Compass
On January 13, 1888, a small group of explorers and scientists, 33 in all, gathered at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. (A place where DC members of the famed Explorers Club, including World Footprints, meet today.) They proposed to organize a society "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural, historical, and natural resources." Two weeks later, they incorporated the National Geographic Society . Alexander Graham Bell, the Society's second president, proposed a magazine, sales of which would help fund the Society's activities. In 1899, Bell's son-in-law Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor was named the first full-time editor of National Geographic magazine. He served the organization for fifty-five years (until 1954), and members of the Grosvenor family have played important roles in the organization since. Bell and Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor devised the successful marketing notion of Society membership and the first major use of [...]
New York City's La Guardia Airport opened on this day in 1938. Located in Queens County on New York's Long Island, the airfield was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport but it was re-named after Fiorello H. La Guardia, a former mayor of New York City who presided over the airport's construction. It's central location and proximity to the city center make La Guardia a favorite hub for many travelers. La Guardia is the smallest of the city's three primary airports behind JFK and Newark's Liberty International.
A mere 88 years ago, women had no Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote in elections. In January of 1918, President Woodrow Wilson announced that he was supporting a new amendment to the US Constitution that would give women the right to vote. The House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment, but it failed in the Senate after a series of delays. The National Woman's Party began a campaign to oust members of Congress who voted against the 19th Amendment - with great success. The following year, both Houses of Congress were overwhelmingly pro-suffrage. On May 21, 1919 the House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment by a vote of 304 to 89 and in June, the Senate passed it by a margin of 56 to 24. After ratification by the States, the Nineteenth Amendment was certified on August 26, 1920. Beginning in the 1800s, women organized, petitioned, and [...]
Islam is the second-most followed religion after Christianity. Out of the 195 countries on Earth, 56 have a Muslim majority and are governed by Muslims.
Leaving behind the tourist-filled streets of Darjeeling and the lingering whistle of the steam engine of the Heritage Himalayan Railway, our car enters the Lebong Valley. It is a different world altogether.
After a year of being confined to my home state of New South Wales, I’m desperate to experience another culture. It was this desperation that saw me eagerly scoop up a pamphlet for the Sikh Heritage Museum of Australia when I spotted it on display at the (locally) famed Big Banana Fun Park at Coffs Harbour the day before.
Movies and television series can often open your eyes to new and wonderful locations, creating a tourist destination where previously few people visited. A classic example is Game of Thrones; the HBO show was a global success, and it created tourist hot spots of its filming locations. Forbes explains how Dubrovnik was so popular; it had to limit visitors to its old town to 4,000 per day. How did it become so popular?
Whales, it turns out, are a lot like us. They live in family groups whom they go to great lengths to protect and care for. They love to sing, and “chart-topping hits” spread quickly from group to group. They’ve even been known to stand up for other, weaker species — us — when danger threatens.
One of the best parts of traveling is discovering the history of the place you are visiting. I like to consider myself a bit of a history buff, so when I booked a weekend trip to Poland while studying abroad in London, I knew I would spend most of my time learning firsthand about World War II.
Indigenous tourism is tourism that directly engages Indigenous people, either by allowing them to manage a site or making Indigenous culture the focus for a destination. An Indigenous-focus tourist is generally an international or domestic tourist who participates in or undertakes at least one Indigenous tourism activity during a holiday, such as visiting cultural sites or Indigenous communities, experiencing traditional dances, arts and crafts, and travelling to remote Indigenous areas. In simple words , the best way to experience a place or a culture is to become one with it ! World Footprints discusses Indigenous Tourism opportunities in America and the cultural influences that have shaped Istanbul, Turkey. There are 573 federally recognized American Indian tribes in the United States and 326 reservations. Some reservations are open to visitors and most are known for their Casinos. However, Indigenous Tourism consultant Anna Barrera tells us that many tribes are looking to [...]
Don Vicente Martinez Ybor, a Spaniard, came to Florida from Cuba. He first set up his cigar-making factory in Key West but found his mostly Cuban workers often left to return home.
In this episode, World Footprints hosts Tonya and Ian travel deeper with Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, as he discusses his journey into the world of travel, with particular focus on his "5th Gear" as an immigrant.
