Ecoventura’s Rainforest Alliance Verification

: Image courtesy of Ecoventura

Ecoventura, a small ship line that runs a fleet of environmentally friendly fleet of expedition vessels in the Galapagos, has earned the Rainforest Alliance verification in recognition of its commitment to conserving the environment and supporting local communities.

Rainforest Alliance verification is awarded to a hotel or tour operator that has met wide-ranging standards to conserve natural resources, protect wildlife and help local communities thrive. Rainforest Alliance verification is aligned with the standards issued by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world.

Santiago Dunn, Ecoventura’s president, says the company has a long-standing policy of protecting the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. “The Rainforest Alliance was one of our original mentors when we started our journey to green the operation in the late 1990’s, being part of this new initiative makes us proud to continue the tradition and further our commitment to sustainability.”, says Dunn.

This honor follows similar praise for the company- it was one of the first recipients (2000) of SmartVoyager, a voluntary environmental program developed by the local NGO Conservacion & Desarollo in Ecuador. This program gives a “green seal of approval” to tour boats that comply with requirements to tread lightly on the area’s fragile ecosystem.

In 2006 Ecoventura became the first fully Carbon Neutral operation in the Galapagos Islands. In 2008, the company was presented with the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism – Best in a Marine Environment Award. In 2009, Ecoventura was honored with the Conde Nast World Savers Award as the top scoring cruise line. The panel of judges noted the company was exceptional in education, preservation, poverty and health. And In November 2009, Ecoventura received Travel + Leisure’s 5th annual Global Vision Award for Green Cruising.

Congratulations to Ecoventura on this new honor, and for supporting the protection of the planet through important and tangible methods.

Award-Winning Journalists

Gerry Barker is a life-long journalist, and he has been on more than forty cruises, from Barcelona and Rome to the Panama Canal.

Judi Cohen has been to over 80 countries and is an accomplished travel writer who enjoys sharing her stories.

Dennis Cox is an award-winning travel photographer and writer who has visited over one hundred countries on all seven continents.

Judi Cuervo is a New York City native who has been writing about travel for over 20 years.

Bob Ecker is a Napa, California based freelance writer and photographer who is constantly traveling the world.

Jackie Sheckler Finch has cruised on large and small vessels on numerous rivers and oceans.

Cynthia Boal Janssens is the former editor of ATC. She has cruised extensively and loves small ships.

Nicholas Kontis is a freelance writer and award winning photojournalist. He seeks off the beaten path cruises and destinations

Debi Lander is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in travel, food and lifestyle.

Monte Mathews is a New York-based food and travel writer, with a special focus on culinary cruising.

David Molyneaux has cruised on more than 50 ships and visited six continents. He is vice president of the SATW Foundation.

Barbara Orr has more than three decades of travel experience, and has been widely published in Canada and the U.S.

Bryce Sanders has traveled the world extensively and is now concentrating on writing about his adventures.