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Travel with a conscience
With carbon emissions and the environment at the top of everyone’s agenda, many holidaymakers are today looking for ways to enjoy foreign travel while retaining their green credentials. The launch of responsibletravelinsurance.com from Voyager Insurance Services, is offering a simple but effective solution. Travellers can put something back when buying travel insurance as all policies will financially benefit projects run by the Travel Industry Offset Scheme* (TICOS), ideal for those with a conscience.

Underwritten by Elvia Travel Insurance International (ETII) and supported by claims handling and international medical assistance from Mondial Assistance, responsibletravelinsurance.com is offering comprehensive single-trip, long stay and annual multi-trip and European Vehicle Assistance.

“Air travel, in particular, is under the spotlight in relation to global climate change, but so too is the rapid growth of the tourist industry which has placed social and ecological pressures on many regions across the world,” explains Jonathan Buttery, Director of Voyager Insurance Services. “The answer for eco-friendly holidaymakers is not to stop travelling altogether, the key is to travel ‘responsibly’. We have created responsibletravelinsurance.com to help people minimise the impact of their travel by maximising the benefits to local people and the environment.”

TICOS develops projects that both offset carbon emissions and have wider socio-economic and environmental benefits. It matches these projects to service users, such as Voyager and other travel and tourism companies, all who are committed to offsetting and improving both the quality of the environment and the life for local communities at tourism destinations.

Jonathan Buttery concludes, “There’s no need for holidaymakers to give up their two weeks in the sun or stop exploring far flung destinations. Responsibletravelinsurance.com offers consumers the ideal solution, by providing a product that meets their travel insurance needs, while reducing the impact their holiday has on the destination and the environment.”

*TICOS is as an industry wide programme to stimulate collective action by all operators and travel businesses selling holidays, holiday services and air travel. It is supported by a number of international and national agencies including UNESCO, IUCN World Commission for Protected Areas and the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO). TICOS develops projects that both offset carbon emissions and have wider socio-economic and environmental benefits. They then match these projects to their service users for funding: these are travel and tourism companies committed to offsetting and improving both the quality of the environment and the quality of life for local communities at tourism destinations. Vicky Karantzavelou - Friday, July 18, 2008