Operating Standards
To ensure that each itinerary has a positive impact on the local culture, environment and economy, Adventure Life works under a number of guidelines when creating new tours:
Adventure Life Lodging - 
Because the choice of lodging is such a critical
component of any eco-tour, a representative from our U.S. office (often the
company president himself) personally inspects all potential hotels and lodges
in any given area.
In addition to visiting a broad spectrum of mid-range options, our Adventure
Life representative interviews staff and local agencies to determine which lodges
have the best record of historical preservation and are active in contributing
to local conservation. These factors are considered along with cleanliness,
safety, and customer service. Lodges that use innovative practices to improve
upon their sustainability and mitigate any environmental impacts, as well as
those that are owned by or work in conjunction with indigenous populations,
are given special preference.
The criteria underlying our primary search include but are not limited to: being locally owned and operated; having been built in a sustainable manner (e.g. use of solar panels, recycling water disposal systems, salvaged timbers); ranging in size from 12-20 rooms where possible; desirable location, safety,; and cleanliness. In the highest volume destinations, hotels, lodges and yachts are reviewed annually with a personal visit from either a US representative or the respective in-country coordinator. Less busy destinations are personally reviewed every two to three years.
Adventure Life VOYAGES Yachts - The vessels we work with are experienced and licensed to assure that all of our travelers are safe and sound. They follow international regulations of passanger vessels including, ISM, IMO and SOLAS. But more than that - they go beyond just doing things by the book. A variety of the vessels are members of responsible travel organizations such as IAATO, IGTOA, and AECO; organizations which specifically recognize the close and careful relationship between delicate environments and the travel industry. Many yachts also take the independent initiative to support environmental efforts, such as the cleaning of the Spitsbergen coast or contributions to local Amazonian communities.
Guides
Adventure Life works with licensed and/or certified local guides for our escorted tours. In accordance with our belief that a tour leader native to the destination creates a richer experience for the traveler, we choose only the most qualified, reputable local guides. They manage the tour group as a North American tour leader might, yet are able to add more authenticity and a deeper look at the regional culture. Travelers often remark that a visit to their guide's family home, or his long-held spiritual connection to the land, helped shape a truly exceptional experience. Guides for our Latin America tours speak fluent English and are often trilingual, facilitating interactions in languages such as Quechua or Tz'utujil. Adventure Life VOYAGES also includes expedition guides and onboard naturalists that are highly skilled and educated. They are professionals in their fields, and often hold university degrees in anthropology, biology, geology or other relevant disciplines. While the exact curriculum differs between countries, the local guides that lead our trips are trained in the same principles as those of the Leave No Trace philosophy.
Tour Operation
Our South and Central America itineraries are designed to use local existing infrastructure, rather than creating a need for new construction or services imported from a North American provider. These tours use public transportation, or, where private transport is more practical, the services of a locally owned company. Clients visit established national parks and conservation areas, keeping group size a minimum to lessen environmental impact. Many itineraries are designed to support community tourism projects, which might mean incorporating a homestay into the tour, or visiting an Amazon lodge owned and operated by an indigenous community. Before the trip begins all travelers are educated on the "Dos and Don'ts" of responsible travel and how to be an active participant in preserving local ecology and culture.
Office
The Missoula-based office takes efforts to minimize the amount of waste generated, and recycle whenever possible. To minimize waste production we reuse paper, buy products in bulk, and purchase high quality, long-lasting equipment. We also recycle everything that can be recycled (this includes paper, plastic, glass, ink cartridges, furniture, computers and more). All our print material is printed on 50% recycled paper and 30% post consumer content. We also use soy ink, which is made from a bio-product and more bio-degradable than standard inks. Our office is centrally located within the small town of Missoula, dramatically reducing commuter miles and makes alternative transportation an option for everyone. Nearly all of the Adventure Life staff either walks, bikes, or carpools to work.
Financial Contributions
In addition to sending clients to service providers who actively promote preservation, Adventure Life donates money to a number of conservation efforts.
Adventure Life Grant
Adventure Life has an annual, ongoing grant program that provides funding for
small, grassroots projects in the countries we visit. Adventure Life-funded
grants have funded reforestation and home restoration projects in the Andes;
a conservation-focused, bird-watching festival for youth from poor villages
near Cusco; a Christmas fiesta at an orphanage in Costa Rica; supplied a new
water pump to a community whose traditional irrigation system was destroyed
by recent floods near Machu Picchu; building materials for a privately funded
K-12 school in Guatemala; children's community art festival in Guatemala; and
funding the purchase and installation of sinks, electric connections, water
pipes, and safety equipment (a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher) for a
new science lab in the rural Ecuadorian school in the Guitig community.
Galapagos Conservation Fundraising
Adventure Life is an active member of the International Galapagos Tour Operators
Association, (IGTOA). Together we have created an effective way for the travel
industry to help support Galapagos conservation. The travel industry and those
who visit the Galapagos must meet the challenge of preserving this world heritage.
In Nov. 2006, together with IGTOA, we launched a Galapagos traveler-funding
program. The program is simple: A minimum $50 voluntary donation is added to
all of Adventure Life's Galapagos travelers' invoices. 40% of this donation
goes to IGTOA and 60% goes to the Charles Darwin Foundation. Dollar for dollar,
Adventure Life matches these donations with travel vouchers for future trips
with our company. Out of IGTOA's 50+ members, there are seven tour operators
that are participating in this specific program. Adventure Life has proven the
most successful in its fundraising efforts, spearheading this program and contributing
far more than any other company. As of June 2009, our travelers have raised
nearly $50,000.
Mantay Shelter,
Cusco, Peru
In 2007, Adventure Life donated $7200 to Mantay. The shelter
supplies young single mothers with a safe environment where they are counseled,
educated, and given training. Currently, the Mantay shelter is the only place
in Cusco that gives these young mothers the opportunity to take on and develop
their role as providers while at the same time enjoying their adolescence. We
have also purchased samples of the leather handicrafts produced by the young mothers
at Mantay to give to all of our Peru travelers, as a small example of the quality
work - and furthermore the quality of the technical training classes - provided
at Mantay. And we encourage interested travelers to bring such donations and/or
visit the shelter during their Peru travels; we provide the means for them to
do so. Visitors also have the opportunity to purchase the handicraft items produced
by the young mothers at Mantay.
Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco
In 2007, Adventure Life donated $5000 to the Center for Traditional Textiles of
Cusco (CTTC). The CTTC is a non-profit organization established in 1996 to aid
in the survival of Incan textile traditions and to provide support to weaving
communities. Working with the Center, Quechua weavers and their families in the
region of the former Incan capitol are engaged in skills-building, community networking
and market development. By researching and documenting complex styles and techniques
of the ancestors, the Center helps to ensure that 2,000 year-old textiles traditions
will not be lost to future generations.
Cachiccata community
Adventure
Life donated $1000 to the community of Cachicatta for training in waste disposal
of their fledgling community tourism project. Adventure Life is also a supporting
member of Sustainable Travel International (STI), the International Association
of Antarctica Tour Operators, and The International Ecotourism Society, contributing
to sustainable tourism efforts through these organizations.
To read thank you letters from our friends at CTTC, Mantay and the Cachiccata community, click here.
Continuous Improvement
Adventure Life is currently looking into an annual, independent third party review of our "best practices." At present, monitoring efforts include using direct feedback from clients, in-country coordinators and regional associates. Periodic self-assessments review the sustainability of Adventure Life practices and the quality of services provided.
Spreading the Word
Not only does Adventure Life strive to be an effective ecotourism company through our operating standards, but we also feel it is important that our travelers are involved in the responsible travel effort. To further encourage conservation through travel, Adventure Life supplies all of our travelers with pre-departure information on the Dos and Do Nots of responsible travel. This includes everything from waste management while trekking to the respect of archaeological remains. The information is specific, teaching travelers that they too have the power to promote conservation through travel. We have come to realize that this is a responsibility our travelers feel honored to uphold. Additional educational material is supplied to all our Galapagos and Antarctica travelers, specifically designed to highlight the region's rules and regulations, and to remind travelers of the delicate ecology of the area.
