Wild for dolphins - Plan Your Adventure 2

Do you love to travel? Crave adventure that pushes the boundaries and takes you along the “road less traveled? Do you worry about your impact on the planet and its inhabitants? If so, ecotravel is the way to go! Before planning your next eco adventure, do your homework. Find out about responsible travel, eco-adventures and the organizations dedicated to “treading lightly”. And don’t forget to ask about the animals as ecotourism doesn’t always equal animal-friendly. Be sure to ask tour companies to clarify their policies on adventures involving wildlife viewing and animal protection.

Wild for Dolphins has compiled some links to get you started:
Ecotourism Planning and Management
Educational Travel Programs
Travel Magazines
Ecotour Operators – Trips to the Caribbean
Ecotour Travel Agents

Ecotourism Planning and Management
Naturegate
4104 24th Street, PO BOX 185, San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 331-2800, info@naturegate.com
Consultant to tourism industry that addresses regional and country conservation and tourism issues.

World Tourism Organization
Capitan Haya 42, Madrid 28020 Spain
349-1-567-8100, eyunis@world-tourism.org
Global forum for tourism policy issues; promotes and develops tourism

United Nations Environment Programme
Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics
Tour Mirabeau, 39-43 Quai Andre Citroen, 75739 Paris, Cedex 15, France
33-1-44-37-76-21, oliver.hillel@unep.fr
Promotes cleaner and safer production and more sustainable consumption patterns.Partners with International Ecotourism Society.

The International Ecotourism Society
(802) 651-9818

Responsible Travel Inc.

The International Ecotourism Club
30-1-671-9671

Care2.com
(650) 328-0198

Ecotravel

Educational Travel Programs
Conservation International
1919 M St, NW, Ste 6000, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 912-1000 1-800-406-2306
CI’s Travel and Leisure Program works with leading travel and leisure corporations to integrate biodiversity considerations and community development principles into their core management practices.

The Nature Conservancy
4245 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1606
(703) 841-4860
Offers ecotours that educate travlers about the organization’s work with local partners and communities in Latin America, The Caribbean, Canada, and Asia Pacific.

Sierra Club
85 Second Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 977-5500

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Brookfield House, 38 St. Paul Street, Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK SN15 1LY

Wild For Dolphins
34 Deloss Street, Framingham, MA 01702
508-879-8350, wildfordolphins@wspausa.com

Ecotour Operators – Trips to the Caribbean
G.A.P. Adventures
19 Duncan Street, Suite 401, Toronto, ON M5H 3H1, Canada
(416) 260-0999 or 1-800-465-5600, adventure@gap.ca
Low impact ecotourism ; partners with Conservation International, International Ecotourism Society, and Plan International

Caligo Ventures
156 Bedford Rd, Armonk, NY 10504
(914) 273-6333 or 1-800-426-7781, info@caligo.com
Specializes in Group Travel for birding and natural history clubs & organizations

Manaca, Inc.
1609 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 265-8204, andreas@manaca.com
Offer environmentally responsible, low impact travel opportunities to organizations & individuals; Deals exclusively with ecolodges and tour operators that offer the most responsible form of nature travel

Costa Rican Adventures
3911 Harrison Street, Oakland, CA 94611
1-800-551-7887, stephen@costaricanadventures.com
Ecotourism trips to Costa Rica

BackRoads
801 Cedar Street, Berkeley, CA 94710-1800
1-800- 462-2848 (510) 527-1555
Active Travel company

Intrav/Clipper Cruises
7711 Bonhomme Ave, St. Louis, Missouri 63105
(314) 727-0500 or 1-800-456-8100, info@INTRAV.com
Committed to cruises that adhere to guidelines established by leading environmental organizations

Natura Birding & Natural History Tours
PO Box 150, Tipp City, OH 45371
(937) 440-0797 or 1-800-762-5053, info@naturanaturetours.com

Nature Expeditions International
7860 Peters Rd, Ste F103, Plantation, FL 33324
(954)693-8852 or 1-800-869-0639

Responsible Travel, Ltd.
United Kingdom, justin@responsibletravel.com
Active adventures in the Caribbean

The World Outdoors
2840 Wilderness Place, Suite F, Boulder, CO 80301
1-800-488-8483 (303)-413-0938, fun@theWorldOutdors.com

Wilderness Lodge
222 North LaSalle, Ste. 1414, Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 345-3257, dmkagan@ix.netcom.com

Ecotour Travel Agents
Need help booking your next eco-adventure? Want to be sure the agency you choose supports animal and environmental protection? Here are some tips to get you started.

Visit http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/Travel/Ecotourism/ for some additional ecotourism links and resources compiled by Yahoo.com.

• Ecotourism Resource Center – provides papers, articles and links to nature based resources worldwide.
• Belize Ecotourism Association – association committed to responsible tourism and the conservation of Belize's natural beauty.
• Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism – nonprofit environmental organization working in the Caribbean region towards sustainable tourism and resource conservation.
• Developing Naturally: Travel Ecology –- nature-based community development based upon the principles of discovery, mutuality, locality, historicity, potentiality, and enchancement.
• Eco Volunteer – helping local organizations find volunteers for environmental projects around the world.
• Ecological Travels Centre – working to develop ecotourism in Russia as a means to support nature protected areas, to promote social and economic development of local communities, and strengthen environmental education.
• Ecotourism Association of Australia – representative body for Australia's ecotourism industry.
• Ecotravel Center – everything you need to self-design exciting travel experiences that benefit conservation and provide opportunities for local communities.
• Ecotravel.com – includes articles, operator directory, and trip planning guides.
• Green Globe 21 –- independent worldwide certification program for sustainable travel and tourism businesses. With information for both leisure travelers and the travel trade.
• Green Tourism – partnership of public and private organizations set up to promote sustainable tourism in Scotland.
• Green Travel Network – sharing information about culturally and environmentally responsible, or sustainable, travel and tourism worldwide.
• Hawaii Ecotourism Association – a nonprofit organization devoted to responsible nature and culture travel that respects the environment and benefits local communities.
• Kathmandu Environment Education Project (KEEP) – NGO working to ensure the future ecological and cultural prosperity of Nepal through positive impact tourism and outreach project work.
• Oceans Blue Foundation – advancing practical programs and achievable solutions for conserving coastal environments through environmentally responsible tourism.

Suggestions offered in this fact sheet are not meant to be endorsements for organizations, websites or materials not specifically related to Wild For Dolphins and should be used as a reference only.