Planeterra News
January 31, 2012
Travel and Responsible Climate Protection - battle over
January 29, 2012
When Adventurers Give Until It Hurts
Megan Epler Wood: Mover and Shaker
September 29, 2011
G Adventures and Planeterra Discuss the Future of Tourism
August 13, 2011
Research is the Key to Helping Communities in Need
August 04, 2011
Appeal for East Africa Drought Relief Exceeds Fundraising Goal in Just 6 Hours
Planeterra and Gap Adventures Raise $25k in Just 6 Hours
August 03, 2011
The Givers Conundrum
Planeterra mention in September Issue of National Geographic Traveler
July 26, 2011
Harvard Expands Tourism Environmental Course
Planeterra Director, Megan Epler Wood's Harvard Extension Environmental Management of International Tourism Development Course Breaks Ground with Student Research and Mapping Tool
June 21, 2011
Responsible Investing in Belize
Director of Planeterra discusses her work with the Belize Tourism Board on tourism planning to conserve the nation's rich ecosystems
February 23, 2011
News Release: February 23, 2011Cornell's Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, Gap Adventures, and Planeterra Foundation Partner to Assess Real Costs of Managing Tourism Destinations
January 24, 2011
Planeterra's Women's Weaving Project featured in TravelHotNews. Check out this journalists account of her trip to Peru!December 21, 2010
Planeterra Suggests Community Development Holiday Gift Ideas. Check them out here.December 21, 2010
Reader's Digest CA features Planeterra in "5 Ways to Give Back When You Travel" Read MoreNovember 16, 2010
Megan Epler Wood Reviews 20 Years of Community Ecotourism and Global Development
Planeterra's
Director, Megan Epler Wood, looks at how ecotourism has evolved over
the last 20 years for the 20th Anniversary of the International
Ecotourism Socitety. Read more here.
November 3, 2010
Planeterra Foundation and Gap Adventures Host Ignite the Nite
On
November 3rd, The Ignite the Night Fundraiser raised over $100,000 to
build a permanent vision centre in Cambodia with Gap Adventures. Learn more about the project here.
October 19, 2010
Planeterra Foundation Partners with STA Travel On New Voluntourism and Community Development Initiatives
STA
Travel is committing $1 million over five years to a responsible
tourism program led by Planeterra which will develop mutually beneficial
volunteer travel and community projects targeted to STA Travel�s over 6
million passengers who travel annually to 90 countries. Read More
October 14, 2010
Planeterra Partners with STA Travel on Voluntourism
Global
voluntourism organization Planeterra established a partnership with
U.K.-based STA Travel, the world's largest student, youth and budget
travel organization, to support responsible tourism programs. Read More
September 10, 2010
Richard Edwards Interviewed on the KPAM Portland Travel Show about ecotourism following the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference held in Portland, Oregon Sept 8-10, 2010. Listen to the 5 minute audio track now
August 30, 2010
Ecotourism hits the big 20
August 24, 2010
Planeterra Releases Video Promoting Eco-Conference
A
Planeterra Foundation video was released focusing on the reasons to
attend the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC),
scheduled for Sept. 8 to10 in Portland, Ore. Read MoreJune 25, 2010
Fast Five Profile: Planeterraon WorldNomads.com
In
the WorldNomads.com Responsible Travel blog, we've gone out to some of
the biggest and smallest names in the Travel Industry to get a snapshot
of who's who and find out what they're actively doing in voluntourism,
green travel and socially responsible travel. Here to kick off the Fast
Five Profile series is Planeterra.org. Read MoreJune 18, 2010
Rolling up the sleeves at ESTC: Voluntourism takes the stage at this year's event
The
International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and the destination hosts
Travel Oregon and Travel Portland have partnered with the ESTC
Voluntourism Partner Planeterra, a world leader in volunteer travel, to
bring volunteering to the forefront this year in recognition of the
increasing importance of voluntourism as a niche of sustainable tourism.
Read More May 31, 2010
TravelMole TV features director of Planeterra, Richard G. EdwardsRichard interviewed at the World Travel and Tourism Council's Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in Beijing. Watch now
May 18, 2010
Local resident puts love into action
Theresa Laurico, (who put together the Love In Action
event to benefit Planeterra this year), believes anyone can be a
community hero. The 30-year-old Scarborough resident has been recognized
with an Urban Hero Award in arts and culture for her charity work
founded through her media production background. Read More
April 19, 2010
University of Vermont Ecotourism Course Attracts Leading Thinkers in Field
Register
Now for Megan Epler Wood�s new short-course, Global Sustainable
Ecotourism Development, at the University of Vermont, July 12-16, 2010.
This course is being launched in honor of the 20th anniversary of The
International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Gap Adventures' Bruce Poon Tip
and Planeterra's Richard Edwards are on the guest speaker roster. Read More
April 12, 2010
Granddaughter of famed explorer Jacques Cousteau to provide water conservation insight:
Environmentalist Celine Cousteau teams with Gap Adventures
Cousteau
will support Gap Adventures' annual Earth Month commitment to building
happiness and community the world over through awareness-boosting and
fundraising initiatives, which this year is dedicated to highlighting
the importance of fresh water resources. Read More
April 11, 2010
Celine Cousteau is Gap Adventures & Planeterra's Earth Month Ambassador
Gap
Adventures and the Planeterra Foundation have introduced adventurer,
filmmaker and environmentalist C�line Cousteau as their official Earth
Month celebrity ambassador. Cousteau will support Gap Adventures'
annual Earth Month commitment to building happiness and community the
world over through awareness-boosting and fundraising initiatives, which
this year is dedicated to highlighting the importance of fresh water
resources. Read More
April 8, 2010
Traveling Greener as We Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day
Little things really make a difference.
That's
why on vacation, just like at home, we should all do our part to
protect the environment. It's as simple as turning off the lights and AC
when you leave a hotel room or using fewer paper napkins. Read More
March 27, 2010
Snap Toronto covers Love In Action 2010
e11even
Productions and Gap Adventures held a fundraising party at the Revival
on College Street as a benefit for Planeterra and eyesight restoration
clinics in Tibet. Read More and See Pics!
March 26, 2010
Gap Shows the Love
A
recent star-studded event organized by Gap Adventures and the Love In
Action organization was held to benefit the non-profit Planeterra. The
events raised $22,000 dollars to support Haiti relief efforts and supply
microsurgeries for a vision restoration project in Tibet. Read More
March 8, 2010
Cornell University Interviews Richard Edwards, director of Planeterra
eClips is the premiere video clip collection on Entrepreneurship, Business, and Leadership. Watch the interview clips here
March 16, 2009
Love is in the Air this St. Patrick's Day
Not
in the mood to wade through an unruly sea of green this St. Patrick's
Day? Then make your way to Revival Nightclub where love is in the air --
and for a good cause [- a fundraiser for Planeterra!] Read More
March 14, 2009
On your marks, offset, go
In
the face of consumer apathy, travel operators are tackling climate
change on our behalf, writes Jane E. Fraser. Are you going to be a
greener traveller this year than you were last year? The answer is
probably yes, regardless of your intentions. Read More
February 16, 2009
Get moving to help PeruIn
the wake of last month�s massive flooding in Peru that has forced
entire communities from their homes and livelihoods, nonprofit
geotourism group Planeterra is helping to motivate concerned citizens to
lend a helping hand to those affected. Read More
February 3, 2010
The World's Coolest Travel Interns Announce Love In Action 2010!
It
began with a simple challenge. Bruce called us into his office one
evening just before Christmas and gave us our biggest assignment. He
challenged us to figure out a way to raise $25,000 for Planeterra to
fund a microsurgical eye camp in Tibet enabling vision restoration to
more than 200 blind Tibetans. Read MoreJanuary 22, 2010
In the Aftermath, Helping Haiti from next door
After
the earthquake, the beach takes a backseat and kinship flourishes for
travellers in the Dominican Republic. As travellers near Haiti organize
ad-hoc fundraisers and make donations through relief agencies, travel
companies with stakes in the area are offering assistance. Read More
January 13, 2010
URGENT Appeal to Support Earthquake Survivors in Haiti
In
response to the powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off the
coast of Haiti on Jan. 12, Planeterra and Gap Adventures are sending out
an urgent appeal asking for your donation to help support the survivors
of this disaster. With an estimated 3 million people affected and
wide-spread damage throughout Port au Prince, your donation will go
directly to the Canadian Red Cross whose local volunteers who are
assisting with evacuation and providing much needed shelter, clean water
and medical support. Read more or Donate Now
January 7, 2010
Aren't we really selfish at heart?
Various
friends have been regaling me with stories of New Year's holidays in
the Caribbean, and I've been wondering recently about whether people
really care about protecting the environment and giving back to
communities when they go on holiday. Isn't it pampering and a chance to
forget what we're really looking for?
The answer seems to be yes and no. Richard Edwards, a responsible travel expert and executive director of Planeterra, the foundation founded and supported by GAP Adventures, says that interest in giving back has been growing for several years... Read More
December 15, 2009
Help STA Travel Help Kids in Peru
We'll be honest with you, we like giving money to kids in Peru, but we also like interacting with you guys on Facebook and Twitter. Since the start of 2009, STA Travel has donated more than $3,000 to Planeterra's Peru Streetkids Project. Read More
December 14, 2009
Transformational Travel: The Voluntourism Experience - Planeterra featured in Breathe
Seven
of us pedal mountain bikes along a bumpy dirt road trying not to spill
paint from the cans balanced on our handlebars. Children look up,
calling out "Jambo!"as we pass. Some run from their homes to greet
us, their sunny smiles reaching us before they do. Read More at ReadBreathe.com or View the PDFDecember 14, 2009
Gap Adventures, Planeterra Partner with Rainforest Alliance
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. 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, Read MoreDecember 11, 2009
Gap Adventures' New Lifetime Deposits... Can be donated to Planeterra?
Gap Adventures has now adopted a new Lifetime Deposit
policy which lets passengers postpone trips indefinitely at no extra
charge. The company says it understands that travel plans change and
sometimes need to be delayed and listened to traveler feedback. Read MoreDecember 11, 2009
Partnership to Create Opportunities for Sustainable Tourism Companies in Costa Rica
Costa
Rican hotel owners and managers who are committed to eco-tourism and
sustainability now have a new way to offer and promote their adventure
travel services thanks to an agreement recently signed by the
international conservation group Rainforest Alliance, North American
tour operator Gap Adventures and the nonprofit voluntourism organization
Planeterra. Read MoreDecember 7, 2009
Gap Adventures Introduces Lifetime Deposits... that can be donated to Planeterra!
Under
the new policy, deposits are also transferable. The original passenger
may transfer that initial deposit to another traveller of their choosing
at no additional charge. Those feeling generous can even donate their
deposit to the non-profit Planeterra Foundation�Gap Adventures will
then match the value of the donation. Read More
November 27, 2009
Taking the Kids -- And Giving Back While You Travel
"I think many people are feeling like they are true citizens of the world and they want to make a difference when they travel. It's so easy to give back as part of a family vacation"... That's what the Moshers discovered when they arranged their own volunteer effort through Planeterra Read More
November 20, 2009
Taking the Kids -- And Giving Back While You Travel
"I
think many people are feeling like they are true citizens of the world
and they want to make a difference when they travel. It's so easy to
give back as part of a family vacation"... That's what the Moshers
discovered when they arranged their own volunteer effort through
Planeterra Read More
November 24, 2009
Exploring the city streets of Delhi with teens who have lived them
YourTravelChoice.org
features Planeterra partner, Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) in India where
travellers on any Gap Adventures trip that passes through Delhi can
participate in a City Walk with an SBT guide. Read More
November 20, 2009
TravelMole VISION Interviews Bruce Poon Tip and Richard Edwards at WTM
Watch the video now at travelmole.tv!
November 20, 2009
Gap Adventures doubles selection of 'voluntourism' trips
Gap Adventures sends 100,000 travellers on holiday each year, and has a separate not-for-profit arm, Planeterra,
which funds community projects around the world as a way of giving
back. Many of the touring itineraries that Gap sells include a visit to
one of Planeterra's 30 projects. But John told me there are plans for
big expansion here too. "Our five year goal is to have a project in
every country in which we take tours," he said. Read More
November 12, 2009
QUESTPOINT N the Mix Interviewed Danielle Weiss about managing projects in Peru. Listen here
November 11, 2009
The 12th Annual World Tourism Awards honor Tourism Cares, Gap Adventures, and Cyrene, Libya
The
12th Annual World Tourism Awards were presented at a special ceremony
on November 10, 2009, at World Travel Market, Excel Centre, London. The
2009 honorees are being recognized for their dedication to sustainable
tourism and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Read MoreNovember 9, 2009
Travel + Leisure's Global Vision Awards featured on NY1's Green DestinationsWatch the Video now. Check out the full list of winners in the various categories at TravelandLeisure.com.
November 9, 2009
WTM (World Travel Market) 2009: Gap Adventures launches 18-30s touring
Gap
Adventures has launched a new range of small-group tours, aimed at the
18-30s age bracket. Tours in the YOLO programme (You Only Live Once) are
described as fun and adventurous, and have a more loose itinerary. The
operator is also planning major expansion of its voluntourism programme
through Planeterra, its non-profit sister organisation. Read MoreNovember 4, 2009
TravelMole's VISION on Sustainable Tourism features four articles from Planeterra Director and Staff:
Sustainable CRM? Philanthropy & Voluntourism Engages Travellers, Community - The Lost Element of the Triple Bottom Line, Searching for Projects to Support World Heritage, and Planeterra - Why Voluntourism? Read the articles here
October 28, 2009
Gap Adventures Named a Leading Voluntourism Company
VoluntourismGal
writes on voluntourism and adventure travel: For all of you who thought
that the adventure travel companies would never fully enter this space,
here is the proof. Travel & Leisure just named Gap Adventures a
leader in voluntourism. Read MoreOctober 28, 2009
Travel + Leisure names Gap Adventures a leader in voluntourism
The
latest and best efforts at cultural preservation, environmental
conservation, and community-building through tourism are recognized in Travel + Leisure�s 2009 Global Vision Awards. CEO and Founder Bruce Poon Tip of Gap Adventures,
the world�s leading small group adventure tour operator, was one of
17 organisations recognised for efforts to promote voluntourism...Read More October 20, 2009
Voluntourism Opening Eyes
Traveling Greener blog features Planeterra and our Tibet Eye Camp project to restore sight to Tibetans. Go to article on travelinggreener.com.October 14, 2009
Planeterra and Gap Adventures Win the 2009 RTTF Leadership Award
The Responsible Travel and Tourism Forum Leadership Award was presented by Air Canada and Baxter Travel Media. See the announcement at RTTF.ca and here.
October 12, 2009
Planeterra Foundation Aids Tibetan Blind
In
recognition of World Sight Day on Oct. 8, nonprofit Planeterra
Foundation announced a donation drive and a video contest to assist the
global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. Read MoreOctober 9, 2009
Voluntourism and Adventure Travel
The Adventure Travel World Summit is set to kick-off in less than two weeks in Charlevoix, Quebec. Doubtless, there will be discussions devoted to what an adventure it is to run an adventure travel outfit in the current economic setting; but, there will likely also be some discussion regarding the growing synergies between Adventure Travel and VolunTourism. Read More
October 9, 2009
Restore Sight, Fight Poverty
In
recognition of World Sight Day on Oct. 8, 2009, nonprofit Planeterra
Foundation announces a donation drive and a video contest to assist the
global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. Read MoreSeptember 22, 2009
Gap Adventures Honored for Making a Difference in the World - And Its Contribution to Planeterra
CEO
and Founder Bruce Poon Tip of GapAdventures, the world's leading small
group adventure tour operator, was honored with the World Savers Award
for '2009 Winner: Tour Operator' during the third annual Conde Nast
Traveler World Savers Congress in New York City yesterday. Read MoreSeptember 15, 2009
2009 World Tourism Award Honorees Announced
Tourism
Cares, Gap Adventures (for its commitment to Planeterra) and Cyrene,
Libya are the 2009 World Tourism Award Honorees. This prestigious award
will be presented at World Travel Market Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at
Excel Centre, London. Inaugurated in 1997 and celebrating its 12th
Anniversary, was established to recognize �the
extraordinary initiatives by individuals, companies, organizations,
destinations and attractions for outstanding accomplishments in the
travel industry. Read More
September 10, 2009
Seva Canada Launches "Her Sight Is Worth It" Video Contest, Promoting Gender and Blindness Issues
Planeterra and Gap Adventures are sponsoring Seva Canada's national Video Contest, Her Sight Is Worth It, to raise awareness of blindness among girls and women and the barriers they face accessing eye care. Read MoreAugust 23 2009
Homestays Offer Path out of Poverty
This
is the third and final installment of reporter Kate Webb's series on
sustainable tourism development in Ecuador, where she chronicles her
home stay experience. Webb travelled to Ecuador to investigate the
impact of humanitarian, environmental and development efforts by
Planeterra, a Canadian nonprofit organization....Read MoreAugust 16, 2009
Education key to jungle communities
School initiative: Sustainable tourism helping Amazon kids fulfill their potentialWeiss held the key, having recently come up with the plan to offer scholarships. Patient and philanthropic by nature, the Toronto native has lived in South America for the last 10 years working in tourism and sustainable development...Read More
August 9, 2009
Priced Out of their Local Paradise: Galapagos: Group Aims to Teach Kids About a Side of the Islands Only Tourists See
As
a child, Juan Elaje experienced the tail end of an era of innocence in
the Galapagos Islands. It was the late 1980s, and tourism at the time
was still largely a fisherman's game. Travellers who made the journey by
air or boat from mainland Ecuador to the remote, sparsely inhabited
province 1,000 km off the South American coast usually faced a choice of
helmsmen of small fishing vessels, eager to be their guides...Read MoreAugust 7, 2009
Canadians Show how Tourism can Nurture: Kate Webb's journey to learn about what Planeterra is working on in Ecuador
With
a poverty rate around 40 per cent, tourism can be a lifeline for many
communities. But not all tour operators, either foreign or
domestic-owned, are concerned about protecting and enhancing the
unique qualities that draw tourists in the first place. I found one
Canadian non-profit organization that is... Read MoreAugust 1, 2009
Rainforest Initiative Empowers Community Indigenous Peoples
Planeterra's Community Forestry Program Featured in TravelMole's VISION on Sustainable TourismRead More
July 15, 2009
Planeterra Founder, Bruce Poon Tip featured in Forbes
In Cracking the "Founder's Dilemna", Bruce explores the challenges and successes of founding and running Gap Adventures. Read MoreJuly 6, 2009
Doing More Good than Harm to the Planet
The Calgary Herald talks to travel companies, including Gap Adventures' Calgary Concept Store and Planeterra's Danielle Weiss about how travel can make positive impacts. Read More
June 23, 2009
Planeterra Bracelets make Top 7 List of Great Gifts at LOHAS Forum
Vibrant Nation Strategist Carolyn Orsborn chooses 7 gifts she wouldn't return from the LOHAS Forum where the top entrepreneurs, activists and thinkers in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability movement gather each year. Among other green gifts she chose our bracelets made by children at Planeterra's home for street kids in Peru. Read More
June 22, 2009
STA Travel to Match Contributions to Planeterra's Peru Streetkids Project
STA
Travel - a global travel specialist with 30 years experience helping
students, teachers and young professionals travel the world,
announced that for every order placed on statravel.com
on Monday, June 22, 2009, $7 will be donated to support a project
providing children in Peru with warm meals, help with their schoolwork
and life skills coaching, including sewing, cooking, music, and English.
All donations made this week will be matched! Read MoreMay, 2009
Sustainability Manager, Liz Manning, on EcoMii
I spoke to Liz Manning of Planeterra, the non-profit founded by G.A.P.
Adventures, about the sustainable travel trend. According to Manning,
business is up in the sustainable travel market, despite the economic
crisis. Read more.April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day!!
Community gardening is a great way to make Toronto greener and cleaner, and we are very excited to participate in this great local initiative! We will be spending this Wednesday evening at Scadding Court Community Centre planting flowers, building benches and wheelchair-accessible gardening sites, and fixing up their garden areas.
April 21, 2009
Planeterra hosted a fun and successful Earth Day Planting event in Cuzco, Peru! We planted 100 trees and 100 flowers,
in an effort to green and beautify the landscape. For pictures of the
planting, which involved staff, travellers, and volunteers, take a look
at the online Planeterra Community.
March 18, 2009
Planeterra was the premiere sponsor of Corporate Social Responsibility Day at ITB Berlin last week. TravelMole has written an article about the ITB conference, and some of the results of panel talks: Read the Article
February 3, 2009
Planeterra and G.A.P Adventures have been selected by the World Travel and Tourism Council as a finalist for the Tourism For Tomorrow Awards
in the Global Tourism Business Category. As finalists, Planeterra and
G.A.P were selected by an international team of independent judges for
having successfully demonstrated sustainable tourism practices,
including the protection of natural and cultural heritage, social and
economic benefits to local people, and environmentally-friendly
operations.
