New website provides agents and travelers with information to help craft sustainable tourism holidays
September 25, 2017 (Stuart, Florida) – Big Five Tours & Expeditions announced today the launch of Galapagos.com, a sustainable travel website named after the Galapagos Islands, home to some of the rarest species on Earth and birthplace of Darwin’s theory of evolution. The new website is designed for travelers and travel advisors in search of world class holiday destinations that also benefit local people and the planet.
Ashish Sanghrajka, President of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, said:
“As a company deeply committed to making the world a better place through purposeful travel experiences that deliver the trip of a lifetime for friends and family, while also benefiting the countries we visit, I am especially proud to launch our new website for travelers and travel advisors to learn about destinations in Latin America that support sustainable tourism practices, from safeguarding cultural heritage, to improving local livelihoods, to saving endangered species.”
Mahen Sanghrajka, Founder and CEO of Big Five Tours and Expeditions explained:
“We have been taking travelers to the Galapagos Islands for nearly 30 years, but Galapagos.com is about much more than the Galapagos alone; the website also provides an overall context for sustainable tourism destinations in Latin America, in order to help travelers, select places to visit that also are working to protect our planet for future generations.”
Galapagos.com is focused on providing a general ranking for destinations based upon the three pillars of sustainable tourism including:
- Environmentally friendly practices
- Support for the protection of natural and cultural heritage
- Contributing to the social and economic well-being of local communities
Each country listed on the website has been given a Darwin Finch icon (one to five finches, with five being the highest), reflecting their sustainable tourism initiatives; for example, one finch means that a country is at the early stages of sustainable tourism, and five finches reflects a country that is involved with sustainable tourism at the national level. The website also features the Finch Blog which will share travel stories, information, ideas and challenges on sustainable tourism initially for Latin America. Over the next few months, Big Five will roll out similar sites for Africa, Asia and the South Pacific.
Costas Christ, an internationally recognized expert on sustainable tourism, and Global Sustainable Tourism Strategist for the Virtuoso Travel network said: “Any time a travel company like Big Five makes the effort to better educate travelers and travel advisors about the importance of sustainable tourism, it helps the travel industry as a whole to be a positive force for safeguarding our planet’s natural and cultural treasures.”
About Big Five Tours & Expeditions
Founded in Kenya in 1973 by Mahen Sanghrajka, Big Five Tours & Expeditions is renowned for customized, luxury adventure travel to more than 45 destinations worldwide. Big Five has been recognized for its sustainable tourism commitment: the company is twice winner of the Virtuoso® luxury travel network Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award in 2014 and in 2016, while Condé Nast Traveler magazine recognized Big Five with a World Savers Award in 2013. For more detailed information about Big Five customized trips itineraries, contact info@bigfive.com or call one of our destination specialists at (800) 244 3483. Also visit www.bigfive.com.
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