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Experience Ecotourism Vacations
Demonstrating Our Commitment Worldwide
International Expeditions is dedicated to preserving the natural habitats of the places we serve, and to improving the welfare of the people and communities in the areas where we provide ecotourism vacations. We are committed to ecotourism and strive to thoroughly understand each place we go in order to minimize our impact on it. To do this we select and train exceptional local guides, who accompany our guests every step of the way. We share with them an appreciation for the natural and cultural history of their homelands. We impress our mission upon our service providers too, so that they can participate in conservation.
In 1990, International Expeditions helped to form The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) by providing the major source of funding, and our founder and former president, Richard Ryel, also served as a member of the original board. TIES works to bring communities, conservation and sustainable travel together to promote ecotourism trips to natural areas, while conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. For more information on The International Ecotourism Society, visit www.ecotourism.org.
International Expeditions part of the TUI Travel Group of companies, which is listed on the FTSE4Good Index in recognition of its commitment to sustainable development. Please visit http://www.tuitravelplc.com/tui/pages/sustainabledevelopment to see the Group’s sustainable development policy and latest report.
Amazon (Peru)
Water Treatment Plants
By creating water treatment plants in small villages in the depths of the Amazon, IE is addressing a very real health need of the villagers, providing 2,200 liters each day of clean drinking water for 1,200 villagers whose only source of water has been the river. Stemming from the water treatment plants, the village economy is stimulated because the communities can use excess pure water to bake breads and make jams and marmalades to sell to nearby villages. By providing an alternative economic means, the local river people will not have to resort to logging for an income.
International Expeditions is proud to have this project included on the Traveler's Philanthropy Web site - providing guests with an opportunity to donate.
Adopt-a-School Program
Created by IE and CONAPAC in 1993, the Adopt-A-School program began by matching schools in the USA with rural schools in the Amazon rainforest. It quickly grew into a donor based program, providing rural schools and students with school supplies while promoting environmental education in their communities. The program serves 120 schools with 4,200 students and teachers in 71 communities along the Amazon and Napo rivers. Before a child receives books and supplies, the parents sign a pledge to send their children to school every day and to use the supplies with respect. IE recently purchased an 18-foot boat to more easily deliver these supplies to the remote villages.
International Expeditions is proud to have this project included on the Traveler's Philanthropy Web site - providing guests with an opportunity to donate.
Las Malvinas Garden
Housed at a public school, the Las Malvinas urban garden project is the centerpiece of an IE-funded environmental education program. Teachers use this outdoor classroom to teach environmental awareness, biology and language arts, and the garden is integrated into the school’s curriculum. There are over 1,000 students, with just over 500 students at high school age, who will be the garden’s primary users. The Las Malvinas Garden is home to a working vegetable garden, plant nursery, medicinal plant garden and two ponds. The garden consists of areas for planting tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and onions. The students harvest the vegetables and fish for their own consumption and offer them for sale in the local markets.
International Expeditions is proud to have this project included on the Traveler's Philanthropy Web site - providing guests with an opportunity to donate.
Iquitos Education Project
In conjunction with U.S. and Peruvian education experts, IE is developing an environmental education curriculum and enrichment pilot projects for Iquitos schools that teach the importance of ongoing education, health and nutrition in the rainforest. IE is also in the beginning stages of an endeavor to build an environmental education center in the city.
Medical Clinic Support
Amazon Special Interest Travel participation supports the Amazon Medical Project and the medical clinic of Dr. Linnea Smith. As part of our Lifelong Learning custom group workshops, guests have an opportunity to meet Linnea and learn more about her clinic, which brings Western medical care to more than 2,300 remote people each year. www.amazonmedical.org
Amazon Center for Environmental Education & Research (ACEER)
IE donated $60,000 to establish the ACEER. Ongoing support is generated by your participation in our Lifelong Learning travel programs and eco tours. www.aceer.org
ACEER Canopy Walkway
IE established – and continues to fund – the ACEER Canopy Walkway, making accessible to scientists, educators, students and other travelers the most dynamic dimension of the Amazon rainforest.
Galapagos Islands
International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA)
IE is an active member of IGTOA, a successful organization which backs special legislation and promotes measures aimed at protecting the Galapagos Islands and marine reserve and promoting ecotourism. IE is working with IGTOA on its Bocario program for youth. www.igtoa.org
Kenya
Travel Foundation: Masai Mara Project
The Travel Foundation's Masai Mara Project works with Maasai villagers in the Mara to increase their involvement and income from tourism on their land, as well as providing for greater village infrastructure and facilities. By partnering with the Travel Foundation, International Expeditions is helping to bring schools, healthcare and even rainwater harvesting systems to the villagers of the Mara Triangle.
East African Wildlife Society
IE is a corporate sponsor for the East African Wildlife Society. Founded in 1956, the Society's mission is to promote the conservation and use of East Africa's wildlife and environment. By influencing policy reform through advocacy; helping support national park infrastructure, anti-poaching measures and wildlife sanctuaries; conservation education and research; translocating endangered species; and community conservation initiatives, the East African Wildlife Society has been able to conserve the region's black rhinos and elephants and contribute to current efforts to preserve East Africa's rapidly disappearing forests. www.eawildlife.org
India
Indian Tiger Protection
IE donates $100 per traveler to India to Tiger Trust India, a program to ensure the future well being of the seriously endangered tigers of India. www.tigertrustindia.com
International Expeditions is proud to have this project included on the Traveler's Philanthropy Web site - providing guests with an opportunity to donate.
Laos
Big Brother Mouse
Big Brother Mouse is bringing the fun of reading to Lao children by publishing books in their language. In 2008, more than 30,000 rural children got their first book through a Big Brother Mouse book party. During IE's Laos tour & Vietnam vacation, you will have the opportunity to distribute school supplies purchased through this innovative program to a school - an extraordinary chance to touch the lives of Laos' young people.
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IE has demonstrated a commitment to conserve natural habitats through a variety of efforts in these destinations:
Amazon; Galapagos; Kenya; India Laos
Plant a tree in Peru, ensuring the continuation of the Amazon rainforest.
Provide school supplies for children in the Amazon. You'll have the opportunity to visit the schools.
IE promotes responsible travel to the Galapagos as a member of the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA).
The East African Wildlife Society works to preserve the endangered black rhino.
IE donates $100 per traveler to India to Tiger Trust India, a program to ensure the future well being of the seriously endangered tigers of India.
Distributing books at a Big Brother Mouse book party.
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