| Planeta.com launched an
amibitious Reader Survey.
"Feedback is critical in communication," said Planeta.com
founder Ron Mader. "We wanted to learn what our readers enjoy
about our work and whether there are suggestions that can improve
Planeta.com."
INITIAL RESULTS
Where do you plan to travel in 08?
La Jolla, California; New York City; Salt Lake City, Utah; Wisconsin
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Romania, Austria, Germany,
Netherlands
Mexico, America, Canada
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, Bellingham, Pinnacles, Monterey.
The Philippines
Baja and hopefully mainland Mexico
Arizona, Texas, Oregon
Galapagos, Ecuador, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Toronto
Vietnam, Nunavut
Mexico
Australia
Japan, Australia, New Zealand
San Francisco, Northern California, New Zealand or American Samoa
Where did you enjoy traveling in 07?
Washington, Idaho, Utah, New York City, Wisconsin
Germany, Romania, India, Austria, Luxemburg, France
Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico.
Pinnacles National Monument,Yosemite National Park, Bellingham (Washington,
USA), Sicily, Panama, Ecuador
Guatemala, the Philippines, and the Pacific Northwest
Baja
Vancouver Island
Labrador, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and north shore of Lake Superior
Mauritius, Iceland, Turkey, Quebec
India
Bonaire
New Zealand, Canada, Taipei and Australia
ECO AND SOCIAL ISSUES - Do you include eco or social issues
as criteria you use in making a trip? If so, please explain briefly
how you make your choice.
Largely, lack of exploitation of indigenous (like low-paid staff
in a 5-star resort)
Yes, I attempt to avoid locations where I can't find smaller, locally
owned hotels and tour groups.
I visit tourism initiatives that I have been recommended by other
travellers and sustainable tourism sources
I select beautiful environments and cultural centers to visit
I try to plan all of my work and play to minimize my footprint on
the planet.
I try to purchase items from local artisans and leave as little
trace of my presence as possible (not buying items that produce
a lot of waste).
Definitely try to stay in places that leave a small footprint--small
family B&Bs, eco-resorts or the like, not mega hotels or Club
Meds that alter the native landscape so drastically.
Evidence in terms of tangible projects, meeting authentic people,
going behind the scenes, opportunity to stay in villages and communities,
availability of local foods, ability to travel safely and within
small groups, opportunity to meet local people without them feeling
uncomfortable.
I try to use local services as much as I can. I research these topics
for every destination I visit in order to understand what is happening
with these issues in that area. I contact people who work with communities
and try to meet with them to understand what their work is like
and how it serves communities.
l look for small lodges in natural areas, try to get in touch and
share with local communities, take my garbage (and others´)
back to where it can be best treated
Yes - research into backcountry travel possibilities, independent
photo galleries, looking to online communities for advice and local
backcountry groups to join.
Which Planeta.com features did you enjoy this past year?
The e-conferences
Ecotourism
Hardly had time to read anything, or even contribute to my blog
Many of them, but I especially enjoy the information on books and
the flicker photographs
Photos, Videos, New Book info and the Book of the Year voting
Coverage of Dias de Muerto.
Regular emails with updates, information about the Oaxaca workshops
E-newsletters
Features on indigenous people
Forum, wikispaces, country reviews
What topics would you like improved coverage in 2008?
Urban ecotourism, rural tourism, tourism and religion
Baja and Central America
Mexico. Things to do that are eco friendly and inexpensive.
Geocaching in Central America, Capacity building projects within
communities that are non-traditional and help the community to survive
(but these projects are in some way linked to tourism).
Community based tourism; market profiles; the evolution of ecotourism,
responsible tourism, and a parallel with post modernism
Looking forward to development of co-created planeta wikispace -
discovering new open source web-based software
Relaxing but responsible (and SAFE) places, for older people (say,
64) to enjoy areas of beauty and unique people/geography/photo-ops
What do you enjoy about Planeta.com?
Travel guides and features 72.7%
Books and bibliographies 45.5%
Dialogue on Planeta Forum 36.4%
E-Conferences 27.3%
Photos on Flickr 63.6%
Seminars and Webinars 18.2%
Videos on YouTube 18.2%
Wikispace 9.1%
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The survey takes about
10 minutes to complete and remains open. Information collected is
used to make updates throughout the site.
|
