ECPC Travel

As a nicer end to this seemingly stressful beginning of the week, we are happy to welcome Annie Combs of Raleigh-based ECPC Travel on to this week's episode of The Friday Nooner, which takes place this Friday at, well, noon! ECPC (Eco-Conscious, People Centered) Travel originates from Annie's master's capstone idea, where she created a theoretical tourism business model that would strengthen locals’ economic power in struggling ecotourism destinations to increase funds for environmental conservation. ECPC Travel, as a company, developed a set of transparent criteria to spotlight businesses and communities committed to more sustainable tourism practices. Annie has been an advocate of climate, eco-conscious, and biology fields since 2014, so she will definitely have much to say about eco-friendly and easy peasy (will definitely be a topic to discuss of the name was intentional) eco-conscious travel recommendations.

???? How can we reshape tourism for a better future? Recently, I sat down with Annie Combs, co-founder of ECPC Travel, to explore how we can foster sustainable travel practices that benefit both travelers and local communities. ??? I learned so much about what it means to travel sustainably, the importance of respecting local communities, and the concept of “destination dupes”. Curious to hear what sustainable tourism means to you? And how do you think we should balance the thrill of traveling somewhere new with traveling sustainably? ?? Check out the full interview with Annie in the comments below to discover more about what you can do to travel more sustainably during your next holidays! ?? A big thank you to Annie for sharing her insights! Feeling so inspired and ready to pick one of the amazing locations she has on her platform ?? #Tourism #Sustainability #ESG

?? In the search for sustainable tourism destinations, Annie Combs also found a lot of negative signs. ?? A main issue was that larger commercial destinations were outcompeting locally owned, eco-friendly lodges. Without the funds for marketing or a website, these smaller venues depended primarily on word of mouth. ?? Combs wanted to help them reach the wider travel market. After two years of research and development, Combs and two other co-founders (Kat Orellana and Sachiko Lamen) incorporated ECPC Travel, a platform with the mission of connecting tourists with environmentally and socially responsible adventures. ?? https://lnkd.in/eVGNGdDR

?? The 2024 #GenEnvironmentalLeaders #GELP cohort recently participated in a project development #mentorship session coordinated by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The #GELP is a CEC initiative that invites youth aged 18-35 in #Canada, #Mexico, and the #UnitedStates to share their solutions to support North American communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air. ?? ? Youth leaders from #NorthAmerica joined this interactive workshop, bringing together the 2024 GELP cohort as well as the semi-finalists. ? We would like to thank the GELP mentors, Crista Valentino, Social Advancement Specialist, Community Builder and Communicator, and Britt Basel, Socio-Environmental Scientist, Visual Storyteller and Educator, who emphasized the importance of a holistic approach from conceptualizing ideas to practical execution, tailored to the needs of #environmental leaders. ? They also discussed the development of roadmaps to meet their solutions’ goals, SMART objectives and KPIs. ? 2024 GELP cohort: ? ?? Canada: Encore! Biomatériaux ?? Alexandre Savard and Nicolas Jourdan-Gassin?? ? ?? Mexico: Strategy for the restoration and conservation of the Ciénega of Tamasopo Wetland, RAMSAR Site ?? Ana Cristina Posadas and Alejandra Abigail Berumen Rodriguez ? ?? United States: An Equitable Building Electrification Workforce Redevelopment Tool ?? Jacob Barnet Jake Barnet and McKenna Dunbar ? GELP semi-finalists: Canada: ?? High Elevation Monitoring Program (Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework) ?? Kai Smith ? Mexico: ?? Agua Viva: Sostenibilidad Indígena para un Futuro Resiliente ?? Azael Martinez Sanchez ?? Restauración Biocultural de Dunas Costeras en Sisal (Yucatán) Liderada por Mujeres ?? Vera Spindler Díaz and Andrea Sofía Orozco Miranda ?? Humano+árbol: Modelo Educativo Para Reverdecer El Bosque De Niebla En La Microcuenca De Acatlán ?? Ada Rivera Villamarín and José Gómez ? United States: ?? Eco-Conscious, People-Centered Travel (ECPC Travel) ?? Annie Combs and Katherine Orellana ?? K-12 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Classroom Composting Program ?? Lauren Click Let's Go Compost ?? Obtawaing Biosphere Region Youth Board (Pilot Program) ?? Manar Talab and Aidan Lyde ?? Environmental Justice Youth Leadership Academies Framework for Bayview Hunters Point, San Francisco ?? Agustin Angel Learn more about the GELP and the 2024 cohort: ?? https://www.cec.org/gelp/