60 FOGHORN MEMBER NEWS T he Boat Company has been recognized with a Global Vision Award from Travel + Leisure magazine for its exclusive small-boat eco-cruises in Southeast Alaska. The accolade recognizes orga- nizations, products, destinations and individuals that are sustainable travel innovators. The only non-profit cruise company in the world, The Boat Company op- erates two boats that cruise between Sitka and Juneau in Southeast Alaska. The award noted: “Millions flock to Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage every year to witness humpback whales breaching and massive glaciers calving into the sea. And while many cruise lines can take you there, only one operates as a nonprofit that donates all its proceeds to environmental caus- es in the region. Over the past 47 years, The Boat Company, using earnings from its two small ships, has invested more than $30 million in a variety of projects: improving hiking trails, funding wildlife-oriented nonprofits like a raptor center in Sitka, and going to court to stop logging in the Tongass Nation- al Forest. The company’s trips, which are typically weeklong sailings between Juneau and Sitka, open the door to the very trails and streams the family is working to protect.” The Boat Company operates the M/V Liseron with 10 staterooms and M/V Mist Cove with 12 staterooms from mid-May through mid-Septem- ber. Because the boats are so small, guests can experience close-up the wildlife, stunning landscapes and ecosystems of the massive Tongass Na- tional Forest, one of the last remaining intact temperate rainforests on Earth. Daily activities include kayaking, fish- ing, wildlife watching and hiking along the forest’s pristine paths and shoreline. The Boat Company’s profits are used to support initiatives to protect and preserve the Tongass and local com- munities, such as legal actions with organizations like Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council and local organizations such as Alaska MEMBER NEWS The Boat Company Receives Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award for Eco-Friendly Travel PHOTOS: THE BOAT COMPANY
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