As agri- and eco-tourism continue to grow in popularity, new niches for sustainable world exploration are constantly developing.
One of these niches is in culinary eco-tourism, where adventurers are able to experience the harvesting and tasting of regional delicacies under the umbrella of environmental travel.
Crete, Greece
Based in the hull of the famed healthy “Mediterranean diet”, Crete’s Culinary Sanctuaries offers travelers a glimpse into regional rituals like scouring hills for wild herbs in spring and tending to organic gardens in the summer, botanical hikes to discover wild plants used for medicine and cooking, tastings at organic vineyards, seminars and cooking demonstrations. (Treehugger)
“[The tours] tell the story of cuisine from the ground up — via visits to archaeological sites, sustainable organic farms, and presentations by many other residents of Crete working to celebrate and protect their cultural and natural heritage,” explains founder Nikki Rose.
Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Culinary eco-tours like the one at this adventure lodge allow for the hands-on enjoyment of foraging for ingredients through hundreds of acres of epic Canadian wilderness– in an old growth Acadian forest, through open fields, meandering rivers, streams and ponds. Travelers pick edible wild plants with guides and animal companions (either a Canadian Eskimo Dog or a Norwegian Fjord horse) carry harvests back to the kitchen.
Borneo, Malaysia
Tours here take groups to local cooks and caterers as well as markets before learning to prepare regional delicacy dishes like Fish Sambal in the kitchens of generous hosts. This is a unique learning experience that offers the opportunity to interact with and learn right from locals.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpITryG9vZQ]
- 96% of Condé Nast Traveler readers think hotels and resorts should be responsible for protecting the environment they operate in.
- 74.5% says that a hotel’s environmental policies can influence their decision to stay there.
- More than 2/3 of American and Australian travelers and 90% of UK tourists believe that within the hotel’s responsibility should be considered the active protection of the environment and the support of local communities. (2005)
— Responsible Travel
