Atlas Cruises and Tours Travel Blog

EARTH HOUR
Lights Out Saturday, March 28, 2009
8:30 - 9:30 p.m. local

Turn off your lights for one hour to express your support for action on climate change. Across the globe, more than a billion people are expected to participate in one of the greatest mass demonstrations in history, shutting off lights in homes, offices and public sites to proclaim the need for new policies and practices to address global climate change.

The goal of Earth Hour is to make a powerful visual statement on climate change by shutting down all lights on March 28 from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. local time. Last year, Earth Hour saw 50 million people participate in 370 towns and cities in 35 countries on all seven continents. The experience inspired many people and businesses to change their energy habits and has influenced government energy policy in countries around the world.

Atlas, as well as many of our preferred travel partners will be participating. For example, all of Abercrombie & Kent’s local offices, and many of its employees, will be participating in Earth Hour. Their camps, lodges and ships will use only emergency lighting, and we they have asked their hotel partners to do the same.

Please support this effort by literally turning off the lights for one hour, to symbolize your commitment to finding solutions to climate change. In addition, we encourage you to:

• Ask government officials to turn off the lights at iconic buildings and national landmarks
• Replace standard light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs
• Ask your family, friends and co-workers to join you in supporting Earth Hour.

Uniworld has a green policy which aims to reduce C02 energy consumption and waste throughout its international operations and offices.

In 2008, Uniworld conducted an energy audit of its offices and has implemented a range of measures which seek to reduce its overall carbon footprint, usage, and also increase the recycling of consumable products. New initiatives have seen the additional installation of efficient lighting, introduction of an IT energy-saving policy, incentive staff car pooling schemes, at desk recycling, environmentally-friendly procurement, and a staff environmental education and involvement program.

Uniworld also strives to help its local communities and has introduced a staff volunteer program whereby each staff member volunteers for a local charity of their choice two days a year , as well as the company supporting a range of charities throughout the year. Uniworld reviews its environmental performance on an ongoing basis and is committed to continuous improvement across energy and waste management, as well as contributing positively to fostering sustainable tourism in communities around the world.

Uniworld has partnered with Sustainable Travel International™, allowing passengers the option to calculate the carbon footprint of your travel and contribute towards projects that will reduce the C02 emissions in the atmosphere on your behalf. This voluntary scheme invites you to pay a contribution based on the amount of carbon likely to be generated from your travel. You can choose to offset your air travel, coach travel or the energy consumed staying in your hotel accommodation.

With more travelers expected to go green on their vacations, we continue to feature tour operators, cruise lines and hotels that are taking environmental initiatives.

Radisson St Martin is at Anse Marcel - one of the best-preserved and most secluded coves on the French side of St Martin. The ocean-front luxury property features 63 suites and 189 guestrooms; a signature beachfront restaurant with al fresco dining; casual, market-style eatery; lobby tapas bar; zero-entry infinity pool; full-service spa and fitness center; 7,500 square feet of meeting space and 150-slip marina.

The Radisson St Martin Resort, Marina & Spa is already engaged in several environmental measures, including:

• An in-house desalinization plant to conserve scarce water resources, making the resort self-sufficient for fresh water. The irrigation system converts to re-use water as such water becomes available.
• Landscapes were designed to use indigenous plantings and include native palms, trees and shrubs. The irrigation design utilizes water-conserving techniques such as low-flow and drip irrigation systems.
• The hardscape was designed to use native St Martin stone and boulders for Veneer stone and retaining walls, and cast stone and concrete materials manufactured in St Martin.
• Resources were preserved through the renovation strategy in which original buildings and structures were preserved to the greatest extent possible.
• Light-colored surfaces were used for walkways and terraces to reflect heat and light from the property.
• The Resort connects to the adjacent Marina, restaurants and retail, eliminating the need for automobiles on site.
• Radisson St Martin Resort, Marina & Spa is part of Radisson Hotels & Resorts ongoing expansion in the Caribbean and will be the second flagship resort in the Caribbean.

For more information on the resort, visit: www.radisson.com/stmartin

For more information on this resort, visit

Adventure Center is a One-stop source for world-class sustainable adventure travel experiences at affordable prices. Choose from a range of over 1,000 adventure vacations worldwide including hiking and biking trips, cultural tours, African safaris, Antarctica expedition cruises, and much more. The environmental effects of a trip are key considerations during the itinerary design process. Everyone involved with the organization of a trip, from tour leaders to office staff, promote and adhere to sustainable travel principles, which travelers are encouraged to embrace.

Backroads, Country Walkers, National Geographic and Mt. Travel Sobek are all adventure companies offering unique itineraries including hiking, biking and walking trips to lessen the environmental impact and allow travelers to be culturally unobtrusive.

Would you be more likely to travel with a company that promotes environmentally friendly practices over one that doesn’t?

With 2009 right around the corner, it’s time to plan your next big getaway. Where are you looking forward to traveling next year? Here are some of the predictions, trends and statistics for travel in 2009.

The U.S. Tour Operators Association reported that for the 5th straight year, Italy placed first as the most popular international destination for vacation packages and tours. Modern Bride’s annual “World Best Honeymoon” survey showed Italy has even beaten out Hawaii as the #1 honeymoon destination.  Recommend Magazine’s Readers Choice awards also listed Italy as the #1 destination. Croatia and China were the hottest up-and-coming countries for tours and travel packages. We were surprised not to see Dubai on the list.

Lonely Planet’s top 10 destinations: #1 U.S. with emphasis on National parks and Hawaii;  #2 Mexico, with an emphasis on Mexico City and the Pacific Coast; #3 Argentina; #4 Japan; #5 India & #6 Canada (tied);#7 Australia #8 China (tied);#9 Spain and #10 France.

Frommers recently released its top destinations for 2009, focusing on international destinations that are affordable and seeking the newest “hot spots”.  Washington D.C.; Waiheke Island, New Zealand; Saqqara, Egypt; Lassen Volcanic National Park, California; Istanbul, Turkey; Civil Rights Trail, USA; Cartagena, Colombia; Cape Town, South Africa; Berlin, Germany;  Belfast, Northern Ireland; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Waterton National Park, Alberta, Canada

According to TripAdvisor, the top three predicted hot spots for North America travel are Florida, North Carolina and Alaska.

At Atlas Cruises & Tours, we are seeing a number of trends. Italy continues to be very popular. Consumers are booking specialty travel packages including river cruises, cooking and wine vacations, as well as religious travel. Several dates for the 2010 Passion Play are already sold out. We have been doing several blogs about sustainable travel in the past 6 months, as we are finding consumers more concerned in traveling with suppliers that are environmentally conscious, as well as the desire to visit destinations threatened by climate change such as Antarctica, Alaska, Galapagos and Machu Picchu. Cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska and South America are up, and we except a surge in Europe cruises, as air prices should be coming down considerably, and cruise lines are offering aggressive fares. For those staying close to home, National Parks, Canada & Hawaii are up as well.

Where are you planning to travel in 2009? We’d love to hear your top 3 list!

Viking river cruises recently unveiled the Viking Legend, a “green” ship with hybrid engines which are 20% more energy-efficient.  The ship will be sailing a 15 day Grand European itinerary from Amsterdam to Budapest along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. The cruise visits 5 countries with 14 guided tour included in the cruise fare. The world’s largest river cruise line, Viking River Cruises was established by a Scandinavian and Dutch consortium experienced in cruising. With 25 ships, Viking River Cruises continues to expand to new destinations, and builds innovative vessels that provide all the comfort of a fine hotel with attentive Swiss management. Viking River Cruises offers European river cruises, China river cruises along the Yangtze, and Russian river cruises.

In partnership with Conservation International, Celebrity Solstice offers a venue onboard called Team Earth which is highlighted by a Globe on Deck 7.

Team Earth is an interactive exhibit onboard the new Celebrity Solstice designed to capture the interest & imagination of guest through brilliant nature photography, museum-quality exhibits and digital touch-screen displays.  Celebrity’s President & CEO Dan Hanrahan described Team Earth as ”A vivid example of our shared belief in doing all we can to preserve the earth’s fresh water, clean air, natural resources and rich beauty.”

You can read news, see short films, audio clips and learn about the world’s oceans, marine life and the environment. Guests will also have the opportunity to join the Team Earth online community to receive pertinent news & support global conservation efforts.

You can learn more about the Solstice, as well as their energy efficient features onboard the Solstice by reading my previous blogs, and you can view over 95 photos of the ship by visiting my Flickr account.

Those of you following my blogs, have seen that I have been conducting ongoing research on sustainable travel. I read an article published today by Roberta Roberti from Travel Agent Central discussing “going green” when dining. That caught my interest as my focus had been on the travel companies at this point. She explains how we can ensure our eating habits are low-impact on the global environment. To sum it up, it means purchasing food from local producers and eating at restaurants that are locally sourced. People who adhere to this practice are called “locavores.” By purchasing from local vendors, you are keeping the economy of that region alive. Also, the local vendor drove less to sell his product, so less pollution in the air and less fuel was consumed.

Roberti also states that “For foodies on the road, there’s a special treat in eating locally. It’s not hard to figure out what that is: It’s the opportunity to sample the regional cuisine, the stuff the local people eat, which is—logically—based on whatever grew/grows in the area. ”

Tour operators have responded to client’s wanting to taste the “local cuisine” & in turn become more environment friendly. Globus Journeys has a food and wine brochure with select trips focused on regional wine and food. Trafalgar added “Be My Guest” on their French, Italian and Spanish trips. Be My Guest are dining experiences at either local family homes or unique dining locations to experience local life with an unforgettable cooked meal accompanied by local or estate wines. Some hotels are also starting to grow herb and vegetable gardens or building partnerships with local farmers.

Want to research your local options? Use resources like the Eat Well Guide (US and Canada) to find sustainable food and restaurants wherever you are.

El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels announced the launch of its “Passion por el Medio Ambiente” program. The translation is Passion for the Environment. The program is designed to encourage staff & guests’ participation in environmentally sustainable practices.

El Dorado resorts has been committed to the environment for years, including installing solar panels throughout all of their properties.  They also have implemented quality controls over towels and sheets, restroom sensors and the use of green cleaning suppliers like Johnson Diversery.  Among sustainable practices implemented, a major recycling initiative is also underway. El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels has taken extensive measures to ensure that all garbage is separated and recycled properly including dangerous waste, organic items, glass and paper. Employees have undergone an extensive training program outlining the MARTI initiatives and illustrating the benefits derived by its implementation. Employees are also encouraged to bring in recycled goods from home once a week, which are processed on property.

Eco-conscious guests will enjoy the extra care taken at these resorts. El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels is a fabulous collection of luxurious All Inclusive Adult-Only beach resorts located throughout the most beautiful sites and exclusive beaches of the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Providing a breathtaking view of the Caribbean Sea, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Hotels standout by exceptional hospitality service, innovating Gourmet Inclusive Cuisine and outstanding accommodations that transform your dreamlike vacation into a lifetime experience.

To check prices on Mexico vacation packages, click here

Collette has announced the launch of its newest initiative, Project Green & Blue. The program is Collette’s latest step in reducing its carbon footprint & environmental impact. The domestic tour operator’s initiative is aimed at ensuring Collette’s worldwide offices are operating as “green” as possible on a day-to-day basis.

“Everyone needs to take responsibility for the impact they have on our environment,” said John Galvin, CFO. “We want to do everything we possibly can to leave the world a better place as a result of our being here.” Project Green and Blue is aimed at doing just that.

On Arbor Day, Collette planted 519 trees, one in honor of each of their employees. Collette is also working on the design & construction of the new Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified building for their office in Canada. The building should be complete in April 2009 will include a geothermal heating system, so they will use less fossil fuel for heat.

Future projects will include installing a 20-kilowatt wind turbine in the company’s Vermont retreat location which will provide renewable energy for the house and in clean energy that can be sold back to the utility company.  They will also make changes & upgrades to their corporate office in Rhode Island including replacing lights & installing water saving fixtures, installing programmable thermostats & occupancy sensing light systems, as well as changing over to environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Collette Vacations makes traveling the world simple and hassle-free. For more information on their travel packages visit: www.escortedcollettetours.com