FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
Author: BOB TEDESCHI, Date: November 10, 2002
Travelers with concerns about how their vacations could affect fragile environments and economies have a new resource at www.worldsurface.com. It has recently rolled out a database of global eco-tours -- vacations selected for their goals of environmental responsibility and economic support for local businesses.
Simon North, former American Express Travel executive who founded Worldsurface three years ago, says that its database contains more than 700 tours, including those from well-known tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent as well as more obscure organizations like the San Ramon Sister Communities, a social and economic development organization based in Durham, NC, which, among other things, organizes a seven-day coffee harvesting tour in Nicaragua.
The site also has some interesting hotel offerings, including a bed-and-breakfast at a monkey sanctuary in Belize. The accomodations are managed by a group of Belize villagers, Mr. North said.
Mr. North reviews applications from tour operators to ensure that they meet the stated criteria.
To find the database, go to Worldsurface.com's homepage, and click on the ecotours link beneath the Travel Shop heading. Once there, users can search for tour operators by region, keywords (like Scuba Diving) or by name.