Eco-Companies Partner To Provide Green Honeymoon And Service Trips For Couples

The Green Bride Guide and Elevate Destinations are working together to help honeymooners make a difference. End Quote

Approximately 60% of honeymooners will travel to a foreign country.

(1888PressRelease) June 17, 2010 - New Haven, CT - The Green Bride Guide launched a new partnership this week with Elevate Destinations to offer couples a wide range of eco-friendly and philanthropic honeymoon trips.

According to The Wedding Report, couples planning "Eco Weddings" are 20% more likely to have a destination wedding than the average bride and groom, and approximately 60% of honeymooners will travel to a foreign country.

"Many couples are not aware of the impact traditional tourism has on local communities and the environment," said Kate L. Harrison, author of The Green Bride Guide and founder of the leading green wedding website www.greenbrideguide.com . "With most packaged trips, 80% of the revenue goes to airlines, hotels, and international companies, but through Elevate Destination we are able to offer couples amazing alternatives."

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." Elevate Destinations is a leading responsible travel company offering custom designed trips that provide couples with the opportunity to better understand the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the countries they visit.

"Everything was taken care of, from someone meeting us at the airports, to outings which showcased the natural wonders of the Seychelles, to wonderful hotels. Throughout the trip, logistics and activities were arranged that made it apparent that our commitment to being green was being met," said Tina and Kulbir Walha who went to the Seychelles on their green honeymoon.

When it comes to honeymoons, being a green does not mean giving up luxury or comfort. "One of the things we are trying to show on the Green Bride Guide site is that couples do not have to sacrifice style or comfort to be eco-friendly," said Harrison.

"Our green honeymoons are romantic and luxurious," said Dominique Callimanopilos, founder and president of Elevate Destinations. "We never compromise on aesthetics, amenities, service or security and every trip gives back to people and the planet."

-Every trip is carbon offset, to neutralize the impact of travel on the earth

-5% of the net cost of every trip is donated to NGOs working on conservation and community development projects in the destination country

-Couples stay at eco-hotels and lodges that also give back to the community

In addition, couples can choose to add one or more days of community service to their adventures. Ambitious couples can plan full service trips, where they can teach English, volunteer at an orphanage, or assist with species preservation.

Billy and Kristin Byrnes, who traveled to Belize in December 2009, chose to do service with a conservation organization: "We wanted to have an eco-friendly honeymoon in which we could do some volunteer work. We tried unsuccessfully, on our own, to find destinations in the Caribbean that could accommodate our two priorities: eco-friendly and volunteer opportunities. Thank goodness we came across Elevate Destinations! They were able to fulfill both of our top priorities, in addition to planning a fabulous honeymoon for us."

According to Callimanopulos, many couples who take service trips stay connected with the people and projects they work with and continue to support their efforts to make the world a better place long after the honeymoon is over.

The Green Bride Guide is offering every couple who books an eco-friendly honeymoon this year a free couple's massage on their trip. Couples just need to mention the Green Bride Guide promotion when they book the trip.

About the Green Bride Guide

The Green Bride Guide, founded by Kate L. Harrison, is the most comprehensive and credible resource for engaged couples seeking eco-friendly wedding ideas, products and services. The site is a companion to Harrison's book, The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth Friendly Wedding on Any Budget and offers pictures and stories from real green weddings, decor ideas, educational resources, approved green vendor directory, planning tools, and advice from industry experts. Kate L. Harrison has a background in environmental law and conservation. She recently developed the country's first Green Wedding Professional Certification Course.

About Elevate Destinations

Founded by Dominique Callimanopulos in 2005, Elevate Destinations is a leading sustainable travel company that caters to luxury-oriented travelers seeking once-in-a-lifetime adventures to exotic destinations where they have an opportunity to better understand the environmental, socio-cultural and economic needs of the places they visit. The company also organizes donor trips for non-profit organizations.

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