“You are not apart from nature, you are a part of nature,” said award-winning filmmaker and conservationist Celine Cousteau at the opening of the third AdventureNext Near East event taking place in Aqaba until April 3.
The event is hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the Jordan Tourism Board, and sponsored by the European Union and the Palestine Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. It gathers international media with travel experts and providers from across the Mena region and beyond to discuss all things adventure travel.
During the opening plenary, Cousteau took to the stage to pose questions about the responsibility of travellers in helping the whole world to succeed and about facing our responsibilities as tourists.
"Travelling is a privilege. Being a tourist is a true privilege, what are you going to do with that privilege?" Cousteau asked after showing an excerpt from impact film Tribes on the Edge, a project that was eight years in the making and that details the impact of deforestation and climate change in the Amazon.
Cousteau comes from a long line of conservationists. Her grandfather Jacques-Yves Cousteau, is considered the pioneer of marine conservation and her father Jean-Michelle was known for his oceanographic documentaries including Ocean Adventures, a series that was narrated by Pierce Brosnan, Robert Redford and Chris North. Likewise, her brother Fabien is credited with breaking new ground in documenting ocean conservation by live broadcasting his underwater exploration.
The circle of life
Speaking at the conference, the environmentalist said that 20 per cent of the oxygen we breathe comes from the Amazon, which makes the indigenous tribes living there our front line of defence for preserving the planet’s ecosystem. During the talk, Cousteau recanted a story about an interview she did with a tribe elder in Brazil who was puzzled by the question, ‘How do you live sustainably?’
To placate the filmmaker, the man answered that he hunts only what he needs for his family and plants a new tree every time he cuts one down but was confused that there was a term for this simple way of living. His confusion made Cousteau realise that society has drifted so far from what was once the only way to live.
“With sustainable travel and sustainable living we’ve created a whole industry. But really we’re just coming full circle, back to what we were before,” clarified the conservationist.
Tourism for good
The opportunity that travel brings was also discussed. As the fastest growing sub segment in the tourism industry today according to the UNWTO, adventure tourism has a major role to play in the future of travel and beyond. Malia Asfour from the Jordan Tourism Board acknowledged this during the conference stating: “Adventure travel transcends beyond nations and borders.”
The sentiment was further echoed by Cousteau who pointed to the responsibility of travellers to meet locals, hear their stories and realise what a country is for the people who live there.
“We are intimately connected with everything in the planet. We need to move from the knowledge that travel affords us to a sense of responsibility and from a ‘them’ to an ‘us’ thinking.”
As today’s travellers move from simply seeking an experience to seeking a sense of purpose through tourism, Cousteau points to a shared responsibility to protect the world and all its communities. “It’s not just about doing and going, it’s the moment where you just are. Travel has the power to let us transcend the place we are in and think about other places.”
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The%20specs
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Specs%20
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The%20specs
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