Gap Adventures Founder to Serve as Keynote Speaker at Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2010

    TORONTO, ON, July 03, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Gap Adventures (www.gapadventures.com) founder Bruce Poon Tip will share his intriguing and visionary insights on ecotourism and sustainability trends when he takes to the stage at the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2010 (ESTC), in Portland, Oregon, between September 8 and 10.

The conference--co-sponsored by Gap Adventures and the non-profit Planeterra Foundation--is North America's largest and only conference focusing on sustainability in the tourism industry and will assemble more than 500 business leaders, tourism professionals and community stakeholders to discuss practical ideas and solutions to sustainability challenges facing the sector today. The conference's ultimate goal: reinforcing the role of tourism in building a more sustainable future for the travel industry.

"We love changing people's lives through travel and I believe ESTC is a perfect forum to help us advance that goal," Poon Tip, the conference's keynote speaker, said. "We've proven time and again through initiatives like our voluntourism projects that sustainability and travel needn't be mutually exclusive. Smart travel that respects local ecosystems, economies and communities not only provides a more exciting experience for our travellers, it's simply the right thing to do."

For the first time, ESTC will also be joining forces with the Planeterra Foundation to provide opportunities for conference delegates to roll up their sleeves for the local community. Delegates will have a chance to volunteer at Portland-area landmarks such as the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge and the Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center, in an effort to highlight the increasing importance and relevance of voluntourism.

"These practical sessions in the field will give delegates an opportunity to participate in a hands-on voluntourism experience and gain an understanding of how giving back to the people and places they visit provides a richer traveller experience," said Planeterra director Richard G. Edwards.

Delegates who act fast can expect to get something back, as well--namely, a $100 discount on conference registration fees. The special early bird offer ends July 8, 2010.

To register, visit http://www.ecotourismconference.org/register

About Gap Adventures and the Planeterra Foundation
Gap Adventures is a world leader in the adventure travel industry offering small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond to more than 100,000 global travellers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture, nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of adventure - people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a sustainable manner. Demonstrating its ongoing cultural, social and economic commitment to responsible tourism, Gap Adventures established the Planeterra Foundation, as a way the company and its passengers can give back to the communities visited. For more information, please visit www.gapadventures.com and www.planeterra.org.

Media Contact:
Marie Anne MacRae
Business Development & Media Relations Manager
Gap Adventures
Direct: 416 263-4675
[email protected]

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