Sustainability – Playing a small part in a very big world

I recently read a very interesting article, one that made me think of world around me and the impact that we have when we travel. The article talks about the future of travel and mentions many unique and diverse trends that are on the horizon. I became intrigued by such things and wanted to share one of my favourite trends: Tradecations.

Tradecations definition: “cooperating with radical plans by hotels and resorts to slash their carbon footprint in return for carbon reward points that can be traded for visits to local sites of interest, spa treatments or dinner and drinks - ‘fly-and-swap’ holidays where travellers spend time helping the local community and environment, or with a regional non-governmental organisation (NGO) in return for extra holiday perks.”

This was something I was super intrigued by - what a great concept (not to mention a great name!) As a company that works in the tourism sector, we are aware of the impacts we have the on the earth. This is why we have always strived to create the smallest impact on the earth, with our tours, as well as right here in the office! This inspired me to question what we do at work to be sustainable, and I compiled a list of things we do here at EcoColors to play our part in sustainability.

Some of the things we do to be sustainable:
- recycling (paper, plastic, glass)

- Compost

- Reusing paper (when printing)
- Making sure all electric outlets are unplugged at night and when not in use
- LED Lighting

All our tours are run as sustainable as possible as well and we work with local communities, donating proceeds to local organizations such as Amigos de Sian Ka’an, in return helping preserve our environment. We also work with international companies such as the Coral Reef Alliance, which we help to promote the preservation of coral reefs in the area to guests and other companies. We work with local school groups as well, inorder to educate students. EcoColors realises that every step counts and we strive to play a part in protecting our environment!

Don’t forget Earth Hour March 26th, 2011 & Earth Day April 22nd, 2011 Do your part – it’s easy!

*Sources: The Future laboratory: 13 : 12 : 2010. Thomson holidays: sustainable holiday futures (Ask me for the complete article to read more!)

News Alert!

Great news followers: our first ever Newsletter! We have been asked by many of our customers if we had a newsletter, and now we can finally say we do!

We value our customers and want to keep them informed of the upcoming things. Therefore we have been working for a few months now on creating a layout and picking content.

We want people who have taken our tours, and people who might be interested in learning more about our tours, to have the ability to do so. People often have questions, before and after a tour and this will be a great opportunity to get more informed, or ask any questions. Also, we want to let our guests know more about us, and what we do, outside the company. For example, we work with many local companies to help promote sustainability and conservation. We also provide educational trips with local and international schools in order to educate youth.These are important aspects, and things we want to share with you!

Our goal is to keep our guests informed with new and exciting information. We also would love to hear your comments and/or suggestions for ideas. Our first edition will be out soon, so sign up now on our homepage if you want to receive the newsletter or contact us for more information!

Crocodile Adventure by Hernan Esquivel

Yesterday Alejandra and I went on the crocodile adventure with a Russian family: Alexander, Svetlana and their daughter Anna.

The night was very dark with an excellent temperature so that we could catch a 1m long crocodile. Furthermore we were able to observe at least three more crocodiles of more than 2.5m length. The Russian Family was very happy but also a little scared.

But at the end they realized that, despite of being a top predator, the natural reaction is always trying to survive. Therefore the only reason for attacking someone is because they face danger or feel fear.

Hernan Esquivel

EcoColors Guide

For more photos of this amazing adventure check out our photo album on Facebook.

EcoColors & marti - the MesoAmerican Reef Toursim Initiative

With a length of about 1,000 kilometers, the MesoAmerican Reef is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere and at the same time the world's second largest barrier reef. It stretches from near Isla Contoy on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico along the coast of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

The MesoAmerican Reef is home to a huge biodiversity, including 65 types of coral and 500 species of fish. On the other hand, there are also numerous endangered species living in or around the reef, linke f.e. different types of sea turtles or the American crocodile.

As the reef provides labor, natural resources and food to everyone living within its area, many people and animals depend on it. Therefore the MesoAmerican Reef Tourism Initiative (marti) works as a joint initiative to ensure its survival for current and future generations.

As a tour operator of sustainable tourism, EcoColors supports this initiative actively and will also in the future try to help it with all its knowledge about a responsible way to operate tourism on the Yucatan Peninsula.