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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 professionals and travel writers through on-line media, feature story presentations, and email press releases.
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Policy: The Sustainable Travel Report is a free online e-Newsletter about sustainable tourism, eco-certification, eco-tourism, and community development. Subscribers receive monthly installments of the e-Newsletter and little more. Sustainable Travel International respects your privacy. We will never sell or disclose any information that identifies you to a third party without your consent.
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Vol. 2, No. 9 September 2004
Sustainable Travel Report
The Responsible Tourism e-Newsletter
In this issue you will find:
1. Message from STI
2. NEW Member Benefits
3. Global Warming and MyClimate Carbon Offsets
4. Featured Tourism Provider: Eco Trek Peru
5. Travelers' Philanthropy: Sea and Learn
6. Conference
Corner: Call for Proposals & Invitations
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Message from STI Co-founder, Peter D. Krahenbuhl
We are happy to announce that Sustainable Travel International is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month! In a short time we have come a very long way.
Our programs are evolving wonderfully, and now include the Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP), our soon to be launched Carbon Offsets Program, Travelers' Philanthropy and Educational Training programs. This month, we feature an invitation to learn more about combating global climate change with our MyClimate Carbon Offsets Initiative.
Finally, as my colleague and STI Co-founder, Brian Mullis, is making his way through Southwest China and Southeast Asia, he reports many positive endeavors in Sustainable Tourism development in that region. Expect exciting updates over the next few months!
Happy Trails,
Peter D. Krahenbuhl
Vice President
peterk@sustainabletravel.com
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NEW: Member Benefits: EcoTour Directory
We're expanding our benefits in an effort to further support our members and the responsible travel companies who join STI. This month we're profiling our friends at EcoTour Directory.
Although there are some great ecotourism resources already available on the web there are very few directories that allow travelers to easily find and contact ecotour operators. EcoTour Directory remedies this, aiming to become the online resource for any traveler who is planning or interested in going on an ecotour. EcoTour Directory also provides operators - both big and small - the opportunity to promote their business regardless of their size and marketing budget. To be included in this directory, travel companies must demonstrate their commitment to actively contributing to environmental, social, and/or economic issues relevant to their destinations. Every listing includes a detailed full-page description and contact information.
Current STI "Premium Partner" members are
entitled to a 15% discount on EcoTour Directory services,
and "Supporting Business" members are entitled
to a 10% discount.
For more information, please visit our Membership
page or join
STI today.
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Global Warming and MyClimate Carbon Offsets
Global climate change is the single greatest ecological threat facing humanity. Greenhouse gas emissions are causing irreparable harm to our atmosphere, and travel related services such as air and ground transportation are the major culprits. At Sustainable Travel International, we aim to help change that by offering travelers and travel service providers the opportunity to neutralize the impacts of their travel.
We invite you to learn more about our upcoming MyClimate Carbon Offsets Initiative, in which travel service providers and consumers can easily offset their global warming impacts. If you are interested in helping STI launch this program as a travel service provider partner or consumer, please Contact Us.
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Featured Tourism Provider: Eco Trek Peru
Established in 2002, Eco Trek Peru creates eco-friendly, educational and exciting travel experiences throughout the Peruvian Andes and Amazon. The company is focused on attracting like-minded people to Peru, traveling to remote locations and influencing local communities of the importance of environmental stewardship.
In terms of best practices, Eco Trek Peru actively educates their guests about local culture and low impact travel. They travel to remote places where there are no other tourists and provide opportunities for their clients to interact with local communities. They also only employ local people and pay them higher than average wages. And they purchase locally produced goods and services whenever feasible as well as sponsor a school in the Amazon rainforest, affording an opportunity for students to take an educational trip to Cusco once a year. In their administrative offices, they have decreased paper usage by 80%.
The company also recently introduced the first biodegradable soap to Peru. The product is produced locally and uses only Peruvian-based products. This portion of Eco Trek Peru's business is expanding rapidly, and they are beginning to sell biodegradable soap and related products to other travel companies and hotels. This is an exceptional example of how a small, environmentally conscience company can find the way round an ecological problem and help the local economy at the same time.
For
more information, visit STI's Eco-Directory
or Eco Trek Peru's Code
of Ethics.
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Travelers' Philanthropy: Sea and Learn
Saba is a tiny, but peaceful and friendly Dutch island in the Caribbean, just 28 miles from St. Martin. Here, Sea & Learn, a non-profit foundation, offers a unique, month-long annual event.
During the month of October, naturalists, scientists and academics from around the world provide casual but informative multimedia presentations and educational seminars focused on enhancing participants’ environmental awareness. Participants are invited to join field research projects and assist in nature surveys conducted throughout the event.
Sea & Learn events cater to visitors and locals alike, including projects and presentations for Saba’s youth, given by visiting experts. Sea & Learn realizes that the key to sustaining Saba’s unique ecosystems as well as those of other habitats in the world lies in the hands of future generations.
The
event is open to the public and is free of charge. To learn
more about the event and this year’s experts, please
visit www.seaandlearn.org.
Please Contact
Us to learn more about our Travelers'
Philanthropy programs or submit information about yours.
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Conference Corner: Call for Presentations
The Center for Land and Resource Recovery at the University of Utah will be hosting the First Annual Utah Conference on Ecotourism in June 2005, and they are currently seeking presenters.
Presentations should emphasize ways that the outdoors can be utilized and enjoyed while being protected from exploitation. Individuals and organizations involved in the sustainable enjoyment of our outdoors, companies that manufacture and sell outdoor equipment, facilities and resorts that subscribe to the principals of ecotourism, and local governments that have realized the benefits of ecotourism are all welcome to submit proposals.
The Center is also seeking people willing to assist with conference planning; corporate, organizational and individual sponsors; donations of gifts for drawing prizes and silent auction; and supporters who will exchange website links.
If you would like to submit a proposal or for more information please email Dr. Jack Hamilton (jack.hamilton@utah.edu)
or call 801-581-6348.
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STI Outreach
Over 4,600 responsible travelers, travel companies, governmental agencies, and conservation-based organizations receive the Sustainable Travel Report each month. Please help us to expand our outreach by telling your friends about STI.
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For More Information
Please
visit
our web
site, email
or call 800-276-7764. If you want to spread the word about
sustainable travel and tourism, link
to us!
Should you not wish to receive this and other information from Sustainable Travel International, simply reply to this message with "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
P.O. BOX 1313
BOULDER COLORADO 80306
PHONE 800-276-7764
EMAIL info@sustainabletravel.com
BUSINESS HOURS: 8am-5pm MST
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