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Susan Sessions Rugh: ‘The Golden Age of American Family Vacations’

Elyse Franko asks the author of “Are We There Yet?” about the rise and fall of the family vacation, segregation in travel and how family trips are changing today

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Inside Slum Tourism

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Break Bread and Brie in France

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10 Wanderlust-Inducing Summer Concerts

Call it world music or global pop or the sound of the world hum. Ben Keene reveals 10 acts on tour that are sure to transport you. Plus videos.

A Journey Into ‘The Second World’

Some bureaucrats joke that they would never claim expertise about countries they had not at least flown over. In an excerpt from his new book, Parag Khanna argues that real global understanding can only come from serious travel.

‘The Worst Guidebook Writer Ever’?

Lonely Planet author Robert Reid reviews Thomas Kohnstamm’s “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” and weighs in on the controversy surrounding it

Travel Outfitters Assist in Burma Cyclone Relief

Agreed, Jim - with the government blocking aid shipments from major foreign donors, it seems to be a good time to have small-scale contacts on the ground.

I just read about a pair of Canadians in Thailand who’ve hooked up with the Thai rotary club to funnel some aid into Burma: http://matadortravel.com/travel-blog/thailand/nora-dunn/this-is-real-travel-traveling-in-thailand-and-making-a-difference-in-

I guess it depends on whether you prioritize solving the root cause of the problem or alleviating the immediate suffering of people on the ground in devastated areas.  Tourism does help keep the junta in power, although the revenue isn’t so crucial in this age of booming commodity prices when no one cares where their oil originates.  I come down on the side of travel to Myanmar, but it’s crucial to make a distinction between folks who fly in to see the temples, stay at a government owned hotel and fly out the next morning, and those who travel close to the ground, consciously minimizing the amount of cash they give to the gov’t.

I also agree with Jim. The revenues from travel in Burma are a drop in the ocean to the Junta. Selling travel to Burma in all probability actually costs travel companies in terms of negative press and loss of sales to the “politically correct” brigade who boycott anyone who sells travel to the country. I personally believe there must be travel options available as the majority of any revenue generally helps alleviate poverty, especially when travel itineraries are well prepared with this in mind (make sure you discuss the issue with your specialist operator before booking).

In my personal experience every single person for whom I have arranged travel to the country has returned having both enjoyed the experience and become more aware of the reality of the plight of the people and are in a better position to be able to actually help them. Most who oppose travel there have never been! The blog above just goes to show that the travel industry can help.....even in the most unexpected ways.

Good points. I think you make a good distinction about the style of travel, Tim. And thanks for pointing out that story, Eva. Travelers have the capacity to do a great deal of good.

By the way, interesting post on Foreign Policy’s blog:

“Last week, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner--the founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)--suggested that the international community and the UN are obligated to intervene in Burma, regardless of the wishes of the military junta, in accordance with the “Responsibility to Protect”, or R2P, as outlined by the UN at the General Assembly in 2005. The concept asserts that the international community is obligated to intervene in cases where states fail to protect their populations from “genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/8833