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Visit Disneyland Resort: MagicBand+

  Not too many people had  MagicBand+  at Disneyland Resort, from what I noticed, but that didn't stop us from getting them.   You can use the MagicBand+ to scan into the entry gates or scan your Lightning Lane passes.  No need to take out your phone and open up the Disneyland app or your photos app for a screenshot of your admission ticket or Lightning Lane pass.  It's easy to sync the MagicBand+ to everyone in your party through the Disneyland app. It's rechargeable, and one full charge is supposed to last 1-3 days, but we'd charge them at the end of each night. Another fun thing about the MagicBand+ is that it'll blink and flash in all sorts of colors depending on where you are, whether at certain rides or shows.  You can also use to link PhotoPass photos and other experiences. It's totally not a necessary thing to have, but it's a nice-to-have for the convenience.   One thing I did read prior to getting them is that they have a tende...

Responsible Travel Member Tour Operators Raise Over £500,000 in Wake of Nepal Earthquake

Tourism is the largest source of foreign exchange in Nepal, with 800,000 visitors in 2014 and forms at least 2% of its GDP. The industry also provides employment to more than 750,000 people in a country where the unemployment rate is more than 45%.

With this in mind Responsible Travel is offering its members based in Nepal a 50% discount on their membership to ensure they can continue to market their trips to tourists worldwide, supporting the resurrection of the local tourism industry.

Long-time Responsible Travel member Exodus Travel have raised over £200,000 so far, and working with HAMWWA (High Altitude Welfare Workers Association) have been focusing on ensuring aid is reaching remote villages which may have otherwise been overlooked by other relief efforts.

Another particularly successful campaign comes from Intrepid, a member of Responsible Travel since 2001, who raised over AUD$122,000 in the first two days of their appeal on behalf of NGO Plan International. The Intrepid campaign has now raised over AUD$400,000 and the company has launched their own ‘Namaste Nepal’ campaign via their charity, the Intrepid Foundation, with plans to have raised over AUD$1m through trip bookings and donations by the end of the next trekking season. 

However it’s not only the large tour operators making a difference. Uncover the World’s very personal appeal for help to repair their local team’s damaged homes and possessions has reached almost £5,000 and Kathmandu-based Social Tours Nepal have raised over US$20,000 via their charity, the Karma Foundation, as well as collecting an estimated US$30,000 worth of supplies to distribute to those in need of immediate aid.

Nepali member Manakamana Treks and Expeditions have also now launched a new volunteering trip with the aim to provide both physical and financial support to rebuild homes and schools in Kakithok Village, where they were one of the first aid teams to arrive. 

Commenting on the role the tourism industry has to play in Nepal’s recovery; managing director of Responsible Travel Justin Francis says “With so many Nepali’s dependent on tourism for everyday income, we must now be careful that another tragedy doesn’t follow swiftly on the heels of the first.

“Many small, local tourism businesses will not have enough reserves to weather an extended period of no income, and the dramatic decline in tourism will spell disaster all over again for the local people and families dependent on them. 

“It becomes vitally important that tourists don’t abandon Nepal and that they and external tour operators continue to support the country. We are extremely proud to be working with both international and local tour operators with such a strong commitment to the communities in which they work.


Justin Francis also adds “I went to Thailand 3 weeks after the Indian Ocean tsunami, and when I spoke with local people they told me ‘please tell the tourists to come back’”. 

To support or donate to appeals run or supported by Responsible Travel members go towww.responsibletravel.com/copy/nepal-earthquake-appeal

To find a holiday to Nepal which benefits communities and conservation visitwww.responsibletravel.com/holidays/nepal

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