| Sustainable travel has been an issue I have been | | | | distaste for the materialism that is so prevalent in our |
| interested in for a while now and through G.A.P | | | | western societies. A key memory for Danielle was |
| Adventures, the sponsor of the grand prize for our | | | | meeting a family who had walked for four days |
| soon to be launched Travel Story Contest, I was able | | | | through the jungle with a sick baby to try to reach |
| to learn more about the topic of sustainable tourism. | | | | medical facilities. Unfortunately the family did not reach |
| Danielle Weiss, a former tour leader for G.A.P, is now | | | | the hospital in time and the baby died. Images like |
| the company's Sustainable Tourism Coordinator. While | | | | these shaped Danielle's realization how hard life is for |
| I was quizzing Danielle about sustainable travel issues | | | | so many people and how lucky we really are. |
| of course I asked her a bit about herself and her | | | | Danielle will tell us how difficult it was to come back to |
| connection to the adventure and eco-travel industry. | | | | Toronto and not surprisingly she went back to Latin |
| As she started to tell me more about her background, I | | | | America not much later. Over a period of several |
| realized that I had a very interesting person right there | | | | years, Danielle lived, worked and volunteered in |
| in front of me, who has lived, worked, studied and | | | | different locations in Latin America and fell in love with |
| volunteered in a number of foreign countries. Needless | | | | the countries, the language and the people. She will |
| to say, I needed to find out more about Danielle and | | | | share stories of survival where she literally survived on |
| her background. | | | | about a dollar a day. During one of her stays in Latin |
| Danielle completed a degree in environmental studies | | | | America she linked up with G.A.P Adventures and |
| at the University of Waterloo and during her college | | | | eventually become one of their tour leaders. In the |
| years she travelled to Guatemala and Costa Rica. In | | | | upcoming interview, Danielle will tell us more about her |
| her 3rd year of studies she went to Ecuador for two | | | | travel experience and her experience as a tour leader, |
| semesters. During the first semester she worked on | | | | continuously on the road for 12 months. |
| academic studies, while during the second semester | | | | Today, Danielle is back in Toronto, and after various |
| she volunteered in a coastal jungle project where she | | | | positions at the head office, she has become G.A.P's |
| provided environmental education to local children, got | | | | Sustainable Tourism Coordinator. Through her work |
| involved in a tree planting program and worked in a | | | | Danielle makes a difference in a number of Latin |
| women's program. | | | | American communities and demonstrates how |
| That year in Ecuador truly changed her life - Danielle | | | | individuals and private businesses can lend a hand to |
| came back a different person. The most striking | | | | people in need. |
| experience was that she had developed a strong | | | | |