You can now stay in an igloo in the French Alps while raising money and awareness towards sustainable tourism efforts, with a new eco-challenge from tour company Undiscovered Mountains.
The multi-activity holiday specialists have joined forces with ethical tourism charity Tourism Concern to raise awareness of sustainable tourism, through the launch of the Undiscovered Mountains Eco-Challenge.
The challenge will see participants building an igloo from scratch in a remote area of the French Alps before sleeping in the construction overnight. The challenge is not an easy feat with different locations, snow conditions and building techniques all affecting the quality of an igloo structure.
For every group who successfully completes the challenge, Undiscovered Mountains will donate €50 to Tourism Concern.
The Undiscovered Mountains Eco-Challenge is now available to book for the winter 2017/18 season.
The eco-challenge comes at a time when discussion around tourism overload is rife. The recent anti-tourism protests and issues with overcrowding in major European cities are shining a light on the importance of creating a sustainable and ethical tourism industry which benefits the local community in tourist destinations.
2017 has also seen the number of travellers looking to stay in eco-friendly accommodation almost double upon the previous year, with 65% of travellers expressing their intent to stay in eco-friendly accommodation in 2017 according to data from Booking.com's Sustainable Travel Report, versus just 34% in 2016.
Specialist tour operators Undiscovered Mountains have a strong commitment to ethical tourism, working only with local suppliers and creating a sustainable tourism industry in the Alps.
Sally Guillaume, Director of Undiscovered Mountains says, “Sustainable tourism is an issue which is at the core of everything we do. We believe it is crucial to continually look for new ways to raise greater awareness of the benefits and importance of responsible travel.
We chose to use an igloo expedition for our eco-challenge as we strive to promote Alps-based activities outside of ski resorts, which develop a broader tourism economy in the local area. Additionally, the igloo expedition utilises natural resources and survival skills allowing participants to get in touch with nature and truly appreciate the Alpine environment.”
The tour operators are excited to be teaming up with Tourism Concern to raise money towards the charity's work promoting tourism that benefits local people in tourist destinations.
Guillaume states, “Tourism Concern's work to promote ethical tourism and campaign against unscrupulous travel companies is admirable. We are delighted to be working together to raise awareness of sustainable tourism and to support Tourism Concern's work by donating money from the challenge.”
Mark Watson, Executive Director at Tourism Concern is thrilled to be involved in the launch of the Undiscovered Mountains Eco-Challenge. He says, "We are very pleased to be working with Undiscovered Mountains, one of our Ethical Tour Operators, on this innovative and exciting initiative and thank them for their support. This is a fun way to help Tourism Concern and raise awareness of ethical and sustainable tourism. We hope as many people as possible take part in this exciting project and support us in ensuring that tourism benefits local communities."
The Undiscovered Mountains Eco-Challenge is now available to book via Undiscovered Mountains online or by phone. The challenge can be included as part of any Undiscovered Mountains winter activity package, or alternatively Undiscovered Mountains can offer a tailor-made trip with the eco-challenge included. Trips will be taking place through the winter 2017/18 season.
https://undiscoveredmountains.com/igloo-expedition-alps
