Rainforest Alliance Join Forces with Gap Adventures and Planeterra To Promote Responsible Business Practices
Partnership to Create New Opportunities for Sustainable Tourism Companies in Costa Rica
TORONTO – Costa Rican hotel owners and managers who are committed to eco-tourism and sustainability now have a new way to offer and promote their adventure travel services thanks to an agreement recently signed by the international conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism organization Planeterra.
Gap Adventures and Planeterra will now promote to its customers those Costa Rican tourism businesses that have either achieved a Tourism Sustainability Certificate awarded by ICT (the Costa Rican Tourism Board) or that are part of the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Tourism program. With this agreement, Gap Adventures and Planeterra join 40 other international tour operators in Europe and North America that are now working with the Rainforest Alliance.
Founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, Planeterra is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable community development through travel. It has been charged with coordinating the implementation of new and existing Gap Adventures sustainability initiatives, including this significant step toward formalizing the program designed to further ‘green’ the Gap Adventures supply chain, including hotels and local suppliers used on Gap Adventures trips.
“This agreement with Gap Adventures and Planeterra will have a major impact, as Gap Adventures is considered to be the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. It will help us increase the number of travelers who will become aware of Costa Rica’s conservation efforts. It will also increase business opportunities for those hotels that are truly committed to achieving sustainability,” said Cristina Suhr, Marketing Manager for the Rainforest Alliance.
As part of this partnership, Gap Adventures and Planeterra guarantee that at least half of the businesses included in their tourism packages to Costa Rica are working toward sustainability goals. In addition, the two companies will survey tour guests upon their return from vacation to evaluate their overall experience. The information obtained will be analyzed and then forwarded to the Rainforest Alliance.
The Gap Adventures website will soon feature a statement about its commitment to sustainability as well as stories and testimonials from clients who have visited sustainable tourism businesses in Costa Rica.
“As we continue to grow, it is increasingly important to work with the Rainforest Alliance to keep the focus on our original goal of offering innovative ways of showing people a sustainable world. It is even more relevant to continuously assess how we can do things better. Working with the Rainforest Alliance is a big step in that direction,” explained Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of Gap Adventures.
As part of the agreement, the Rainforest Alliance will provide the tour operator with contacts for all of its colleagues in Costa Rica who have signed commitments to sustainability as well as a list of certified tourism businesses or those that are implementing good sustainable management practices. In addition, the Rainforest Alliance will periodically organize research trips to Costa Rica for trip development representatives from Gap Adventures and Planeterra so that they can familiarize themselves with new destinations and businesses that might become part of future travel packages and community voluntourism projects the companies offer.
Coastal Tourism Executives & Experts to Gather at Stanford University For First-ever Innovator’s Symposium
(Standford, Calif.) — Over one hundred innovators in coastal and marine tourism development will gather at Stanford University from January 20-22, 2010 for a first-ever Executive Symposium. They include the ‘thought-leaders’ and pioneers who are breaking the mold of cookie-cutter hotels and vacation homes, and forging new, sustainable, approaches to coastal tourism development. The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) and the Center for Global Business at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business will bring together the executives behind the development of responsible resorts, vacation homes, marinas, golf courses, and other tourism facilities and activities. Together with Stanford faculty and a range of other experts, they will explore ways to overcome the barriers that are preventing sustainable design from becoming standard practice. Particular attention will be paid to the impacts of both climate change and the global economic crisis on coastal tourism projects.
Over the last decade, the rapid pace of resort and vacation home developments, particularly along coastlines and on islands within a day’s reach of the North American market, has contributed to a variety of environmental and social problems. With a geographic focus of coastal areas in the Americas, the Symposium will facilitate dialogue among ‘green’ developers and financiers. They will discuss the main obstacles and challenges they are facing, give a voice to leading experts in social and environmental sustainability, and help solidify the participating innovators into a more cohesive network.
“Through our research and field projects on coastal and cruise tourism, CREST has identified a growing number of developers, hoteliers, financiers, architects, and others tourism executives who are on the cutting edge of green design and social responsibility. This Symposium seeks to bring them together in an intimate professional setting, designed to facilitate frank dialogue and cross-pollination of ideas,” explains Dr. William H. Durham, CREST Co-Director and Bing Professor in Human Biology at Stanford University.
Registration for the Symposium is now open. For more information and to register, please visit www.crestconference.org.
About the organizers:
Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) is a policy-oriented research institute affiliated with Stanford University. It is committed to using tourism as a tool for poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. CREST’s network of experts provides interdisciplinary analysis and innovative solutions through consultancies, research and field projects, publications, conferences and courses. Core programs include Coastal and Marine Tourism, market Research, Travelers’ Philanthropy, Ecotourism and Certification.
An official invitation committee is organizing speakers and participants for the Innovator’s Symposium. The committee includes: David Sklar, CEO and visionary behind Star Island, The Bahamas; Antonio Pares, designer and principal, Mithun Architecture, San Francisco and Seattle; Mark Spalding, President, Ocean Foundation and its Resort Partnership Funds; Roger Lang, President Sun Ranch Group, and Founder, Sun Ranch Institute; William Barnett, the Siebel Professor in Business Leadership, Strategy, & Organizations, Stanford GSB.
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Contact: David Krantz
Phone: +1 (202) 347-9203 ext 417
Email: dkrantz@responsibletravel.org
TIES Joins the ATTA’s 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit to Co-Lead Sustainable Tourism Trade Forums
(SEATTLE) – (August 25, 2009) – Two newly featured forums scheduled for the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit, both addressing sustainable tourism, will gain heightened conservation expertise and perspectives through the first-time conference collaboration between the ATTA and The International Ecotourism Society (TIES).
ATTA and TIES, which for years have together explored common interests in promoting responsible tourism and sustainable practices, are co-developing and will co-lead the Meeting of the Minds and Collaborative Learning interactive forums. The ATTA’s trade-only Adventure Travel World Summit is set for October 19-22 in Charlevoix, Québec Province, Canada.
“Tackling matters such as sustainable tourism requires the best minds,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. “The Summit offers a timely and high quality setting to join minds, debate openly, share resources, bring common visions together, and to ensure these discussions continue long after conference. With the ATTA and TIES collaborating, we’ve got an incredible opportunity to create the perfect forum for the subject.”
ATTA and TIES guided, the two-part Meeting of the Minds “Sustainability” forums will address key challenges and opportunities concerning a variety of topics (e.g., carbon offsets, voluntourism, education, outreach, training, etc.) brought forth by the global adventure travel industry for collective brainstorming, dialogue and debate. Whereas the Meeting of the Minds “think-tank” forums will focus on broad industry matters, the two Collaborative Learning “Sustainable Tourism in Emerging Destinations” forums will provide delegates the chance to share and explore their own real-world case studies to build understanding, to gain practical tools, insights and action plans for organizational implementation.
“Participating in the ATTA’s Adventure Travel World Summit is a great opportunity for our two organizations to visibly convey our shared interests in sustainability initiatives,” said TIES Chair Dr. Kelly Bricker. “We’re thrilled to represent TIES global network at the Summit, where sustainability is at the forefront of innovative and interactive discussions. TIES will be able to contribute to and help strengthen the industry-wide efforts to mainstream sustainability through education, collaboration and proactive outreach.”
Others actively contributing sustainability expertise to these forums include;
- Dr. Rachel Dodds – Icarus Foundation
- Richard Edwards – Planeterra
- Megan Epler Wood – EplerWood International
- Sarah Fazendin – The Fazendin Portfolio
- Christina Heyniger – Xola Consulting
- Nadia LeBon – Mountain Lodges of Peru
- Brad Nahill – SEE Turtles
- Wallace J Nichols – OceanRevolution.org
- Daniella Ruby Papi – PepyRide
- Valere Tjolle – VISION on Sustainable Tourism
Adventure Travel World Summit sponsors include: Host Destination Tourisme Québec and Aventure Ecotourisme Québec; Major Sponsors ExOfficio and Men’s Journal; and Key Sponsors Alpine Tourist Commission, Archaeology Magazine, Best of the Alps, Brazil, Tourism Promotion Corporation of Chile, Eddie Bauer, Innovation Norway, and National Geographic Adventure. Summit registration: www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com.
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About The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) (www.ecotourism.org) is a non-profit association committed to promoting ecotourism, which is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people” (TIES, 1990), through outreach, education, and collaboration. TIES’ global network supports and is supported by members from over 90 countries, who are leading the vital efforts to make travel and tourism more sustainable. A global source of knowledge and advocacy, TIES’ Your Travel Choice Blog (www.yourtravelchoice.org) offers an interactive platform to engage, educate and inspire everyone to make travel choices that make a difference.
About the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)
Established in 1990, the ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. ATTA members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive trade conferences, the ATTA also makes possible www.Adventure.Travel, the traveler’s hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators from around the globe.
Geotourism Challenge 2009 Nomination Deadline Nears
Online Contest Seeks Top Innovators in Sustainable Tourism
The National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers entry process for the second annual “Geotourism Challenge” to showcase how tourism done well sustains, enhances and preserves local culture and the environment is winding down this month. The competition will identify individuals worldwide who have introduced the most innovative practices in tourism and destination stewardship.
Conducted in partnership with Ashoka’s Changemakers, the global Geotourism Challenge will accept online applications at www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge through May 20, 2009. Applicants must demonstrate an innovation that protects destination quality and furthers geotourism, defined by National Geographic as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.”
During this period, anyone can debate, endorse or provide additional information on the entries. A distinguished panel of judges — including Keith Bellows, editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine, and Erika Harms, United Nations Foundation’s executive director for sustainable development — will review the applications and select the finalists. The online community will then vote for the Geotourism Challenge winners, who will be announced this summer. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000.
“This year’s competition theme, ‘Power of Place — Sustaining the Future of Destinations,’ focuses on protecting the locales where history, culture and nature live. We want to recognize business and civic innovators who sustain distinctive places for the enjoyment of current and future generations,” said Jonathan Tourtellot, director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.
Last year’s Geotourism Challenge produced 320 nominations from 83 countries. The three winners and 12 finalists gathered at National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters in October to present their innovative business models at the first Geotourism Change Summit attended by 150 country dignitaries and representatives of funding institutions and tourism-industry, conservation and preservation groups. The competition also created an online community of geotourism activists, ranging from preservationists to developers. All can use competition results and resources to apply holistic geotourism principles locally by consulting the Changemakers Web site, www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge.
The 2008 winners were a program in Ecuador’s Amazon region to provide Amazonian youth with an academic degree in nature tourism; an outfitter in Nepal that trains women to be trekking professionals in a culture that offers women limited job opportunities; and an eco-lodge in Costa Rica that is teaching native Cabecar Indians how to manage the business in one of the country’s celebrated rain forests.
“Changemakers is very excited about this opportunity to partner once again with National Geographic to highlight this important issue,” said Ashoka’s Changemakers Executive Director Charlie Brown. “Our last competition revealed a wide selection of amazing innovations in geotourism. We are looking forward to many more such creative projects surfacing this spring within the Changemakers community.”
The Geotourism Challenge is one of the key programs of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD). For more information on geotourism and destination stewardship, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.
About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
About Ashoka’s Changemakers
Ashoka’s Changemakers focuses on the rapidly growing world of social innovation. It provides solutions and resources needed to help everyone become a changemaker and presents compelling stories that explore the fundamental principles of successful social innovation around the world. Ashoka’s Changemakers is building the world’s first online community committed to social change through networking and global competitions. Ashoka’s Changemakers begins by providing an overarching intellectual framework for collaborative competitions that bring together individual social change initiatives into a more powerful whole. For details, visit www.changemakers.net
CONTACT:
Barbara Fallon
National Geographic
(703) 683-4866
bfallon.nationalgeographic@gmail.com
Delyse Sylvester
Ashoka’s Changemakers
(250) 352-0616
dsylvester@ashoka.org
G.A.P Adventures celebrates Earth Month
April 2, 2009 – G.A.P Adventures, the world’s leading adventure travel company, is spearheading a number of initiatives for Earth Month to raise awareness of the importance of minimizing environmental impact and travelling in a low impact and sustainable manner. The roots of Earth Month run deep at G.A.P Adventures, with our awareness campaign growing stronger each year.
“Weaving sustainability into every aspect of our operations and our travellers’ experience is the essence of G.A.P Adventures,” said Richard G. Edwards, Director of Planeterra, the non profit foundation founded by G.A.P Adventures. “Earth Month is an opportunity to question how as a business or as a traveller one can integrate sustainability into every decision, to not only lessen impact on ecosystems and other cultures, but to create positive impacts.
“Our experienced Product Development team and field offices have demonstrated a strong commitment to designing tours that ensure the protection of local people and the environment. Working in partnership with our local leaders and guides, we strive to operate our tours in a manner in which our dedication to sustainability is evident on every G.A.P Adventures trip.”
G.A.P Adventures Earth Month Activities:
Dollar-A-Day program – Double the impact
In honour of Earth Month G.A.P Adventures will match each donation to our Dollar-A-Day program. This initiative provides travellers with the opportunity to donate one dollar per day for the duration of their tour with 100% of these proceeds going directly to support Planeterra projects.
Planeterra supports more than 25 local community projects, as well as non-profit organizations and international charities that focus on the areas of health, education, community development, environmental conservation and employment skills training.
Projects include:
Kenya Community Tourism Project: Through Planeterra we are working to raise funds to install water tanks in a remote village in western Kenya. By purchasing and installing 3,000 litre water tanks, time and energy spent hauling water for survival in the past can now be invested in education, further agricultural production, and other economic activities.
Brazil Reforestation Program: Through our partnership with Trees for the Future, we are working with local communities in the development of a reforestation program, which seeks to improve living conditions and increase agricultural production in the area. The initiative includes training programs for 100 local farmers which teach practical techniques to manage land sustainably. Over the coming year we aim to plant over 1 million trees and native plant species in an effort to reduce the negative impact that deforestation has on climate change, while improving the living conditions of local people in the area.
New Delhi Street Kids Project: Through Planeterra’s partnership with Salaam Baalak Trust, we provide scholarships to young people who once lived and worked on the streets of Delhi. Travellers on G.A.P Adventures Project India trip can also choose to take part in a city walk led by a child who was once living and working on the streets.
Cuba Greening Project: Through Planeterra, we support a schoolyard greening program that brings together elementary school principals, teachers and students in creating a natural green space on their school grounds. The children are involved in all stages of the hands-on planning, design and implementation of the project. It allows them to decide what to incorporate into their green space, including native trees and shrubs, fruit trees, organic vegetable gardens, composting and medicinal plant gardens.
Minimizing our impact
G.A.P Adventures has taken numerous steps to reduce its impact on the environment. The company demonstrates its desire to be a responsible member of our local communities through the following initiatives:
Public Transportation Subsidy: In an effort to encourage Head Office staff to do their part to reduce air pollution, individuals who purchase passes for use on Toronto’s public transportation system are provided with a monthly subsidy.
Supporting Green Energy: Head Office, and Toronto, Calgary, Melbourne and New York Concept Stores are all 100% powered by green energy providers including Bullfrogpower. These companies provide green electricity and purchase power exclusively from wind and low-impact hydro generators.
PEFC Certified Brochures: All G.A.P Adventures brochures are 100% PEFC certified. The PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) is an international organization focused on promoting sustainable forest management.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: In an effort to reduce paper within the office, all fax transmissions and pay stubs are sent electronically. G.A.P Adventures also donates used computers and equipment to reBoot Canada, who refurbish these items for people with limited access to technology.
Clean Air Commute: Pollution Probe hosts the Clean Air Commute, a weeklong event to promote awareness of Toronto’s air quality. G.A.P Adventures has won awards for the past seven years as a result of 100% staff participation in using cleaner methods of commuting to work.
Volunteer Adventures– Save 10%
Volunteer adventures are a way to give back to the communities and regions we visit. Travellers can make a difference to the local communities while taking a hands-on approach to bringing about positive change.
G.A.P Adventures encourages travellers to experience this life-changing way of travel and is pleased to offer 10% off volunteer tours booked by April 30, 2009.
G.A.P Adventures offers a variety of volunteer adventures to choose from including:
Project South Africa
Volunteer opportunities include working with local preschools and elementary schools, assisting teachers with many programs, including reading, arts and crafts and sports – and helping to paint and refurbish classrooms and school buildings.
Project Costa Rica
Work along side local and international volunteers to help protect endangered sea turtles. Volunteer activities include night patrols along the beach, data collection, beach clean-up and area maintenance, monitoring of the baby turtle hatchery, counting baby turtles and releasing them.
Project Peru
Help build a Peruvian cooking stove with plenty of time to relax and explore. Benefits of the stove include the removal of smoke from the kitchen, a 50% decrease of wood usage and the reduction of eye and lung infections especially among women and children. No building experience is required.
About G.A.P Adventures
G.A.P Adventures is a world leader in the adventure travel industry offering small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond to more than 85,000 global travellers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture, nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of adventure – people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a sustainable manner. Demonstrating its ongoing cultural, social and economic commitment to responsible tourism, G.A.P Adventures established the Planeterra Foundation, as a way the company and its passengers can give back to the communities visited. For more information, please visit www.gapadventures.com and www.planeterra.org.
Completed! April 15th – NYC: Responsible Luxury Summit
Adventure travel trade professionals are invited to an event hosted by CC Africa on April 15, 2008 to discuss an important question: “Can Luxury Travel be Responsible Travel?” Panelists from Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Adventure, Costa Rica Expeditions, Lindblad Expeditions and more will be there to separate fact from fiction and discuss today’s traveler desires. We encourage you to attend this important event to engage in this important subject.
A new guide has been produced aiming to reduce damage to the rainforest caused by tourism, reports Mark Rowe.
Mainstream media continues to pay closer attention to sustainble travel practices: ATTA Member and partner Conservation International appears in the UK’s Telegraph (March 28, 2008) on the topic of good practices for tour operators operating in tropical rainforests
FREE! Adventure Travel Supply Chain Practical Guide to Good Practices
All adventure travel industry professionals may access for free Conservation International’s Practical Guides to Good Practices for three different environments – you are encouraged to share these with your entire supply chain. The ATTA works with partner Conservation International to globally disseminate to the trade education and knowledge resources which support sustainable tourism efforts:
Mountain Tours
A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mountain Tours
View Guide [PDF] >>
View Recorded Webinar >>
View Guide [PDF] (Spanish) >>
Check List [PDF] (Spanish) >>
Tropical Rainforest Tours
A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Tropical Rainforest Tours
View Guide [PDF] >>
View Recorded Webinar >>
Marine Tours
A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Marine Tours
View Recorded Webinar >>
Holidays for a Living Planet
Green travel tips for the world’s growing number of international tourists were launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
More>>
For the first time in history, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species includes ocean corals in its annual report of wildlife going extinct.
A comprehensive study of marine life sponsored by Conservation International (CI) and implemented jointly with the IUCN-World Conservation Union concluded that three species of corals unique to Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands could soon disappear forever.
Corals build reefs that are habitat for fish and other marine life. They are also a major attraction for divers in the Galapagos, where tourism makes a significant contribution to the local and national economy. Scientists blame climate change for more frequent and increasingly severe El Niño events that may have contributed to the corals’ decline, as well as over-fishing in the area.
The 2007 IUCN Red List designates two of the corals – Floreana coral (Tubastraea floreana) and Wellington’s solitary coral (Rhizopsammia wellingtoni) – as Critically Endangered, while a third, Polycyathus isabela, is listed as Vulnerable. The Red List also includes 74 Galapagos seaweeds, or macro-algae, with 10 of them receiving the most threatened status of Critically Endangered. Prior to 2007, only one algae species had been included on the Red List.
“There is a common misconception that marine species are not as vulnerable to extinction as land-based species,” said Roger McManus, CI’s vice president for marine programs. “However, we increasingly realize that marine biodiversity is also faced with serious environmental threat, and that there is an urgent need to determine the worldwide extent of these pressures to guide marine conservation practice.”
You can help stop the clock on coral and other species extinction by signing the Stop the Clock petition. Learn more about some of the most threatened plants and animals on the planet, and their fight for survival, on Conservation.org.
