G Adventures has partnered with research and conservation centre the Jane Goodall Institute to raise awareness of the importance of wildlife-friendly tourism.
The adventure tour operator has put together a programme of 20 trips called the Jane Goodall Collection by G Adventures.
All the trips in the collection are endorsed by renowned primatologist Dr Jane Goodall. The institute protects endangered species through conservation projects that incorporate the needs of local communities.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip said: “It’s an honour to work with Dr Jane Goodall but more importantly to continue her legacy by helping raise awareness of her work with our travellers. She has been an inspiration for me since starting G Adventures 25 years ago.
“As a social enterprise we are well known for our work with people and local communities in the places we visit. With 2017 being designated the United Nations’ Year of Sustainable Tourism, we also wanted to highlight the work we are doing to protect the animals we share our planet with.”
The operator hopes to raise awareness of the institute’s work, which includes research into the behaviour of wild chimpanzees and community-based conservation programmes to protect them in the forest environment.
Dr Goodall has also formally given her support to the G Adventures’ Animal Welfare Policy, which covers all the operator’s 650 trips and ensures the protection of animals when travelling with the operator.
Goodall said: “My vision is that one day people can live in harmony with nature. Travel can be a powerful way to learn about the natural world and our relationship with it.”
Sample itineraries in the new collection include an eight-day Experience Borneo trip, which includes a visit to the orangutan rehabilitation centre in Sepilok, and is priced from £1,699, and the 14-day Highlights of Madagascar, including guided trips to observe lemurs, priced from £1,399.
G Adventures is also introducing a new range of ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experiences in an expanded programme of 32 Limited Edition trips in more than 20 countries. Trips include a Halloween party at Bran Castle in Romania, a Haitian Carnival in Jacmel, a Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica and a Pizzafest in Italy.
Jeff Russill, vice president of product, said: “As travellers venture to more new places and become adventurous they are pushing the boundaries further. Bucket lists are getting more sophisticated and with this new selection of trips we have taken our knowledge of what works in event-based tourism, and expanded that to include all new, next-level trips.”