Pure Adventures Cycling and Hiking Tours Join the Wave!
February 14, 2007 – It is a trend in travel to offset carbon emissions to help counter global warming, but Pure Adventures insists that the decision is not a fashion statement.
Trends for 2007
Since the Adventure Travel Trade Association annual conference in October 2006, Pure Adventures has been working to make its tours carbon neutral beginning with travel in 2007. The ATTA conference itself was a carbon neutral event, and indeed has moved the issue to a front burner issue for members of the association. Pure Adventures, a small tour operator focusing on self guided cycling and hiking tours in Europe, changed its philanthropic focus from charitable giving in 2006 to this new mission of off-setting carbon pollution.
Customers of Pure Adventures are covered for carbon emissions generated in the operation of their cycling or hiking tour, while on tour. The Pure Adventures program does not cover the more heavy contribution of air travel, but instead all customers will be given a Carbon Calculator to know what their flights will produce and have a chance to offset their airline emissions with a donation. In order to put this program in place, Pure Adventures signed on with Sustainable Travel International and has pledged at least $9000 in carbon emission offsets for clients in 2007. STI creates carbon calculators so clients can see what their added travel plans may also produce and find out what amount they would need to contribute to make their total travel completely carbon neutral.
“This is not a fashion statement, or bandwagon decision making on our part. But if it were, and if other companies are going this way for some good media coverage – so what?!”, says Loren Siekman, President of Pure Adventures. “The time has passed for businesses of all kinds to find ways to work more efficiently with respect to environmental impact”, continues Siekman. “Our decision goes back to my conservation habits that I personally maintain. Finding STI and a program that can help us do more made all the difference. I don’t have time figure this out on my own, so when we saw the program, it was a no-brainer!” Pure Adventures self-guided tours are modeled on the highly successful tours offered by sister company Discover France. Self guided travel is a growing trend, and because of the format there is less of a carbon contribution than the regular group, guided, and van supported tours.
Pure Adventures self guided tours are professionally planned with local help and are comprehensive, always including luggage transfer and 24-hour emergency support. Pure Adventures tours can be found in detail at: www.pure-adventures.com To learn about carbon offset projects, visit: http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/documents/op_carbonoffsets_projects.html
Loren
Tel: 480-905-1235