SPECIAL OFFER

Join Organic Explorer between now and August 31st and we will waive the joining fee of $150.
Pay only for where you are placed on the website:

• Preferential rotation at the top of the web-page is $200 from now until Aug 31st 2010
  
• Regular rotation in mid-section of the web-page is $150 from now until Aug 31st 2010
• Basic rotation in the bottom section of the web-page is $100 from now until Aug 31st 2010

Take advantage of our latest marketing initiative with Organic Living TV in USA with Organic Explorer being broadcast into 35 million American homes EVERY WEEK over the next 3 years.

To join simply fill in your details at JOIN US in the menu tab. Then create your listing.

Questions you may have about joining OE

Here are the answers to your questions (hopefully)

1. What are your conditions for joining?

Listing criteria is as follows:
Organic food, retail shops, cafes, etc are fairly self-explanatory. We display the organic certification symbols beside entries that are certified, otherwise if you say whether the food is spray free, or organic but not certified etc then customers can make their own choices.

The accommodation criteria is explained on the eco-accommodation page link
http://www.organicexplorer.co.nz/About+OE/eco-accommodation.html

The ecotourism operator criteria for joining is explained here:

There is a page of resources for Organic Explorer subscribers with information about environment friendly actions they can take and links to examples of other subscribers Environmental Policies for you to look at. Please ask if you have any questions about this. Email Leonie


2. How do you know if the listing is genuinely eco-friendly?

We do not claim to have addressed every single issue relating to eco-friendly travel, as these issues are both complex and variable. Rather, we have created a way for the tourism operators and tourists to work openly together to improve tourism for travellers and local communities.

Organic Explorer encourages a dialogue between travellers and suppliers, providing a framework for travellers to comment on tour operators' and accommodation owners' stated practices. Their feedback on the site is welcome - warts and all - to help inform future travellers and enable our members to assess and improve their products.

Members who are found to have consistently misrepresented their practices will be removed from the site. To date this hasn't been a problem.

We have had a couple of entries withdraw either because they themselves did not feel they were "green" enough, or the customers expectations had been too high for the entry to want to continue advertising themselves in this way.

Personally we actually prefer not to be too draconian, I know with my own life, it is a process of learning to make changes, each step takes you further down the track and a greater understanding of the issues involved. What we are really doing is presenting the opportunity for people (customers of these businesses and the businesses themselves) to dialogue, connect with like-minded individuals and showcase some creative living concepts.

The businesses we represent are small scale operations.

3. What does it cost to join OE?

The cost of a website listing is $150 for the initial set-up costs. There is a yearly fee in addition to the initial setup fee, dependent on the type of listing you want - from three different web-page placements options:

• Preferential rotation at the top of the web-page is $200 a year
  
• Regular rotation in mid-section of the web-page is $150 a year
  
• Basic rotation in the bottom section of the web-page $100 a year
  

4. What does the price consist of?

Heaps of things. And we are continually working on new developments for the website as well as marketing Organic Explorer worldwide. Specifically:

• You can upload and modify their own listing content at anytime
• Your listing website page contains a Google location map
• An email enquiry link to you
• A link to your own website if you have one
• Any number of images you would like to add
• Unlimited text as desired
  
• Further promotion opportunities available to you by advertising time-based SPECIALS which then show on the Home page and click through to your listing.
  
• Your listing will appear in not one, but up to three categories of your choosing on the website.
• Reports from us of your listing views and click throughs to your own website at any time

And an extra special thank you for joining Organic Explorer - You will be profiled in the WHATS NEW link on the home page when you join, so you get some good hits on your page to start you off.

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OUR DIFFERENCE: WHY CLIENTS WANT TO JOIN US:

“… we got a bit put off by all the irrelevant solicitations of accommodation listings that had to be fielded and rejected as not appropriate for the type of clientele we're seeking). Your site and book are SPOT ON ... a real credit to your vision, initiative and hard work.”

OUR DIFFERENCE: WHY CLIENTS WANT TO STAY WITH US:

“I am so glad we have come along for the ride since your very first contact with us. Organic Explorer has become our biggest direct referrer to our own website, and we have had a season of truly wonderful guests”.

"Thank you very much for the (monthly) newsletter. It has given me more useful information in 1 hr of playing around with the links than in hours & hours of searching & researching & messing around with everything from Qualmark enviro criteria to google ad words. Brilliant. Keep it up & thanks so much for your efforts. We really do appreciate good quality information sharing & will most certainly be renewing this year."

“Organic Explorer is the most comprehensive and versatile website we have ever come across. We are very impressed with the hard work put in constantly to update us and everyone else with all the latest developments in organic living and exploring so we can respect and look after this precious planet. The Organic Explorer book is a real must to have.”

“Long live Organic Explorer! May it become the travellers bible, not only for the international but also the domestic traveller. "OE" has put customers in touch with us it has also introduced me to other organic businesses and products, my stock range has developed and evolved because of this”.

“Fantastic! A website and guide book that is timely, comprehensive and professional. The inclusive and supportive approach of the Organic Explorer team both reflects, and inspires others to achieve a caring and sustainable tourism experience for visitors to New Zealand”.

“Organic explorer has been incredibly well received by travellers staying at my Wellington Guesthouse. It’s added another dimension to the possibilities for customised experiences catering to individual tastes. Its a wonderful pioneering book and website and all praise is well deserved in my opinion”.

“I am now a resident of Coromandel and create ceramic sculptures using local clay and sawmill waste to fire them. My process is almost carbon neutral. I have used Organic Explorer to find accommodation and cafes on my recent travels and on enquiry was pleased to find as an artist I could become a part of this on-line community. Since my listing I have received more visitors to my sculpture garden, more sales, have met like-minded environmentally aware people and made new friends from around the North Island”.

“We have a small organic blueberry farm which we bought 4 years ago. When we bought it the main income was derived from exportation of the blueberries. We felt this was ridiculous and decided to try to increase the local tourist market (from Wellington 30min away) as well as the travelling enviro-tourists. Organic Explorer has helped us to do that and this year we are officially not even having to supply the local shops, every one of our berries is going directly from the fields into the mouths of our customers”.

“Well done for everything. You have done so well. I just want to acknowledge your efforts for it is obvious when people come into our store via Organic Explorer. The book is really stunning.”