G Adventures has announced it is the founding sponsor of Sustainable Travel International’s new online certification “Travel Better” which features an online community, known as the Travel Better Club, for those passionate, or looking to learn more, about sustainable travel.
To enroll for the Travel Better Club, travellers need to take a 30-minute ‘Travel Better’ online course. This explains how the choices they make about the way they travel, from hotels and transportation through to the activities they participate in and the meals they eat, can positively impact the places they visit and the people who live there.
To take the ‘Travel Better’ module, and attain a certificate, visit the Travel Better page on the G Adventures website to create a G Adventures account, complete the training, and join the club which will also offer a host of travel benefits.
G Adventures has also launched their new social projects for 2017. A hotel providing job opportunities for refugees in Austria, a community-owned salt lodge in Bolivia preserving cultural practices including quinoa production, and experiencing Canada’s indigenous culture through medicinal tea ceremony and bannock tasting are three new experiences for travellers:
Magdas Migrant Employment Hotel – Vienna, Austria. It is estimated that more than 100,000 refugees are living in Austria. Magdas Hotel is a social enterprise designed to provide opportunities for these migrants. Renowned architects and volunteer artists found ways to upcycle materials creatively, making it a beautiful space reusing discarded items like old doors and cupboards to make shelves and frames for mirrors. Starting in 2017, over 1000 G Adventures travellers staying in Vienna will overnight at the Magdas hotel.
Jukil Community Lodge – Santiago de Agencha, Bolivia. This community-owned salt lodge was previously closed due to a lack of customers. In 2016 G Adventures’ foundation funded a renovation and expansion project complete with a large scale hospitality training program for village residents. With many of the village’s youth leaving in search of economic opportunities, this lodge is seen by the community as a way to preserve their indigenous culture, and provide opportunities for the future. Travellers learn about the local agricultural practices, including their specialisation in quinoa production, and take a guided walk with a community member to the sacred Jukil mountaintop.
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre – Whistler, Canada – First Nations communities in Canada look to tourism as a means to ensure ancient wisdom and cultures are protected and celebrated. This centre provides education and economic opportunities to benefit youth who live on nearby reserves. Starting in June 2017, G Adventures groups will visit and participate in activities such as a medicinal tea ceremony, bannock tasting, and tour of the museum and grounds. The cultcentre relies on visits to fund their indigenous youth outreach and training programs.
This is a press released published earlier by G Adventures.
