Philanthropy
Our Philosophy
At Down Under Endeavours, we are committed to the cultural and environmental well-being of the countries and places we not only visit, but more importantly – share with our clients such as yourself. We are constantly seeking to create inspirational, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our travelers, and we are proud to support a wide array of organizations that promote sustainable ecotourism in many of the regions and countries we serve. One of the main goals of ecotourism is to offer our tourists insight into the impact of humans on the environment, and to foster a greater appreciation of our natural habitats. Responsible ecotourism inevitably promotes those programs, tours, and properties that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment while enhancing the cultural integrity of the locals.
Impacts of eco-tourism
Gorilla Conservation ProjectTalk is cheap, and the easy part is to say we support common-sense initiatives such as conservation, eco-friendliness, reducing the impact of climate change, and the like. The reality is much more complicated and demanding. We understand that sending our clients into remote and not-so-remote regions inevitably has environmental and cultural impacts. However, we remain steadfast in our belief that our trips provide meaningful and important ways for local communities and governments to create sustainable forms of development, which in turn relieves pressure on our valuable resources. Our personal experience has taught us that, when it’s carried out thoughtfully and intelligently, travel is a net positive for the visitor and the visited alike.
Understanding that our partners may have differing perspectives on ecological impacts, and taking those into careful consideration, we work with the locals in those countries to develop itineraries and mapping routes; selecting hotels, tours, transportation, wineries, etc.; in choosing informed guides; and in educating our clients about the local customs, to be respectful of those customs, and what conditions to expect when traveling abroad.
Staying active. Staying vigilant.
Closer to home, Down Under Endeavours and its staff actively participate in activities with organizations and initiatives that are near to our hearts such as The Hoyt Foundation and the MVAT Foundation in Los Angeles, California, where Corinne, our owner, holds a seat on the board. We are also proud supporters of the American Cancer Society, the Northwestern Brain Tumor Institute, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. Our staff members donate their time and labor in addition to lending financial support, and we meticulously ensure that every donation is put to worthy use.