MEET Network Experiences will now be available to a wider global market thanks to an exclusive new partnership with Intrepid Travel, a global travel brand certified as a B corporation. MEET´s multi-day experiences aim to immerse travellers in local nature and culture showing them a different side of what the biodiversity rich Mediterranean region has to offer. MEET Network is an association of Mediterranean protected areas working together to foster ecotourism, founded by IUCN-Med.
Photo: meet_network
Nizar Hani, Shouf Biosphere Reserve Director and MEET President, said: “MEET’s partnership with Intrepid Travel is a great step to highlight the priceless value of the Mediterranean parks to responsible travellers.”
Supporting the commercialisation of its catalogue of ecotourism experiences, which have the unique feature of being designed by parks to benefit nature conservation and local communities, is key to MEET’s mission of shaping the Mediterranean into a leading ecotourism destination.
MEET´s robust sustainability monitoring process for developing ecotourism is also in keeping with Intrepid´s ethos of responsible travel and aligns with their carbon-neutral travel style. Intrepid has included MEET experiences from Kornati Islands National Park in Croatia and Samaria Gorge National Park in Crete, Greece, within two of its new tours, with hopefully more to come over the next year.
Photo: meet_network
Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid Travel Managing Director EMEA, said: “We are very excited to work with MEET Network to bring these fantastic experiences to our travellers. These projects will bring visitors to areas away from the usual tourist trail, while protecting their cultural heritage and preserving their ecosystem. These are genuinely authentic and unique experiences for our travellers and they demonstrate that tourism really can be a force for good.”
Valentina Bračanov, from Kornati National Park in Croatia, said: The MEET Experience in Kornati reflects our work with wiith local stakeholders to ensure conservation benefits for the protected area and economic benefits for the local community. ¨
Antonios Barnias, from Samaria National Park in Crete, said: Tourism has the power to create, sustain, modify and in some cases destroy entire protected landscapes and economies. MEET is all about implementing framework for managing tourism in protected areas.”
MEET Network was born out of two conservation and sustainable tourism projects, funded by Eni CBC Programme and Interreg Med Programme, MEET Network was founded by the IUCN Mediterranean Centre for Cooperation, MedPAN Association and Shouf Biosphere Reserve in 2018. More information here.
About MEET
MEET Network supports Mediterranean Protected Areas to develop high-quality ecotourism experiences that benefit nature conservation and local communities. MEET´s locally-crafted, park-led Experiences give travellers the opportunity to re-discover the Mediterranean and experience its local nature and culture like they never have before. Thanks to support from two sustainable tourism projects, funded by Eni CBC Programme and Interreg Med Programme, MEET Network was founded by the IUCN Mediterranean Centre for Cooperation, MedPAN Association and Shouf Biosphere Reserve in 2018. MEET Network is a nature conservation initiative at heart with a unique model for ecotourism development that includes high product quality standards and robust sustainability monitoring. The MEET Model puts protected areas in the driving seat, enabling them to make the dream of conservation and sustainable tourism a reality. Follow the MEET Network on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and sign-up to MEET´s quarterly newsletter here
About Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers off the beaten track to discover the world's most amazing places for more than 30 years. The company specialises in sustainable experience rich travel and offers more than 800 trips on every continent and every trip – whether closer to home or further afield - is designed to truly experience local culture. Travelers eat, sleep and get around the local way, going where the bigger groups can’t.
In 2018 the business became certified B-Corp, joining a growing community of businesses looking beyond the bottom line.. For further information on Intrepid or to download the company’s 2019 Integrated Annual Report, visit www.intrepidgroup.travel and follow Intrepid Travel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Photo: meet_network_intrepid
More Information about the Tours:
Croatia: Sibenik and the Kornati Islands (5 days, departures from 14 August 2021)
Visit the less-visited historic city of Sibenik, where a local guide will show you a side of their city that most don’t get to see as you explore the winding cobbled streets of the Old Town, stopping in to visit the creative artisans and artists who make up so much of the fabric of the town. Your guide will then take you to a little-known tavern down a quiet alleyway to experience marenda, the meal between breakfast and lunch and a big part of the culture in Sibenik.
Head out on a private boat to the Kornati Islands, where you’ll have lunch with a local family and hear first-hand stories of what life is like on the island. You’ll hear about the importance of olive oil production to the Dalmatia region and learn the true meaning of the olive tree from the locals who know it best. And of course, no visit to Dalmatia would be complete without an olive oil tasting session.
Highlights of Crete (7 days, departures from 14 August 2021)
Visit the lesser-known corners of Crete untouched by tourism and experience an authentic taste of village life on this new tour. After seeing the sights of Heraklion and the renowned archaeological site of Knossos, it’s time to get off the beaten path – literally – to the tiny coastal town of Chora Sfakion (sometimes referred to as Sfakia) and the historic village of Anopolis, then carry on to Aradaina, teetering on the edge of a gorge, and learn about the history of this dramatic area. Other highlights include the charming villages of Sougia and Agios Ioannis, nestled into the foothills of the White Mountains. You’ll learn about the history and customs of the island, dine on local specialties and enjoy a wonderful live performance of traditional music, a perfect introduction to village life in Crete.
All Intrepid trips operate under Safe Travel protocols developed and endorsed by the World Travel & Tourism Council. Travellers can also book with confidence with Intrepid’s newly introduced flexible bookings policy.
For more information please contact:
Arnau.teixidor@iucn.org
