Intrepid chalks up another 500 carbon trips
MELBOURNE – Intrepid Travel has announced that another 500 different carbon trips will be available in 2010.
The move comes on the back of its experiment this year with offering 38 Carbon Offset Trips.
Intrepid Travel has reported that there were no significant changes in booking patterns to the 38 trips that it carbon offset in 2009 with the increased cost (on average less than 50 cents per day per passenger) not discouraging travellers.
These trips sold more or held steady against other trips.
Intrepid Travel has calculated the most significant carbon emission sources from all of its trips including carbon emissions of the ground transport, accommodation and waste.
Wherever possible, efforts have been taken to reduce carbon emissions, although Intrepid has always travelled in a carbon-efficient style.
Any remaining carbon emissions will be offset with carbon credits from energy efficiency and clean energy projects in Thailand, India and China purchased from offset provider Cleaner Climate.
“With the focus shifting away from the credit crunch and back to the green crunch, we hope our actions inspire others in the travel industry to start addressing the critical issue of climate change,” said CEO and co-founder, Darrell Wade.
“We find all the whinging from business and politicians about carbon reduction schemes quite extraordinary. Perhaps people should complain less, think more and then test some new products and strategies to see how they go.
“We’ve done just that and found that our Carbon Offset Trips were commercially successful – so much so that we are now offsetting all of our trips.”
In 2010 Intrepid Travel expects to carry over 75,000 clients on carbon offset trips in more than 100 destinations with the average duration of 15 days.
The decision to make all of its carbon offset takes Intrepid Travel one step closer to realising its goal of becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2010.
The 500 trips represent all the itineraries directly operated by Intrepid Travel.
Intrepid Travel’s 2010 brochures will include the amount of carbon emissions offset for each of its trips.
Ian Jarrett
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