Responsible business practices meets adventure travel in Costa Rica
Creating new opportunities for sustainable tourism in Costa Rica, Gap Adventures, Planeterra and the Rainforest Alliance have joined forces to promote responsible adventure travel.
International conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism organization Planeterra joined forces in a new partnership to create opportunities for sustainable tourism in Costa Rica to promote adventure travel companies who actively partake in responsible business practices.
The joint partnership gives Costa Rican hotel owners committed to eco-tourism and sustainability a new way to promote their adventure travel services.
With this agreement, Gap Adventures and Planeterra join 40 other international tour operators across the globe that are now working with the Rainforest Alliance.
The two companies will each promote to their customers those Costa Rican tourism businesses that have either achieved a Tourism Sustainability Certificate awarded by ICT (the Costa Rican Tourism Board) or that are part of the Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Tourism program. Also, both Gap Adventures and Planeterra guarantee that at least 50% of their Costa Rican tourism businesses are actively working toward sustainability goals.
“This agreement with Gap Adventures and Planeterra will have a major impact, as Gap Adventures is considered to be the largest independent adventure travel company in the world,” said Cristina Suhr, Marketing Manager for the Rainforest Alliance. “It will help us increase the number of travelers who will become aware of Costa Rica’s conservation efforts. It will also increase business opportunities for those hotels that are truly committed to achieving sustainability.”
Also, as an additional part of the agreement, the Rainforest Alliance will periodically organize research trips to Costa Rica for trip development representatives from Gap Adventures and Planeterra so that they can familiarize themselves with new destinations and businesses that might become part of future travel packages and community voluntourism projects the companies offer.
Rainforest Alliance will also provide the tour operators with contacts for all of its colleagues in Costa Rica who have signed commitments to sustainability as well as a list of certified tourism businesses or those that are implementing good sustainable management practices.
“As we continue to grow, it is increasingly important to work with the Rainforest Alliance to keep the focus on our original goal of offering innovative ways of showing people a sustainable world,” said Bruce Poon Tip, CEO of Gap Adventures. “It is even more relevant to continuously assess how we can do things better. Working with the Rainforest Alliance is a big step in that direction.”
Read more about: adventure, conservation, Costa Rica, Planeterra, sustainable tourism, voluntourism
Related posts:
About the Author
Joe is a full time web designer, developer and marketing guy working in the online travel technology marketplace. TerraCurve.com is his personal project - an avenue of creativity that combines his beliefs in social responsibility with both professional and personal experience.
See more contributions (396 so far) from Joe Ascanio.
Network on LinkedIn
Responsible Tourism in Rural Northeast Thailand
Sex trafficking becomes cultural target at this year’s Summer Olympics in London
Can you “Live Below the Line” on $1.50 of Food per Day? (video)
United Nations takes on sex trafficking in tourism
Have your say on what makes a destination ‘sustainable’
Green Product Components – The detail unzipped
Berlin’s Radisson Blu offers guests a glimpse into the deep blue sea
Why Aren’t More Bloggers Writing About Responsible Travel?
Is rail the future of travel?
U.S. tourism spending continues to grow amidst a healing economy
Guinness goes green: Sustainable Travel International awards first eco-certified business in Ireland
Galapagos Diving – Keeping it Green
Social sphere round-up for December 1, 2011 – World AIDS Day, peak oil, LEED design, and more 

Pingback: Tweets that mention Responsible business practices meets adventure travel in Costa Rica : TerraCurve.com: Go beyond green. | Responsible travel news, places, people and events. -- Topsy.com
Pingback: uberVU - social comments