2001 Planeta.com Index

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Here's our Index of 2001 articles, presentations and online conference excerpts published by Planeta.com. Click here for Editorial Comments.

[Note -- Each link opens a new window for easy access.]

FEATURES

Lines in the Sand - Wendy Call
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0110huatulco1.html
- Huatulco is Mexico's latest resort development. How it has fared is examined in this two-part feature.

Night of the Radishes - Ron Mader
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/rabanos.html
- Oaxaca City celebrates Christmas with its tradition of radish carving. Check out the winners and a brief history of this unique holiday tradition.

AAA Lodging Ratings in Baja California, A Case Study In Culture Clash - David Brackney
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/baja/dbratings.html
- Rating hotels is a bit skewed once you cross the border.

What Price Paradise? - Jeanine Kitchel
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0104yucatan.html
- Latest in our series of "Tales from the Yucatan"

Expatriates Bar & Grill: Fine Food, Cigars, and Environmental Espionage - Jon Kohl
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/period/jon/hondurasexpats.html
- Beer, coffee, environmentalism in Honduras? This is the place to visit.

Reflections on Travel Safety - Ron Mader
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0109safeworld.html
- 9/11 wasn't the first time we thought about travelers' safety this year

How Should a Walking Tour be Marketed? - Robert Cleverdon and Polly Pattullo
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0112walkingtour.html
- Online survey. We'll post the results in early 2002

"Place" as a determinant of travel and focus for writing - Herb Hiller
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/period/metplace.html
- One of the best essays we've published. This feature was written during the Media, Environment and Tourism Conference

Banff Heritage Tourism Strategy - Holly Quan
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0112banff.html
- Another terrific feature that was adapted and expanded from posts made by the author in the Media, Environment and Tourism Conference.

Mushroom Fair in Oaxaca (Feria de Hongos) - Ron Mader
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/hongos.html
- Oaxaca's Sierra Norte is known for its mysterious mushrooms. One town has begun to celebrate the biological diversity... and local cuisine.

Where to stay and eat in Oaxaca City - Ron Mader
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/stay.html
- Enough friends and friends of friends are asking... so here's a guide to the basics

Conservation and National Parks in Chile - Tim Burford
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0106chile.html
- Excellent summary and evaluation by a noted author

Searching for Ecotourism in Chiapas - Allan Rhodes
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0109chiapas.html
- Introspective travelogue that is one of the year's favorite reads

Manteniendose en el Mercado sin Perder el Objectivo - Alfonso Escobedo
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0109sinperder.html
- Insider report (in Spanish) about promoting and developing ecotourism without losing the objectives of conservation and community participation. Highly recommended.

PRESENTATIONS AND CONFERENCE SUMMARIES

Oaxaca Tourism Fair
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/feria2001.html
- Planeta.com co-sponsored perhaps the most FUN tourism fair in the Americas. Working with local tour providers, conservation groups, government officials, we created a one-day tianguis that showcased the finest of Oaxaca's nascent nature tourism/ecotourism offerings.

Sustainable Tourism and Whale Watching in North America
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0103whales.html
- Invited to the CEC's sustainable tourism program, I prepared this helpful guide. We also host the Marine Tourism Forum, an ongoing discussion that takes a global focus.

Ecotourism Certification Workshop Summary
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/certsummary.html
- In January 2001, Planeta.com hosted its most successful conference that set the tone for the rest of the year. We had 300 people from around the globe begin a serious discussion of the pros and cons of "certification" in the tourism industry. This discussion has been frank and the most varied gathering of players discussing the merits of certification. Mind you, the summary is not for everyone. But if you are a journalist or a policy wonk, you'll find this one of the must-reads of the year.

Media, Environment and Tourism Conference
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/period/metevent.html
- A summary is still being edited from this event which took place online in November 2001

Green Building and Tourism Conference
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/trade/gbtconf.html
- Kudos to our co-sponsors and participants. One of the results of this event was the elaboration of a regional fact sheet.

Reimagining Ecotourism in the Americas Conference Center
http://www.planeta.com/americas.html
- In 2000 and 2001 we hosted our first online conferences focusing on regional ecotourism. This guide provides all of the links in one place.

BOOKS

Q&A with Chris Shaw
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/weaving/chrisshaw.html
- Sacred Monkey River author discusses ecotourism and community control in Mexico and Guatemala

Earth Notebook
http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/notebooks/earth.html
- Latest in our series of notebooks

Review: "You have to pay for public life"
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0111bookpublic.html
- Book review

CERTIFICATION?

United Central America Announces Cooperative Tourism Marketing Effort to Include "Green Certification" - Bruce Conord
http://www.planeta.com/planeta/01/0105center.html - Breaking news... time will tell if the accord takes

HEADLINES

Planeta.com Announces New Alliances
http://www.planeta.com/alliances.html
- We outline where we're going and how institutions and individuals can collaborate with Planeta.com

Websites Announce New Alliance - The Mexico Network
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/planeta_press/message/100
- Our latest news item... the launch of a collaborative online network focusing on improving journalism coverage and a basic understanding of Mexico

COMMENTS

When Planeta.com debuted in 1994, I had no idea what was being created. This is in large part due to you -- the Readers. I had no idea that the Directory of Spanish Language Schools would become the single-most popular page on the site, nor that my ecotourism articles would be cited so often.

While the quarterly newsletter is gone, we have instead a content-rich website which is added to and updated on a regular basis. I am very pleased by how often the materials from the site are copied, distributed and incorporated into education. From the simple "How to write a media release" to "Choosing an Eco Tour" -- these virtual pages have been forwarded, printed, faxed around the world.

We are reader and author friendly -- most recently demonstrated during the Media, Environment and Tourism Conference. While Planeta.com doesn't pay for features, we do put writers in touch with each other and with the public in a way most generic magazine/feature websites don't.

Each year I say that we have outdone ourselves putting some of the most interesting, and yes - a bit eclectic -- features online. This year is no exception. I say "we" because while Planeta.com is a one-man operation, the site wouldn't exist without the kind contributions of so many.

What's next? This is the heralded "International Year of Ecotourism" after all! As I remind friends and colleagues, we are making the rules as we go along. Ecotourism, like Internet publishing, evolves by what we do and what we decide not to do. Yes, there are ethics involved. And there is also a great deal of fun.

Readers, Planeta.com invites you to participate in our online forums http://www.planeta.com/worldforum.html, to choose travel companies http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/resources/resources.html or a good book http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/reviews/reviews.html.

- Ron Mader

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