Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com | 17 DESTINATION Maldives RESPONSIBLE TOURISM "Northern Manitoba allows travellers to explore and appreciate the rapidly changing Arctic, home to polar bears; get close to wild bison in Alberta; Costa Rica has limited tourists' contact with wildlife such as sloths; while orangutan sanctuaries are gaining popularity among responsible travellers." ALBERTA BISON Once upon a time, there were more than 30 million bison across North America. During the 19th century, those numbers dived to under 1,000. Today, visitors will find more than 700 at Elk Island National Park, north of Edmonton, Alberta. Families here will also learn the story of what happened to the bison and how the animal's plight is connected to the greater tragic past of North America's First Nation people. On the Bison Backstage Tour, guests walk through the first dedicated bison wildlife protection area in Canada, getting an up- close look at a working bison-handling facility where the animals are protected by law, while discovering the history of the region that has been a home to bison for more than 8,000 years. Animals from this disease-free facility have been sent around the world to help repopulate other areas from which herds had been depleted. Bison from Elk Island park have even travelled as far as Russia. COSTA RICA SLOTHS Costa Rica is a long-time leader in sustainable tourism, and more than two-thirds of travellers to the country say they visit in order to engage in activities that are directly related to ecotourism. It's no wonder, then, that the destination continues to top the list of best trips for families. From white water rafting to hiking in the cloud forest, clients are bound to bump into wild animals along the way — and a sloth encounter is a guaranteed highlight. Sloths tend to hang out high in the trees, and getting a good look at one might put visitors and the animal at risk. Travellers' desire for animal selfies led local entrepreneurs to domesticate wild animals and charge for the chance to hug, pet or offer food to them. Such behaviour is now against the law in Costa Rica. (The country also recently launched a #stopanimalselfies campaign to discourage unsafe practices.) Il Viaggio Travel is a family-run company that has won multiple awards for its ability to design bespoke yet inclusive multi- generational trips that is perfect for every family. And Il Viaggio's ethical standards mean that clients are guaranteed a great experience while protecting the natural environment that makes Costa Rica so special. *THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN TRAVELAGE WEST (TRAVELAGEWEST.COM), AND HAS BEEN EDITED FOR LENGTH AND AUDIENCE.

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