The partnership with Reef Ecologic is the latest addition to G Adventures and Planeterra's range of G for Good projects, which aim to advance social and environmental causes across the adventure touring company's global itinerary.
Through the partnership, Planeterra has provided Reef Ecologic with a grant to expand their coral gardening program which grows fragments of coral on frames to be replanted into robust colonies. The experience will be built into G Adventures' tours in the region, and travellers will get to learn all about the Whitsundays, the Great Barrier Reef and reef recovery while snorkelling over a "Proudly Supported by G" coral garden.
Townsville-based Reef Ecologic will also receive an ongoing donation for every G Adventures traveller who experiences the project to help them to engage the local community in monitoring efforts to keep the coral garden alive and well.
More than 1500 travellers from around the world are expected to visit the project in its first year, with the experience available to every G Adventures traveller on an 18-to-Thirtysomethings tour on the East Coast of Australia.
Regional Operations Manager for G Adventures Australia and New Zealand Mike McBride said the Whitsundays was one of the most popular stops on G Adventures East Coast Australian tours.
He welcomed the partnership with Reef Ecologic, and the organisation's vision for a better planet with coral reefs that are healthy and thriving because of collaborative care.
“The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's most iconic tourism destinations and it's important for travellers to have an awareness and understanding of the fragility and importance of these unique ecosystems,” Mr McBride says.
“We are thrilled to be able to contribute to the conservation of this natural wonder, and this partnership represents a natural next step for our presence in the region. The Whitsundays is a fantastic community of tourism operators, and we're proud to have the opportunity to support them not only through our tours, but now through this new project.”
“We're extremely passionate not only about the traveller experience, but also the sustainability and wellbeing of the areas we travel to.”
Reef Ecologic's Whitsundays Tourism Recovery Project also designs, creates and installs underwater and inter-tidal interpretive art pieces across the Whitsunday region, aiming to promote coral restoration in the Great Barrier Reef, as well as educate travellers.
The Reef Ecologic project will mark number 76 in Planeterra's 'Project 100' pledge to have 100 projects built into G Adventures tour itineraries by the end of 2020.
About G Adventures
Founded in 1990 by social entrepreneur Bruce Poon Tip, G Adventures is a small group adventure travel operator offering more than 700 tours in 100 countries, on all seven continents. G Adventures' award-winning trips support local communities, giving travellers meaningful experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, while offering them the freedom and flexibility to explore on their own. G Adventures' responsible approach to travel is demonstrated through its 'G for Good' social impact initiatives, which include travel guidelines for children, wildlife and Indigenous people, community-based social enterprise projects travellers can experience on trip, and its industry-leading 'Ripple Score' assessment which measures how many traveller dollars stay in the local economy. G Adventures offers life-changing tours for individuals of all ages, interests and budgets. Because our world deserves more you. For more information please visit www.gadventures.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment