Today in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, the eco-archaeological tour operator Alltournative celebrates its achievement of Silver Certification for sustainable tourism through EarthCheck, an internationally recognised benchmarking and certification program for the travel and tourism industry.
Alltournative believes that their eco-tourism approach has helped preserve more than 7,500 hectares of rainforest, which is equivalent to the area of the Mexican city, Playa del Carmen.
The director and founder of Alltournative, Carlos Marín Morales, said that eco-tourism is part of the philosophy of the tour operator.
“In Alltournative we offer unique eco-archaeological expeditions in exclusive locations throughout the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. To offer authentic natural and cultural experiences, we need to be sure we are operating in the most sustainable manner possible.”
Martín Morales added, “Sustainability is fundamental to Alltournative as we aim to preserve Mayan heritage and protect the Mexican environment. We decided to join EarthCheck to improve our current practices and find areas for improvement.”
Alltournative believes that travellers will pay more to use a travel company that protects and preserves the environment. Responsible travellers are attracted to tour operators that employ sustainable business practices.
CEO and founder of EarthCheck, Mr. Stewart Moore, said that benchmarking and certifying the sustainability of Alltournative’s operations demonstrated the tour operator’s commitment to eco-tourism.
“The use of EarthCheck capabilities to support their sustainability initiatives helps Alltournative verify their eco-tourism offerings,” said Sr. Moore.
He added that Alltournative is fast becoming a leader with a weight in the Mexican Caribbean tourism market through its position as an environmentally and socially sustainable organization.
Since joining with EarthCheck, Alltournative has focused on reducing consumption of energy and water. Initiatives to support these goals have included installing solar panels, waterless urinals and low flow taps in expeditions and offices.
EarthCheck Benchmarking recognised Alltournative’s dedication to environmental and social sustainability. Eight of the EarthCheck performance indicators were above Best Practice level. These included energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission, potable water consumption and community commitment.
Alltournative also supports three sustainable development projects which involve six communities: Pac-Chén, Tres Reyes, Rancho San Felipe and Kantenah. Together they are turning these areas into natural sanctuaries that create wealth and prosperity for the people of the communities, employees and partners of the organization.
