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Spread the Word ::
If you want to spread the word about sustainable travel, refer us to your friends, contact us or link to us!
MyClimate™ :: Offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your client's and your businesses' air travel and earn revenue while helping to protect the planet!
Eco-directory ::
Visit our online eco-directory - a unique destination guide designed to help you make responsible travel choices, so you can book and buy with confidence.
Unsubscribe ::
If you prefer not to receive info and updates from STI, just reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line. And you will be removed from our list.
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Responsible Travel Report
The Sustainable Tourism e-Newsletter
A Message from STI's President
We have been focusing on global warming a great deal over the course of the last year. Why? Travel is a primary contributor. Though voluntary carbon offsetting is not the solution in and of itself, it is an important part of a comprehensive strategy for addressing the problem. By encouraging our readers, members and the travel and tourism industry at large to take a holistic approach to combating global warming, together we can become part of the solution.
STI has focused on partnering with leading businesses and non-profit organizations to support carbon offsets sales in the tourism industry as the most effective market-driven solutions available for addressing global climate change attributed to travel. We have now added Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Green Tags to our portfolio. Their high standards for Green Tag sources and non-profit status not only offer a great fit, their product is one of the best of its kind in the marketplace.
Travelers and business clients have been demanding that we provide them with opportunities to invest in renewable energy projects in the United States and Canada. Now they can choose to invest in BEF projects that are closer to home, in MyClimate projects in developing countries, or a combination of both.
To reflect the quality of our portfolio, we've renamed our enhanced offering. You can now travel Green Class® with STI. Contact us to learn more.
Best regards,
Brian T. Mullis
President
P.S. STI has an opening for a grantwriter. If you're interested, please contact Peter Krahenbuhl at 303-448-0967 or via email.
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Climate Corner:
Addressing Global Climate Change
The Adventure Travel World Summit goes Green
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) is collaborating with STI to green-up the 2006 Adventure Travel Word Summit, which is among the first travel and tourism industry trade events to attain carbon neutral status. By definition, carbon neutral represents the point at which greenhouse gas emissions have been identified, measured, reduced where possible and 100 percent of the remaining emissions have been offset through high quality renewable energy, energy efficiency and or reforestation projects.
National Geographic Adventure, Virtuoso and VAST (Virtuoso's Active & Specialty Travel Partners) are sponsoring offsets of all carbon emissions produced during the event, including 400 delegates' travel to and from Seattle, their hotel stays, electricity consumption associated with the event facility, and waste generation associated with the event. Offsets will fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the Pacific Northwest and in developing countries through STI's partners, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and MyClimate.
ATTA has also rented hybrid and gas powered vehicles through Flexcar, which reduces the exhaust from its fleet of shared vehicles, to shuttle delegates to and from Sea-Tac International Airport. In addition, the ATTA is focused on reducing waste and improving energy efficiency associated with the event as well as encouraging its members to integrate carbon offset programs into their operations and commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, visit the Adventure Travel World Summit website. For more information about how to green-up your conference or event, contact STI via email or call 800-276-7764.
Adventure Travel Tour Operator Sets New Precedent
Escape Adventures became one of - if not the first adventure travel company in the U.S. to attain carbon neutral status. Jared Fisher, the company's founder, made the transition to set a new standard and to be an example for other businesses to follow including competitors.
Escape Adventures, which specializes in hiking, biking and multi-sport tours throughout the western United States, took a bold step when the company proactively offset all of its greenhouse gas emissions for 2006 through STI, including its waste generation, electricity consumption, employee flights and land travel.
Though carbon offsetting is becoming an important tool for addressing global warming, it wasn't enough for Escape Adventures. The company set a new precedent when it committed to investing almost a quarter of a million dollars in mitigating its other environmental impacts. Specifically, the company invested $101,000 in solar cells to power its retail bicycle shops and bike tour warehouses in Las Vegas and Moab, $121,000 in diesel vans and trucks, and $10,500 in Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) conversions, fuel holding tanks and pumps to run its vehicles off of WVO and bio-diesel. The company has also reduced its waste by almost 90 percent and only prints its marketing materials on 100 percent post consumer recycled paper using soy based inks. An employee incentive program has also be implemented which gives each employee a $5 per day bonus just for riding their bicycle to work.
Numerous research studies prove that managing waste and improving energy efficiency result in direct cost savings and that doing the right thing through corporate responsibility initiatives attracts conscientious consumers whose purchasing decisions align with their values. Though this might be what it takes to get mainstream travel and tourism businesses to support the triple bottom line, Escape Adventures makes it clear that profit isn't always the underlying motive, and that's extremely encouraging.
For more information about Escape Adventures, contact Jared Fisher at 800.596.2953 or visit www.escapeadventures.com.
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Flying in the Face of Global Warming
By Justin Frances of ResponsibleTravel.com
Getting it all in proportion
Reading the papers you would think that air travel is the single biggest cause of global warming. In fact air travel accounts for less than 5% of carbon dioxide emissions.
We must look to every sector to reduce emissions but if you really want to target the biggest culprits then look to our power stations (our largest coal fired power station wastes two thirds of the energy that it generates) and our homes, which account for nearer 25% of emissions. We've shown before how a few simple changes made in your home can save double the carbon emissions of a return flight to Egypt here.
In seeking to reduce our emissions we need to examine our entire lifestyles, not just our flying habits. The trouble is that it's sexier to write about planes than lagging y our loft. To get results fast every person and every industry needs to focus on the big wins, and we all need accurate information about where these opportunities lie rather than just more sexy copy about planes.
However do not think that this is permission to keep on flying as we have done. The simple fact is that aviation is the fastest growing cause of global warming. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by air travel doubled between 1990 and 2004. That is totally incompatible with the need to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2050 (or nearer 70% by 2035 according to the latest research from the Tyndall Centre).
I believe we've been the first travel agent in the world to say that we must fly significantly less. In fact that makes responsibletravel.com even more radical than Friends of the Earth who are less equivocal about the need to fly less at all. However, before I go on I believe that there are critical points that some environmentalists miss.
The first is that it is not enough for everyone in Europe and America (the big tourist originating countries) to reduce our carbon emissions. People in Asia and Africa - who are more dependent on tourists - must do the same if we are to halt global warming.
Continue reading Flying in the Face of Global Warming
About the Author
Justin Frances is the co-founder and CEO of ResponsibleTravel.com, an online sustainable travel portal based in Brighton, England launched in 2001 for travelers looking for authentic holidays that benefit the environment and local people.
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Trusted Adventures Alliance of
Top Adventure Travel Companies
Last year was the most rewarding, fun and environmentally friendly adventure trip you've ever experienced. You're looking for other travel that inspires in the same way. But with a new destination in mind that your own travel consultant doesn't know, you find the choices a little overwhelming. Trusted Adventures is a group of carefully selected, experienced, award-winning adventure travel companies providing a secure source of quality travel wherever you're going in the world. Each Trusted company shares a respect for the environment, cultures and traditions we encounter in our travels, and our trips promote protection of natural resources, preserve cultural heritage and bring economic support to local communities and ecosystems through tourism.
Working actively with partner organizations for a sustainable environment
The member companies have long been affiliated with organizations such as Sustainable Travel Internationa l, as well as Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, and even helped to launch The International Ecotourism Society and The Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA), in order to preserve and reasonably manage tourism activities and promote best practices. Recently, Trusted Adventures signed a mutual agreement with the Rainforest Alliance to work to increase the reach of positive environmental and sustainable efforts in the Americas.
Easy for like-minded travelers to find their trip
You may have traveled with Western River Expeditions, Austin-Lehman Adventures, Euro-Bike & Walking Tours or Wildland Adventures in the past. Return travelers appreciate the personalized service, attention to detail, intimate groups or private arrangements. Together the companies offer the same type of experience all over the world. An additional benefit to traveling with a Trusted Adventures company is the 5% discount on any trip with any member once you've traveled the first time.
Memorable journeys are about personal connections
As experienced responsible travelers know, an authentic experience becomes the most memorable one. What you remember most about a Trusted Adventures' trip is the small interaction you had with a local host, a realization that you could do something you never thought you could, or perhaps something you learned about someplace far, far away from your everyday life was totally new. Using local and experienced guides who are native or residents of the destination and who know the most off-the-beaten path places matters to your trip experience. Authenticity in travel matters and you are welcome to join Trusted Adventures in finding those experiences.
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Travel Philanthropy in Honduras:
Nature Guide Training
Project Needs and Beneficiaries
Local conservationists from all over Honduras will be trained to serve as nature guides, helping them to generate alternative sources of income. In the past, RARE has conducted the Nature Guide Training Program. RARE's mission is to inspire environmental conservation by giving communities meaningful reasons to protect the water, save the forests, stop poaching, and build more sustainable livelihoods. In Honduras, the organization recruits trainees who engage in environmentally destructive behaviors such as dynamite fishing and unsustainable harvesting of exotic plants and trains them to be nature guides. These individuals then benefit financially from adopting sustainable practices that enhance environmental conservation.
Project Profile
- Total project need: $25,000
- Local Project Leader: Dale Galvin
- Project Sponsor: RARE
- Theme: Environment
Activities
Rare will offer classes in conversation English, natural history, and interpretation. By becoming local tour guides, these individuals have the opportunity to be stewards of Honduras' natural treasures while also benefiting from conservation.
Potential Long Term Impact
Participants of RARE's Nature Guide Training Program have the chance to protect Honduras' natural and cultur al heritage and pass on the legacy of conservation to their communities.
Project Message
"The Nature Guide Training course makes a lasting contribution by teaching people from local communities new skills to improve their quality of life." - Erasmo Sosa, Honduras Ministry of Tourism
Donation Options
- $100 - Provide materials for guide training.
- $1,000 - Support English language training.
- $5,000 - Enhance course materials and capacity.
- Other Amount? Contact us or send a check to: Sustainable Travel International, 2885 May Street, Hood River, OR 97031
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Green Lodging News Launched
Even though hotel operators have long been interested in saving energy, water and other resources, no environmental publication has emerged to consistently and exclusively report on Green Lodging news until now. Hasek Communications, an Ohio-based consulting and publishing company, has launched Green Lodging News, a new website and e-zine whose goal is to show hoteliers how they can save energy and resources, cut costs and provide a healthy and safe environment for guests and staff - all at the same time.
The e-zine features up-to-date, environment-related news, best practices from hotel companies and industry suppliers, trend analysis, a section for guest commentaries, and a Green Product Directory. The Green Lodging News website includes news, features, a publisher's point of view column, and guest columns.
Site departments include energy and waste management, lighting, water conservation, heating and cooling, cleaning and maintenance, air quality, kitchen and laundry, sustainability, and green design. The site also features a list of hotel schools that offer environmental courses, a list of green associations, events, and money-saving tips.
For more information, please visit the Green Lodging News website.
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Eco-friendly Financing
News from the Sustainable Tourism Certification
Network of the Americas
EcoLogic Finance may be able to help tourism businesses in search of equipment, infrastructure or new technology. Loans ranging from $25,000 to $500,000 are available to businesses lacking lots of collateral or the lengthy business history required for traditional bank loans.
Rolf Wittmer Tourism, owner of several certified tour boats in the Galapagos Islands, has taken advantage of the financial support offered by Ecologic. He found that the advantage with this credit compared to that offered by traditional banks is that his company was able to use their yacht as collateral, whereas local banks require different types of credit.
This nonprofit financial institution supports the growth of small businesses and organizations focused on conservation and social responsibility in Latin America, Africa and Asia by providing services and financial training. However, larger businesses that have a proven history of fair practices and a commitment to protection of the environment can also take advantage of these services.
Applicants must demonstrate their business's long-term sustainability as well as their capacity to meet financial obligations, including any loans EcoLogic Finance awards. In the case of the tourism industry, loans are available to those businesses that demonstrate consistently strong demand, whether it is through pre-sales, relationships with travel agencies or a history of high occupancy.
As part of its social and environmental commitment, EcoLogic also partners with organizations that have initiated or support sustainable tourism certification programs, such as the Rainforest Alliance and Conservación y Desarrollo in Ecuador.
Source: Certified Tourism Matters.
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Green Tip:
What's with all the golf carts tearing up the roads?
The Bite: Don't call them golf carts, or an electric car owner might bite you. Tangos and GEMs (Global Electric Motorcars) are the itty-bitty, electric-powered, planet-friendlier cars to watch.
The Benefits: Click here to learn about the benefits of driving an electric car and to review additional recources.
Submit a Green Tip
Do you have any green tips? If so, submit them to us, and our friends at Ideal Bite will include you name along with the tip in their e-Newsletter and on their website.
Tips on giving good tips:
- You did it and liked it
- You bought it and liked it
- You remembered that this service is not called "Tips for Millionaires." Keep it real.
- You can show how it is good for the environment or society
- You tried to quantify the environmental impact
- You can show that it is positive and not preachy .
Sign up for the Ideal Bite
By joining the Ideal Bite community, each weekday you'll receive an eco-living tip.
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Conferences and Continuing Education
Upcoming conferences, events and continuing education opportunities include:
- The Adventure Travel Trade Association's 2nd Adventure Travel World Summit is scheduled for October 19-21, 2006 in Seattle. Building upon the successful 2005 Summit, the 2006 Summit will delve into the more practical elements of business strategy/planning, marketing, technology and operations that can help to favorably improve organizations' bottom lines. For more information, contact ATTA or call 360-805-3131.
- The International Conference on Religious Tourism is going to be held in Nicosia, Cyprus from October 19-21 . This intensive, information-filled program is to be delivered by experts in the field of religious tourism.
- Ecotourism Australia and their major sponsoring partners - the Townsville City Council and Townsville Enterprise Limited - are hosting Ecotourism Australia's 2006 International Annual Conference on October 30-November 3.
- The 2006 Eco-Products International Fair is being held in Suntec, Singapore at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 31-November 2.
- Green Globe 21 and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism are hosting the International & Caribbean Green Tourism Conference on November 1-3 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
- The 10th International Trade Fair on Material & Energy Recovery and Sustainable Development - Ecomondo 2006 - is being held at the Expo Centre in Rimini, Italy from November 8-11, 2006.
- The Asociación Mexicana Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo 2006 Convención is being held in Chiapas from November 8-12.
- The First International Convention for Active Tourism is scheduled for November 16-19 in Andalucía, Spain.
- A Masterclass on Sustainable Tourism and Corporate Social Responsibility will be held on November 28 at the National Liberal Club in London. The event will focus on the impact that tourism has around the world both socially and environmentally, and offer strategies for ensuring that one of the world's major businesses is a sustainable business.
- Destinations2006, World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development, 3rd annual Summit, will be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from November 29 through December 2.
- The 5th National Tourism Futures Conference will be held in Melbourne from December 4-6 2006 at the Sofitel Melbourne. This year's conference theme - 21st Century Responses to 21st Century Reality - focuses on the challenges and opportunities over the coming decade. It examines new approaches to achieve growth and sets action agendas relevant to business and government alike.
- The Green Meeting Industry Council's 2007 Greening the Hospitality Industry conference is scheduled for February 6-8 in Portland, Oregon.
- The 21st Annual Educational Travel Conference, which has always had a strong focus on responsible tourism, is scheduled for February 20-23 at the Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, MD.
- The 6th International Symposium on Aspects of Tourism - Gazing, Glancing, Glimpsing: Tourists and Tourism in a Visual World - will be held at the University of Brighton, Eastbourne Campus in the UK from June 13-15, 2007.
- Heritage and Tourism: Community, Enterprise, Government & Tourists is an international conference scheduled for July 8-10, 2007 at Sun Yat-Sen (Zhongshan) University in Guangzhou, China.
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High Moon Cartoons
If you would like to purchase any one of High Moon's six cartoon books, you may order them directly from the Japan Environmental Exchange via email or JEE's website.
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This e-Newsletter is brought to you as a free public service by Sustainable Travel International, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. And we need your support! Become a Member, volunteer your time or make a tax-deductible donation.
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