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© besighyawn

Volunteer tourism-or "voluntourism"-is one of the hottest trends in travel right now. While it's definitely not for everyone, there are enough people that desire this kind of experience over a luxury holiday, for instance, to make organizations like Wilderness Volunteers a success. Many people take a United States road trip to get to the work sites, which with this organization are located outdoors in America's wild lands. Once there, volunteers engage in activities that help protect and improve the environment, such as removing non-native invasive plant species.

All of the Wilderness Volunteers ' weeklong trips are $299, no matter which state you are working in. The workgroups are small, usually 12 people or so, and the work varies a lot depending on the site. Food is included and these trips usually involve tent camping for accommodation but the facilities are decent at the campgrounds.

© kalleboo

American tourists have a great role in the current tourism boom in china. A particular data from the tourism office of the Chinese embassy in New York suggests that the number of American tourists reaching china has reached to the 2 million mark in the year 2010. This report was confirmed by China News Service on 7th April.

Even more efforts have been made to propagate Chinese tourism and attract tourists not only from New York but all across the world. This aim was clarified by the director (Zhang Xinhong) of the tourism office which is the part of the Chinese embassy in New York.

They have also introduced an advertisement of 84 days known as the "2011 Chinese Culture Tour" to emphasize China's 2011 overseas tourism promotion. Ten buses marked with Chinese tourism images transit all over NY streets since this April.

© geerlingguy

The state of Missouri is hoping to increase tourism by getting a herd of elk. Elk have not been living in the state since the 1880s, but now they are back in all of their antlered glory. They can reach 700 pounds and are known for their loud calls during the autumn mating season. Missouri will be getting a herd of 46 elk, all of them calves or adult females, which are being quarantined in Kentucky now before they will be released into the Missouri wilds.

The state hopes to draw in tourism in the United States as well as from overseas, and if the effort is successful then they also plan on adding another hundred elk to the herd next year. Other states, such as Pennsylvania, have seen increased tourism after adding elk herds so Missouri is hoping it will work for them as well.