Responsible Tourism
Maple Leaf Adventures has been featured by the Canadian government as a leader in responsible tourism. Our operations and interactions with the human and natural world are informed by the principles of ecotourism:
- Our trips have low impact (virtually no impact!) on the planet and on the places we visit.
- We partner with local people and support local economies in the areas we travel. We have protocol agreements either signed or in process with the First Nations (Native American) territories we visit.
- We believe that it is not enough to merely "see" the coast. We want our guests to immerse themselves in its beauty and power, to meet the people that live here in an authentic setting, and to learn as much as they desire about it.
- We work within the regulations of parks, conservation areas and governments, we pay the applicable fees and obtain permits for all limited-use areas we visit.
- We dedicate time and resources to preserving the wilderness we travel in. We are a supporter of coastal research organizations and other organizations working for positive change. We volunteer the time of our own team to negotiate on the coast's historic land use plans and for conservation efforts.
Maple Leaf Adventures is one of the co-founders of the
Gwaii Haanas Tour Operators Association, and one of the authors of the Association's
Code of Conduct, which is still used around the world as a model for the responsible tourism industry. Maple Leaf Adventures is also a co-founder of the
Commercial Bear Viewing Association, and a member of many other organizations including the
Wilderness Tourism Association, the
International Ecotourism Society, the
Maritime Museum of B.C. and many conservation organizations.