Written By: FORT COLLINS, CO (April 22, 2022) – Earlier this month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its latest report with the following blunt assessment: “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future. We have the tools and know-how required to limit warming,” said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee.
With its Planet Care pledge, Exito takes a concrete first step to answer this call for urgent action.
Inspiration for Exito’s Planet Care Pledge comes from many sources, including the offsetting efforts of trailblazing tour operators that have committed to offsetting CO2 from the ground portion of their trips. However, Exito remains painfully aware that flights, which can contribute over 70% of an international trip’s CO2 emissions, remain completely unmitigated through these ground-only offsetting efforts.
So in honor of Earth Day, Exito is stepping forward to shoulder this responsibility for flights, and in doing so, hopes to model a more sustainable path forward for environmentally conscious leisure travel.
From 2021 onward, Exito will fully offset the CO2 emissions from their direct travelers* flights. To Exito’s knowledge, they are the 1st and only flight specialist** to take on such a commitment.
While Exito believes the benefits of travel — to educate, inspire, conserve and connect — far outweigh its negative impacts, they take this action today to minimize their travelers’ impact on the environment.
“This is an important step in our journey to become an ever more sustainable and responsible organization for all stakeholders, including our planet” affirmed Jim Kane, Exito’s Dir. of Outreach & CSR
In leading by example with their direct travelers, Exito hopes to inspire many of their valued tour operator partners to join them on this sustainability journey by working together to offset the CO2 emissions of their shared travelers***. Doing so will multiply the impact exponentially, allowing Exito and their tour operator partners to offset the flight emissions of tens of thousands of travelers each year.
Exito recognizes that CO2 offsetting – even when done through high quality, 3rd party verified offsets, such as those they contribute to through Sustainable Travel International – is not a perfect solution to balance the negative impacts of atmospheric CO2. However, until carbon removal technology matures and true carbon free flying becomes available, for all those who believe travel is essential, it’s an important step on a continuous journey towards greater accountability, responsibility and sustainability.
In honor of Earth Day, Exito makes Planet Care pledge to offset the flight CO2 emissions of its direct travelers from 2021 onward
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Footnotes:
*Exito’s direct travelers book flights directly with Exito without having been referred by one of our tour operator affiliates. In 2019, Exito had over 2,000 direct travelers,
**An air specialist is a travel management company or similar entity whose revenues are generated principally or solely from flights – as opposed to tour operators or travel agents that sell ground experiences, cruises, and lodging, some of whom also sell flights as an ancillary product or service.
***Shared travelers are those travelers who book a tour or trip with one of our dozens of tour operator partners, then book flights through Exito to match up with their pre-arranged ground tour or trip.
FAQ:
Q: How are CO2 emissions from Exito’s travelers’ flights measured?
A: We use Grasp Technologies to measure flight CO2 emissions from our travelers. The Grasp CO2 calculation is modeled after the International Civil Aviation Organization methodology. More details can be found here.
Q: With what CO2 offsetting organization does Exito partner?
A: We partner with Sustainable Travel International, which for 20 years has used travel and tourism to create a positive environmental and social impact in destinations around the world.
Q: Into which categories do STI carbon offsets fit?
A: STI powers a variety of offset projects that benefit both people and nature, including: forests, clean energy and blue carbon projects. View STI’s portfolio of carbon offset projects here.
Q: Is there independent, 3rd party verification of STI’s CO2 offsetting projects?
A: Yes. All the projects in STI’s portfolio have been verified or certified by an independent third party organization. And the ongoing performance of each project is monitored yearly. Read more about STI’s verification standards here.
Explore Our Climate Impact Portfolio
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Media Contact
Jim Kane, Exito Travel – [email protected] / +1.215.870.3585
About Exito Travel
For 25 years, Exito has been a one-stop shop for individual travelers, groups, tour operators and travel agents seeking expertise and personal service navigating and booking flights, no matter how complicated, anywhere in the world. Exito believes travel is essential and transformative and understands flights are the first step to a journey of discovery. Through innovation, integrity, and unmatched expertise, we aim to honor the passion of our people, the stories of our partners, and the remarkable beauty of our planet. For more information, visit www.exitotravel.com or contact Jim Kane at [email protected]
About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International is an organization dedicated to protecting and conserving our planet’s most vulnerable destinations. They are transforming tourism’s impact on nature and people by working alongside local communities, engaging travelers and businesses in responsible practices, and strengthening destination management. Through their work, they aim to safeguard nature, combat climate change, and empower communities to preserve the integrity of destinations around the globe. For more information, visit www.sustainabletravel.org or contact Kaitlyn Brajcich at [email protected]