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A small festival among friends
Un pequeño festival entre amigos
Ein kleines Fest mit Freunden
Responsible
tourism is treating others the way they wish to be treated.
A growing number of travelers want their journeys to be less
invasive and more beneficial to the local community. They want
to better understand the culture of the people they meet in
the places they visit. VIsitors should be mindful that they
are entering a place that is someone else's home. Interpretation
begins long before the trip and ends long afterward. Those who
enjoy a trip will look back fondly for the rest of their lives.
A group of friends in Oaxaca, Mexico created the Responsible
Tourism Fair, Planeta.com's 10th event since 2001 and a veritable
model of frugality and slow travel.
The fair took place in multiple locations in Oaxaca City and
surrounding towns. Visitors had a number of options, including
weaver-guided walks in Teotitlán del Valle, photosafaris
in public parks and authentic indigenous meals including Caldo
de Piedra (Chinanteco), Maatsy (Mixe) and tamales (Zapotec-style).
Self-guided treasure hunts asks foodies to try various cheeses,
chocolates and mezcal. Photographers are invited to share photos
in relevant Flickr Groups with prizes to be awarded.
PHOTOGRAPHY
One of the hallmarks of the Responsible Tourism Fair is that
most of the events are photographed by the participants - locals
and visitors. We encourage participants to share their favorites
via Flickr and YouTube. As part of our commitment to Responsible
Travel Photography we ask photographers to first ask permission.
Want to be responsible and have fun? We encourage you to upload
photos to Flickr. Featured groups include World Food , Árboles
de Oaxaca (Oaxaca Trees), Si Mas Bicicletas (Yes more bicycles)
World Market and a dozen more. Online viewers can show support
by favoriting the photos taken during the fair or adding pictures
from where you live to the groups.
MODEL EVENT
Can this event be replicated elsewhere? Yes! For those who
would like to create their own tourism fair, we have compiled
a list of recommendations.
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