Asking Questions Before Flying to Green Vacation Helps Secure Meaningful Experiences

Shine.com offers, shinewithshine.com: [green-travel] Digest Number 1813

Asking Questions Before Flying to Green Vacation Helps Secure Meaningful
Experiences

Green travel and Costa Rica specialist, Richard G. Edwards of
GreenSpot.travel, says that asking the right questions before you get on the
plane will help avoid unpleasant surprises and add value and meaning to a
green vacation.

Often, he says, there's a skew between what's promised as green and what's
actually delivered when it comes to green vacations. To help preclude this
he suggests looking at the pros and cons of planning a green vacation
yourself or turning it over to a professional.

Either way, here are questions he suggests asking before beginning:
1) Do I have time enough to surf the web and access other resources to put
all the pieces of my trip together myself?
2) How will I know that the places I want to visit really are eco-friendly?
3) Can I afford to have non-airline-related glitches taking up my vacation
time once I reach a destination?
4) How am I assured that my presence in a destination assists local
economies in a sustainable way?
5) Will I be able to interface with the locals and not be taken as an
uptight, overbearing gringo?
6) Are there ways I can add personal and sustainable value to my visit by
giving back or volunteering?
7) Is it possible to experience spontaneous, close-up cultural connections
and how would I go about creating them?
8) What about issues of safety and security in my itinerary and lodging
selections?

After some research, a traveler will be able to look at their own answers to
these questions and decide if the independence of a self-planned trip is
what they're looking for and the time investment would be fun and rewarding
for them.

For the third consecutive year Condé Nast Traveler magazine has named
Edwards one of the world's 128 Top Travel Specialists. The adventure travel
veteran divides his time between Montana and Costa Rica where a Condé Nast
Traveler editor experienced first-hand the services that his organization,
GreenSpot.travel, extends to travelers.

A staff editor was assigned the task of comparing a self-planned trip to
Costa Rica with one organized and executed by a travel specialist who, in
this case, happened to be Richard Edwards and GreenSpot.travel.

Says the editor in the August issue of the magazine, "My self-planned trip
was far from a disappointment and offered a bit more independence. But
Edwards gave me a smoother journey overall, with better accommodations, good
guides, and more local flavor. For travelers working with limited time and a
flexible budget, these benefits will likely justify the extra cost."

Says Edwards, "It's gratifying that the magazine recognizes the value that
seasoned travel professionals can bring to the overall travel experience."
He notes that the web offers certain conveniences when it comes to securing
travel details. But travelers are still well advised to turn to the pros,
particularly when considering visiting a foreign country.

Condé Nast Traveler's annual Travel Specialists list began as a travel
service directory 9 years ago, yet it has turned into a must-have roll call
of the most impressive, knowledgeable, and experienced travel specialists in
the world.

Each year, Condé Nast Traveler Consumer News Editor Wendy Perrin leads a
team of editors in evaluating applicants. Listed travel specialists have
undergone a rigorous screening process that includes a 47-question
application with sample itineraries and client references, then continues
with phone interviews and, in most cases, road-testing by Condé Nast
Traveler staff. Perrin receives hundreds of letters annually from around
the world reporting back on the trips that were planned by these
specialists, and you can read the most recent ones on Wendy Perrin's blog at
www.perrinpost.com.