On Saturday, Sept. 27 (World Tourism Day) the nonprofit Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF) opens its 7th annual Travel Conservation Auction, the world’s largest adventure and travel & gear auction to benefit global conservation efforts.
More than 100 donated trips, stays and gear lots are up for bids, from Galápagos by small ship to Europe by bicycle. Bidding takes place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 20 at travelauction.org.
The initiative has become the world’s largest and most respected adventure travel and gear auction benefiting conservation, last year raising US$153,000 to enable ATCF’s critical conservation work.
Since ATCF’s founding in the fall of 2016, the organization’s 200-plus members in the adventure travel and gear industry have awarded more than US$800,000 to 53 grassroots conservation projects across 29 countries.
Every year, the ATCF gathers remarkable trips along with high-quality gear, all donated by sustainably minded members of the global adventure travel industry.
This year’s trip offerings include cycling tours in Turkey and Greece, Thailand, the Netherlands, the Canadian Rockies, and Italy; safaris in Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, India, Patagonia, and Borneo; several Galapagos expedition cruises; an expedition to Borneo ; rafting trips on the Salmon, the Green, and the Futaleufú; hikes in Iceland; treks in Peru; surfing in Costa Rica; whale watching in Mexico; and so much more.
And the timing is more important than ever. Overall investments in conservation have declined drastically, and the small, community-led organizations doing the work in the world’s most fragile places are the first to feel it. Many of them operate on grants measured in the thousands of dollars, not the millions. A winning bid on a donated trip enables the work needed to protect critical habitats, says ATCF.
“Grassroots projects in biodiverse destinations face greater challenges than ever,” says ATCF chair and Eagle Creek founder Steve Barker. “As traditional funding sources have diminished, proceeds from this auction are vital to sustaining these programs. The quality of trips and gear donated this year is unprecedented, and it speaks to the commitment the adventure travel industry has to protecting our wild and natural places.”
Proceeds from this auction enable ATCF’s grant-making capabilities. An example: a 2026 ATCF grant is funding a solar energy system at Kapawi Ecolodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon that will eliminate the lodge’s need for diesel fuel and extend clean energy to 10 Indigenous Achuar communities, helping protect more than 50,000 hectares of rainforest. This year, bidders can bid on a stay at Kapawi itself with a 4-day Amazon rainforest getaway for two, and experience first-hand where this important funding goes.
Preview
Close to 100 travel items are on preview now, donated by operators including Hurtigruten, Intrepid Travel, Quark, ExperiencePlus! Bike Tours, Mountain Lodges of Peru, Bike Odyssey, Enchanted Expeditions, ROW Adventures, EcoCamp Patagonia, Angama, SpiceRoads Cycling, Wilderness Travel, Vagabond Tours, VBT/Country Walkers, Adventure South, and many more. Gear donors include Eagle Creek, Patagonia, Peak Design, Toad&Co, MiiR, GRAYL, Topo Designs, HydraPak, SCOTTeVEST, Unbound Merino, Nat Geo Books, Merrell, Chaco, and more.
Travellers can get a preview of items up for bidding from Sept. 27 to Oct. 20 at travelauction.org.
A sampling of this year’s trip and gear items include:
- Turkey: a 17-day cycling tour in Turkey and the Greek Islands following in the footsteps of Homer’s Odyssey with Bike Odyssey (valued at US$17,468)
- Norway: 6- or 7-day Coastal Express voyage with Hurtigruten (valued at $10,000)
- Ecuador: 8-day Galápagos cruise aboard the yacht Beluga with Enchanted Expeditions (valued at $11,700)
- Chile:4-day Patagonia wildlife safari with EcoCamp Patagonia (valued at $8,610)
- Kenya: 3-day safari at Angama Amboseli (valued at $7,800)
- Idaho: 6-day Main Salmon River rafting with ROW Adventures (valued at $4,940)
- Mexico: 6-day kayaking and whale-watching trip in the Baja Sea with Sea Kayak Adventures (valued at $4,700)
- Morocco: 8-day Classic Morocco tour with Intrepid Travel (valued at $4,000)
- Jordan:9-day Dana-to-Petra trek plus Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea with Experience Jordan Adventures (valued at $1,695)
- Panama: 4-day sailing experience in the Guna Yala Indigenous territory with Ulu Sailing (valued at $1,950)
- Maldives: 8-day turtle conservation cruise with Secret Paradise Maldives (valued at $2,549)
- Travel clothing and gear donations include: Patagonia luggage bundles, Peak Design travel backpack, Eagle Creek luggage, GRAYL water purifier and pack, MiiR drinkware bundles, gift cards from Toad&Co, SCOTTeVEST, and Unbound Merino; and a collection of National Geographic books.
Most trips are for two travellers and valid for travel in 2027 and beyond; minimum bids are set between 30 to 50% of retail value, making them a steal for any upcoming adventure. Many gear lots open under $50.
BIDDING TIPS
- Browse every lot at adventuretravelconservationfund.org/travelauction. Bidding opens at 8 a.m. EST on Sept. 27 and closes Oct. 20.
- Read through the details before bidding. Each listing states blackout dates, inclusions and exclusions, how many travelers, room configuration, and any restrictions. All bids are final.
- Set a maximum bid and relax! The platform bids on your behalf in preset increments up to your limit, so you can’t be scooped while you sleep.
- You’ll be informed if you’ve been outbid, so monitor your email, and remember the last day to bid is Oct. 20.
- Your credit card isn’t charged unless it’s a winning bid. Payment details are stored securely at the time of bidding; only winning bidders are charged.
- Bid early, bid often, bid high. Remember, every dollar supports ATCF’s conservation grants and opening bids on many lots sit well below retail value.
Bidding is open to anyone, anywhere. Some gear items have geographic shipping constraints. Questions? Email rachel@atconservationfund.org.
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