Gap Adventures Honored for Making a Difference in the World

The Industries Travel Experts Named Gap Adventures One of The Top Companies
Dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility

TORONTO, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- CEO and Founder Bruce Poon Tip of Gap
Adventures, the world's leading small group adventure tour operator, was
honored with the World Savers Award for '2009 Winner: Tour Operator' during
the third annual Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Congress in New York City
yesterday. Since launching Gap Adventures in 1990, Bruce has been dedicated
to corporate social responsibility and in 2003, started the Planeterra
Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and support
of small communities around the globe. Planeterra's range of projects, which
span the arenas of health, education, employment skills training, cultural
heritage preservation, and environmental conservation, help travelers find
ways to give back to the people and places they visit. All projects have the
central goal of helping local people through community development, achieve a
sustainable way of life.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090922/LA79572)

Highlights of projects include:
-- Peru Women's Weaving Co-Op: Since 2005, Planeterra has been working
with the Ccaccaccollo community to develop a women's weaving
cooperative. Most Gap Adventures groups are able to visit this
community
as part of the Sacred Valley Tour where they meet the women and learn
about all the stages of the weaving process; from hand-spinning the
wool, dying the wool using natural dyes, and participating in a
weaving
demonstration.

-- Brazil Community Reforestation Program: Planeterra is working with
local communities in Southern Brazil to reforest their lands. This
program, which will result in 450,000 trees planted by the end of the
year, will provide communities and local farmer tools, so they can
increase food production.

"We are thrilled to be honored with this prestigious award yesterday and are
pleased that the judges on the panel recognized Gap Adventures commitment to
service and excellence," said CEO and Founder of Gap Adventures, Bruce Poon
Tip. He adds, "This honor is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and
integrity of each employee here at Gap Adventures."

As a result of Gap Adventure's extensive commitment to sustainability, the
Canadian tour operator was chosen by a panel of twenty one judges, which
includes academics, CEOs, philanthropists and non-governmental organizations
for the World Savers Award. The judges assessed the degree to which companies
exhibited social responsibility in five key areas: education, poverty
alleviation, wildlife conservation, cultural and environmental preservation,
and health.

About Gap Adventures
Gap Adventures is a world leader in the adventure travel industry offering
small group adventures on all seven continents and beyond to more than 100,000
global travelers annually. The award-winning trips, which focus on culture,
nature and active travel, are ideal for those with a sense of adventure -
people who want to leave the beaten path and authentically immerse themselves
in a local culture or environment to experience the real world in a
sustainable manner. Demonstrating its ongoing cultural, social and economic
commitment to responsible tourism, Gap Adventures established the Planeterra
Foundation, as a way the company and its passengers can give back to the
communities visited. For more information, please visit www.gapadventures.com
and www.planeterra.org.

Media Contacts
Anna Huggins
Murphy O'Brien Public Relations
ahuggins@murphyobrien.com
310-453-2539

SOURCE Gap Adventures

Anna Huggins of Murphy O'Brien Public Relations, +1-310-453-2539,
ahuggins@murphyobrien.com, for Gap Adventures