to train their team on Responsible Tourism. Indeed our guests love them too! <br />
<br /></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-4272667949234076082013-11-25T11:57:00.003+05:302013-11-25T11:57:18.970+05:30Welcome to Pondicherry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFdOVseEkMB__30rSUYq-gmROrKw2ukRVnt8HKqZlbvVWb0tVZ7_mHoGNVjavHlQzcneHIziuMoMqFTeZZNgGdh69Bnp7C1mrMmF_GbOppqAmKX6eVtyH_5ij_RPNt0rpZ9qeXJL1LcMu/s1600/IMG_8017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFdOVseEkMB__30rSUYq-gmROrKw2ukRVnt8HKqZlbvVWb0tVZ7_mHoGNVjavHlQzcneHIziuMoMqFTeZZNgGdh69Bnp7C1mrMmF_GbOppqAmKX6eVtyH_5ij_RPNt0rpZ9qeXJL1LcMu/s400/IMG_8017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Pondicherry is old. Pondicherry is new. Pondicherry still stands still
in time. From the wide but empty roads of the French quarter, to the
architectural maze of Tamil and Muslim quarters, Pondicherry is the most
underestimated destinations in India. For eons, Pondicherry was known
for it’s spirituality. From ancient sage Agastiar to modern day
spiritual leaders in the form of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother attracted
travelers of a different kind. The thought process surrounding ‘Integral
Yoga’ attracted thousands to Pondicherry resulting in the formation of
Sri Aurobindo Ashram and later the growth of a unique experimental
international township called Auroville.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our travel itinerary in Pondicherry and it’s surrounding is something
that helps you go deeper and not use Pondicherry as a stop gap travel
destination en-route other heritage sites. These are very interactive,
meaningful journey to meet the locals while getting deeper insight into
the culture, heritage and social fabric of what makes Pondicherry a
special place.<br />
<br />
Customised depending on the guest profile and time available, some of the activities and experiences are listed below.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguizjNtDgQemHt0mVu2T4_IVKCtHth6WnmaWktfv5ZD6py73IBhvxpnVRZtpB64cq5K_22Vz8bhcDxbKyS0blPJSZhSj7t90VmUPMeHwt5bRPHW1Ihy55hq8VrKO0rKHXzlWHra-bojYN/s1600/IMG_7708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgguizjNtDgQemHt0mVu2T4_IVKCtHth6WnmaWktfv5ZD6py73IBhvxpnVRZtpB64cq5K_22Vz8bhcDxbKyS0blPJSZhSj7t90VmUPMeHwt5bRPHW1Ihy55hq8VrKO0rKHXzlWHra-bojYN/s400/IMG_7708.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Integral Yoga: </b>Spend time with our team mates and thought leaders to
understand more about the yoga propagated by Sri Aurobindo and The
Mother. Meet up with people and initiatives that makes a difference in
Pondicherry while helping individuals their path to self-realisation.
Mornings and evenings we are happy to invite you to practice yoga with
us. Previous experiences not needed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Conscious Farms:</b>Our partners have created a network of farmers in and
around Pondicherry who apply the virtue of consciousness in the way they
produce organic food in a sustainable way. Some farms are larger, some
are small, some are old, some are new, some are struggling to find a
balance between passion and market. Meet, interact and work with these
farmers in their field, stay with them and eat the food that’s produced
locally.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Volunteering: </b>This isn’t the typical voluntourism trip. We work closely
with select not for profit initiatives to promote community based health
care as well as run a beautiful school for gifted children. The
sensitisation team goes around rural and urban Pondicherry using theatre
as tool for social change. Travel with them,get to see a Pondicherry
that you wouldn’t be seeing as a regular tourist. Be the traveler in the
truest sense</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTBO1rNCygx94zpMmMhuT0B5P9svB1aqF51kePPEhgf88DpzcwiCVHYStnjJNDsVe9MqbO38W_A9cijzTEWZ5d95tB_XBEz6KnNQQWzl-_7VZgGyWctI6fNohAjaxmSxAjXWcFGRU37yj/s1600/IMG_7966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTBO1rNCygx94zpMmMhuT0B5P9svB1aqF51kePPEhgf88DpzcwiCVHYStnjJNDsVe9MqbO38W_A9cijzTEWZ5d95tB_XBEz6KnNQQWzl-_7VZgGyWctI6fNohAjaxmSxAjXWcFGRU37yj/s400/IMG_7966.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Legend Trails:</b> Pondicherry is all about stories. Legends, saints,
folklore ride a thin red line between stories and history of this
ancient port city. Walk with our story tellers, listen to hillarious and
intriguing stories. Few hours a day, or full days, the trail is the
most exciting experience one could think of.<br />
<br /><b>
Tree Walks:</b> Walk with local students and volunteers who are coming
together to build a environmentally conscious community in Pondicherry.
Would you like to know the name, relevance and importance of the trees
in Pondicherry? Whether it’s urban biodiverstiy or rural bio-diversity,
these tree walks give you insight into people and places in a unique
way.<br />
<br /><b>
South Indian Martial Arts:</b> It was one of the Pallava Prince from nearby
Kachivaram, Bodhidharma who was instrumental in taking South Indian
martial arts of Kalaripayattu to China resulting in the practice of
martial arts and Zen Buddhism at the famous Shaolin Temple. Meet the
masters and students who continues the practice in Pondicherry and see
some breathtaking performances.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMmyh2BZbF_WnOVpLkSqE3QTahb1MIuFExu_0RAEtpxhkmoToFQmrNWuFv6MgC3wqLq2Dv-Pa8QuhtwbK7QgpR23kkLYHME37zI-3CZztVp_uGhFbc5-9sr9gmwsxbi_g02gXsK8mlE-i/s1600/IMG_8051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMmyh2BZbF_WnOVpLkSqE3QTahb1MIuFExu_0RAEtpxhkmoToFQmrNWuFv6MgC3wqLq2Dv-Pa8QuhtwbK7QgpR23kkLYHME37zI-3CZztVp_uGhFbc5-9sr9gmwsxbi_g02gXsK8mlE-i/s400/IMG_8051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Musical & Folk Trails:</b> We work closely with ‘Payanam’, an initiative
to promote responsible travel in to Pondicherry and this network has
been connecting to several musical and folk artists as part of their
attempt to preserve local culture and provide livelihood options to the
struggling artists. Meet them in their villages, houses, and join their
performances.<br />
<br /><b>
Slow Food restaurants:</b> What’s a trip to Pondicherry without experiencing
local food? Traditional recipes, local ingredients, healthy diet. Try
out mouth water recipes at some of the new initiatives set up by our own
partners. These restaurants are linked to the conscious farms.</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-79937249605047919442013-03-12T01:10:00.000+05:302014-01-30T15:43:16.336+05:30A-Z of Responsible Tourism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
A-Z of Responsible Tourism was designed <a href="http://tbya.co/" target="_blank">TBYA</a> for <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Yonder</a> as part of it's initiative to demystify the concept of Responsible Travel. Conceptualised by <a href="http://tbya.co/index/index.php/who-we-are/" target="_blank">Zainab Kakal</a> and Gopinath Parayil(Gopi), the initial sketches for the exhibition space of The Blue Yonder at India's first Biennale - The <a href="http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/" target="_blank">Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012</a> was done by two design students <a href="http://akshanish.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Akshan Ish</a> and <a href="http://suddypudding.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Sudeepti Tucker</a> from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. Second phase of the backdrop for an interactive installation at ITB Berlin 2013 was completed by <a href="http://ameyask.com/" target="_blank">Ameya Kulkarni</a>. These were later converted into separate post cards by Binit Basa of <a href="http://www.triature.co/" target="_blank">Triature</a> with text from Zainab and <a href="http://tbya.co/index/index.php/who-we-are/" target="_blank">Jeremy Smith</a> who is in charge of strategic communication at TBYA. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
These cards were used at ITB Berlin to interpret the backdrop on the theme os Responsible Tourism to trade visitors and consumers by <a href="http://isthmusconnect.com/index/about-us/" target="_blank">Mariska van Gaalen</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi_2bHg2sCVUcGQS8Gvhq9_Mvo3xt3WY5N4sjt4jfA5L0qDSYW2Y1B55PcV6RhEzWVG6EzEiYEaXFZAteDX9cdL7K9w-VUkad2QsOW7cQrUrkRYekd_ARrfFl-N3leNXlzHufKDMsIZiv/s1600/A_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRi_2bHg2sCVUcGQS8Gvhq9_Mvo3xt3WY5N4sjt4jfA5L0qDSYW2Y1B55PcV6RhEzWVG6EzEiYEaXFZAteDX9cdL7K9w-VUkad2QsOW7cQrUrkRYekd_ARrfFl-N3leNXlzHufKDMsIZiv/s400/A_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-13.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Yu2z9LK7QFbVpag-wAN1oDLYhk7xFkASFA5kzb1z54BR5OkdeCHAxoN9KH7eqChTDScqRzw_4umiEKmhoj0Fd7T9JbOQxMyAG6KaJlyRvQ5ogHg-38zIOMy_7-DmMIAkkyvGasFCwS-L/s1600/B_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Yu2z9LK7QFbVpag-wAN1oDLYhk7xFkASFA5kzb1z54BR5OkdeCHAxoN9KH7eqChTDScqRzw_4umiEKmhoj0Fd7T9JbOQxMyAG6KaJlyRvQ5ogHg-38zIOMy_7-DmMIAkkyvGasFCwS-L/s400/B_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-14.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YdFqfLNlCngt6iHczrbvJwJHyMAH47Cd5emHGn90vczMnVCZ1ak6GmMYQafpFtfkUnMToeHPSbMtruFHsQMVCRQwDoOPpiJlc407wtwz2rVLDDMPrq_Va51uqETAr3lkAv-_BoOsjLUP/s1600/C_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YdFqfLNlCngt6iHczrbvJwJHyMAH47Cd5emHGn90vczMnVCZ1ak6GmMYQafpFtfkUnMToeHPSbMtruFHsQMVCRQwDoOPpiJlc407wtwz2rVLDDMPrq_Va51uqETAr3lkAv-_BoOsjLUP/s400/C_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-02.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakEjKa8mKCIiYkBoqYLZ4kFhDk7aG1H3OBpgpaLvPFvTYiFfy5xyJ0ackPrxSu38BJOu2GxesJieS8P25SFLRo0LLVW-bpWjvbTM9jedRcD1fzyXo9bsypuXZPSMLkrU6sdej-PVQWwyb/s1600/D_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakEjKa8mKCIiYkBoqYLZ4kFhDk7aG1H3OBpgpaLvPFvTYiFfy5xyJ0ackPrxSu38BJOu2GxesJieS8P25SFLRo0LLVW-bpWjvbTM9jedRcD1fzyXo9bsypuXZPSMLkrU6sdej-PVQWwyb/s400/D_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-03.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqgD-sDydejMFtGAY9JozUxRqejNSHD-8mBf26rKPJqUy8oKJkgSxgKWxlYhUxZHkHa3aAaxODI3vnSguesjlwMMLCx3X5t6g5LRf1EySSYD3ZTGu0a51645MxmJ2JYyDfytGQuzlIAjP/s1600/E_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqgD-sDydejMFtGAY9JozUxRqejNSHD-8mBf26rKPJqUy8oKJkgSxgKWxlYhUxZHkHa3aAaxODI3vnSguesjlwMMLCx3X5t6g5LRf1EySSYD3ZTGu0a51645MxmJ2JYyDfytGQuzlIAjP/s400/E_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-04.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLu9FVArhPL5XkywNI7_5Nyw01p_2L9Vyg8DwPfahP1LU6znAOEvTxXwrHTAlU4sT64yweGYbW0_QbXX7itrt_FC_7xo_6d_DmlHdtYrHTnMQ0ZDjNMOpVuNv21YF59CdADB26csBxJnyL/s1600/F_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLu9FVArhPL5XkywNI7_5Nyw01p_2L9Vyg8DwPfahP1LU6znAOEvTxXwrHTAlU4sT64yweGYbW0_QbXX7itrt_FC_7xo_6d_DmlHdtYrHTnMQ0ZDjNMOpVuNv21YF59CdADB26csBxJnyL/s400/F_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-05.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2ktgemRQErK1qR2sDkR-USv6SM77eCtttSHf-Q8oEnhXUgBjyfPUawuKhWtPPI7_A1vZ2p6y3hwqLOLmG9fgxhSvkHmF6bxKvoGUBfhdyRbAqO1Dl7uoy83C2xyP4J5RegbQxbCNPvyq/s1600/G_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2ktgemRQErK1qR2sDkR-USv6SM77eCtttSHf-Q8oEnhXUgBjyfPUawuKhWtPPI7_A1vZ2p6y3hwqLOLmG9fgxhSvkHmF6bxKvoGUBfhdyRbAqO1Dl7uoy83C2xyP4J5RegbQxbCNPvyq/s400/G_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-15.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGI2e5vN0ussK2wdwHtrMW8ebRVL7GshmfcR1F20refukyMp41YfLGRuAmEc41K8uEWm-LYbV559BosY5QrZno-pLl3QPzZkVcVG74RYi5988BmKEc1SFYEFg16CuyNsoOA9sEbkQIxO5/s1600/H_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGI2e5vN0ussK2wdwHtrMW8ebRVL7GshmfcR1F20refukyMp41YfLGRuAmEc41K8uEWm-LYbV559BosY5QrZno-pLl3QPzZkVcVG74RYi5988BmKEc1SFYEFg16CuyNsoOA9sEbkQIxO5/s400/H_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-27.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQszoFxPTiq1bytdkLMtCNnbd41-bijdZeLIgw-vTsA_lu0ks_7zyrqqhCH0Vs4D8Bn7ZhXjSIMv5R3etc_tGCKA8ZO180LGZnjE2Q6x6mq2loSiTbeaRI7Lu0ZvYkohPl9QI7VAPGXJJJ/s1600/I_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQszoFxPTiq1bytdkLMtCNnbd41-bijdZeLIgw-vTsA_lu0ks_7zyrqqhCH0Vs4D8Bn7ZhXjSIMv5R3etc_tGCKA8ZO180LGZnjE2Q6x6mq2loSiTbeaRI7Lu0ZvYkohPl9QI7VAPGXJJJ/s400/I_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-06.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsjzXoiYPsiuId5FIJvFTs4H-DGzriC_uPudmUk4K4YFCR4DdZsIaDTz3hEBS8v4sfz6ITjrp7nDIQ77PVMDvbpMzrpmHBg7lsUh_XNhrG5HmoeNpMf3ZDJJuE4pGQhZs2Eh8wYgnHBRI/s1600/J_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsjzXoiYPsiuId5FIJvFTs4H-DGzriC_uPudmUk4K4YFCR4DdZsIaDTz3hEBS8v4sfz6ITjrp7nDIQ77PVMDvbpMzrpmHBg7lsUh_XNhrG5HmoeNpMf3ZDJJuE4pGQhZs2Eh8wYgnHBRI/s400/J_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-16.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8ct0n0jneJeYibcARmwBG76c9jNtKrv0etLpC6i9EJMrx-vPx4PG0kfIL1SVJUiCBUUBi_UJRu2q0QSAEGreIsYfMQRmBnSHj1yko9f0vLSuvdIcqNWBe7Cu0TAGg70XBRuy4Xob2R4F/s1600/K_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8ct0n0jneJeYibcARmwBG76c9jNtKrv0etLpC6i9EJMrx-vPx4PG0kfIL1SVJUiCBUUBi_UJRu2q0QSAEGreIsYfMQRmBnSHj1yko9f0vLSuvdIcqNWBe7Cu0TAGg70XBRuy4Xob2R4F/s400/K_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-17.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWPPo6NkEFdj5e9dSTo4kqbASw7Uhs6sraRW5xEn0A21Liee7PC6HBksB4welDDifqKBr0M8zDoq8c4WjCP4Mozx7sEkJbnfBr0gaqqv6AYvM_v2fGlXOA4Y6nolxqyYsTmM0V8GQZVMU/s1600/L_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWPPo6NkEFdj5e9dSTo4kqbASw7Uhs6sraRW5xEn0A21Liee7PC6HBksB4welDDifqKBr0M8zDoq8c4WjCP4Mozx7sEkJbnfBr0gaqqv6AYvM_v2fGlXOA4Y6nolxqyYsTmM0V8GQZVMU/s400/L_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-18.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkliWg_wWHabl6VxYAEwt9olja7Rhzh5dIrjs2iX6-lwl3-JBTQQFxusRie2g6nJ5xQ1sr71cLdNuauTGGDz2Cnx8BTcif6irUUMlr1qDVJ0Ew1OxnK8e7_Krm04JJaihXOlnkSdjjJbDm/s1600/M_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkliWg_wWHabl6VxYAEwt9olja7Rhzh5dIrjs2iX6-lwl3-JBTQQFxusRie2g6nJ5xQ1sr71cLdNuauTGGDz2Cnx8BTcif6irUUMlr1qDVJ0Ew1OxnK8e7_Krm04JJaihXOlnkSdjjJbDm/s400/M_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-19.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76_FSUqnFVhg8c2omyEarRD3pQjfMj-q7-_0S0ewRKr8KCnNhw58YjZgafnwYQF8imA0r0lZMB7c0LG3X9geCM2jzLegJ0m0jyflbo_NS_j8bq_1TqKNo6WzroVpQp2NVU6gwMPwjgS02/s1600/N_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76_FSUqnFVhg8c2omyEarRD3pQjfMj-q7-_0S0ewRKr8KCnNhw58YjZgafnwYQF8imA0r0lZMB7c0LG3X9geCM2jzLegJ0m0jyflbo_NS_j8bq_1TqKNo6WzroVpQp2NVU6gwMPwjgS02/s400/N_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-25.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOJe4uvWvb_H_Xm-W5RHoGcCGVelUor5dlbjxY3hcTYzR17XX6sX5qd2PG4AubNDX6uh2S1_eflTcxKGJ0m_UzOxgT5YZZq3yMTcEb7cg45oWlZK9S9dbIGwFc_krQa0F1Sik_qGfXHFf/s1600/O_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOJe4uvWvb_H_Xm-W5RHoGcCGVelUor5dlbjxY3hcTYzR17XX6sX5qd2PG4AubNDX6uh2S1_eflTcxKGJ0m_UzOxgT5YZZq3yMTcEb7cg45oWlZK9S9dbIGwFc_krQa0F1Sik_qGfXHFf/s400/O_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-20.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLF38Ar-Yyd-qhfEHtyEOtZuTXr1-FjXcEaOTasFGVINt0VIOGm0OLc1bqtmterZ3K397t6C8roe_jB8Rn48Q_eltJC9KV7CLceYv1iao_FCartMHLWXInxac3uHkMNnqi-7Gv-97KZXK/s1600/P_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLF38Ar-Yyd-qhfEHtyEOtZuTXr1-FjXcEaOTasFGVINt0VIOGm0OLc1bqtmterZ3K397t6C8roe_jB8Rn48Q_eltJC9KV7CLceYv1iao_FCartMHLWXInxac3uHkMNnqi-7Gv-97KZXK/s400/P_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-08.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCOcEfYWw4eXZuyrV9aFIS09ovN054a1IivNkuGn3s6c6EQ8-O_-_SfJI9Cr34G8YuyxPp_zopevpzjtrcdndH8Bf1hlL6cmjnRqa92vkWPhPkbRH1X-uzNecJA6jL2w1_IY9Wd0LOWJM/s1600/Q_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCOcEfYWw4eXZuyrV9aFIS09ovN054a1IivNkuGn3s6c6EQ8-O_-_SfJI9Cr34G8YuyxPp_zopevpzjtrcdndH8Bf1hlL6cmjnRqa92vkWPhPkbRH1X-uzNecJA6jL2w1_IY9Wd0LOWJM/s400/Q_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-28.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMB7rTVCMX2IumKlbhMCPKX83dNoeAQuPbAemQRX119o9rETYmwywHZ7474YQ82gRpUJ-9lZ9fGHwST3ax2WUDFQy4Enj8OsD9SR7KF06u-z6TNJ_z8L5ePyCfgZU6JPi4M7RLuNbsJnP/s1600/R_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMB7rTVCMX2IumKlbhMCPKX83dNoeAQuPbAemQRX119o9rETYmwywHZ7474YQ82gRpUJ-9lZ9fGHwST3ax2WUDFQy4Enj8OsD9SR7KF06u-z6TNJ_z8L5ePyCfgZU6JPi4M7RLuNbsJnP/s400/R_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-26.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxPipw4MV2UHm2ZXc4yqGUueZFKLKcS_PJMfSTnPmQdcwSDziz84sqUGdGSseXitR6Ds3gygZFSwvNoesS4jb_rh3fPQTVFTsqUBOhl1oI_Ba1cCsVzLNOGa_42zBWKEjWKFdUlfxxuxK/s1600/S_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxPipw4MV2UHm2ZXc4yqGUueZFKLKcS_PJMfSTnPmQdcwSDziz84sqUGdGSseXitR6Ds3gygZFSwvNoesS4jb_rh3fPQTVFTsqUBOhl1oI_Ba1cCsVzLNOGa_42zBWKEjWKFdUlfxxuxK/s400/S_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-21.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybtT5PIGy-xnlvFWMsuWB-fJCAr3xpZAGPRoq32bdYBsdwyoH8Z3lEH-PdT-O5n4hC9IWiH42yzaz3m6-5xye8Hq_Jw-e0vxnG3Y3QYL9eIjFtgyDkDmU40Lzk4_l967myKvKGMYmCe0-/s1600/T_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybtT5PIGy-xnlvFWMsuWB-fJCAr3xpZAGPRoq32bdYBsdwyoH8Z3lEH-PdT-O5n4hC9IWiH42yzaz3m6-5xye8Hq_Jw-e0vxnG3Y3QYL9eIjFtgyDkDmU40Lzk4_l967myKvKGMYmCe0-/s400/T_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-10.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SF_tkwCKgZ2YqqfbVu7yxc7Fitjoc14hbJKdh8hJxO-F9z116WUNc1TPYLrxI3XZO4pHcdqjM0jMkB16xLJL2jt1sCXo1BUC_3lzyD7vPMh_koMv71nEuEHuV1shiS1cs3LoMozz_qHO/s1600/U_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SF_tkwCKgZ2YqqfbVu7yxc7Fitjoc14hbJKdh8hJxO-F9z116WUNc1TPYLrxI3XZO4pHcdqjM0jMkB16xLJL2jt1sCXo1BUC_3lzyD7vPMh_koMv71nEuEHuV1shiS1cs3LoMozz_qHO/s400/U_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-09.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYgA-3Qt-or_9WaZB3HNMFA3tk1zmxSzzPsY9Mo351PlUv2RXbY7ulZbYsmxET-blL0TbckoqQEqEAe87qcioRlQTgusadz_mkgBc7tZJEAG1PFfmtuPzHjxq-bm8rcxgjxICaBJG_oGS/s1600/V_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYgA-3Qt-or_9WaZB3HNMFA3tk1zmxSzzPsY9Mo351PlUv2RXbY7ulZbYsmxET-blL0TbckoqQEqEAe87qcioRlQTgusadz_mkgBc7tZJEAG1PFfmtuPzHjxq-bm8rcxgjxICaBJG_oGS/s400/V_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-22.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMSFqrYqG0BHEunMS8JWgj_3dn8cYit7zvkvYxapHJyaSP6fQ5RX0GbcJhf4drHOj0ESxlH_mAA_aWHkxsDjNss1FJTufMPPkvY8FWBrv9cl7ZYAEMdQyTsSPmifDpZlwp9pRQvx-KWrI/s1600/W_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMSFqrYqG0BHEunMS8JWgj_3dn8cYit7zvkvYxapHJyaSP6fQ5RX0GbcJhf4drHOj0ESxlH_mAA_aWHkxsDjNss1FJTufMPPkvY8FWBrv9cl7ZYAEMdQyTsSPmifDpZlwp9pRQvx-KWrI/s400/W_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-23.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLIHx86FtZTM5RyT9OY_iUB8oZDferB-VPzHXxk4duyvhIpMlKtRJT9DFobt2ARuZSDkV1MEaxWB_RDljp2Spk0uTIEOAdQYcfbz5ZTBMJ12TT8-TLMBtVmeM7UivkTIb1zhDYzD98ldR/s1600/X_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLIHx86FtZTM5RyT9OY_iUB8oZDferB-VPzHXxk4duyvhIpMlKtRJT9DFobt2ARuZSDkV1MEaxWB_RDljp2Spk0uTIEOAdQYcfbz5ZTBMJ12TT8-TLMBtVmeM7UivkTIb1zhDYzD98ldR/s400/X_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-24.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLmEvteHjwYxgq2HyRMtOwljeqp4tmvYy7DZ85ZSpsdQ1sYKg41ZK-fac_sT-NUlh1_jtObgnaH7PM0IrslIo0xjzC4aOgkwKcIc4Wgl3KLIy-Pz521zNTI4OiAxHujqfMxJHzml3BbAx/s1600/Y_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLmEvteHjwYxgq2HyRMtOwljeqp4tmvYy7DZ85ZSpsdQ1sYKg41ZK-fac_sT-NUlh1_jtObgnaH7PM0IrslIo0xjzC4aOgkwKcIc4Wgl3KLIy-Pz521zNTI4OiAxHujqfMxJHzml3BbAx/s400/Y_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-11.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizx5xz6URzdHRgru8wBIygcrSsrB5Mk_mCkBQZGyipqx1qmlQbL2d9bSmRCDJ2QPrpZNosafuDQsEUsIV5TLxJzt1j8C5bhFrZrXYHa6qjQKVJNrhFNn_d1KBRP_5HfIx4nUnrCWMwoa95/s1600/Z_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizx5xz6URzdHRgru8wBIygcrSsrB5Mk_mCkBQZGyipqx1qmlQbL2d9bSmRCDJ2QPrpZNosafuDQsEUsIV5TLxJzt1j8C5bhFrZrXYHa6qjQKVJNrhFNn_d1KBRP_5HfIx4nUnrCWMwoa95/s400/Z_Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-new-12.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-84523398396545728062013-03-11T14:25:00.000+05:302013-03-11T14:25:33.074+05:30TODO 2012 Awards for Socially Responsible Tourism <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIVpzl2e9SXR1pzIX9fkqArNJK8G_WmTWCBpsmRoXsXI-ysEBBsp_wY20B-OzQRw8GLAzKSp4wfkbV6hjx3OcnXRfCpjRhLe8hvjLYokHwJPRIDW7rTqX_PHm9GPv7gchylvK5Z2GVAwo/s1600/IMG_5328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIVpzl2e9SXR1pzIX9fkqArNJK8G_WmTWCBpsmRoXsXI-ysEBBsp_wY20B-OzQRw8GLAzKSp4wfkbV6hjx3OcnXRfCpjRhLe8hvjLYokHwJPRIDW7rTqX_PHm9GPv7gchylvK5Z2GVAwo/s400/IMG_5328.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TBY founder Gopinath Parayil at the acknowledgement speech </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On March 6th, 2013, at ITB Berlin, the Institute for Tourism and Devel-
opment presents the winners of TO DO!2012- International contest for
socially responsible tourism. The winners of the 18th contest round come
from India and Uganda.<br />
<br />The whole is greater than the sum of its parts! This applies especially
for the two TO DO! award winners this year: the travel company THE BLUE
YONDER from India and the Community Based Tourism project PEARLS OF
UGANDA. As well as in the Southern Indian Kerala as in the East African
Uganda, many local initiatives are bundled under one umbrella
organisation in order to multiply positive economic and social effects
in the region. Only the pooling under one umbrella brand attributes
invaluable advantages in terms of competitiveness and marketing for the
many local groups. Both award winners are – as their predecessors – good
examples for the sustain- able success of socially responsible
concepts, especially regarding the in- tensive participation of the
local population in tourism planning and development. The visitors get
an enriched experience through the innovative and at the same time
tradition-based tourism products and finally get the chance for meeting
local people at “eye-level”.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwPzj3JqZUJh_HS1KG_TDEtNgDXIHqw6eGxI2Bxf04yqXooGmjVE8FKgcD5NtSl3Bu3LNTE7iA8xN7Fds3U3Lr1hj_D6OrFSbssL8W-GKwNF-dxZ4jTx48vSz81G_VM50DHVd3ivVmHUD/s1600/IMG_5289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwPzj3JqZUJh_HS1KG_TDEtNgDXIHqw6eGxI2Bxf04yqXooGmjVE8FKgcD5NtSl3Bu3LNTE7iA8xN7Fds3U3Lr1hj_D6OrFSbssL8W-GKwNF-dxZ4jTx48vSz81G_VM50DHVd3ivVmHUD/s400/IMG_5289.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinod C.P, our colleague collecting the award from the State Secretary<br />of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development, Germany</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The State Secretary of the Federal Ministery for Economic Cooperation
and Development (BMZ), Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz, declared in his
appraisal: "I am pleased to hold the laudatory speech for a contest that
has the same objec- tives as our ministry: The BMZ, too, promotes
sustainable tourism which is socially, ecologically and culturally
compatible – yet successful in economic terms. For many of our partner
countries, tourism is a key to more economic development – it must not
overrun the people, but must take them along, otherwise it will benefit
only the tourists and a few tour operators. This is the spirit of
sustainability in all respects which the projects of this year's two
win- ners are committed to. My hearty congratulations to them!“<br />
<br />
Hansjörg Ruf, president of the board of the Swiss Foundation for
Solidarity in Tourism emphasized: "The two TO DO! winners 2012 show in
exceptional ways the possible success and sustainability of tourism
development when supported by the joint efforts of the population to
initiate and implement something themselves. The people are able to not
only improve their lives in this way, but can at the same time
contribute to a kind of tourism that allows travellers special,
authentic insights into the lives and culture of the people. We would
like to support these efforts with our prize money and wish the two
projects all the best for their further positive development".<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-18206818707545151142013-02-28T11:52:00.001+05:302013-02-28T11:52:38.628+05:30ITB Berlin News - Preview Edition 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4TZUwhGbI3_0y3XoWz3N2FbwIldWMtO48n3JmQ3ngYSLw0dZs0gxXp6tdWKFYzdWetET72mD9mZiUnF3z4fN7qkhzMy3CKQOvUScopnlda_vPbn5-OtVnGdN16pcn6E-bbu8JRa7bD1T/s1600/ITB_TBY.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4TZUwhGbI3_0y3XoWz3N2FbwIldWMtO48n3JmQ3ngYSLw0dZs0gxXp6tdWKFYzdWetET72mD9mZiUnF3z4fN7qkhzMy3CKQOvUScopnlda_vPbn5-OtVnGdN16pcn6E-bbu8JRa7bD1T/s400/ITB_TBY.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.itb-berlin-news.com/sites/default/files/flipbooks/2013/preview/index.html#/39/zoomed">ITB Berlin News - Preview Edition 2013</a>: Check the link for detailed article and interview about Responsible Tourism initiatives at ITB Berlin.GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-24709686159405349292013-02-27T20:37:00.000+05:302013-02-27T20:37:01.551+05:30Land regeneration : A new initiative from us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyaS67SQImnWolJ-h1kn9oi_fnsmGfPI2LaVinPYwymTfBXxCurtv9mwxkCDLmMXJ1PCzHC48g1e1MZceM-0NWSUucqsCp9pvw4RL1OHpe8vU1fpnC5gh4ZNq3eRa_AQPYZs8ae8BRrCe/s1600/farming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyaS67SQImnWolJ-h1kn9oi_fnsmGfPI2LaVinPYwymTfBXxCurtv9mwxkCDLmMXJ1PCzHC48g1e1MZceM-0NWSUucqsCp9pvw4RL1OHpe8vU1fpnC5gh4ZNq3eRa_AQPYZs8ae8BRrCe/s400/farming.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">210 acres of rainforest was cleared for Co-Operative farming in the 50s' by the then Government in Kerala. Heavy use of pesticide and unsustainable farming practices made the land barren. Later concerned about the damage it created, some souls (as you always find them around the world) decided to transform at least 10 acres of that into a sustainable farming space, which showed mixed result. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">we are partnering with them to see how we can develop this into a demonstration project to understand the damages caused, the results of positive intervention and how we could together make a larger difference. Looking at sustainable farming, increasing livelihood opportunities , food processing, nature interpretation for children ( adults welcome though most of us are pretty spoilt ;))...</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This project site is just about 90 minutes from Fort Kochi, 30 minutes from the airport and easily accessible by road. Ideal for day trips.</span></span></span></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-25371125710019906112013-02-25T22:09:00.000+05:302013-02-25T22:09:44.972+05:30The Blue Yonder at ITB Berlin 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: left; widows: 2;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif, Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px;">
</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif, Arial; font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif, Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7nUQtrfQuxrS4933fCi0lYi8ayjpfc3YOIBYh84iHIuF8yrqo4Zo55jHE8I74YeFnSlFHUdRaZ_DhQ-YtGaYA9cySlt9ERPTOoEKvn9B6J5R8hmtwyzSbVYn3_Ar9THmI6LdfByTlHed/s1600/DSC_9684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7nUQtrfQuxrS4933fCi0lYi8ayjpfc3YOIBYh84iHIuF8yrqo4Zo55jHE8I74YeFnSlFHUdRaZ_DhQ-YtGaYA9cySlt9ERPTOoEKvn9B6J5R8hmtwyzSbVYn3_Ar9THmI6LdfByTlHed/s400/DSC_9684.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif, Arial;"></span>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Rice provides more than 20 per cent of the calories consumed by the human race. Almost everyone will have eaten it within the last week. And hardly any of us give it a moment's thought.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The oldest records of rice cultivation trace it to South India, where it has been grown for over 8000 years. Now we are offering visitors a unique day trip into not only this wonder crop's past, but to discover a possible sustainable, future.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Our new Pokkali culinary heritage tour takes a few select guests into the patchwork of paddy fields that surround Fort Cochin – the most beautiful and popular city in Kerala. Here, farmers have been growing a unique variety of rice for as long as people remember.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Pokkali
rice is red, providing a vibrantly coloured ingredient to any meal.
It is also always grown organically. But most significantly, it is
the only variety in the world known to be capable of resisting salt
water – which in this time of rising sea levels due to climate
change, could just make it a lifesaver. And the farmers that grow it
across just 3,000 hectres of Kerala paddies are protecting and
cultivating the last known wild examples of it on earth.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
true symbol of sustainability, the farming methods have also been
developed into a perfect symbiotic relationship. From June to October
each year, the farmers grow the rice in the low lying paddies. Once
it is cultivated, the remains of the rice plant along with all the
wastes from its cultivation, become used in prawn farming. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Guests
will visit the paddy fields, meet the farmers and learn the story of
Pokkali from them over a traditional meal – after all where better
place to eat rice and freshly harvested prawns. This is a unique
window into the food heritage of Kerala, and offered by no other
travel company. Properties like Malabar House, CGH Earth and Le
Meridien has committed to purchase this rice for their restaurants,
while TBY is also working in the local markets to create demand from
public to consume this rice. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A
trip to visit the Pokkali Rice Farmers is just one of the many new
day trips that the Blue Yonder is offering out of Cochin this year.
You can be a river fisherman for the day and try your hand at a
unique fishing practice called 'Peru Vala'. Lovers of Indian
handicrafts can escape the tourist trail and visit (and buy from) the
women who make the most beautiful saris in all Kerala on the
handlooms of Chennamangalam. A visit to this beautiful village weaves
together not just fabrics, but religions - for while there it is also
possible to visit the places of worship of the four main religions
of the world – a temple, a synagogue, a church and a mosque, all
within one square kilometre of each other. And on the musical trail
local master musicians showcase their skills on a range of the
traditional instruments of Kerala, whilst narrating stories and folk
tales of the area. So popular has this tour become, that it has
already won both the British High Commissions' Young Creative
Entrepreneur Award and the Conde Nast Traveler's World Savers Awards.
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzixiI-mSJB4OvDKl-sda4-M5tMdBJP8X24KVtWm8lQK8MMCO2rpgnTZHANBeGh2ukTjlkFqOyZTGlypLK4OJrkLhltNWoz6x2Hw4a3DxpudBBSD3jmy0FuA2WVI25g9qOcapNH5tJcD-/s1600/DSC_7989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzixiI-mSJB4OvDKl-sda4-M5tMdBJP8X24KVtWm8lQK8MMCO2rpgnTZHANBeGh2ukTjlkFqOyZTGlypLK4OJrkLhltNWoz6x2Hw4a3DxpudBBSD3jmy0FuA2WVI25g9qOcapNH5tJcD-/s400/DSC_7989.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ever
since The Blue Yonder started in Kerala over 8 years ago, the company
has won countless awards and acclaim for its unique 'off the beaten
track' trips. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Our distinctive tours offer travellers authentic
experiences of hidden customs and rituals, while providing their
hosts with a meaningful income that enables them to sustain these
threatened traditions. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We now offers such trips across all
of India – from Rajasthan to Sikkim, as well as into Nepal,
Bangladesh, Singapore, and recently to South Africa.</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa4VWxzzf6R3Tfa4hl6v3r3ZYCqJconErDvZ_jVoZQNoJGnUGes_OCWuc8Bmk1CZWQi6BhDpMX9BzhuQzyk1yqN8BSWU4RhEhQizvkdu0SkVZtmIOKuxmV4ZrbQfF-Kn5lqjZOJNlTWxx/s1600/Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa4VWxzzf6R3Tfa4hl6v3r3ZYCqJconErDvZ_jVoZQNoJGnUGes_OCWuc8Bmk1CZWQi6BhDpMX9BzhuQzyk1yqN8BSWU4RhEhQizvkdu0SkVZtmIOKuxmV4ZrbQfF-Kn5lqjZOJNlTWxx/s400/Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
Blue Yonder can be found at stand 201 / Hall 4.1. Our colleagues will available for
meetings throughout the course of ITB (06-10 March 2013). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We are
also organising several events and are part of Studiosus debate at
ITB Convention. Please see more details <a href="http://www.blog.theblueyonder.com/2013/02/the-blue-yonder-at-itb-berlin-2013.html">here</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf08vXGCBDeaxApQP_cdCfHvWWcOlo6bSJaY8V_wCymzBFNfEiWclGbaD4t9du9QwkNlinYmhOxtr4KXCBaz7_1XRXqmMHBKCBnPwR93Al18lUD0OYAADgYfYU9nPV9hwDOENJtvTUi9L5/s1600/itbberlinbanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf08vXGCBDeaxApQP_cdCfHvWWcOlo6bSJaY8V_wCymzBFNfEiWclGbaD4t9du9QwkNlinYmhOxtr4KXCBaz7_1XRXqmMHBKCBnPwR93Al18lUD0OYAADgYfYU9nPV9hwDOENJtvTUi9L5/s400/itbberlinbanner.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-58373607819630778382013-02-20T22:17:00.000+05:302013-02-20T22:17:15.606+05:30A-Z of Responsible Travel | Meaningful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdXHNZkXwfCLPQgCvTslvWYvT8CnQF3Hb4XOhldKXX8USxlH6Ok8GN8CT81zXuHVKkZmLhXFNtC6e1EO5bVbqly_8BZAeMfFRTYK3fn9yEnB-r3ZzAPWJIM2htQ0R5ttS34gfpeEpKfFj/s1600/Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdXHNZkXwfCLPQgCvTslvWYvT8CnQF3Hb4XOhldKXX8USxlH6Ok8GN8CT81zXuHVKkZmLhXFNtC6e1EO5bVbqly_8BZAeMfFRTYK3fn9yEnB-r3ZzAPWJIM2htQ0R5ttS34gfpeEpKfFj/s400/Final+Postcards+CTC+artworks-19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
"Responsible Tourism develops travel experiences that reveal truths about the places we visit; provide authentic connections to local people; and ensure our visits benefit those we meet and cause no harm to the environment. What could be more meaningful that that?"<br />
<br />
This post card is part of A-Z series on Responsible Travel designed by <a href="http://www.tbya.co/" target="_blank">TBYA</a> for us.<br />
<br />
At the <a href="http://www.itb-berlin.de/" target="_blank">ITB Berlin 2013</a>, we are running a session called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/410953498991935" target="_blank">A-Z on Responsible Travel</a> to demystify the idea of Responsible Travel, to get rid of thousands of academic jargons and make sense to travelers and industry. Shouldn't be Responsible Tourism be more fun than any thing else?<br />
<br />
There will be an art interactive art-installation where representative from the trade as well as consumers get an opportunity to highlight a word that's more interesting for them. They could also provide alternative words and even translation in their local language.<br />
<br />
On the facebook event, we are getting interesting proposals from public about alternative words. Today, for. e.g some suggested M for Mindful & Memories. What is yours? </div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-21964729853229561182013-02-20T02:38:00.000+05:302013-02-20T15:31:09.046+05:30The Blue Yonder at ITB Berlin 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5gOOivB0x7qoYeRfZpJ9F5mEAkmdb8edOaNTbNlshpptIspzC-zLASWuHJlnFcTx5Xtuu5r3AnEs1LK33F9FznnnzjAaCbp0m9tQCyZsxSby8cqd_7yZ5wJr2dxUYDEV_PG7xKbtdL4E/s1600/A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5gOOivB0x7qoYeRfZpJ9F5mEAkmdb8edOaNTbNlshpptIspzC-zLASWuHJlnFcTx5Xtuu5r3AnEs1LK33F9FznnnzjAaCbp0m9tQCyZsxSby8cqd_7yZ5wJr2dxUYDEV_PG7xKbtdL4E/s400/A.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0.03cm; text-indent: -0.08cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"> We
welcome you to meet our colleagues from The Blue Yonder, at </span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><b>210,
Hall 4.1 at ITB Berlin</b></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">
between 06-10 Mar 2013. We have </span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">new</span></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">
products, itineraries and destination details to share with you from
India & South Africa. <br /><br />Some of the events we are
associated at ITB Berlin: <br />_____________________________</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -0.03cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Studiosus Debate:
</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ITB
CSR Day</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /><a href="http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/Events/Termindetailseite.jsp?eventDateId=244996">“</a></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/Events/Termindetailseite.jsp?eventDateId=244996">Holiday
Encounters With Local People - What Does The Tourist Want, What Do
The Locals Expect?”</a><br /><br />Date:7. March 2013, Time:12:00 –
13:00 Location:Hall 7.3, Auditorium Europa<br /><br />Moderated by:
Andreas Stopp, Deutschlandfunk <br /><br />Panel guests:<br />Johannes
Klaus, Travel Blogger <br />Gopinath Parayil, Founder, <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/">The
Blue Yonder</a> <br />Peter Strub, Managing Director, Studiosus Reisen
<br />Dr. Dietlind von Laßberg, Deputy Chairwoman, Studienkreis für
Tourismus und Entwicklung e.V. (Institute for Tourism and
Development)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">_____________________________</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><b>Responsible
Tourism Clinics</b></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">Thursday
7 March 2013, 13.30 – 14.00, Hall 4.1</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -1.27cm;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/546629118689634/"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><b>Show,
Don't Tell</b></span></span></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: -0.03cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">How to
Use Digital Storytelling and Social Media to Market Your Responsible
Tourism Offering - Daniel Noll & Audrey Scott (<a href="http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/">Uncornered
Market</a>)</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -1.27cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">_____________________________</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0.03cm; text-indent: -0.06cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br />Friday
8 march 2013, 17.00-17.30 Hall 4.1</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -1.27cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/460682853985316">The
Fair Game Tourism Initiative</a> </b></span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">-
ensuring the future of the safari. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0.03cm; text-indent: -0.06cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">Jeremy
Smith introduces the Fair Game Tourism Initiative, which aims to make
sure tourism companies that profit from wildlife do more to ensure
its survival</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -1.27cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">_____________________________</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; text-indent: -1.27cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">Friday 8
March 2013, 17.30 – 18.00 Hall 4.1</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -0.03cm; text-indent: -0.03cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><b><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/410953498991935">The
A-Z of Responsible Travel</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0.06cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">Tired of
academic definitions of Responsible Travel, Zainab Kakal designed a
series of A-Z of Responsible Travel in a fun and interactive way.
From 'Authentic' to 'Zest', she explains how each word helps in
creating innovative travel experiences. Following up on her research
with travellers from Western Europe to developing countries like
India, Mariska van Gaalen presents perspective of travellers on how
they respond to some of the themes introduced in the A-Z
series.<br />_____________________________</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 0.03cm;">
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br />Hall
4.1 will also see an interactive art installation this time based on
A-Z of Responsible Tourism during the 5 days of ITB Berlin. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande;">Responsible Tourism Networking on 8 Mar 2013 will be co-organised by The Blue Yonder, Tripbod, The Green Circuit and ITB-Berlin. This year <a href="http://www.adventuretravel.biz/" target="_blank">ATTA,</a> <a href="http://www.capetown.travel/" target="_blank">Cape Town</a>, <a href="http://www.gujarattourism.com/" target="_blank">Gujarat Tourism</a>, <a href="http://www.tbya.co/" target="_blank">TBYA</a> and <a href="http://www.isthmusconnect.com/" target="_blank">Isthmus Connect</a> is supporting the event.<br /><br />For
appointments please write to <a href="mailto:anne@isthmusconnect.com" target="_blank">Ms. Anne Zummach</a> or call our office in India +91.98860.53286 or
Berlin on +49.30259.316517</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-43143097271756544682013-02-08T20:27:00.000+05:302013-02-08T20:27:08.476+05:30The Good Journey - Perceptions of a traveller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"How can a nice journey become a good journey? This is what <a href="http://www.gute-reise.in/ueber" target="_blank">gutereise (goodjourney)</a> is all about. Taking India as an example, I want to show
how travelling can be an unforgettable adventure for ourselves and
actively support the environment and communities at our destination. For
this aim I need you: Become part in every step of this project – from
the idea to my research trip to India and finally to the book we will
put together – and create a new, responsible way of travelling with me!" </i>- Dorit Behrens </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeFoDRGpQkuS98tqfbKGiOlaxkalSHbmkPuSG_KXZwwXAUckMDpKjFRC94Qr64rfZ61DogjH9IJojhcQ5WIipY16CMJ8BLXRXcno7SUj2JIc1n0eq7lTrZWVkek_5sbaD_TObt_9K1vKb/s1600/IMG_4242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeFoDRGpQkuS98tqfbKGiOlaxkalSHbmkPuSG_KXZwwXAUckMDpKjFRC94Qr64rfZ61DogjH9IJojhcQ5WIipY16CMJ8BLXRXcno7SUj2JIc1n0eq7lTrZWVkek_5sbaD_TObt_9K1vKb/s400/IMG_4242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Yoga by The River! A travel experience soon to be launched from TBY. </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Power to People:</b><br />
I’ve just had an “aha-effect”: In preparation of my trip to India, I had
learned that the overall aim of responsible tourism is to save the
places we love to visit. But that is only one side of the story. For, in
addition to the visitors’ perspective who want to maintain the
environment and not exploit the people at their holiday destination,
there is also the hosts’ point of view. Responsible tourism thus is
really about two things: creating awareness in travellers for their
responsibility on the way – and empowering local communities to look
after their own economical, environmental and cultural well-being. But
how can this be done?<br />
<br />
Here a number of initiatives come into play that emerge in India right
now, mostly on grassroots level. Their aim is to facilitate a lasting
positive change long after the single tourist has left. In the
southwestern state of Kerala, it seems, these initiatives are especially
active. Maybe this is due to the fact that Kerala faces some special
issues such as a drastically declining livelihood for traditional
professions such as farming or fishing. It might also be a relict of the
communist era (Kerala is the first state to have had a democratically
elected communist government): Many of the projects are organized in
community-owned “co-operatives” - doesn’t that sound slightly socialist?
Well, never mind the wording – it works.<br />
<br /><b>
God’s own country</b><br />
<br />
Kerala is pretty special: Located on the southwestern Malabar coast and
comprising some 39,000 square kilometers, the state features an
abundance of geographical and natural varieties: the Western Ghats
highlands in the east, followed by midlands with dense vegetations and
eventually the lowlands along its beautiful coastal zone with an
elaborate network of streams and lakes, the famous Backwaters. The
region usually gets an efficient rainfall of some 3,000 mm during the
monsoon season (June-August) resulting in a rich biodiversity. A perfect
place to grow veggies and livestock – the majority of local communities
rely on agriculture – and to stay and spot the different shades of
green: All around there is jungles with loads of wild animals (even
Elephants!), innumerable lush tea, rice and banana plantations and palm
trees all over the place. In fact, the name Kerala means “Land of the
Coconut Tree” in the local language Malayalam.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_i48Li_ddiBXQLypX80mhg8CanjEEdshGQt2U9GUFAjC2ROO7CFptmANad2sfPxZ3Rqb5pIZcpUP8RPAwPZ-WCQfiIuNrBc84BKjkIzrrBLR9bNqyJX5cfyYjyeD_lw7fHYm2M7wTboW/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL_i48Li_ddiBXQLypX80mhg8CanjEEdshGQt2U9GUFAjC2ROO7CFptmANad2sfPxZ3Rqb5pIZcpUP8RPAwPZ-WCQfiIuNrBc84BKjkIzrrBLR9bNqyJX5cfyYjyeD_lw7fHYm2M7wTboW/s400/IMG_4480.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>An 'ordinary' meeting like this in the middle of the river for a local person is an 'Extra Ordinary' Travel experience for a traveler.</i></span></div>
<br />
<b>Regional development</b><br />
<br />
Another example of how to empower local communities is The Blue Yonder,
one of the first responsible tourism businesses in India founded in
2004. The small team regards tourism a tool for a sustainable regional
development and offers tours to create meaningful exchanges between
guests and host communities. In Kerala for example, you can meet
Varanath Asan, a humble man in his seventies who built a school to pass
on the ancient art form of Mudiyettu. The ritual dance drama based on a
mythological tale around the goddess Kali and the demon Darika was once
performed in temples by his family, but nowadays is threatened with
extinction. In his small school, Varanath teaches his wisdom students of
all ages, even girls, who were formerly not eligible to learn the
craft, and thus manages to keep the cultural heritage alive. Recently
this was recognized internationally: UNESCO has declared Mudiyettu an
Intangible Heritage of Humanity.<br />
<br />
On other tours travellers may test their talents for the traditional
craft of handlooming – a symbol of Kerala’s female culture of wearing
saris – or learn how one of the oldest crops in the region, the red and
very nutritious Pokkali rice, is being cultivated in a sustainable
symbiosis with prawn farming. Set in the stunning Backwaters, Pokkali is
the only variety that tolerates saltwater – and thus is a possible
answer to food safety questions in times of global warming and sea-level
rise in coastal areas. The communities benefit from these tours on
various levels: Through fruitful interaction with incoming travellers, a
growing recognition in the world and, very practically, though the
support in kind of The Blue Yonder – while the projects always stay in
their own hands. Meaningful encounters like these attract more and more
travellers: The Blue Yonder now offers tours throughout India, in Nepal,
Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6u0e7TtqP0YHBe19X2G6UI_CHb5zFTIBrIs26dIAtxs8DNTr1sNi-VBj62n7XUqlJlPB6hcnoVjXeJOZ6gyenQO3dKsPZQEDrujobJX22TZ04QjDQQHk0YWiEGfTcKTT360WfQaK5F97/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6u0e7TtqP0YHBe19X2G6UI_CHb5zFTIBrIs26dIAtxs8DNTr1sNi-VBj62n7XUqlJlPB6hcnoVjXeJOZ6gyenQO3dKsPZQEDrujobJX22TZ04QjDQQHk0YWiEGfTcKTT360WfQaK5F97/s400/IMG_4234.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Mudiyettu : UNESCO declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity, unfortunately is struggling to survive.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Wanna do more?</b><br />
<br />
The longer you stay in one place, the deeper will be your understanding
of it. <a href="http://www.kabani.org/" target="_blank">Kabani</a> an<a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">d The Blue Yonder</a> both offer the opportunity to stay a
while and get some hands-on experience. While it is possible to support
Kabani as a volunteer to facilitate additional income for
underprivileged communities, The Blue Yonder provides several Workshops
and Art Residencies in their corresponding projects in which candidates
can learn a handicraft from scratch and put in their own knowledge. At
the moment, the Chennamanagalam Handloom is looking for a textile
designer (or student) who is keen to learn the traditional way of
weaving and who helps to introduce the use of natural dyes. Interested?
Then go to www.kabani.org or www.theblueyonder.com</div>
<br />
<i>The above text was edited for brevity. Full text including article on Kabani written by Dorit can be found <a href="http://www.gute-reise.in/" target="_blank">here</a>. </i><br />
<br /></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-33838539997724049892013-01-30T16:35:00.000+05:302013-01-31T18:07:20.107+05:30Does Voluntourism Do More Harm Than Good?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg056nDov6jqiIwTOsxWXdhxEGL1UMbO_8IJU1aipZ5BClvu6n2t87E4IXfJ0_sL9LO0uS_Ry0OYegEYOr2X3bX-qMH4OI5YmJDXe7f4YepZK8KTG6vP-jXQ0_E8P7006YpNc3QovdwM2Ib/s1600/cn_image.size.trips-with-benefits-voluntourism-illustration-0213.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg056nDov6jqiIwTOsxWXdhxEGL1UMbO_8IJU1aipZ5BClvu6n2t87E4IXfJ0_sL9LO0uS_Ry0OYegEYOr2X3bX-qMH4OI5YmJDXe7f4YepZK8KTG6vP-jXQ0_E8P7006YpNc3QovdwM2Ib/s400/cn_image.size.trips-with-benefits-voluntourism-illustration-0213.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Voluntourism discussions again!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cntraveler.com/contributors/dorinda-elliott" target="_blank">Dorinda Elliot</a> from <a href="http://www.cntraveler.com/ecotourism/2013/02/volunteer-vacations-rewards-risks.printsurprising" target="_blank">Conde nast Traveler</a> reports after her volunteering trip to Haiti that: <i>"A growing number of travelers are volunteering on their vacations, but
they sometimes end up doing more harm than good."</i><br />
<br />
After dabbling a little bit in this 'volunteering' business, here is our take away.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Look for solutions locally</li>
<li>Build up strengths of local community. </li>
<li>Promote 'local' volunteering enabling 'compassionate destinations'. </li>
<li>Facilitate that instead of 'going to save people' in another exotic destination.</li>
<li>Look in your own backyard and see if your volunteering can make a difference there before flying out.</li>
</ul>
None of this is a utopian idea. <br />
<br />
The world has changed a lot, and there are loads of resources available locally
that can be channeled effectively. This isn't the time of missionaries running around saving children left and right. (Although unfortunately such places still do exist!) Decades of funding and volunteering
hasn't brought the sustainable solutions to the suffering that they were promised. Yes, a country that
was devastated might need intervention from elsewhere, I agree.
However the volunteering we are talking about is either delivered few years post
that or in destinations where there isn't any major 'crisis'.<br />
<br />
So what do I mean by these 'local solutions'? In my home state of Kerala, for example, local communities run a neighbourhood network called the <a href="http://www.painandpalliativecare.org/" target="_blank">Pain and Palliative Care Society</a>. Along with its associated
organisations today its runs more than 800 palliative clinics. (Actually the majority now are
run by Government after they saw this as a successful model reducing tremendous stress on Government or other (almost non-existent) private infrastructure in Palliative Care.)<br />
<br />
These
clinics have catered to more than 45,000 terminally ill patients. They are run by more than 42,000 <b>local</b> volunteers. Micro-donations are raised <b>locally</b> by students and other
volunteers and well wishers. And all this was built up - without international volunteers - from a one room clinic with two doctors, nurses and two volunteers 20 years ago.<br />
<br />
We do invite international volunteers to come and work with us, but not to come and 'save us'. I know this might sound pretty arrogant (especially coming from a person whose country still has 400 million poor people wondering how to get out of the mess they are in!),
but this is my experience of working in disaster zones - as
well as doing a fair amount of work in community based health care... and running a travel
company for the last 8 years...<br />
<br />
Here's what we do instead. During 2013, <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Yonder</a> is inviting about 100 international volunteers to India. They pay 500 USD for two weeks of
'learning' with us. As a result they learn how local people with
limited resources and huge constraints built the world's largest network
of palliative care volunteers (chosen by the <a href="http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/03/stories/2010120360560600.htm" target="_blank">W.H.O as it's first Collaborating Centre</a> outside the so called 'Developed World').<br />
<br />
We are not looking at these 'volunteers' as people who can come and
save us. But we are happy to have people who can work with us. And with the money they spend, we can recruit another five local doctors specialised in palliative care who can work in the peripherals of Calicut city. <br /><br />So what do the volunteers 'get' out of it? Ask someone like <a href="http://thegroundswellproject.com/?page_id=360" target="_blank">Kerrie Noonan</a>, who volunteered here and was
inspired enough to go back to her home country and set up another social
enterprise called <a href="http://thegroundswellproject.com/" target="_blank">GroundsWell project</a>. Shouldn't international volunteers be trying to do
that? Learn from a destination and see how they can take that
learning to build a system in their home country / state / neighbourhood?<br />
<br />
I know it might not be as dramatic a story as saving India or
Indonesia or Haiti, but please just don't tell me that Rotterdam
doesn't have crazy drug problems among squatters (I have lived with
them!); that London doesn't have it's own share of crime; or that Berlin or Paris don't have their own social problems needing dire
intervention? And who better to solve these problems than locals living in those cities? They wouldn't expect a bunch of us Indians to come over on holiday to 'fix their problems'...<br />
<br />
So for me the big question is: How can we all channel our energy towards cleaning our neighbourhoods first - before we set off flying 3,000 miles to 'save the world'? I urge all well-meaning
travel volunteers to think about this for a second before plunging into 'saving the world' and making another tour company in the source market rich at the expense of some poor community elsewhere!<br />
<br />
Volunteering can be tremendous fun for both travellers and locals, if
the attitude is more about 'learning' from locals than what Dorinda in
this article is mentioning as "<i>White Man coming to save us"</i>. (or an
Urban kid coming from a city like Delhi or Bangalore to 'save' rural
Indians'). Think about 'what' happens thanks to your volunteering, and after you have gone? Are you
building a system that can be sustained? Or as the author mentions here what if <i>"Construction stops whenever funds or volunteers run out"</i>?<br />
<br />
If travellers are looking for rewarding 'experiential' travel, then do so, by
chosing a company like <a href="http://www.socialtours.com/" target="_blank">Socialtours Nepal</a> or <a href="http://www.spitiecosphere.com/" target="_blank">Spiti Ecosphere</a> or <a href="http://ethicaltravelportal.com/" target="_blank">Ethical Travel Portal</a> in Norway - or one of the many other like-minded companies that will help you
travel through destinations where sustainable development projects are
promoted, pioneered and supported. Just don't call it volunteering. It's an immersive travel experience. Isn't it? <br />
<br />
The other day I met a well-meaning Dutch man (living in France) on a
yoga course in Pondicherry. On meeting one of the trustees of <a href="http://www.aurosociety.org/" target="_blank">Aurobindo Society</a>, he was so touched about the good work going around that he asked
'<i>How can I come in and volunteer</i>'.<br />
<br />
It was a well-meaning question. But the experiments of Auroville and
wonderful initiatives of Aurobindo Ashram can not be scaled up if their
system is 'burdened' with 'well-meaning' foreign volunteers. If
the system (and the well intentional foreign volunteers) can get 'locals' to volunteer, then that's where the change will happen. If this wonderful Dutchman could
'learn' from this experience and go home and spread his
knowledge, then that's fruitful too. He can even call it a spiritual quest
of 'finding himself'.<br />
<br />
But if this is not the result, then volunteers will keep coming with
their skills, voluntourists will keep spending their money with some tour operator, and one day soon we will forget that this was all started in the name of some poor
community somewhere in the world. What if, in our selfish quest for 'answers' or for checking off a list of things to do before one dies, we might be crushing the possibility
of any progress in these communities?<br />
<br />
Please, don't underestimate the intelligence and resourcefulness of local people (whether in Haiti or Uganda or my own village). Please, don't make another local person a lazy one waiting for her
hand out thanks to your 'wanting' to save the world. And support our efforts if you can, otherwise for God's sake, just stay home!<br />
<br />
I am happy people like Dorinda travel to find out what the reality is.
We need to give a big cheers to such people who keep on reporting back. <br />
<br />
Your comments? <br />
<br />
Original article written by Dorinda is <a href="http://www.cntraveler.com/ecotourism/2013/02/volunteer-vacations-rewards-risks.printsurprising" target="_blank">here</a></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-90489402929477588612012-12-28T15:46:00.001+05:302012-12-28T15:49:42.292+05:30Season's Greetings 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCZ_A0UEHgZE8EenAsUe2CLXuTBOVw3j_usdjjMrphdX0P_2qoU3w6NBA7fGl0AmOjEe7AsVW6HokEs8Hhot67LwyyLqtDSN-3wJmyLBBsMGJNMqOG1ZgLjl22jFMs-bYPOe66AgjtKPD/s1600/2013card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCZ_A0UEHgZE8EenAsUe2CLXuTBOVw3j_usdjjMrphdX0P_2qoU3w6NBA7fGl0AmOjEe7AsVW6HokEs8Hhot67LwyyLqtDSN-3wJmyLBBsMGJNMqOG1ZgLjl22jFMs-bYPOe66AgjtKPD/s400/2013card.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-84385549195919385102012-10-22T08:53:00.000+05:302012-10-22T08:53:09.808+05:30Pakistan to Endorse Cross Border Tourism Initiatives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKsDIrOZwkMrqfmJwAWy_fJS55AnCvnbm6Cf6Y7EnTWryeO1JQE5dqyzWXnAAoy_41DGaTQypNrkGJHubN1QDvRsH2gf9Kpe42fA0OPL07AlDCD9QJBtrby_rVsJcpRXw3q-ZwYqczw7j/s1600/itb1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKsDIrOZwkMrqfmJwAWy_fJS55AnCvnbm6Cf6Y7EnTWryeO1JQE5dqyzWXnAAoy_41DGaTQypNrkGJHubN1QDvRsH2gf9Kpe42fA0OPL07AlDCD9QJBtrby_rVsJcpRXw3q-ZwYqczw7j/s400/itb1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
5th edition of <a href="http://itb-asia.com/" target="_blank">ITB Asia</a>, the premium travel trade show became a
facilitator to support the initiative of Cross Border Tourism in
South Asia under the leadership of "<a href="http://thegreencircuit.net/" target="_blank">The Green Circuit</a>". Playing a
crucial role in facilitating the meeting between Tourism
Stakeholders in Singapore, Hon. Minister for Tourism in
Peshawar—Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in Pakistan, Mr. Syed Aqil Shah,
suggested that despite South Asia’s great tourism potential there is
still much to do to reap the full benefits of cross border tourism.
<br />
<br />
'"Our coming to <a href="http://itb-asia.com/" target="_blank">ITB-Asia</a> today is a journey for "Friendship Tourism"
focusing on South Asia. We would like to have more meaningful
travellers from South Asia visiting Pakistan. Considering the fact
that three-fourth of the 130 million Outbound travellers from Asia
is travelling Intra-Region, any decision to promote tourism between
countries within South Asia has to be supported both in Private and
Government levels."<br />
<br />
"We are keen to provide support to "<a href="http://thegreencircuit.net/" target="_blank">The Green Circuit</a>" to facilitate
Cross Border Tourism between India and Pakistan. Even though the oil
well and such resources will deplete one day, possibilities of
wealth creation through tourism will only increase. We believe that
the future of Pakistan lies in Cross Border Tourism. There is no
other better alternative to build better understanding between
people and culture. Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India Afghanistan and
Bangladesh will benefit tremendously out of this initiative."<br />
<br />
"As a first step, We would like to work with like-minded partners in
India and Pakistan to bring together multiple stakeholders in
tourism for a consultative engagement on Cross Border Tourism
through a series of events in November in India followed by a
consultation in December in Pakistan." <br />
<br />
Raj Basu, Co-Founder of <a href="http://helptourism.com/" target="_blank">HELP Tourism</a> said in the meeting, "In our
individual capacities, we have been promoting cross border tourism
between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh for a while. It's time
to scale this up and work towards promoting peace, bringing in more
cultural exchange and livelihood options for the people in the
region."<br />
<br />
"Possibilities of Tourism as a key driver for peace and stability in
the region is grossly under-estimated. Support from the Ministry of
Tourism in Pakistan will hopefully influence many others in the
region to take a positive stand to achieve equitable growth in the
region and facilitate more meaningful 'People to People contact."
said, <a href="http://about.me/gparayil" target="_blank">Gopinath Parayil</a>, founder of <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Yonder</a>.<br />
<br /><a href="http://thegreencircuit.com/" target="_blank"> The Green Circuit</a> is a network of five Tour Operators from India and
Nepal (<a href="http://socialtours.com/" target="_blank">Social Tours</a>, <a href="http://ecosphere.com/" target="_blank">Ecosphere</a>, <a href="http://www.grassroutesjourneys.com/" target="_blank">Grass Routes</a>, <a href="http://helptourism.com/" target="_blank">Help Tourism</a> and <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Yonder</a>) who believes that tourism can be used as a tool for
sustainable development of destinations.</div>
GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-66702404289456936162012-06-30T08:52:00.006+05:302012-06-30T08:52:55.753+05:30Monsoon bliss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU35zMugmpfKa9hPqxplkIcmft38p3UByGv543W7m-DiUskA91gOEY0NxLA9uNjjh-Id4g-Q5XECZdcNeO1H7bnhImwQ4Z4RhEvBztwZYABj__7T_oqqSDnM78mCQmXV26FD1XNtE3OKb/s1600/Rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU35zMugmpfKa9hPqxplkIcmft38p3UByGv543W7m-DiUskA91gOEY0NxLA9uNjjh-Id4g-Q5XECZdcNeO1H7bnhImwQ4Z4RhEvBztwZYABj__7T_oqqSDnM78mCQmXV26FD1XNtE3OKb/s640/Rain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
"It is a sound most beloved to me. The sound of rain in the night. A
sound that makes me glad that I am where I am ─ In my little cottage in
Mundakotukurussi hearing the rains fall─ That I have a roof over my bed
and bedclothes to snuggle into. It brings to mind wellbeing while lost
in meandering thoughts.<br />
For days now I have waited for the rain as each summer day emerged
wrapped by the heat. A woolen shroud that held within it the legs of
time, stilling all movement, hindering every thought and breath.<br />
<br /><b>
The cicadas vent their fury. All day from all around. At times the
vigour subsides but the music of the trees do not cease. It is a dry
sound like the rasping hiss of tinders rubbing against each other. The
sound of summer.</b><br />
<br />
The fields lie brown and baked. Tufts of paddy stand. Brown flowers that crackle even as you look at it. Wells dry. Sweat prickles every brow and rushes down the temple. Exhaustion lines every face and dogs every step. Most evenings the clouds gather; a herd of grey cows bearing rain in
their udders. Sometimes they consent to being milked and allow the rain
to flow…<br />
<br />
Sometimes they wander away leaving a restless parched land in their wake.The thunderstorms seldom last long. The land sizzles and splutters under
the impact of the rain. Every drop is lapped up by the thirsty land. A
puddle is rare. Wetness even rarer.The nights are still. The fireflies have gone into hiding.<br /><br />
<br />
In the morning you know the heat will reappear. A daytime ghoul
strangling the breath of the hour. Harder and harder. In your heart you
know a fear then. The worst fear of all: Will this ever end? And then
what next?<br />
<br />
Everyone starts talking about the monsoon then. Everyone I know and
meet. Our conversations weave around the monsoon. It perhaps becomes the
only way to live the summer through….All through May, newspapers are
scanned for meteorological reports on the monsoon sightings…’When the
monsoon arrives’ becomes the mantra of survival. And sanity.<br />
<br />
Late in the afternoon the heat seems to hit an absolute crescendo. The
whirring fan circulates the warm air. Around and around. There never
will be respite, one sighs.<br />
<br />
Then it begins. One day the listless air begins to move. Clouds gather
and move up the coast. Leaves rustle and the skies darken. Lightening
and thunder. The bars of heat loosen and with its first drops, the rain
snap apart the inert month. The earth feeds of this rain. A greedy baby devouring the colostrum of
fecundity. More, more, more, the earth craves for this thin watery rain.
Then sated for the moment, it belches. A deep dank fragrance. Moist
earth laden with the memories of sun-baked days and crumbling surfaces.<br />
<br />
The wetness of rain. The wetness of release.Rain falls. On the skin it
feels as if it were a thousand arrows shot by a god. A tingling, a
ringing, a singing that punctured pores and raked the senses.<br />
<br />
Sheets of rain that made islands of houses. A haze of water that
dispersed people and sound, trapping colour and light and refracting
reprieve.<br /><br />
<br />
Life exhales. The relief of having got past the summer.<br />
<br />
In my little cottage, I lie on the bed staring at the roof. As the
thunder roll and heave, I cock an ear. For that first plop. I hear it
then. All over the cottage are plastic cans. Old paint buckets to
capture every errant drop that escapes through the roofing tiles. Plop.
Plop. Plop. The rain make its presence known.<br />
Ever since I built the cottage, the onset of the monsoon causes a
nervous flittering in the pit of my stomach. I do not know what it is I
can do to stop the leaks.<br /><br />
<br />
Then someone suggests we toss hay on the roof. “It is only a temporary
measure but it should work for a while,” he says. “The poor do it all
the time. But, tell me, why did you get a tile roof put in instead of a
concrete one?<br />
<br />
For the rain, I think. I hoped to lie in bed and hear that beloved
sound. The soft magical music of rain on tile roofs. The drip and drop
from the eaves.<br /><br />
<br />
The power goes off. It comes back in a minute and then goes off again.
On and off, on and off. In affluent homes, the emergency light or the
inverter comes on. I light a candle and place it in a saucer. There are
no harsh surprises, none of the not-knowing-what-to-do. With this I will
make do till morning or whatever time the power chooses to return.<br />
<br />
I get up and go to sit in the verandah and watch the rain fall. A frog
leaps joyous with wetness. A world washed in rain is entertainment by
itself…"<br />
<br /><i>
Anita Nair is the bestselling author of The Better Man, Ladies Coupe,
Mistress and Lessons in Forgetting. Her books have been translated into
over 30 languages around the world. Her new novel Cut Like Wound will be
published in August 2012.</i></div>GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-65183961565581402932012-06-07T10:18:00.000+05:302012-06-07T10:21:51.861+05:30The tea bliss - Anita Nair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So what will you do once you reach Nilambur?” my parents
asked, bemused at the thought I was going to take a train ride to a destination
where I had no real reason to go to.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />“I don’t know.” I replied. And that was the truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was taking the train to Nilambur simply because it had remained
a desire in the fringes of my mind for ever so long. What thereafter? was
something I hadn’t pondered about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
In
my mid-teens when my peers were experimenting with various substances ranging
from pan parag to cigarettes to marijuana, I rode buses instead. I would take a
local bus to its final stop – the bus depot. And take a bus back home. That was
my idea of a rush. For about ninety minutes, I sat watching life and feeling
the breeze in my face, and a journey was all I needed to distance myself from
reality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The train ride to Nilambur was just that. I had nothing to
see or do there. I was quite happy to take the next train back…. but then
destiny intervened. Or more precisely, hunger.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was noon when I reached Nilambur, and so I went seeking lunch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the state gazette published such things, I am quite
certain that they would declare ‘parotas and mutton chops’ as the official dish
of Nilambur. It would be silly to try and eat anything else there. So I went
with the prevailing dictate and ordered precisely that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcLXaqz_KiD0UuACaYG5pZJOqar2XX47ACCuQwBntCc8ENwZ1CeYu7OQBJJvA1TVDwq1qRpXWUOmwXmI9KFK79MXU8SbIVo5zkK50uIlks4Tx24bjl5tR6IdwwtAmCWJkqslFrCzoA6qi/s1600/Anita_Nair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZcLXaqz_KiD0UuACaYG5pZJOqar2XX47ACCuQwBntCc8ENwZ1CeYu7OQBJJvA1TVDwq1qRpXWUOmwXmI9KFK79MXU8SbIVo5zkK50uIlks4Tx24bjl5tR6IdwwtAmCWJkqslFrCzoA6qi/s320/Anita_Nair.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Much as I relish eating different cuisines around the world
in speciality restaurants, small town Kerala restaurants have a special place
in my heart. Even the most common place dishes taste extra special. The trick
is to steer clear of Chinese, Tandoori or north Indian dishes in these places
as they taste most often nothing like the real thing, and opt only for Kerala
cuisine. The flavours then are authentic and the taste pure heaven.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once I was replete with what seemed like fine flaky parotas
and a lip smacking egg roast, the thought of taking a train back almost
immediately didn’t appeal. And so I went looking for something to take back as
an experience, a memory….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a hot afternoon and I had the beginnings of a
headache. And I had been wandering all day . It was also a Friday and so just
about every little restaurant in the district was closed for Friday prayers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can’t believe this,” I told the photographer-writer team
travelling with me as we passed several ‘cool bars’ and ‘bakeries’ but with no
tea. “Here we are in Kerala which is supposed to be tea shop centric and I
can’t find a cup of tea. Whatever happened to the Nair tea shop with a Nair in
there in a vest and mundu and pouring a stream of tea from one steel mug to another
while a samovar hissed in the forefront!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“They are either in the gulf or working in a call centre,”
the driver of the car murmured.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pounding in my head grew in intensity. Then on a quiet
road as we approached <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallapuzha" target="_blank">Vallapuzha</a>, I
spotted a sign HOTAL.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was it. No hotel (or hotal) whatever. No claim to name
or lineage. And it was open. A few ramshackle benches and tables in a shop with
grimy walls and flaking plaster. A glass case held a small pile of banana
fritters and masala vadas.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An elderly man stepped out of an inner room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Tea,” I asked hesitantly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He nodded.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sat on one of the benches and stared at the road and
beyond. A group of road workers walked in. They stared. I stared back. I said
to myself : this tea better be good after this eyeball wrestling!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The staring contest ceased when the ‘hotal’ owner walked in
from the kitchen and bid them to sit down.<br />
<br />
The tea arrived in glass tumblers. Hot, strong and with the just right amount
of sugar. He also brought a plate of Papada vada (papadums coated in a batter
of rice flour, chilli powder and a hint of asafoetida).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A sip of the tea. A bite of the vada. Heavenly bliss!
Everything else ceased to matter.<br />
<br />
© <a href="http://anitanair.net/" target="_blank">Anita Nair</a> <br />
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Anita Nair is the author of five works of fiction: Satyr of
the Subway & Eleven Other Stories, The Better Man, Ladies Coupé, Mistress
and Lessons in Forgetting; a collection of essays: Goodnight & God Bless; a
collection of poems: Malabar Mind; and has edited Where the Rain is Born:
Writings about Kerala. Nair has also written four books for children and two
plays Nine Faces of Being and A Twist of Lime. She has also translated Thakazhi
Sivasankara Pillai’s Chemmeen into English.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out her new online writing <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://heavenlyblisssalonformen.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Heavenly Bliss Salon for Men</a></span></div>
</div>GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-23169683362321922252012-04-23T08:54:00.002+05:302012-04-23T08:56:30.553+05:30Understanding authenticity - survey by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPNKWxSHPm4XFncVTWAB75vSo5s32e3iIF_aspsycx_SAR3bnR-IiyJYY0P9MpXIESxK5QGLCwbVSvWNP325oE5yVJ2tVPTmoV0_imMBFmUuQCShEnCwQJiSMlORww8xS5fqMBBJzJsav/s1600/blogsnapshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPNKWxSHPm4XFncVTWAB75vSo5s32e3iIF_aspsycx_SAR3bnR-IiyJYY0P9MpXIESxK5QGLCwbVSvWNP325oE5yVJ2tVPTmoV0_imMBFmUuQCShEnCwQJiSMlORww8xS5fqMBBJzJsav/s320/blogsnapshot.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Yonder blog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.ehl.ch/">Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne</a></span>
is doing a survey to understand how customers / travellers perceive the
travel industry when it comes to authenticity. They have approached us
to take part in this survey.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The
objective is to understand how customers perceive the industry today in
terms of authenticity, by taking a snapshot of the global current
situation. Indeed, the altruistic nature of the industry often places it
under scrutiny, and issues of authenticity are the subject of
deliberation. The growing use of online communication tools is equally
prone to raise issues of authenticity. Offering new possibilities in PR
communication, corporate blogs were identified as the most relevant
channel to frame the study.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHKxhU2JXF9h4-6QcbOgsnluMi0z4WCPWDLeW-jPlFX5Dy0kHyFl469W2-nmhLd7UxOECslF-rahZXZC3P2WCgkM5cpZhmodXhtV63k70OwCrXMsRGa-mrCxJiRJv5YopiGZlni2qW_JE/s1600/EHdLausanne" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHKxhU2JXF9h4-6QcbOgsnluMi0z4WCPWDLeW-jPlFX5Dy0kHyFl469W2-nmhLd7UxOECslF-rahZXZC3P2WCgkM5cpZhmodXhtV63k70OwCrXMsRGa-mrCxJiRJv5YopiGZlni2qW_JE/s320/EHdLausanne" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.ehl.ch/">Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Through
an analysis of companies across the world, the results will shed light
on how customers perceive the RT industry globally in terms of
authenticity, and help companies see where it stands in comparison
with competitors and the industry mean. Moreover, insights may arise on
which specific attributes are most important in constructing
authenticity. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After
a thorough review of existing literature, a model was developed to
determine how authenticity is constructed in online environments, more
particularly in corporate blogs. The main dimensions of authenticity are
known as transparency, authority, origin, engagement and identity.
Based on these dimensions, a survey was designed to gauge perceptions of
authenticity in responsible tourism blogs. In an effort to minimize the
length of the survey, the crucial dimensions were distilled into ten
questions, which should not take more than three minutes to answer.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in participating in this quick and short survey, please <a href="http://kwiksurveys.com/online-survey.php?surveyID=LCKKNN_194ffa2c&u=theblueyonder" target="_blank">see this link</a>. Any questions on the survey, please get in touch with <a href="mailto:Kamran.MARWAH@ehl.ch" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #008394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Kamran Marwah</span></b></a></div>
</div>GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-12787427000398800962012-03-27T09:33:00.002+05:302012-03-27T09:40:28.988+05:30Discovering the magic of Nila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9a0jCza5yV6a8mkFGag3PHKNpAGhO97Q-QqCddgjYso0UFWI7UGyeXETeLFzH27XXCTsrLEQs_E2MOl2PtxGrbxV8998M-URIvgQndmSXSoidjbh3KS73YqO1jmrNxN3w2eDgaS3buMl/s1600/nila+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9a0jCza5yV6a8mkFGag3PHKNpAGhO97Q-QqCddgjYso0UFWI7UGyeXETeLFzH27XXCTsrLEQs_E2MOl2PtxGrbxV8998M-URIvgQndmSXSoidjbh3KS73YqO1jmrNxN3w2eDgaS3buMl/s400/nila+052.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most traditional houses in Malabar are adorned by the tiles that came from Basel Missions' Codacal Tile Factory <br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;">"I have been visiting Kerala since I was a little girl. And thanks to a travel bug for a father who also has a special place for Kerala in his heart, I have had the good fortune to visit really interesting places across the length and breadth of Kerala. But the road trip I took over a few hours along the river Nila helped me see a side of Kerala that I didn’t know existed.
The first revelation was the story behind the famed Codacal Tile Factory, a name that I had been seeing on the roof tiles of my grandfather’s house, but knowing nothing about its historical significance. Especially that the Codacal Tile Factory was run by the Commonwealth Trust at Codacal, which is the successor to the Basel Mission Industries is a standing reminder of the bold and revolutionary attempt at social engineering in Malabar. I didn’t realise that Swiss and German missionaries started this initiative to support the newly converted Christians by providing them employment because they were ostracised by their communities post their conversion. Their activities spread rapidly in Malabar as the weaving factory at Codacal established in 1860. The Tile Factory at Codacal, started in 1887, is the second tile manufacturing industry in India. What I wasn’t prepared for was the spotting of remnants of some megalithic monuments that were buried in the courtyard of the factory. It was heart-wrenching to learn that some of these historical relics, some dating back to late 1800s and early 1900s were destroyed as recently as a few years ago over a petty land-grabbing issue!</span></pre></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkM-bJgYMUnYaPIooB6cM_HrHkWA2JSDaEVqr20rZkSIg0MDpfbbzs6wpCW-4HY8yyREstuxsl29Mm9H8O1TpnswWHGLD1iO-J1WaCR7dPlQ02sjWVUXe9FCzTytPVFjn4W27K-iP1FPS/s1600/nila+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkM-bJgYMUnYaPIooB6cM_HrHkWA2JSDaEVqr20rZkSIg0MDpfbbzs6wpCW-4HY8yyREstuxsl29Mm9H8O1TpnswWHGLD1iO-J1WaCR7dPlQ02sjWVUXe9FCzTytPVFjn4W27K-iP1FPS/s400/nila+053.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Missing an opportunity to preserve this historic marvel, private owners have left only this piece of the old tile factory. Icons linked to it's historical importance were removed by owners to impress upon a court enquiry that the place had nothing to do with Kerala history!<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;">I had been hearing about the Mamaankam festival and the rich history behind it all my life, but visiting some of the newly renovated sites like Changamballi Kalari, Nilapaadu Thara, Manikkinar, Pazhukka Mandapam, and Marunnara, which were closely associated with Mamankam festival was something else. Thanks to some recent restoration work by the archeology department and a lot of background work done by responsible tourism players like The Blue Yonder, one gets to know these places exist. But what was really enriching for me was to hear stories from Gopinath Parayil, the soul behind <a href="http://theblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Yonder</a>, about what makes these places truly special and be the inspiration for us to live our lives today knowing that so many amazing incidents and experiences happened in the past that we could learn from. Some that stay fresh in my memory even after many weeks of making that trip.
The Changamballi Kalari, the only one with an entrance from the right side, keeping with the Muslim traditions even though Kalari was essentially a Hindu dominated martial art form stands testimony to how communities could hold traditions together despite religious diversity. The 'Changamballi family', who manages this Kalari has an interesting history as well. Tulu Brahmins from Mangalore who settled in this part of the world were forced to convert into Islam during the invasion of Tipu Sultan in the Malabar region. They agreed to the conversion with a few conditions that the Sultan agreed. They continue to be unique in the sense that they are perhaps the only “vegetarian” Muslim community in Kerala with customs and traditions from their Tulu lineage followed while they practice Islam. What a beautiful story of amalgamation in society. Perhaps the closest is the one on how the Parsi community blended with the Gujarati Hindus upon their arrival on the Indian shores. Funnily enough, the local school kids who were following us curiously had no idea on why these sites were preserved or their historical significance, even though their school was next door! Perhaps the archaeology department needs to invest some effort in sharing why they have taken the pains to restore and revive something with the local population. And the local schools and teachers definitely have the onus on them to ensure the new generation understands the mantle they need to be proud of and preserve</span></pre></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPALfQHuvTcGfimpW2gzG01wdXe8Emo0Mpg33QEYKFoXxh4Ry1z1lHjL2q8TyIXa5un9he5i-9JN6GUFViaLesiLDv0EDyUuMEK9HMLOWSVnVuvrt71uaRwpZzoteVlPju6vJNs5pX24IB/s1600/nila+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPALfQHuvTcGfimpW2gzG01wdXe8Emo0Mpg33QEYKFoXxh4Ry1z1lHjL2q8TyIXa5un9he5i-9JN6GUFViaLesiLDv0EDyUuMEK9HMLOWSVnVuvrt71uaRwpZzoteVlPju6vJNs5pX24IB/s400/nila+058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">More than 5,000 acres of lotus ponds can be seen along River Nila. Muslim owned ponds supply lotus to most of the Hindu temples in Central and North Kerala. Beacon on religious harmony and business</span> sense!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><pre wrap=""><span style="font-size: small;">The visit to Thunjan Parambu, a place like no other where the father of Malayalam literature,Thunchathu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan taught and spent a better half of his life writing the Malayalam Ramayana. Legend has it that the Ramayana in Malayalam was recited by a parrot to the author so that he could write without a break!! I don’t even know what to call it- museum, literature park, breathtaking Kerala architecture. It was all this and more. The beautiful bronze statue of the parrot with an Iron stylus and the palm leaf, the unique Nox vomica tree that had sweet tasting leaves as opposed to its usual bitter sour one just added to the mystique. I need to bring my little boy back to this place that has the largest collection of Malayalam manuscripts, and get him to write on the white sands of Thunjan Parambu as is the tradition there to initiate the young into acquiring knowledge!
The impulsive decision to see the exciting Riverside Retreat near Kuttippuram that has been the hub for many a writer to be inspired got me to see the Nila from many angles, each more beautiful than the other. Almost like she was enticing me to discover more. Sitting on the banks of Nila finally as the sun was setting with the ezan from the mosque across the river almost touching the soul was surreal. It took every ounce of will power to get ourselves out of that magical place. I for sure will be back soon to discover yet another magic around Nila."</span></pre></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZLXtzkqpzYvuFgtBpkgU0mi_Tc2RtvVjAqwR2gJOU0dNZzaNsOvjsqEtsKSWVrWRJJLx_kXtTC4EIc7OIaoX4pnD-NXMZh0iRf_zH7FGSimblNiJjiidaQgBPCudK22rPk_cr1gC92G_/s1600/IMG_1589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZLXtzkqpzYvuFgtBpkgU0mi_Tc2RtvVjAqwR2gJOU0dNZzaNsOvjsqEtsKSWVrWRJJLx_kXtTC4EIc7OIaoX4pnD-NXMZh0iRf_zH7FGSimblNiJjiidaQgBPCudK22rPk_cr1gC92G_/s400/IMG_1589.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Nila flowing through Desamangalam region. Pandavas are believed to have bathed in these erstwhile ghats before their journey to the heaven. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Shared by Meena Vaidyanathan. Published earlier on 'Welcome Kerala' Magazine.</div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>GPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16876229169266206704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-38198511864648818242012-02-15T17:24:00.004+05:302012-05-07T03:20:21.894+05:30Understanding traveler perspectives.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFZ6m6YtA4e-f-kOiFVpWTKAQbGx9yRoul4aDp-U0WrKtWRU0SRGW8ffaklfsS6uWN4-9OSn4ZFP0ZGTKmQwmBLrhdINUUL0fiZCnSNQrIPeszDvSqmK_97gRdrA8iHemDTZvtp03uh7h/s1600/TBY+collage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709331412366564018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFZ6m6YtA4e-f-kOiFVpWTKAQbGx9yRoul4aDp-U0WrKtWRU0SRGW8ffaklfsS6uWN4-9OSn4ZFP0ZGTKmQwmBLrhdINUUL0fiZCnSNQrIPeszDvSqmK_97gRdrA8iHemDTZvtp03uh7h/s200/TBY+collage.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 184px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I believe that the difference tourism can make in communities depends on how well we understand them. This counts for the people you visit, but also for you, the travelers across the world. Why you travel, and how you experience the stories shared by people you visit, is important. I believe that your insights and perspectives on the trips you take can help in working with local communities as they seek to understand the people visiting them, just as you seek to understand those you visit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Therefore, I would like to invite you to participate in the research that I am undertaking to understand travelers expectations and perceptions about destinations and experiences. I will be interviewing travelers from Europe who travel to South Asian and African countries with tour operators with a focus on responsible tourism. I will be conducting in-depth interviews with travelers from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Great Britain, Austria, and Sweden. </span><br />
<div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you are a traveller based in any of the above countries, feel free to get in touch with me on mariska (at) theblueyonder (dot) com to be part of this interesting initiative. I speak English, German and Dutch, so feel free to converse with me in any of these languages. Please contact me to make an appointment to do an interview with you in the coming months. </span></div>
</div>Mariskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05693088307315161784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-68710522417068219422012-02-13T13:30:00.007+05:302012-02-13T14:18:46.248+05:30Champaner, Gujarat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneG5Cs_Xk300r11HYBjapn4MUkd0cob8ZyD5V0YnnqHjEryuY7MCV6iTVaLXhy5P4H4tdC7rkgY_PRlQ970zKHpw4v7_AxqGamZjsGfazXxUf6JpQFx_F1qLCcWLs40y_3luIbEu3MinI/s1600/zainab+article-4684.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneG5Cs_Xk300r11HYBjapn4MUkd0cob8ZyD5V0YnnqHjEryuY7MCV6iTVaLXhy5P4H4tdC7rkgY_PRlQ970zKHpw4v7_AxqGamZjsGfazXxUf6JpQFx_F1qLCcWLs40y_3luIbEu3MinI/s400/zainab+article-4684.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708531865187415890" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><div style="text-align: center;">Sahar ni Masjid (Photo Credit: Madhu Reddy)</div></span><p class="MsoNormal">As we traversed the length and breadth of Gujarat, our feet ached and our spirits were slightly weary. So on the last day, when we were supposed to visit Champaner, all of us had second thoughts about actually making the trip. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had first heard of Champaner through a friend who was studying in Ahmedabad and would make a quick weekend trip to Champaner when he wanted to escape the chaotic clutches of city life. I remember him telling me about the mounted heritage structures scattered across the dusty little town. I had immediately then drawn a picture of it in my head and it certainly did seem like place I would have liked to experience. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Out first stopover was at the Sahar ki Masjid which is a sandstone mosque with towering minarets etched with the most intense designs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My fellow travelers and I were the only ones in the mosque. That allowed me to seek my own space and as I walked pass the sturdy columns, the mosque took me back hundreds of years. The guide’s voice echoed in my head and his words brought forth an army of Jains, Muslims and Hindus who congregated at the mosque.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The influence of all the three communities was starkly visible in the sculpted ceilings and doors.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The wind was chilly and as my fingers traced the shivering marble centerpiece, the artwork narrated tales of the skill and time which must have gone into creating the momentous structure. The guide says that there exists no documented evidence of this place ever having been used as a mosque. And the geography of the structure complies as one sees the wide open space where conversations must have nurtured between columns.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our next stop was the Jami Masjid, another stupendous testimonial of the Mahmud Begada’s rule on Champaner when he made the city the capital of Gujarat. We were fortunate to have reached this Mosque just as a bunch of tourists were stepping out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As we paved our way through the stoned arch laced in lattice, the mosque came into view. It was lined by balconies and minarets and several local children who were perhaps on a school trip. Their buzzing bickering and colored outfits contrasted with the 15<sup>th</sup> century structure which rebelled with its symmetry and even use of sandstone. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The afternoon sun played hide and seek with the latticed windows and balconies and drew pretty patterns on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Pigeons cooed away in corners of the murky mosque. Two men discussed employment options sitting inside the cool carved space before the window. Children streaked pass the columns leaving their shadows behind. The large dome with intricate carvings offered protection from the heady sunrays. Time passed slowly and quickly, all at once.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was humbled by this feat of beauty which offered very limited utility in our current times but overwhelmed me with its powerful aesthetic composition. I am usually skeptical of history books and especially great rulers like Mahmud Begada. I always wonder about the lives lost, the struggle for power and the very need for a ruler to indulge in an extravagant expense of building a structure of this size and beauty when it could be used for the benefit of the proletariat. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, in that moment, I thanked Mahmud Begada for commissioning this mosque and creating a structure which has stood the test of time and empires. I was indeed grateful for this piece of history which could remind us of a time and world that was. I smiled as I thought about the employment this structure must have generated, the art which has been preserved and the hub that it acts like for the existing community.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I sighed deeply as I felt my spirits rise and began walking towards the exit.</p>Zainab Kakalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06165970276681466408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316224823643665832.post-24304479077707936672012-02-11T22:53:00.002+05:302012-02-11T22:57:51.787+05:30Learning to fly<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpLgI6PATBPTljV0aPoHCuZ0fmDZYipFYwlERb6f-F2DEdBocB1joQXEKMNGS_OT1LxJq49qp06gMat4HxUpkLZbO4-ED18F-rXOL9GtT17VNifcvlCrWpBtQhdNYrqZOPztquCtfHik/s1600/_DSC1737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpLgI6PATBPTljV0aPoHCuZ0fmDZYipFYwlERb6f-F2DEdBocB1joQXEKMNGS_OT1LxJq49qp06gMat4HxUpkLZbO4-ED18F-rXOL9GtT17VNifcvlCrWpBtQhdNYrqZOPztquCtfHik/s400/_DSC1737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I spied him through a corner of my camera lens, a bundle of nervous enthusiasm. He was clutching at the crisp white kites being handed over to him. He was off in a flash, tightly gripping the kites and the spindle of cord. I ran after him and caught up to ask, “Can I fly kites with you?” There was a shy nod and a gesture to follow him.<br />
<br />
We dashed through the warren of dark and narrow alleys of Ahmedabad's old walled city. We traipsed over mounds of fresh dung, deposited by the old city's most numerous denizens – cattle. Very soon I was deep in the belly of another world. He gestured me to follow him into a barely perceptible doorway, while informing someone of a visitor at the same time. I had to keep watch to avoid slamming my forehead into the low-slung door frame, while my little new-found friend was already slithering up makeshift wooden ladder-staircases that connected the different vertical levels of this tiny household. He yelled a “hello” to his mother and summed up my visit in a breath, all the while climbing. In a few seconds we were in fresh air, looking out over the roofs of old Ahmedabad, in time to fly kites to celebrate Uttarayan.<br />
<br />
The roof was host to a gaggle of kids and was alive with preparations to launch the first kites, and my friend was completely absorbed. It took only a few more minutes for the first kites to lift away against the backdrop of Ahmedabad's heritage monuments, and on cue, rooftop DJs who had dragged massive audio gear to the roofs got the mood going. Predictably, bowing to popular demand, this was a '<i>Kolaveri</i>'-themed event, and humming away my little friend got to grips with his kite. Amidst yells from his mother to be careful on the roof, he tried to get his kite aloft.<br />
<br />
But alas, his efforts only managed to break the kite's spine. The smile was gone and the enthusiasm went flat as he watched his peers regale themselves in grand aerial battles fought with 'enemy' kites flown from other other rooftops. An uncle quickly rigged up another kite for him, while his cousin got it aloft, but it clearly wasn't enough. My friend dashed downstairs. While I was pondering the consequences of this crushing childhood disappointment, I was served warm tea and breakfast including the Uttarayan <i>kichchdi</i> by the mother who assured me the boy would be back soon. And on cue he was back, fresh from a bath, dressed in his Sunday best, and his mojo – his favorite hat.<br />
<br />
The smile was radiant on his face as he ditched his white kites for a sleek back one. He was onto to something, he had figured out how to get a kite aloft. It was now time for me to fade away, as I watched him get his kite in the air humming: “<i>ooh lala, ooh lala, tu hi meri fantasy!</i>”<br />
<br />
<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&noautoplay=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F113003310908627710394%2Falbumid%2F5707926615347505457%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="267" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed><br />
<br />
</div>Anand Sankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00286933573398612660noreply@blogger.com0