Members in the News

Various local papers reported on Ecolodge Member Cottages @ Spring House Farm, in North Carolina, USA:

"Only weeks ago, The Cottages at Spring House Farm, an isolated mountain eco-retreat just north of Lake Lure, became the first U.S. member of ECOCLUB, an international ecotourism club, based in Athens, Greece, that provides travelers information on environmentally friendly lodgings around the world." Citizen-Times.com, March 22, 2002

"The Cottages at Spring House Farm recently became the first ecological retreat in the United States to obtain registration with ECOCLUB, an international ecotourism organization. ECOCLUB provides travelers information on retreats around the world that are not harmful to the environment." The McDowell News, 28 March 2002

Terra.com.gt reported on Ecolodge Member UXLABIL in Guatemala:
"Uxlabil another option in Atitlán. The song of the birds, the tranquility of the lake and the coexistence with natives of San Juan of the Lagoon, Sololá, are part of the enchantment of Uxlabil. Uxlabil, in Tzutuhil language means "your breath" and it is the name of the new eco-hotel that last Saturday opened its doors in Sololá. For Javier Sandoval, head of the project, the objective is to attract visitors interested in ecotourism who wish to discover Guatemala." We want to attract tourists actively interested in rediscovering earth and the customs of the Tzutuhil town that lives at the borders of the lake", Sandoval commented. The idea of Sandoval is born of the necessity to preserve the culture of Guatemala to share it with the foreign tourists as much as national. The opening of Uxlabil has generated expectations within the community of San Juan of the Lagoon since this will favour the diversification of its sources of income. Until now, the Sanjuaneros worked as day laborers in the plantations of coffee and other cultures, or selling some paintings done by they themselves. To this the income of women in the textile industry during their free hours was added."

PATA reported on Expert Member in India, Mr. Mandip Singh Soin :
"Organisers of the 51st Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Conference in New Delhi, India, April 14-18, are aiming to make a minimal impact on the environment and a maximum impact toward sustainable tourism. "Everything that uses energy emits carbon dioxide," said Mr Mandip Singh Soin, Founder and Managing Director of Ibex Expeditions and head of the environmental subcommittee for the India Organising Committee. Mr. Soin is calculating the Conference’s carbon dioxide emissions based upon factors such as the number of delegates, the number of rooms the Conference will utilise and the projected usage of lights, air conditioning and buses." We are planning a tree-planting project to offset the carbon dioxide emissions and to leave a greener city for future generations," Mr. Soin said."

Polynesian Airlines in-flight magazine reported on Ecolodge Member in Samoa Ecotour Samoa :
"Ecotour Samoa, in conjunction with Polynesian Airlines, are offering all Polynesian Airlines passengers a 10% discount on the Green Turtle Bus. The Green Turtle Bus can transfer you from village to village, even getting you safely from island to island (with the help of a few ferries). So, why not ride the GREEN TURTLE bus on a magical journey as it tours Upolu Island daily - providing you with access to numerous overnight traditional beach resorts and a wide variety of holiday activities. The Green Turtle Bus will get you wherever you want to go, introduce you to your hosts and hostesses, and then pick you up a few days later when you are ready. All the best tourist accommodations in rural Samoa are beautifully located on white, sandy, swimmable, safe, coconut-lined beaches, some very private and secluded. So, why not spend a few nights experiencing how local Samoans live, share their lives and make community tourism mutually beneficial. Your traditionally prepared meals are fresh and nutritious, very affordable and can be served right on the beach. Not sure what to do in a village? Well, there are local village guides who can take you to nearby highlights, introducing you to fellow villagers, showcasing their traditional arts and crafts or just keeping you company. And for the more active holidaymakers, you can go sea kayaking, traditional fishing, deep sea fishing, birdwatching to nearby nesting colonies, swimming, snorkelling, beachcombing, diving, surfing, trekking, bush-walking and even white-water trekking to remote waterfalls deep in the nearby rainforested mountains. Thanks to visitors like you, rural communities in Samoa are gearing themselves up for a real bonanza. For 10 years now, the Samoan Visitors Bureau has encouraged rural villages to offer simple affordable traditional accommodation to visitors.  For the villagers, well, it is a whole different story. They are only just beginning to realize what the real direct benefits of community tourism are. Sure, it's extra income for the villagers: for some, it is their only income. And Polynesian Airline commends the efforts being made by all members of the Samoa's tourism industry to help make the Samoan Islands one of the best South Pacific holiday destinations on offer today, especially Ecotour Samoa which recently won the Environmentally-Friendly Exporter of the Year Award (2001), Tourism Award (2001) and was also the Overall Winner as the Exporter of the Year. Our sincerest congratulations to Funealii and Steve."

MEMBERS REPORTS:

By Rod Burns of our Ecolodge Members in Canada, Bold Point Farm
"We continue our 15 year history of Business and the Environment Social Payment Policy:
5% of each booking will be donated to an environmental protection / research / advocacy association, in hard dollars or in time. This year, we're letting you know where the donations will be going to. We encourage you to donate 1 - 5% of your holiday budget to a similar favourite: January, February and March: Orca Whale Research, Hanson Island, Alexandra Morton April: Watershed Sentinel Magazine May, June: Marmots of Vancouver Island June: Sierra Club of B.C. July: Coastal Ecotourism Operators Association, August: Wilderness Tourism Association of B.C. September: Marmots of Vancouver Island October, November, December: Salmon Enhancement Society"
-->To contact Bold Point Farm please use the Enquiry Form.

By Jane Bayley & Steve Gilbert of Ecolodge Members in Morocco Naturally Morocco
"Naturally Morocco offer a 15% discount on all flights from UK to Morocco booked at least 8 weeks in advance, between May and October and 10% off accommodation during certain weeks - see "Special Offers" on the new web site for details. We also thought that you'd be interested to know that we have both given up our part time jobs in education to concentrate full time on our ecotourism business, which we are now expanding into Andalucia in summer 2002. We are in the process of restoring a village house in the mountains between Malaga & Granada which will be the base for Naturally Spain. Again our emphasis will be on using our expertise in the natural environment, but in this case there will be more emphasis on catering for vegetarians, who have such a hard time in Spain. Having taken this step, we are now available to you full time (evenings & weekends included) and you can be assured of even greater level of personal service - we are available by e-mail or phone for most of our waking hours!"
-->To contact Naturally Morocco please use the Enquiry Form

Any views/announcements that appear in this section are not necessarily endorsed by ECOCLUB S.A. We reserve the right to edit reports appearing in this section for reasons of brevity and clarity. 

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