EarthCheck members featured on Discovery Network
Green and sustainable tourism is a badge that most tourism
operators wear with pride, but there is a big difference between
those who say they do and those who actually do.
Over upcoming months, the Discovery Channel is showcasing the
sustainability achievements of a number of EarthCheck members
around the world to an audience of more than a quarter of a billion
people.
EarthCheck is the world's leading certification and benchmarking
program for sustainable tourism and has 1300 members in 70
countries. The program was established in Australia by
sustainable tourism experts EC3 Global and is heralded as one of
the most transparent 'green' reporting programs in the tourism
industry due to its scientific approach to data collection and its
third party auditing of green initiatives.
EarthCheck members including Tourism Queensland,
Orion Expedition Cruises, Kaikoura District Council, Auckland
Airport, Awaroa Lodge, Dart Jet Safaris, United Campervans, Oamaru
Penguin Colony, The Langham Auckland, Xel-Ha, and Grupo Vidanta
Mexico, are in the spotlight for the contribution they are making
to protecting the environment in their parts of the
globe.
The coverage kicks off on Discovery World HD Asia this
month. The programme, called Travel Wild, will air in 15
languages in 34 countries and will feature tourism operations in
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, and
Mexico.
The ten-episode series will then air in Europe and USA on the
Discovery Network later in the year.
The EarthCheck supported program showcases the changing face of
travel, taking viewers to visually spectacular, biologically
diverse destinations. More than just a travel
programme, it demonstrates what tourism operators are doing to
protect these global assets for travellers and the local
communities who call these destinations home.
Episode descriptions and supporting environmental case
studies:
Mexico Riviera
The Riviera Maya and Cancun are tourism meccas attracting people
from all around the world. But behind the busy tourism strip is a
stunning environment that hides the ancient history of when a
meteor crashed to earth. From five star resorts, an ancient
Mayan culture and a jungle paradise this place has it all.
The episode explores fresh water senotes (underwater caves) that
stretch for hundreds of kilometres, theme parks that educate guests
about Mexican culture and the local environment and features at
mega resorts, like Grand Palladium Riviera Resort & Spa and
Grupo Vidanta, who are their part toward sustainable tourism.
Learn more about the sustainability achievements of Grand
Palladium Riviera Resort & Spa here.
Learn more about the sustainability achievements of Grupo
Vidanta here.
New Zealand 1 - Land of the long white
cloud
New Zealand has built its reputation on its clean green image
and spirit of adventure so this episodes explores tourism
businesses who prioritise environmental sustainability in their day
to day practices. From the comfort of a camper van, the
program explores the South Island and visits the fairy penguins at
Oamaru and ups the ante over the Dart River with a jet boat ride to
the place where parts of Lord of the Rings were filmed before
heading through New Zealand's most travelled national park and the
Awaroa guest lodge.
Learn more about the environmental
sustainability achievements of Dart River Jet Safaris here.
Learn more about the green initiatives at United
Campervans here.
Palau - The Making of a
Sanctuary
Palau's healthy marine biodiversity has given the island
republic a reputation as a haven for divers and adventurers.
Home to the world's first shark sanctuary, this small country has
become an icon in sustainability with tourism operators leading the
way and demonstrating how environmental sustainability contributes
to the nation's overall economic health.
Papua New Guinea - The Land of Culture
Papua New Guinea is one of the last places in the world where
tribal culture still resinates strongly through its
foundations. This episode explores how local village
communities are working together with tourism operators to improve
the local economy without compromising the traditional way of life.
Viewers will see active volcanoes, cruise the untouched Sepik River
and visit pristine islands in a show embracing the traditions and
culture of PNG.
Learn more about the sustainability achievements of Orion
Expeditions here.
Huatulco - Sustainability in action
Huatulco is fast becoming another sought after Mexican holiday
location but the locals are developing their tourism products with
sustainability as a priority. From the tourism minister of Mexico
setting laws to local school kids cleaning beaches - this community
is committed to conservation. This episodes discovers the
lush jungles of Huatulco, cascading waterfalls, and the adventure
of abseiling, kayaking rivers, snorkelling and surfing. This
is a beautiful episode of adventure fun but it also uncovers the
passion the locals have to help preserve their destination.
Learn more about the achievements of the EarthCheck Gold
certified sustainable community in Huatulco here.
Antarctica - The last true frontier (2
episodes)
Antarctica offers an adventure to a place few people ever visit
and that is as beautiful as it is wild. These episodes cover
5000 miles and explore the strict measures taken by tourism
operators to ensure that the islands and Antarctic continent remain
as it was when it was first discovered by early
explorers.
Learn more about the sustainability achievements of Orion
Expeditions here.
The Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's most valuable reef and an
irreplaceable asset for our planet. It is the world's biggest
natural-tourism drawcard so this episode questions the importance
of reefs around the world for tourism and what it would mean to
lose them. It explores measures the tourism industry is
taking to protect the eco-system and the management processes in
place to deal with changing conditions.
New Zealand 2 - Kaikoura and Auckland
The small coastal township of Kaikoura was once best known for
its high unemployment, but today, it's the whale watching capital
of the world. Back in the 1980s, the local Iwi (Maori tribe)
mortgaged their homes and purchased the first of what would become
a fleet of whale watching vessels; transforming the community's
fortunes in the process. According to Kati Kuri legend, Paikea
travelled to New Zealand on the back of a whale. So, when looking
for a means to create local employment, it seemed only appropriate
for his descendants to look to the whale for a better way of life.
Whale Watch Kaikoura helped rally the local community around a
single focus in purpose and today, this small coastal town is
bursting at the seams with trendy eco-accommodation, cafes and
galleries that attract nature lovers from across the globe.
The program also covers initiatives at the other of the spectrum
including the significant achievements made by the Auckland airport
and the sustainable tourism leaders at the five-star Langham Hotel
in Auckland.
Learn more about the environmental achievements of the
EarthCheck Gold Certified Langham Hotel here.
Learn more about the environmental sustainability programs at
Auckland Airport here.
Learn more about the sustainable community of Kaikoura here.
The Yucatan - Tourism Reviving the Mayan
Culture
The Yucatan is a place where dense jungles hide the ruins of a
once powerful Mayan civilisation. This episode
encounters"Sobadores"; traditional bone healers, who are using
skills passed down through the generations which have found an
unexpected modern-day niche in Mexico's flourishing luxury Spa
industry.
Viewers will see how how the Mayan people are reclaiming their
heritage, and that of others, at a restored Hacienda owned by a
community collective. Everything about the hotel reflects the
region's rich tapestry of history, making staying there more akin
to a living history lesson in luxury, than an eco-friendly place to
rest the head.
Learn more about the sustainable community initiatives at the
Haciendas here.
Further media information:
Susan Sullivan, susan@infrontcommunications.com.au -
+ 61 412 365 122
Andre Russ, VP Sales - EarthCheck and EC3Global - andre.russ@earthcheck.com -
+ 61 7 3238 1900
