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responsible travel consulting company based in Sweden

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The Original Swedish Responsible Travel Consultancy

Tropic receives National Geographic World Legacy Award 

March 17, 2015 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Tropic-NG-Legacy-AwardFair Travel partner and represented company, Tropic Journeys in Nature (Tropic) from Ecuador, walked away from ITB Berlin in March as one of five winners in the 2015 National Geographic World Legacy Award.

Jascivan Carvalho, innovative entrepreneur and owner, accepted the award on behalf of Tropic that submitted its vision and strategy and results in the Engaging Communities category. A pioneer in community-based tourism in Ecuador, Tropic started working 20 years ago in the remote Ecuadorean Amazon with the indigenous Huaorani people. Today, Huaorani Ecolodge is operated by Huaorani community members who set their own wages and manage the day-to-day business, sharing the skills they have learned with other Huaorani indigenous communities. Tropic is now continuing its successful community-based tourism model on Floreana Island in the Galápagos.

The Engaging Communities award recognizes direct and tangible economic and social benefits that improve local livelihoods, including training and capacity building, fair wages and benefits, community development, health care and education.

Fair Travel is proud and happy for this amazing achievement of Tropic! Congratulations!

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners, News Tagged With: Amazon, community-based tourism, Ecuador, Huaorani Ecolodge, Tropic Journeys in Nature

Tropic selected as Finalist in NG World Legacy Awards!

February 26, 2015 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

The World Legacy AwardsRepresented company Tropic Journeys in Nature from Ecuador has been selected as Finalists in the New National Geographic Society 2014 World Legacy Awards, where the winners will be announced at the ITB Berlin expo next week.

The five award categories are: Earth Changers – Recognizing cutting edge leadership in environmentally friendly business practices; Sense of Place – Recognizing excellence in enhancing cultural authenticity; Conserving the Natural World – Recognizing outstanding support for the preservation of nature; Engaging Communities – Recognizing economic and social benefits that improve local livelihoods; and Destination Leadership – Including protection of cultural and natural heritage and educating travelers on responsible tourism.

The World Legacy AwardsTropic was selected in the Engaging Communities Category of the National Geographic Travel World Legacy Awards targeting the three pillars of sustainable tourism: environmentally friendly operations, protection of natural and cultural heritage and support for the well-being of local communities. Tropic engages communities, recognizes direct and tangible economic and social benefits that improve local livelihoods, including training and capacity building, fair wages and benefits, community development, health care and education.

The World Legacy Awards is a new initiative of the National Geographic Society, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious non-profit scientific, educational, and travel organizations, reaches more than 60 million people worldwide, in partnership with ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel gathering. The awards honor the companies, destinations and organizations that are driving the positive transformation of the global tourism industry, showcasing leaders and visionaries in sustainable tourism best practices and sharing their stories with millions of travelers. Being selected as a Finalist by National Geographic’s panel of international expert judges is no small achievement. More than 150 Award entries were received from 56 countries on six continents.

pfap-logo-suitcase-600x315Tropic also recently announced a new venture related to their work with local communities creating libraries for children in two diverse and remote communities that visitors may engage with while exploring Ecuador – Two libraries will be established in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle for children of the Huaorani, an indigenous people that until 1956 had no contact with the outside world. A third library will serve the Floreana Island community in the Galapagos. To help facilitate the creation of an inventory of books, Tropic is teaming up with Pack for a Purpose, a nonprofit organization that suggests to travelers what kinds of supplies will be meaningful to bring to villages and communities they plan to visit.

Fair Travel is proud of its partnership with Tropic and hope that next weeks announcement will provide them with a much deserved win for their hard work!

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners, News Tagged With: Ecuador, National Geographics, sustainable tourism, Tropic Journeys in Nature, World Legacy Awards

M/V Origin – Ecoventura’s newest member

January 1, 2015 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

MV-Origin-News-300x200Ecoventura announces the arrival of MV Origin in the Galapagos Islands in early 2016. A Premium Class vessel with Understated Luxury Redefined. She will be the newest and most comfortable 20 passenger yacht operating in Galapagos. The vessel will be owned by Ecoventura, a leader in social and environmental responsibility with over two decades of experience in sustainable tourism.

Origin will combine modern sophistication and a high level of comfort and service, with quality guided land excursions in small groups, gastronomical experiences, exciting physical activities and a dose of intellectual science providing guests a life enriching experience.

Find out more about Ecoventura here and read more about MV Origin on its dedicated website here.

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners Tagged With: Ecoventura, Ecuador, Galapagos, sustainable tourism

Meet Tropic at TMLA2014

August 12, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Jascivan Carvalho, owner of the Quito-headquartered award-winning ecotourism company, Tropic will be represented at the TMLA2014 Expo in Salta, Argentina, on the 17th-19th September 2014. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet with owner Jascivan Carvalho as there are some important news to be shared!

This year Tropic is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a leading ecotourism operator in Ecuador. Over two decades they’ve achieved over 10 international awards as well as multiple media features about their unique ventures in different regions of Ecuador.

Tropic-5In this celebratory year, Tropic is pleased to report that in addition to developments in the Ecuadorian Amazon with the Huaorani Ecolodge and an upgraded Nenkepare Campsite and Research Center, proceedings with plans in the Galapagos on Floreana Island to expand the reach of the Floreana Lava Lodge through island hopping programs are ongoing. Tropic is also establishing a full-time office and staff in Puerto Ayora to assist with operations and logistics. Also, the newest addition to the expeditions family will be the first lodge-to-lodge trek in the Andes of Ecuador.

Tropic-2Last but not least, the most important decision made during this anniversary. Tropic is completely revamping and enhancing their business structure, system implementation, and B2B website to create a fresh approach that underscores the importance of the expanded DMC services and unique sustainable programs!

Lots to share, so make sure you request an appointment with Jasci at Travel Mart Latin America to see what a perfect match Tropic can be in support of your own programs!

Fair Travel represents Tropic in the Nordic market and you can find out more about Tropic Journeys in Nature here.

Filed Under: Events, Fair Travel Partners, News Tagged With: Ecuador, Jascivan Carvalho, sustainable tourism, TMLA2014, Tropic Journeys in Nature

First Community-based Tourism Initiative in the Galapagos

June 19, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Community-based Tourism GalapagosTropic is proud to announce the first community-based tourism initiative in the Galapagos. This island’s 100 residents have never enjoyed tourism’s benefits. The goal is to protect the island’s resources and life style by guiding tourism as a tool while not letting tourism change the island’s character.

Using the Huaorani Ecolodge experience we hope to build program, operational and organizational capacities with the local community to position Floreana Island as the ecotourism destination in the Galapagos. This would be a new sustainable tourism model to the world.

Floreana Island is famous for Post Office Bay and beautiful beaches with cavorting sea lions. Its residents, most of whom live near Floreana Lava Lodge, don’t interact with or benefit from tourism to Post Office Bay (on the far side of the island). The Galapagos National Park is permitting Floreana Island residents to offer a two to three-hour organized hike to Post Office Bay and to offer rentals of kayaking and snorkeling equipment at the Bay.

Floreana Lava Lodge, on Floreana Island has just received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. While this came as a delightful surprise, Tropic has been working hard to make things happen at the Lodge.

Find out more about the land based Galapagos programs offered by Tropic Journeys in Nature here.

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners Tagged With: community-based tourism, Ecuador, Floreana Island, Galapagos, sustainable tourism, Tropic Journeys in Nature

Herping Adventures In Wilderness Ecuador

June 5, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Herping Adventures EcuadorIn the world of science, looking for creepy crawlies is called herping (defined as the act of searching for amphibians or reptiles). Now there are true-life Herping Adventures that one can join in the Amazon jungles and cloud forests of Ecuador thanks to Ecuador’s award-winning ecotourism company, Tropic Journeys in Nature, that since 1994 has led tours through the country’s most engaging landscapes.

This ecotourism program that combines science with active travel is a brand-new way to explore the rainforest while offering indigenous and local communities opportunities to learn more about their environment. For example, on a pioneer safari program the indigenous Huaorani learned that some snakes aren’t poisonous as their tradition had led them to believe.

Two safari and photography tour itineraries have been developed in partnership with professional biologists and photographers of Tropical Herping. The first involves a cooperative program between Tropic and the Huaorani, one of the world’s most isolated ethnic groups. A community of Huaorani will serve as hosts and guides on their ancestral turf, a rainforest region considered the world’s most biologically diverse and where explorations take place. (Since 2008 the partnership has been working to stabilize this ecologically threatened region.) The program includes all lodging, meals, services of English-speaking guides and instruction in the specialized field methods and photographic techniques for herpetology.

Find out more about Tropic Journeys in Nature here.

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners, Tour reports Tagged With: Ecuador, herping, Huaorani, Huaorani Ecolodge, sustainable tourism, Tropic Journeys in Nature

Tropic to represent sustainable tourism at TIES Conference

April 28, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Tropic-Sustainable-Tourism-Ecuador-ESTC14Jascivan Carvalho, owner of the Quito-headquartered award-winning ecotourism company, Tropic will represent his country at the April 27-30 Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC14) in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

As the voice for Ecuador’s tourism industry nowadays one of the prioritized productive sectors for the Ecuadorian government, Carvalho will underscore this country’s biodiversity and conservation initiatives that include his own company’s work to develop community-based, sustainable tourism with the Huaorani, an indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest.As Ecuador’s ambassador to this 14th gathering of sponsored by the International Tourism Society (TIES), he will invite TIES to bring its next international conference to Ecuador. He will also underscore his country’s newly launched marketing campaign entitled “All You Need Is Ecuador.”

Ecuador is a country committed to promoting Conservation, supporting Communities, protecting local Cultures and ensuring fair Commerce. According to president Correa on a recent speech at the Harvard University Ecuador has it all and tourism is and will be an important tool to eradicate poverty from Ecuador.

This conference is expected to bring together 600 professionals from around the world. With a strong focus on highlighting and promoting ecotourism’s role in sustainable development, the ESTC14 aims to strengthen the industry’s commitment to the recent UN resolution, “Promotion of Ecotourism for Poverty Eradication and Environment Protection”, which recognizes ecotourism’s positive impact on sustainable community development efforts. For more information on the conference please check the website here.

Find out more about Tropic Journeys in Nature here.

Filed Under: Fair Travel Partners Tagged With: Ecuador, ESTC14, Jascivan Carvalho, sustainable tourism, Tropic Journeys in Nature

Montain Guardians

March 3, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Mountain-GuardiansTropic welcomes avid walkers/trekkers to join organized 7, 4 and 3-night Mountain Guardians Lodge-to-Lodge Climbing and Trekking programs exploring the tops and underbellies of four volcanoes and diverse eco systems in one of the most bio-diverse countries of the world, Ecuador.

This is another unique adventure developed by Ecuador’s award-winning ecotourism company, Tropic Journeys in Nature.

“Mountain Guardians is Tropic’s desire to develop a sustainable tourism operation that integrates local entrepreneurs into the concept of sustainable tourism development,” says Jascivan Carvalho, owner.

Since 1994 Carvalho’s company has worked to help preserve the Amazon. It recently expanded its ecotourism as a tool for conservation messages into the Galapagos. “Now we want to incorporate the Andes, such an incredible ecosystem that has extreme value to the world and where all of the fresh waters sources for Ecuador are born.” This region is also home of emblematic and endangered species such as the Andean Condor and the Spectacle Bear.

Download Tropic’s newest programs here.

Filed Under: Announcements, Fair Travel Partners, Tour reports Tagged With: Ecuador, mountain, sustainable tourism, trekking, Tropic

Ecoventura – Reducing Plastic

February 5, 2014 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

ecoventura-18Ecoventura is taking a stance against plastic water bottles.

They have become a growing problem in the Galapagos, not only are they hard on the environment, but they must be flown in and then recycled. Starting with our cruise on February 9th, passengers will receive a collapsible water bottle they can fill with our filtered water to drink during the cruise and then take home with them as a souvenir. This will reduce our usage by 80%, representing over 40,000 less plastic bottles in Galapagos. Our goals is to eventually eliminate 100% plastic water bottles on board all of our yachts.

Filed Under: Fair Travel Partners, News Tagged With: Ecoventura, Ecuador, environment, Galapagos

Returning to Galapagos

June 4, 2012 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Sunset-1000x400

 
As we made our way towards the airport in Quito, in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, to catch our flight to the Galapagos Islands via Guayaquil, I remember that it struck me that I was certainly lucky to get to go to this place a second time. I was there in December 2009 and I was now on my way over there again.  “A cruise to the Galapagos Islands is a once in a lifetime experience” and I was to do it again! It really put a smile on my face even though it was just before six in the morning.

 

Seven nights in Paradise

I did a seven-night cruise with Ecoventura and though I was a bit skeptical about how I was to feel about returning to the Islands a second time, after having had such a good time and experienced so much the first time around, I must admit that this second visit was even better then the first one. I thought I’d seen it all the first time around, but that wasn’t even close!

We arrived into Galapagos on the AeroGal flight, landing on San Cristóbal island, the easternmost island of the archipelago, just before lunch. I recall that I was trying to figure out if this was the island I had landed on the last time around, as it looked very familiar. I was certain about the fact that last time around we flew into Baltra and Santa Cruz, but everything more or less looked the same at the airport…

The Galapagos is located about 1,000 km west of Ecuador and the archipelago of Islands were created five million years ago by undersea volcanic eruptions. The islands were first discovered in 1535 by a bishop of Panama. He (Tomás de Berlanga) named it Galapagos after the giant tortoises he witnessed.

 

In Darwin’s footsteps

The islands was used as a refuge by pirates, where they could hide and bury their stolen treasures and at the end of the 19th century whaling fleets found the place and it became a regular port of call. This was when the wildlife on the islands started to become threatened.

The most well known visitor of the Islands’ was Charles Darwin, who arrived in 1835 and the peculiar encounters he experienced helped him formulate his theory of evolution, which he published in The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The Islands became part of Ecuador in 1832 and the fragile ecosystem was declared a part of Ecuador’s national park system in 1959. In 1979 the Galapagos archipelago was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Hammerheads and Rays!

On my previous visit I visited the islands of Santa Cruz, Floreana, Española, Santa Fé, North Seymour, Bartolomé, Santiago and Rabida.

This time we’ve visited San Cristóbal, Genovesa, Santa Cruz, Baltra, Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Rabida, Santa Cruz and Santa Fé, which takes my tally to 13 islands visited out of the 19 in total.

I was once again blown away from our first full day, when we snorkeled with a school of Hammerhead sharks, we had a large school of Golden Cownose rays with 50-60 individuals cruising along just underneath us, an East Pacific Green Sea Turtle made us company for a while and of course a whole bunch of other creatures. I realized right away that I hadn’t seen it all and I was to experience a whole lot of new things on this trip, and so I did, as every day was just getting better and better.

 

Even better this time around

It’s amazing how a place you visited and experienced once before, proves to be even better the second time, and where each day just gets better and better. I can’t really think of any other place that has given me this feeling. I was and I still am blown away by the experience I had.

We went on to have close and very personal encounters with the wildlife of the islands throughout our week. The funny looking and tiny Galapagos Penguins, in fact a whole group of them shot by us under the surface. The snakes came out on this visit, with three Galapagos Snakes coming out all at once, preying on Marine Iguana juveniles right in front of us, and a Spotted Snake Eel mellowed on the ocean floor.

The Sea Lions where more playful than ever as they constantly approached us during our snorkeling sessions, swimming right up to the face to curiously find out who and what you are. Having a curious sea lion swirling up, down and all around you is something that everyone has to experience. The way these clumsy mammals move on land, it’s completely the opposite in the water.

 

Sharks, Manta Rays and Dolphins

The bigger creatures of the ocean also made us aware of their presence – a huge Galapagos Shark circled our dingy and the yacht one afternoon, majestic Giant Oceanic Manta Rays swam past the yacht as we went between the islands and the same was done by various types of whales and dolphins. Bottlenose Dolphins and Common Dolphins tagged along the yacht at times, showing off some impressive moves and speed, and whales breached in the distance a few times at open sea.

I never got to see the Short-eared Owl on my previous visit, but this time around we bumped into several individuals, where one of them was sitting right next to the path just looking at us. That was a nice treat and the same goes for all the dances performed by the Boobies. All respect to the Red-footed Booby and the funny-looking Nazca Boobies, but my favorite is without doubt the cool and peculiar Blue-footed Booby, with its blue feet and the fantastic courtship of the stamping dance, wing display and high-piping whistle. I just can’t get enough of that display.

 

Abundance of birds

And how about the Frigatebird with its long wings, tail and bill and the male with its bright red pouch that he inflate to attract a mate? Or the colorful Flamingo with its pink colors? The Galapagos Hawk, endemic to the Islands? And the odd-looking Flightless Cormorant with its tiny wings, it is one of the world’s rarest birds. How about the Brown Pelican that made us company on one of our dingy rides back to the yacht? One shouldn’t fortget to mention the Darwin Finches (Large Ground Finch, Medium Ground Finch, Small Tree Finch and Green Warbler-Finch) of Galapagos, on which Darwin conceived and brought together his theory of natural selection. A story of its own could be written about the not so clever looking Lava Heron or about its relative, the majestic Great Blue Heron, which we got to witness chasing down and swallow a huge 40 cm long Galapagos Centipede.

 

The amazing staff and guides

All of these sights and experiences were presented to us not only by Nature itself, but also by the fantastic guides of Ecoventura that really made the adventure even better. The knowledge of these passionate guides is something I will never forget. Professional and good with people while still making sure that all the rules and regulations were followed in order to protect the fragile ecosystem. Karina and Mauricio, thank you so much once again!

The same goes to the crew of the Flamingo I. With your service and kindness the experience became even better. You spoiled and pampered us and for this I’m forever grateful.

We’ve seen huge tortoises on land bigger than I’d ever imagined them to be, listened to sea lions brawl as we walk so close we almost step on them, we’ve had dolphins play and putting on a show next to our boat, we’ve snorkeled with large sea turtles that has welcomed us with comforting eyes as they gently go about their business, we’ve had sea lions looping all around us as we snorkel next to their habitats, baked in the sun with prehistoric looking Iguanas, come to adore the Blue-footed Boobies with their peculiar looks and blue feet and not to forget all those lovely and cute sea lion cubs that so curiously and clumsy make their way towards you, to check you out. What else can be said…

 

RIP George

There’s so much more that can be said and should be mentioned, but I need to make a stop somewhere. I haven’t even written a single thing about how each island is different from the other, in colors, in layout, in vegetation, in height. Oh, and I should mention something about the horrendous effects of introduced species to this fragile ecosystem…But I will leave that for now and let each and everyone of you find that out yourself during your upcoming visit to this Paradise.

On our last day on the Galapagos Islands, we came ashore at Puerto Baguerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island, the same place where the trip started. The last stop before heading for the airport was the Interpretation Center, where the full history of Galapagos is presented, with the past and the present. This is, or was, the home of the famous Lonesome George, or Pinta Island tortoise, as he’s also known. This subspecies of the Galapagos tortoise had been wiped out due to hunting and it was assumed that the species was extinct until a single male was discovered on Pinta Island in 1971. Efforts were made to mate the male, named Lonesome George, with other subspecies, but without much success. Lonesome George died quite recently, on June 24, 2012, exactly 21 days after our visit, when George was up and about. The subspecies is now believed to have become extinct. RIP George…

 

Three weeks has come to an end and I’d like to thank the wonderful people and staff of Tropic Journeys in Nature, the Huaorani Ecolodge and Ecoventura together with all the amazing people I’ve met in the places I’ve stayed throughout my travel. Waponi!

 

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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Ecoventura, Ecuador, Galapagos, Huaorani, Tropic

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