IGTOA Members

February, 2009 - Congratulations to the 14 IGTOA member companies that were honored in National Geographic Adventure magazine’s “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth” edition.

Wildland Adventures, Mountain Travel Sobek, Wilderness Travel, Journeys International, Natural Habitat Adventures, International Expeditions, and Myths and Mountains, Boundless Journeys, O.A.R.S., ROW Adventures, Peregrine Adventures, Butterfield and Robinson, Geographic Expeditions, and Zegrahm Expeditions were all featured in the February print edition.  Companies were rated according to factors such as education, sustainability, quality of service, spirit of adventure, client satisfaction, and “overall.”

Many of our members that were not featured in the print edition also scored in the top 10% in all categories.  Check out all of the ratings at:  http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/outfitterhome

IGTOA is proud to have so many of the best adventure travel companies on earth as its members.

Source:  National Geographic Adventure 87, February 2009.

IGTOA would like to announce the arrival of a new Associate Member, South American Vacations, based out of Hollywood, Florida.  Their website is:  http://www.savacations.com/.  Please join us in welcoming them!

Their company description:  Our experienced travel counselors will help you choose the right ship and make all of the air and land arrangements before and after your trip.  You can extend your trip by visiting the Andean Highlands in and around Quito, the Ecuadorian Amazon, or Machu Picchu in Peru.  All of our tours are fully customizable.

The November 2007 issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine released results of an extensive survey of hundreds of travel companies worldwide and Wildland Adventures scored 94.3% putting us 4th overall among the “Best Outfitters On Earth!”

Kurt Kutay, Wildland Adventures’ founder, has been a steadfast supporter of IGTOA. Wildland is participating in IGTOA’s new Traveler Funding Program.

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IGTOA member, Via Natura,  announced that its boat, the M/Y Monserrat, has been certified by the Smart Voyager program. As one of Ecuador’s leading conservation organizations, Conservación y Desarrollo <http://www.ccd.org.ec>  developed the Smart Voyager sustainable tourism certification program. This program is a member of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas (www.certificationnetwork.org <http://www.certificationnetwork.org/>  .

The program is designed to minimize the impact of tour boats in the Galapagos through monitoring and inspection of boats, proper management and storage of maintenance facilities, creation of adequate crew quarters and amenities, training, and follow up inspections. 

Achieving certification is not easy. Boat operators that meet the program’s high standards are certified and may use the Smart Voyager® seal of approval in marketing their services. The seal gives travelers the assurance that they are supporting operators who care about the environment, wildlife conservation, and the well-being of workers and local communities. “After much dedication, resources and time, we have achieved this important award which represents our commitment to conservation and sustainable tourism”. 

Via Natura says that they and Rainforest Alliance have also established an alliance to support best management practices in Sustainable tourism since September 2007.  This makes our Company one of the few inbound Tour Operators that promote this vision in mainland Ecuador”. They also reported that they have a new sustainable travel department and our sustainable hotel property collection in Ecuador.

IGTOA would like to announce the arrival of a new member, our first in The Netherlands! It is Chalinga Cruises, and they have joined as an Associate Member. Their website is: www.chalingacruises.nl

Their company description: Chalinga Cruises welcomes you on the Galápagos Islands. As the ideal partner for a pleasant, carefree holiday we offer high quality custom made trips. We pay high attention to safety and comfort for our clients. Chalinga Cruises ensures you an unforgettable travel experience through the Galápagos archipel!