Rainforest Alliance Pavilion of Sustainable Tourism at DC Adventures in Travel Expo

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. October 14, 2008

MILFORD, CT, February, 09, 2006. One of the components key to the success of the Adventures in Travel Expo continues to be the strength of its partnerships and the organization's ability to form strategic alliances that work. Now, as is evident by the Rainforest Alliance Pavilion at the Washington, DC event, February 10 - 12, 2006, Unicomm, LLC, organizers of the event, present an example of how those partnerships extend to its exhibitors.

The Rainforest Alliance Pavilion is a concept driven by the Rainforest Alliance, an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them. The Rainforest Alliance, which has been a key sponsor of the Adventures in Travel Expo since its inception, has developed a Sustainable Tourism Pavilion, whereby individual tour operators and hotels in Latin America devoted to responsible tourism band together under one large ecotourism umbrella for a strong and united presence at the Adventures in Travel Expo.

"We are extremely pleased to see one of our exhibitors create their own pavilion in a way that makes such perfect sense," says Unicomm CEO John Golicz. "We have believed from the beginning that the key to the success for our exhibitors is for them to examine how they can bring others into the fold to create their own entity. In some cases it might be a destination, complete with tourism board, resorts, tour operators and the official air carrier; in this case, it is a group that is issue-based. This is clearly the future of this adventure travel show."

"Travelers are thirsty for information on responsible ecotourism," says Tensie Whelan, Rainforest Alliance executive director. "The Rainforest Alliance is working to educate people about the wide range of certified sustainable ecotourism options available to them today.We are delighted to bring our tourism partners to the Adventures in Travel Expo"

The fourteen resorts that will participate in Rainforest Alliance Pavilion are:

Actuar: the Costa Rican Community-based Rural Tourism Association, which comprises more than 20 community-based rural tourism enterprises in Costa Rica.

Horizones; Costa Rica's leading ecotourism operator since 1984, Horizontes Nature Tours is known for innovation in the field of nature and culture based travel.

Swiss Travel Services: a tour operator in Costa Rica that has begun a Sustainable Tourism Certification on behalf of the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT).

Camino Travel: a full service tour operator in Costa Rica that works with travelers to design trips that accommodate their needs and budget. Their services and products are dedicated to the philosophy of ecotourism.

Sarapiqui Tourism Chamber, a group of tourism entrepreneurs committed to the sustainability of Costa Rica. Green Hotels of Costa Rica: a small group of four-star boutique hotels with the eco-sensitive idea of "sustainable hospitality." They include Si Como No Resort & Spa, Villa Blanca Cloud Forest & Spa and Aguila de Osa Inn.

Almonds and Corals Lodge: located in the heart of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge in the Costa Rican rainforest. Green Deal: The Green Deal certification program promotes an independent system based on audits, objectives and guidelines that possess the minimum requirements of the companies involved. This can be applied to any company type whose activities are closely related to tourism. The Certification program consists of 36 companies among them hotels, restaurants, tour operators and community projects.

Melia Cariair: this resort has the reputation of being San Jose's premier resort, conveniently located 5 minutes away from Juan Santamar'ia International Airport and 10 minutes from downtown San Jos'e.

SmartVoyager: a founding member of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network, SmartVoyager created a program in 1998 to promote and verify sustainable tourism operations. The SmartVoyager program aims to convert the concept of sustainability into something practical and necessary while simultaneously increasing efficiency and competitiveness. Tropic Journeys in Nature: an award-winning ecotourism company specialized in providing high quality travel experiences in Ecuador's most spectacular natural areas including the Cloud Forest and the Galapagos Islands.

Hotel Oro Verde: Located in Ecuador, is concerned with the preservation of the environment and has become the first hotel certified by Smart Voyager. It is the only member in Ecuador of The Leading Hotels of the World and is winner of the World Travel Award.

Ecoventura: has identical expedition vessels - Eric, Flamingo & Letty, superior first-class 20-passenger motor yachts. Built in 1991 and refurbished every year, each are comfortable and spacious with the highest environmental standards. (SmartVoyager certified).

Travel Sources: a wholesaler in Ecuador that offers innovative adventure packages. The company is working with Rainforest Alliance to train and inform its suppliers on environmentally and socially sound management.

For more information, please visit the Adventures in Travel Expo website at www.adventureexpo.com/dc The mission of the Rainforest Alliance is to protect ecosystems and the people and wildlife that depend on them by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. To learn more, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.