Business Spotlight

Dean Rand, Discovery VoyagesDiscovery Voyages is one of Alaska's oldest and most respected eco-tour operators. Dean Rand, the owner of Discovery Voyages, offers week-long natural history, hiking, photography, kayaking, and outdoor education tours in the fjords and wilderness waters of Prince William Sound.

During the past 15 years, Dean and his staff have become increasingly concerned about the melting of glacial ice, the introduction of never-before-seen pathogens in shellfish, and the loss of critical wildlife habitat--all due to global warming. At the same time, they recognize that wilderness cruises, by their very nature, require the consumption of some fossil fuel and the addition of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere.

Discovery Voyages has sought to take responsibility for its actions by being as energy efficient as possible. In addition, it has partnered with NativeEnergy to offset its carbon use and to enable its customers to contribute to energy independence and clean emissions.

What are the Marketing Benefits of Adventure Green Alaska?

For starters, two of AGA's Gold Level certified operators were recently identified by National Wildlife Federation as offering among the best wildlife viewing trips in the world to its circulation of over one million readers!  As interest in sustainable tourism gains momentum in the marketplace, it's this type of differentiation that will drive a unique niche of travelers to Adventure Green Alaska certified tourism businesses.  Congratulations to Alaska Wildland Adventures and Discovery Voyages!

Business Benefits

  • Use of AGA logo
  • Inclusion in AGA promotional materials and events
  • Recognition on the Adventure Green Alaska and Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association websites
  • Media exposure and enhanced marketing opportunities
  • Technical assistance and training
  • Connections to existing national and international groups and certification models

Additional Benefits

  • Involvement in Alaska's first certification program for the tourism industry
  • Enhanced conservation ethic in Alaska's tourism industry
  • Increased growth and quality of ecofriendly tourism in Alaska and worldwide
  • Support for local businesses and communities
  • Support for the natural environment, history, and culture of people living in Alaska

Why Certify "Sustainable" Tourism Businesses?

Tourism is becoming one of the world's largest industries and Alaska is in a unique position to benefit. Alaska will see tourism play an increasingly dominant role in economic growth and development. As tourism continues to become an even more important part of the state economy, so too will the need to protect the very things those tourists come to see: mountains, glaciers, forests, oceans, wildlife, and authentic communities. The challenge, then, will be to manage tourism development and growth so that tourism continues to provide benefits to both urban and remote communities while conserving Alaska's great resources.

In other tourism destinations, particularly outside the United States, concerned tourism businesses and travelers have addressed this challenge by promoting the concept of sustainable tourism, or "ecotourism." Sustainable tourism may be defined as travel to natural areas that is beneficial to local economies, respectful of the environment, and sensitive to indigenous cultures.

Sustainable tourism has enjoyed a healthy increase in public awareness and popularity. However, in practice it has sometimes become lost among other forms of tourism and has been unable to carve out more than a small share of the global tourism market. Without a marketing edge, or significant marketing resources, sustainable businesses, often smaller-sized businesses, do not always get public recognition for their actions. AGA encourages travelers to patronize sustainable businesses and provides an economic incentive for other businesses to improve their operations.

AGA standards, criteria, and the application process were developed with partners such as Alaska Wilderness Recreation & Tourism Association business members, conservation group representatives, and tourism consultants.