STI's mission is to promote sustainable development and responsible travel by providing programs that enable consumers, businesses and travel-related organizations to contribute to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic values of the places they visit, and the planet at large. STI is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization pursuant to the Internal Revenue Service.

Education

STI was founded to build awareness, appreciation and respect for local people and our environment through education and outreach. The organization has been providing consumers and travel-related businesses and organizations with the tools and resources necessary to achieve sustainability since September 2002.

STI's management team is invited to speak at more than a dozen international and domestic conferences and events annually, affording the opportunity to reach thousands of leaders within the travel and tourism industry. STI's management team is also invited to speak to college students on a regular basis, and its President teaches one college level course annually.

STI's has provided copies of its Guide to Sustainable Travel and Tourism to over 300 business owners interested in integrating responsible practices into their business operations, and has sold more than 200 copies of its Reader on Sustainable Travel and Tourism to college students.

Outreach

With more than 15,000 unique e-Newsletter recipients from over 150 countries, 12,500 media contacts, STI is now regarded as one of the best sources for eco- and sustainable tourism information and resources in the travel and tourism industry.

In the last year alone, STI has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Time, CNN.com, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, Sirius Satellite Radio, KGNU.org, NPR, Travel + Leisure, Men's Journal, and Condé Nast Traveler. Potential reach to consumers is estimated in the millions.

STI's websites are designed to educate and inform their audience about sustainable tourism. Collectively, they attract an average of 230,000 visits per month and spend more than 28,000 hours each month learning how to protect the places they visit, and the planet at large.

To further expand its reach and support the travel and tourism industry's move toward sustainability, STI has focused on collaborating with like-minded organizations since its inception. Formal relationships have been established with over 20 non-governmental organizations and Universities in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Carbon Offsets

Since January 2005, STI has been selling MyClimate carbon offsets and educating consumers and the travel and tourism industry about first best climate mitigation solutions.

MyClimate collected a total of $342,926 in revenue from the sales of carbon offsets in 2005, which was split evenly between business clients and consumers. This equates to approximately 30,000 metric tons of CO2 being offset in 2005. To date in 2006, MyClimate has offset approximately 170,000 metric tons of CO2. This equates to approximately $2,153,900 in revenue generated from MyClimate carbon offset sales this year.

STI has developed the first on-line custom carbon calculators, which will be live on at least a dozen travel provider websites by the end of 2006 and will expand consumer reach significantly. In addition, STI is working with numerous organizations on offsetting from G.A.P. Adventures to the WWF, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of consumers.

STI has also facilitated precedent-setting first carbon impact neutral tour operators such as Natural Habitat Adventures and Escape Adventures, as well as the first carbon free cruise operator, Adventure Smith Explorations.

To calculate your greenhouse gas emissions, visit STI's carbon calculator. To find out how your business can become carbon neutral, contact STI's VP and Co-founder Peter Krahenbuhl.

Travel Philanthropy

Travel philanthropy is a voluntary movement of conscientious consumers and responsible travel companies who donate financial resources, time, talent and economic patronage to protect and positively impact the cultures an environments they visit. STI is actively promoting travel philanthropy projects in 18 countries on 5 continents.

Sustainable Tourism Certification

Without any outside sources of funding, STI has developed the first comprehensive, global, non-profit sustainable tourism eco-certification program (STEP) geared toward sustainability best practices, education, and management. STI's goal is to compliment and support other credible certification initiatives while offering its program in regions where none exist.

STI developed its program in conjunction with stakeholders from around the world over the course of four years and completed a pilot test and a pilot launch during this time. More than a dozen travel providers participated in the pilot launch and a few were certified, including Grand Teton Lodge Company, a subsidiary of Vail Resorts and Northwest Portland International Youth Hostel. STI is now gearing up to publicly launch the program during the first quarter of 2007 in conjunction with its implementation partner, NSF International.

STI's challenge has been to create a user friendly program that's applicable to tourism businesses of all sizes, limit the barriers to entry, ensure that the program will be financially sustainable, and find the balance between meeting all of the various stakeholders' needs.

Membership

STI has over 175 members from 50 different countries. For more information, visit our popular Eco-directory. To learn more about the benefits of membership, click here.

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