Association Beara Book Development Guest Tourism


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Association Beara Book Development Guest Tourism

Association Beara Book Development Guest Tourism

Commonly attributed as the character “Baloo” in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, the sloth bear has a long history alongside humans.  Unfortunately, its history outside of children’s novels hasn’t been so heartwarming.

Dating back to the 13th century, sloth bears have been systematically taken from their mothers at a young age to be trained to dance for money before royalty, tourists, and villagers.  The bears’ snouts were pierced for a rope to fit through, and for many bears, being led around by a rope was the only life they would ever know.  Additionally, sloth bear cubs are poached for their use in Chinese medicine, and their habitat is continuously encroached upon by humans.

Zoo Boise recently announced a project to help sloth bears in captivity and in their natural habitat in India.  The Zoo’s general policy is to contribute a percentage of every capital project budget to the conservation of that species in the wild. “Zoo Boise feels that by contributing 10 percent of the project budget to field conservation it demonstrates our commitment to conservation to donors and enables zoo visitors to not only see the animal, but also help protect it in the wild,” explains Director of Zoo Boise, Steve Burns.

That promise held true when the Zoo decided to invest $500,000 in the design and construction of a remodel of their sloth bear exhibit: $50,000 will go toward sloth bear conservation in the wild.  In this venture, Zoo Boise has partnered with Wildlife SOS, a non-profit devoted to conserving India’s wildlife, after witnessing its extensive and successful work in ending the practice of dancing bears in India.  The first $18,000 installment will be used in developing training manuals to help law enforcement agencies identify smuggling and poaching, and includes a step-by-step guide on how to prosecute wildlife crime.  The second part of the funds will go toward purchasing a corridor of land connecting two tracts of sloth bear habitat.

A tour that unravels the esoteric mysteries of Manitoba’s Legislative Building, a unique fishing experience that includes a river boat ride to a historic fur trade portage, and kayaking with pods of beluga whales are three of the latest Manitoba tourism experiences to be included in Canada’s “Signature Experiences” collection. 

The prestigious Signature Experiences Collection® (SEC) of the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is an innovative marketing program with the goal of inspiring more high-spending international travellers to book their next vacation in Canada. It showcases high-quality Canadian tourism enterprises that deliver the authentic experiences CTC research says international customers look for when they choose a vacation.

 The 115 SEC members are ambassadors of Canada’s tourism brand, “Canada. Keep Exploring,” and have met rigorous criteria to ensure they will stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.

The newest Manitoba Signature Experiences include: 

Hermetic Code Tour of the Manitoba Legislature – Heartland International Travel and Tours: Hosted by Frank Albo, researcher and academic inspiration behind The Hermetic Code, the tour is an evening of decoding the famous symbols and architecture that make the Manitoba Legislature unique. Albo uncovers a trail of occult clues concealed in the building’s architecture including hidden hieroglyphic inscriptions, numerological codes and Freemasonic symbols. 

Pathway of the Voyageurs – Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge: Visitors fly to Aikens Lake Lodge in the Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park, where they meet local guides and head out by boat to learn about wilderness fishing and enjoy a traditional shore lunch before visiting a historic fur trade portage, a wilderness walking trail where fur traders would have carried canoes and goods around rapid waters or waterfalls. This is followed by a Franco-Manitoban evening of cuisine and storytelling. The lodge is also a finalist for the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s 2011 Traveller Experience Award. 

The Lazy Bear Wilderness Expedition – Lazy Bear Lodge: Guests travel by float plane to the Headwaters of the South Knife River to embark on Huck Finn-style rafts carrying them deep into the boreal forest. The experience also includes a day kayaking among the beluga whales in Hudson Bay, travel to the Seal River in search of the polar bears and a cultural tour of the Churchill area.