Comfort Holidays Emit More CO2

    BOULDER, CO, October 23, 2008 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Choosing to take a comfort style of holiday could mean travellers are contributing more carbon emissions than other holiday styles, according to Intrepid Travel, one of the world's leading independent adventure travel companies.

"We estimate that our comfort style of holidays emit more than 12 times the amount of CO2 per passenger per day than our active style of holidays that generate the least amount of CO2," said Darrell Wade, CEO and Co-founder of Intrepid Travel.

"When you go on a comfort style of holiday you're more likely to be travelling on chartered buses or enjoying the air-conditioning of your hotel. These small comforts all add up in terms of CO2."

Of the trips Intrepid Travel assessed, comfort tours emit an average of 38.5kg compared to the assessed active style of holidays that emitted an average of 3.18 kgs of CO2 per passenger per day.

"We're not suggesting people should feel guilty about wanting to enjoy some air-conditioning. What we are suggesting is that people consider offsetting emissions generated from this type of travel," said Darrell Wade.

In 2009, Intrepid Travel will be offering 37 different choices of trips, where the cost of purchasing carbon offsets to balance the environmental impact of the trip has been included in the trip price.

Making the decision to take a carbon offset holiday does not significantly increase traveller's costs, with the average cost of the carbon offset component of Intrepid Travel's Carbon Offset Trips being less than 50 cents per day per passenger.

There are five comfort Carbon Offset Trips on offer:
- A 13 day Carbon Offset trip through Peru, taking in the Amazon Jungle and Machu Picchu for $1930* plus USD $400* local payment per passenger
- A 12 day Carbon Offset trip through China, enjoying an acrobatic performance in Shanghai and impressive sight of the Terracotta Warriors for $1900* plus USD $300* local payment per passenger
- A 12 day Carbon Offset trip through Egypt, following in the footsteps of Cleopatra and marvelling at the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and the temples of ancient Thebes for $1900* plus USD $300* local payment per passenger
- A 15 day Carbon Offset trip through Vietnam, experiencing modern Saigon and soaking up the French charm of Hanoi for $1465* plus USD $300* local payment per passenger
- A 10 day Carbon Offset trip through India, including the Taj Mahal, Delhi and the pink city of Jaipur for $1425* plus INR Rs18000 local payment per passenger

Intrepid Travel has chosen to offset these trips with the CarbonNeutral Company, the first company to package and sell carbon offsets to businesses and consumers. It has chosen energy efficiency and clean energy projects in India, China and Peru to offset emissions generated from these trips.

"We have always travelled in a way that respects the people and the places that we visit. Offering these trips is an extension of this responsible travel philosophy that has been part of our philosophy since day one," said Darrell Wade.

Intrepid Travel will use 2009 to monitor the effectiveness of its Carbon Offset Trips with the view to including the cost of carbon offsetting into all of its trips in 2010.

Offering these trips to its customers is the next step in Intrepid Travel's journey towards becoming a carbon neutral company by 2010. When it first announced its intention to become carbon neutral in 2006, Intrepid was among the first travel companies to do so. Since then, it has also assessed the carbon emissions of its head office operations in Melbourne, its retail stores across Australia as well as emissions created from its associated offshore companies such as those in Thailand, Peru, Kenya, UK and New Zealand to asses and work on also reducing its corporate emissions.

About Intrepid Travel

With over 19 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world's leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid offers over 450 itineraries in more than 90 destinations worldwide. Intrepid trips are designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and even in their homes.

For USA Media inquiries, please contact Ashley Montblanc at LDPR Communications, 212-696-0660. For media inquiries outside of the USA, please contact Eliza Anderson, Global PR Manager, [email protected]

# # #