Detour Partners with the Rainforest Alliance to Promote Sustainable Tourism

In 2007 Detour signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rainforest Alliance, a leading international conservation organization, to promote Best Management Practices and Certification Support for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises . The agreement enhances both Detour’s and the Rainforest Alliance’s goals of promoting sustainable locally owned travel providers, and will make it easier for travelers to find green-certified trips at Detour.

Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Tourism is defined by Agenda 21, a sustainable development program run by the United Nations as, “Tourism that meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It provides economically viable and environmentally sound alternatives to destructive practices such as clearcutting of forest lands.” Sustainable tourism has the potential to improve the lives of local residents and to provide incentives for conservation of wildlands, waterways, and cultural resources.

Detour and the Rainforest Alliance

Detour was founded to promote environmentally and socially responsible local tour operators, and to change the adventure travel industry by encouraging all tour operators and travel providers to become more sustainable. In the agreement with the Rainforest Alliance, Detour has committed to use green certified local companies where possible, and to encourage its non-certified providers to modify their practices so that they can become certified. Rainforest Alliance will provide support for these local companies through training in best management practices and assistance in becoming certified, as well as recognition for them in the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network once they become certified.

One of the best ways to ensure that tourism has a positive impact is to promote sustainable locally owned and operated travel companies, ensuring that the local communities gain economic benefits from foreign tourists. Detour's partnership with the Rainforest Alliance makes it easier for travelers to choose locally operated sustainable trips, thus making a positive impact while experiencing a fantastic trip.

The Rainforest Alliance is a leading international conservation organization whose goals include promoting ecologically and socially responsible best practices for tourism businesses in Latin America. They promote tourism certification programs by publicizing the various programs' requirements and the benefits of certification. The Rainforest Alliance also gathers and distributes information about current tourism market conditions and trends, provides marketing support to participating tourism businesses and creates commercial alliances that benefit owners of sustainable tourism businesses. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

"The Rainforest Alliance is excited to be working with Detour, an innovator in the online travel marketplace," said Ronald Sanabria, director of the Rainforest Alliance's sustainable tourism program. "This is the first time we have signed an agreement with an online agency, and we commend Detour for its commitment to supporting certified tourism businesses and making a variety of sustainable travel options accessible to consumers online."