Nomadic Explorations

Ça fait exactement 2 ans que l’idée de créer un site Internet pour une communauté de voyageurs est née. Près de 4 mois plus tard, on lui a trouvé un nom “StayNomad”. Depuis ce moment, on travaille, travaille et travaille encore. Mais où est le site ?

Ils sont nombreux à nous avons dit de sortir le site rapidement, de créer notre communauté et de se lancer. Qu’est-ce qui retarde le lancement ? Qu’est-ce qui fait défaut ? Qu’est-ce qui se passe ?

D’abord il y a eu la question du financement, ensuite le choix de la technologie à utiliser, puis la phase de conceptualisation qui ne terminait plus, enfin le temps file et on se retrouve aujourd’hui, 2 ans plus tard, à quelques jours des premiers tests usagers.

Si tout ce passe tel que prévu (on touche du bois), c’est le 5 juin que les premiers visiteurs exploreront staynomad.com.

Just recently StayNomad set up shop in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This amazing, centuries old city, famous for its canals and ancient warehouse architecture, its Red Light district and an abundance of bicycles being used for local transportation makes for an excellent backdrop for StayNomad’s european activities.

Now established on two continents, StayNomad will be able to develop the StayNomad community even faster and more solid. Break away (at least for a while), and visit Amsterdam with StayNomad… Travel & Stay Free™!

Are you in Amsterdam, the Netherlands or anywhere else in Europe? Get in touch with us, we are looking to extend the StayNomad community and spread the StayNomad feeling! We look forward to hearing from you.

Have a good one!

We are proud and happy to announce that StayNomad has come to an agreement with VDL2 about a Roots Partnership™. The two year agreement was signed today. With a CAN$25.000 value, this ”first believer” partnership confirms what we have known all along: StayNomad has as much added value for its community members as for companies and organizations aiming to connect their (brand)name and image to the success of the StayNomad community.

VDL2 Communications Inc, a Montreal based Web agency, is one of Québec’s leading interests in the sector and one of only a select few to focus solely upon the Internet and Web-based operations. If you are seeking to promote your brand, position your company, develop your markets or enhance website profitability, VDL2 solutions put the Internet to work for you and help you achieve your business objectives. StayNomad and VDL2 will both benefit from this Roots Partnership, resulting in an ever better experience for the StayNomad community!

Welcome on board VDL2!

En 2007, un appel à l’engagement a été lancé par l’Institut du Nouveau Monde (INM). En quelques mots :

“La Grande Déclaration proclame les principes et les valeurs qu’ils souhaitent promouvoir à l’échelle mondiale. Elle vise à éveiller l’acteur de changement en chacun et à susciter l’engagement. Si son message est porté d’abord par des jeunes, celui-ci s’adresse à toutes les générations. Originale dans ce qu’elle propose, la Grande Déclaration invite chaque signataire à s’engager personnellement dans une action concrète pour bâtir un monde plus juste, plus ouvert et plus solidaire. La Grande Déclaration sera officiellement proclamée à Québec, dans le cadre des Fêtes du 400e anniversaire de la ville, à l’occasion de la Journée internationale de la jeunesse de l’ONU, le 12 août 2008.”

Pour lire la version française, cliquez ici. To read the English version, click here. Quelle est l’action concrète que vous réaliserez afin de contribuer à la construction d’un monde meilleur ? Je vous invite à prendre part à ce mouvement et de répondre à l’appel ! Cliquez ici pour signer la Grande Déclaration.

From March 5th-9th, 2008 the ITB takes place in Berlin and StayNomad is attending. The ITB is the World’s Leading Travel Trade Show, THE place for destinations, tour operators, booking systems, carriers, hotels and all other suppliers in the travel and tourism field to meet. StayNomad is on the scene to develop new business connections, to learn about new developments in the tourism and travel field and to promote the StayNomad community.

 After five succesful days at the ITB we choose to extend our stay in Berlin to enjoy the local culture and the warm welcome of our fellow Nomads Christian and Viola. After visiting the Potsdammer Platz, the Brandenburger Tor and many of the well hidden secrets of downtown Berlin thanks to our Nomad hosts we can say with 100% certainty that Berlin is a kick butt place to be, especially in spring and summer! And we don’t even have to say: “Ich bin ein Berliner” (JFK), because this delicious sausage (!) is as much part of the Berliner culture as the huge glasses of wonderful beer in this surprisingly cheap metropolitan city in the east of Germany, a one hour flight away from Amsterdam. When you get(/take) a chance, check it out!

We know we will, at the ITB Berlin of 2009!

Les voyageurs soucieux de l’environnement sont confrontés à des envies contradictoires lorsque l’on regarde les choix relatifs au transport. Pour certain, c’est avec regret que prendre l’avion n’est plus une option.  Et s’il existait un avion vert …       

Le 5 février dernier, à Bruxelles, la Commission Européene à lancé le projet “Clean Sky”. Échelonné sur une période de 7 ans avec un budget de 1,6 Mrd Euro, co-financé par la Commission Européenne et le secteur industriel, le projet vise à financer la recherche dans le but de trouver des solutions pour diminuer considérablement les émissions de CO2, de NOx et réduire la pollution par le bruit provenant des transport aériens. 

Jeudi le 7 février avait lieu le 40e anniversaire de l’Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse. C’est au cours de cette soirée festive que la première bourse “LOJIQ - À GO on change le monde” a été donnée par Michel Venne, fondateur et directeur général de l’Institut du Nouveau Monde et Alfred Pilon, secrétaire général de l’Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse. Voici les mots de Michel Venne: “Ce soir, ça me fait vraiment plaisir de pouvoir remettre, en compagnie d’Alfred Pilon, la première bourse LOJIQ - À go on change le monde, à une jeune entrepreneure sociale qui, avec deux de ses collègues Mark Schanzleh et Jonathan Bélisle, est en train de mettre sur pied un service qui s’appelle StayNomad … alors j’invite Amélie Racine à venir recevoir son prix”.

La bourse LOJIQ - À go on change le monde permettra à StayNomad de réaliser une mission commerciale en Europe (principalement en France)  à l’automne 2008.

Merci LOJIQ, l’OFQJ, l’INM et À go on change le monde !

Many travelers want to be responsable when they visit a country. But what does that mean, being “responsable” ? What do I have to do if I want to travel reponsibly ?

Have a look at the Traveler’s Code for Traveling Responsibly, written by Partners in Responsible Tourism (PIRT). You will find some interesting guidelines about cultural understanding, social and environmental impacts.

Traveler’s code for traveling responsibly

Cultural Understanding

• Travel with an open mind: cultivate the habit of listening and observing; discover the enrichment that comes from experiencing another way of life.

• Reflect daily on your experiences and keep a journal.

• Prepare: learn the geography, culture, history, beliefs, some local language; know how to be a good guest in the country or culture.

Social Impacts

• Support the local economy by using locally-owned restaurants and hotels, buying local products made by locals from renewable resources.

• Interact with local residents in a culturally appropriate manner.

• Make no promises that you cannot keep (sending photos, helping with school)

• Don’t make extravagant display of wealth; don’t encourage children to beg.

• Get permission before photographing people, homes & other sites of local importance.

Environmental Impacts

• Travel in small, low impact groups

• Stay on trails

• Pack it in, pack it out; assure proper disposal of human waste

• Don’t buy products made from endangered animals or plants

• Become aware of and contribute to projects benefiting local environments and communities. (A social benefit as well!)

For all of you in the parts of the world where you use the same calendar as we do in Canada, we wish you a

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

We look forward to all the great things that will happen in 2008. For starters, StayNomad will complete the construction of www.staynomad.com and you will be able to use the services provided. And we suggest you do so, because realizing some travel plans or even becoming totally nomadic will improve your life significantly. And rest assured, we will practice what we preach. As I write this post, we are already looking into the possibilities that exist to manage StayNomad from our mobile offices. We will get back to you on this. For now I will leave you with one last suggestion, one that may help you make the changes you may be looking for. I’m talking about a book written by Timothy Ferriss, “the 4-hour workweek”. Make sure to let me know once you’ve read it. Now, go make the best of 2008!

Colombia es pasion! Yes, it is, but is that what most people think about when they think of Colombia? How can a country get rid off a bad image that prevents it from significantly developing its tourism industry? Well, one way is to host a global event and invite representants of all sorts of media from around the world to attend that event, to show off what you’ve got. Mark and Amelie were invited by the Colombian gouvernment to attend the 17th General Assembly of the UN World Tourism Organization in Carthagena, Colombia. And boy, did we love it!

The slogan ProExport Colombia uses to promote Colombia is: “the only risk is wanting to stay”. So after having spent ten days in this South American country we were confronted with the harsh reality of having to return to the freezing cold of the Montreal winter! “No, we don’t want to go, we want to stay!”

Behind the partially outdated, bad image of cocaine production, FARC disrupting the country and poor Colombians robbing tourists are many things most people in the world have never had a chance to see. Yes, Colombia has problems, but it also has a great deal to offer through its tourism industry which is rapidly growing.

It all starts with the people of Colombia. Almost every single person we encountered during our ten day stay in Colombia, whether it was on the street, in a restaurant or at the beach has a smile on his or her face, a genuine one that is. The sparks in their eyes and their sincere friendliness make you feel extremely welcome. Add to that the incredible natural richness of the country, white beaches and turqoise waters of the Colombian islands San Andres & Providencia and the multitude of activities awaiting you when you visit Colombia and it is hard to go wrong.

For now we would recommend staying on the main touristic trails, visiting the major cities by either staying at a renowned hotel or with friends that you made before or while you are in Colombia and by taking into account the advice available from the tourist information office, renowned tour operators and reliable websites. That way you will be in for an incredible (vacation) experience!

We were well prepared when we went to Colombia. We read up on the country, we polished up our virtualy non existant spanish and we made sure we had a solid travel insurance policy. Never, leave home without one, because you never know when you may need it. We can recommend Ingle International for all your travel insurance policies, because they have been where you are going.

Perhaps we inspired you to visit Colombia. If so, we look forward to reading about your experiences on www.staynomad.com,  our new online travel community which will be online in the first quarter of 2008. Should you need some more inspiration, make sure to watch the video in our second newsletter.