World Expeditions is proud to announce its membership in the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), an international nonprofit focused on funding on-the-ground conservation projects around the world. The ATCF provides members in the travel and outdoor industry an avenue to directly support projects that are critical to protecting the future of adventure travel.
“Adventure and outdoor organizations have an opportunity to come together as members of the ATCF to protect international travel destinations where we all love to explore, learn and play,” says Soraya Shattuck, ATCF Executive Director. “Without the conservation of these unique environments, cultures and communities, we risk losing the very experiences that we seek when we travel.”
The adventure tourism industry is highly dependent on conserving the world’s natural and cultural resources, which is why World Expeditions and ATCF members from across the globe are uniting to protect threatened communities, cultures and wild places for current and future generations. Once a year, the ATCF awards grants to organizations seeking conservation funding. Grant recipients are nominated and voted on by members of ATCF, whose membership dues fund the chosen conservation projects.
“The adventure travel community has the power, the resources, and the responsibility to make an incredible impact on the world,” said outdoor industry pioneer Steve Barker, Founder of Eagle Creek and ATCF Board Chair. “Through ATCF, companies around the globe unite their influence and passion to support organizations that protect, preserve and improve destinations, resources, and indigenous cultures so they’ll be around for years to come.”
“Since our establishment in 1975, sustainability has been a guiding principle in all our endeavours,” said World Expeditions’ North American director, Nathalie Gauthier. “Given the escalating threats to pristine environments and the livelihoods of secluded communities, our commitment is stronger than ever to make a meaningful impact through our expanding programs.”
Both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, which may include conservation groups, indigenous people groups, tour operators, or accommodations, can receive project funding from ATCF. To learn more about the funding criteria or to apply for a future ATCF grant, please visit the projects page on the ATCF website. To learn more about joining ATCF and becoming a member organization supporting global conservation, please visit adventuretravelconservat
World Expeditions is a founding partner of the International Porter Protection Group and the 10 Pieces Litter initiative; members of Leave No Trace and World Animal Protection and have partnered with like-minded organizations such as the South Pole to carbon offset all of their trips. For more information about World Expeditions Thoughtful Travel Charter, please visit: https://
ABOUT WORLD EXPEDITIONS
World Expeditions is one of the world's original adventure travel companies. Starting as a Himalayan trekking company in 1975, World Expeditions has earned an outstanding reputation as a world leader in quality small group trekking and active adventures.
Always innovative, it was the first company to offer commercial cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980) and Tibet (1981). In 2011, it became the first (and remains the only) company to offer the newly mapped Great Himalaya Trail. It is an independently owned and truly global company with seven offices worldwide, including Ottawa, London and Sydney. It was named Best Adventure Travel Wholesaler in the Travel Industry Awards 2019.
ABOUT THE ADVENTURE TRAVEL CONSERVATION FUND (ATCF)
The mission of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF) is to directly fund local projects engaged in the conservation of unique natural and cultural resources of adventure travel destinations. The ATCF is an international nonprofit focused on funding conservation projects primarily outside the United States and Canada. The ATCF members are a diverse group of leading adventure travel and outdoor recreation businesses who share a common ethos and commitment to protecting the resources from which the adventure tourism industry depends on. For more information, visit adventuretravelconservationfund.org.