Eco-Directory: A unique destination guide designed to help consumers make responsible travel choices. The guide can also be a useful tool for tour operators interested in industry Best Practices.

PR Services and Media Kits: Tourism suppliers - get the attention of media professions and travel writers through email press releases, feature story promotions, and on-line media.

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To all of our friends and supporters, our heartfelt gratitude and a very Happy New Year!

Thanks to you, we are ringing in 2004 with a lot of momentum. We continue to grow daily. In fact, this month alone over 10,000 unique visitors have logged onto our web site. This is great news because we're dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and respect for local people and our environment.

As travelers, we should be acutely aware of the saying "Think Globally, Act Locally." Our travel is global, yet our decisions are usually made on a local level. Let's make a New Year's resolution to have a positive impact on each of the places we visit. We've identified six principles of responsible travel to help you get started.

Have a wonderful time wherever your wanderlust carries you in 2004!

All our best,

Brian T. Mullis and Peter D. Krahenbuhl
Co-founders

In this issue you will find:
1. Tips for Responsible Travelers
2. Sustainability is Good Business
3. Sustainable Tourism in the U.S.
4. Featured Tourism Supplier
5. Complimentary Membership

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Responsible tourism is about getting more out of your travel experiences by giving back to the environment and the people you meet. We've developed six principles of responsible travel. Those interested in traveling responsibly should:

1. Research Alternatives, learn about the places you intend to visit, and support tourism that is not harmful to the environment or well being of local people.

2. Eliminate Barriers and make meaningful connections with local people. Walk or use public transport whenever feasible. Pack small gifts for new friends.

3. Be Culturally Sensitive. Respect the values, customs and beliefs of local people. Foster a greater understanding of their culture and their environmental issues.

4. Generate Economic Benefits. Buy locally produced goods, become a patron of locally owned businesses, and enhance the well being of host communities.

5. Be Environmentally Friendly. Conserve natural resources when traveling just as you do at home. Offset your carbon emissions from airline and land travel.

6. Make Positive Contributions to the conservation and preservation of natural and cultural heritage and to the maintenance of the world's biodiversity.

For more "Tips for Responsible Travelers", click here. To review our members' sustainable business practices, visit our Eco-Directory.

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This month's featured travel provider exemplifies the story of a dream come true. They also operate one of the most sustainable facilities we've found in South America.

In 1993 a couple of American backpackers who loved to travel and explore 'off the beaten track' first visited Chugchilán, Ecuador. "There was no hotel in town, so we knocked on a few doors looking for a bed and ended up staying with a local family," explains Andres Hammerman and Michelle Kirby. "We fell in love with the area: the dramatic Sierra landscape, the great hiking, the canyon, the cloud forest, Laguna Quilotoa, the excellent cheeses and most of all the friendly people."

Of course, when a local asked, "If you like this place so much, why don't you buy our land?" they tried to laugh it off. But it was too late. The seed was planted, and their destiny was changed forever. Over the next few years, Hammerman and Kirby worked triple time back in the U.S. to save enough money to realize their dream. They returned to Ecuador to open an inn that would allow them to align their lives with their values. This now includes growing organic food, raising free range animals, incorporating ecological systems into business operations, and caring for the earth. Now, the Black Sheep Inn is one of the most well respected accommodations in Ecuador.

The Black Sheep Inn is pursuing sustainability on a large scale locally. They have incorporated permaculture into the design of their facility which was built by locals using natural and renewable resources such as adobe and straw. In addition, they utilize food from their own organic gardens and greenhouse. They reuse roof water for washing, gardening, and reforestation of native trees on their property. They also have reduced energy use by 80%, and they are planning on converting half of the property to solar electric power this year. Perhaps, their most famous feature is their composting toilets, complete with inside gardens and a fantastic view!

Their bottom line: "Every aspect of the Black Sheep Inn has been designed to promote conservation, sustainability, and environmentalism." We agree, and couldn't think of a better "eco-lodge" to highlight this month.

For more information about the Black Sheep Inn and other responsible travel providers, visit STI's Eco-Directory or Black Sheep Inn's web site.

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