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Responsible Travel | Foundations | Certifications | How You Can
Help
Latin American Escapes actively supports conservation and
sustainable tourism in all parts of the world. We contribute to many
international environmental organizations that focus on issues in Latin
America--such as Rainforest Alliance ,
Conservation
International, Wildaid, and the
Galapagos Conservancy --
as well as to local conservation organizations in our own home state.
We realize
our planet is a very fragile place, and it is everyone’s responsibility to
protect its biodiversity and natural resources. We are also conscious of the
impact tourism can have on a community. We strongly embrace every aspect of
responsible travel, and encourage our travelers to learn about and support this
very important travel movement.
Responsible Travel
- Generates greater economic benefits for local
people and enhances the wellbeing of host communities, improves conditions and
access to the industry.
- Involves
local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances.
- Makes
positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to
the maintenance of the world’s diversity.
- Provides
more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections
with local people, and a greater understanding of local culture, social and
environmental issues.
- Minimizes negative economic, environmental and
social impacts.
- Is
culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds
local pride and confidence.
Latin
American Escapes is involved in several environmentally and socially
responsible projects. A couple of examples:
 We
formed a partnership with
Rainforest
Alliance to implement Best Management Practices and Certification workshops
for tourism providers. We encourage our local offices, and preferred hotels to
participate in these workshops and learn how they can conserve biodiversity and
reduce tourism’s negative impacts.
 We are
actively involved in the International
Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) —- an educational and
conservation organization that funds important projects and lobbies for
conservation in the Galapagos Islands.
As
president of this organization, our founder & president, Peggy Newfield,
facilitated grants to the Recycling Center on the island of Santa Cruz run by
the Fundacion
Galapagos Ecuador. She also coordinated funding to a joint project with
Rainforest
Alliance and
Conservation
International that promotes sustainable tourism and conservation in the
Galapagos Islands through a series of training workshops for local tourism
providers on best management practices. In conjunction with this program, she
sits on an advisory committee that evaluates the technical tools used in these
workshops.
Latin
American Escapes donates a percentage of our profits annually towards these and
other important projects in the Galapagos Islands. More information on our
Galapagos Commitment can be found
here.
Foundations
Latin American Escapes
is directly involved in several foundations in Latin America. In addition, many
of our local offices have created their own projects designed to promote the
well being of their local communities, and promote sustainable tourism
practices. These diverse projects involve environmental education, medical
care, funding libraries, maintaining recycling projects, training local
residents as guides, hotel & restaurant workers, and implementation of best
management practices for small businesses related to the tourism industry. We
applaud their efforts, and encourage you to learn more about their efforts
during your travels.
Certifications
We encourage all of our local
offices and partners to pursue environmental social certifications and
workshops to lessen the impact our clients have on the planet. We are very
proud of the company philosophy and dedication required to achieve and maintain
these distinguished designations! A few of the examples:
In Galapagos, we work with
many boats and hotels that are Smart Voyager Certified. The
SmartVoyager program is a joint initiative of the Rainforest
Alliance and the Corporation for Conservation and Development (CCD), an
Ecuadorian conservation group. It was designed to give a "green seal of
approval" to tour boats and hotels that tread lightly on this vibrant but
fragile ecosystem, and offers eco-minded tourists a way of visiting the
Galapagos Islands without damaging the world-famous park. Smart Voyager’s
standards were designed in collaboration with scientists, conservation experts
and tour operators, and cover a host of environmental and social concerns.
Smart Voyager ensures that the tour boats and hotels it represents are doing
the utmost to minimize their environmental and social impact.
- We offer
10 boats and one hotel that are currently certified: Beagle, Tip Top II, III
and IV; Explorer II; Eric, Flamingo, Letty, Daphne, SkyDancer, and the Finch
Bay Eco Hotel.
ISO Certification.—ISO is
the
International Organization for Standardization. We have
several partners who have been conferred with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001
certifications. By taking this path, they have proven their commitment to
internationally accepted sustainable environmental and management practices,
and helped to set higher standards for their local tourism community.
ISO
9000 is concerned with "quality management". This means what the organization
does to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer and applicable
regulatory requirements and continually to improve its performance in this
regard. ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with "environmental management". This
means what the organization does to minimize harmful effects on the environment
caused by its activities, and continually improving its environmental
performance to achieve at least as much, if not more, in helping organizations
to meet their environmental challenges.
- Our
office in Peru, which has been working with local communities through their
trekking and other adventure programs for over 30 years, received their ISO
14001 certification in 2005. "Through our ISO 14001 we have managed to reduce
the generation of solid waste by 50%, substitute traditional cleaning products
by biodegradable products, reducing our impact on water courses and the
environment. We have also managed to educate and influence our field staff and
their communities to improve their quality of life by enhancing their
interaction with their own environment. Our work in this area has also caused
other operators to improve their environmental performance since it implied
improving their standards to be able to compete."
- One of
our preferred Galapagos partners, Metropolitan Touring, also recently achieved
both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 status. During their certification ceremony in July
2006, they were noted as having "complied with state-of-the-art operations
involving tourist vessels, based on the active and decided participation of its
staff, exhibiting clear commitment and conviction by top management, vessel
owners and more especially so by staff members who are convinced that
efficiency and effectiveness of processes, along with environmental respect and
conservation are at the core of success."
 
In Costa Rica, our local
office received the Certification of Sustainable Tourism (CST) awarded by the
Costa Rica Institute of Tourism in September 2006. The
CST program
seeks the promotion of sustainable development by benefiting the local
communities through tourism, minimizing the impact to our natural environment
and preserving our cultural heritage.
- Getting
the certificate involved a very meticulous process in which they were evaluated
in several aspects relating to daily practices of field and office staff. They
are one of only seven Tour Operators in the entire country to successfully
complete the process and receive the certification.
How You Can Help
- Support conservation organizations
There are many, many worthwhile organizations and projects that can use either
your physical and/or financial help! Volunteering at a local wildlife center
can have as much impact as donating funds to rainforest conservation. Whether
you decide to donate your resources to a local organization, or one involved in
global issues, you are making a difference!
- These
organizations usually have excellent newsletters you can sign-up to receive
electronically, so you can stay informed of all the current environmental news.
A few of the organizations we support & recommend:
Rainforest
Alliance
Conservation
International
Wildaid
The International Ecotourism Society
Galapagos Conservancy
- Become more informed
In addition to
the newsletters from the organizations above, there are several informative
organizations that can provide you with worldwide conservation details, and
ideas of how to become involved. A few of our recommendations:
Sustainable Travel
International –- Offers ideas to help travelers and travel-related
companies protect the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the
places they visit, and the planet at large.
Galapagos
Conservancy -— will keep you informed of all the latest
developments in the Galapagos islands.
- Make
Changes
 Want an easy way to receive daily tips on how you can help the
planet? Sign up for Ideal Bite on-line to receive fun tidbits with facts and
suggestions on green food, travel, products, services, and more.
- Take
Action
Thirty easy tips of changes you can take in your everyday
life that can have an effect on your immediate surrounding, and on places as
far away as Antarctica.
- Carbon Offset
We all emit carbon dioxide
emissions when we drive, fly, use electricity, or generate waste. Solution -
now you can actually invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects
that reduce carbon emissions. So on the one hand, you produce, and on the
other, you reduce. Calculate the carbon emissions of your air travel, car,
house, or lodging—or donate as a gift!
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