Release and Waiver Agreement & Tour Conditions

Release and Waiver Agreement

Updated: May 5, 2024

Thank you for joining a tour operated by Ecovillage Tours. The travel services provided to you are subject to these terms and conditions. These terms and conditions bind you and all minor dependents in your legal care.

References in these terms and conditions to Ecovillage Tours includes its employees, agents, contractors and suppliers and these terms and conditions apply to their benefit. Ecovillage Tours (“Ecovillage Tours” or “Tour Operator”) is operated by Ecovillage Tours LLC. By booking or participating in a tour or any other tour product, you (“you” or “Client”) agree to these terms and conditions (“Terms”). If you make a booking on behalf of other participants, you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept these Terms on behalf of other participants in your party.

Assumption of Risk:

Traveling is inherently risky and requires an understanding that modes of transport, accommodation and itineraries may change, even after the tour has commenced, without prior notice due to circumstances beyond the Tour Operator’s control or when the Tour Operator deems it necessary. Accordingly, the Tour Operator reserves the right to amend, vary, reroute, or cancel Tours and cannot guarantee exact arrival or departure times. You acknowledge that participation in the tour and each activity is voluntary and that you are prepared to assume the risks associated with this Tour and that changes to Tour may incur additional charges that will be at the cost of the client. The Tour Operator will not be held liable for cancellations, re-scheduling, or re-routing due to pandemic, forces of nature, terrorism, civil unrest, war, accidents, or other forces beyond the Tour Operator’s control. You acknowledge and assume the risk associated with possible lower standards of hygiene, accommodation, and transportation including land vehicles, boats, and aircraft that are not operated or maintained to standards found in North America. You also assume risks associated with altitude, illness, disease, physical exertion, and alcohol consumption, knowing that access to evacuation and/or suitable medical supplies and support may not be available. By booking a tour, you agree to take full responsibility for your own actions, safety, and welfare.

Third Party Operators:

Ecovillage Tours has full confidence in the professionalism of the third party suppliers with whom we do business and we will do our utmost to ensure 100% professional service and a smooth travel experience for the client. However, the Tour Operator acts solely as an agent between participants and third party suppliers, and their local operators and sub-contractors, and thus cannot accept any responsibility for their services. Any services provided by third party suppliers are subject to their terms and conditions. You acknowledge that third part suppliers operate in compliance with applicable laws in their country and any disputes that may arise will be handled through the jurisdiction of each operator’s respective place of business.

Tour prices do not include airfare unless expressly mentioned as included in the Tour’s list of inclusions. Tour Operator can provide a quote for airfare, but quotes are estimates only and are not confirmed until payment is made to applicable carrier. The Tour Operator acts as sales agent for air carrier, even on Tours where airfare is included, hence the air carrier’s terms and conditions apply to purchase of air travel. Flight cancellation and delay is beyond control of Tour Operator and will be settled through the respective airline and/or travel insurance.

Participant Responsibilities:

You understand that you will be a member of a group and will conduct yourself in a way that will not endanger the group or yourself. You will choose a tour and activities that are appropriate to your abilities. You understand that if you fraudulently represent yourself as fit for this trip, you may be removed prior to or during the trip at your own expense. You agree to comply with applicable laws and regulations of all destinations visited. If you fail to comply or the Tour Operator feels your behavior may cause danger, distress, or material annoyance to other clients, the Tour Operator may terminate your Tour. You will not be entitled to compensation for any unused or missed portions of the Tour and expenses incurred due to termination of Tour will be at your own expense.

Tour participants must take necessary steps to prepare for the tour by studying the itinerary and any pre-departure information supplied, and for obtaining personal identification documents, visas, vaccinations, appropriate clothing, and equipment as advised therein. The Tour Operator will not be held liable for any errors or omissions in provided information. You acknowledge that you have read the trip itinerary and understand that optional activities, meals not listed as included, drinks and other personal expenses are undertaken at your own expense.

Medical Issues:

If you suffer from any known medical conditions you must let us know in advance. You are responsible for assessing the risks and requirements for the Tour and whether it is suitable for your unique circumstances, limitations, and requirements. Any special requirements or dietary requests or restrictions must be made to Tour Operator at time of booking. Tour Operator will make every effort to accommodate requests but cannot guarantee and will not be liable for any failure to fulfill requests. Tour may involve travel in remote places where medical care my not be easy to access or at the standards found in North America. Please ensure that you carry sufficient supplies of any medications you may require, even if you do not use them regularly. Tour prices do not include travel or medical insurance so please make sure you are adequately covered. Please consult with your health care advisor to confirm your fitness for travel and planned activities and any medical issues concerning your trip, including vaccination advice and malaria precautions. The Tour Operator does not provide medical advice and is not liable for the sickness or injury of any tour participant. You warrant to us that you do not have any pre-existing medical condition or disability that will have an impact on or prevent you from participating in or completing the tour. In the event of illness or injury, you authorize the Tour Operator to take such action as is necessary for the provision of medical services at your cost. You must pay the costs of those services to the provider of those services. You are not entitled to any refund for any part of a tour that you missed due to sickness, illness or injury or due to other circumstances outside the control of the Tour Operator.

Travel Insurance:

Participants must have adequate travel insurance covering applicable travel dates for Tour. This insurance must cover death, personal accident, injury, medical expenses, air ambulance, air rescue, loss of effects, repatriation costs, and all other expenses which may arise as a result of death, illness, loss, damage, injury, delay, and inconvenience occurring to the participant. It is also highly recommended that all passengers take out trip cancellation insurance, including flight cancellation and delay, to cover any possible losses incurred by the mishaps of chance. Cost of insurance is not included in Tour price and you are responsible to purchase coverage separately at an additional cost.

Information:

As a condition of booking, you are responsible for providing the information requested by the Tour Operator and for the correctness and accuracy of the information including, but not limited to, passport information, health information, ages of participants, and more. The Tour Operator will not be held liable for any fees, costs or losses associated with errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or incomplete information provided by the client or information not provided in a timely manner. The Tour Operator must collect this information and at times provide to third party suppliers. The Tour Operator will disclose information as reasonably required and will make every attempt to keep the information private. The Tour Operator will not share your information with third party suppliers except when necessary to perform activities and services as required to complete the Tour.

Although the Tour Operator will do its best to advise on entry and exit requirements for each destination, it is your responsibility to obtain all required documentation required for entry and exit. The Tour Operator makes no representations or warrantees as to the accuracy or completeness of any information provided on visas and travel documents and you agree that you will not hold the Tour Operator liable for any errors or omissions. This includes but is not limited to passport, birth certificate, travel documents required by governmental authorities, visas, permits, certificates, and insurance. You are responsible for obtaining all documentation prior to start of Tour and for the costs to obtain any missing documentation or for costs and fees associated with failure to have documents in your possession. You agree that any loss or expense incurred by the Tour Operator that is a result of your failure to have proper documentation is your responsibility.

Liability:

You release and discharge the Tour Operator and its affiliates, partners, directors, representatives, and agents from any and all liability arising from your participation in the Tour including, but not limited to, actions, or inactions, of Ecovillage Tours undertaken pursuant to these terms and conditions and including those caused or contributed to by third parties including suppliers to Ecovillage Tours and other participants on the tour. You agree that this release will be legally binding upon yourself, your heirs, successors, assigns and legal representatives; it being your intention to fully assume all risk of travel and to release Ecovillage Tours from any and all liabilities to the maximum permitted by law.

Ecovillage Tours may suspend its obligations under these terms and conditions if its ability to perform is affected by circumstances outside its control including natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, explosions, embargos, government directives, political events, war, or any law or regulation, litigation, labor dispute or terrorism or any other cause which is beyond the Tour Operator’s reasonable control. Unless required by law or otherwise expressly agreed to in writing by Tour Operator no refunds are payable and no claims may be made if you do not complete a tour regardless of the reason. You acknowledge that you cannot claim compensation or seek damages if Ecovillage Tours exercises any of the rights conferred on it by these terms and conditions unless these terms and conditions expressly provide otherwise.

Force Majeure:

The Tour Operator is not liable for death, injury, illness, delay, loss, or damage to person or property, direct and indirect financial costs, or failure to perform or complete any duty if such death, injury, illness, delay, loss, or damage is caused by act of God, war, terrorist activity or threat, political or governmental action, mechanical breakdown, strike, riot, transportation cancellation, natural disaster, pandemic, fire, extreme weather, or any other cause beyond the control of the Tour Operator, or an event which the Tour Operator or its partners, suppliers, or agents, could not foresee any and all of which constitute “Force Majeure”.

Covid-19 and other Disease:

You acknowledge that there is a worldwide COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, as well as periodic outbreaks of other diseases throughout the world and that any outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic could affect travel plans. You acknowledge that due to this and other reasons not foreseeable by the Tour Operator, travel plans may be interrupted, delayed, or cancelled by the Tour Operator or its suppliers, a governmental agency or a transportation supplier and that the Tour Operator’s and the third party supplier’s cancellation, rescheduling, and refund policy will determine your rights to rebook or refund or lack thereof. You acknowledge the risk that any third party supplier may refuse or be unable to comply with their own rescheduling or refund policy and that this is out of the control of the Tour Operator and will result in a refund not being available to you. You agree to comply with local health and safety requirements including but not limited to mandatory face coverings, temperature checks, social distancing and you acknowledge possible delays due to increased screening and testing at entry and exit points and that these restrictions may be implemented or altered during the Tour which could delay or prevent entry or exit. You agree to purchase travel insurance and understand that the terms of the insurance policy will determine coverage which may or may not include cancellations due to outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics. The Tour Operator cannot provide insurance advise and you agree to discuss coverage with your insurance provider. You agree to release the Tour Operator from any and all liability for any such damages or losses that may arise from such cancellation or interruption of the Tour.

Publicity:

You give permission for Ecovillage Tours to use images (including still and video) and audio of you taken during the trip without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes through whatever medium it chooses.

Amendments:

The Tour Operator reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time and will post the amended Terms at ecovillagetours.com/release-and-waiver-agreement. Any changes will be in effect 10 days after the post date. You are deemed to have accepted any amendments to the Terms 10 days after their publish date on Tour Operator website.

Tour Conditions

This document outlines what Ecovillage Tours ("ET") provides when you sign up for an ET tour, and what you agree to do while on tour with ET ("Tour Conditions"). By signing up for a tour with ET you are agreeing to these Tour Conditions so please read the document carefully before you complete your reservation request.

Tour price guarantee: Our tour prices do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice due to the unpredictability of currency rates and trip costs. Standard rates for the tour you've selected will be locked and guaranteed the moment we receive your deposit. If you purchase an early-bird ticket, the price is guaranteed only when full payment is received 2 months prior to departure. For current tour prices, visit www.ecovillagetours.com.

Included in the price of each tour: Sightseeing tours by an ET guide, and local guides when appropriate, including admissions to sights seen as a group; all group meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day of the tour; accommodations each night, often in rustic and rural settings; and all transportation from pre-arranged pick-up and drop-off points (does not include optional activities or independent travel during the tour).

Itineraries are subject to change: Life is full of surprises, and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour. Uncompleted portions of the tour itinerary are not cause for refund.

Tour payments: To reserve a seat on a ET tour you must agree to these Tour Conditions and provide us with a deposit of $500 per person. We accept major credit cards for all tour payments. We also accept personal checks, bank drafts or money orders in US dollars drawn on a US or Canadian bank. Your final tour payment is due in our office at least 60 days prior to the start of the tour, in one payment. Your final payment due date will be listed on your initial confirmation letter and tour invoice. Missing the final payment deadline may result in your being removed from the tour. If you sign up for a tour less than 60 days before its departure, the entire tour price must be paid, and is non-refundable after 7 days.

Solo travelers and single supplements: If you are traveling solo, you need not pay the mandatory single supplement often required by other tour companies. You will most likely room with another tour member of the same or different sex. If you wish increase your chances of having a private room, we offer a limited number of optional single supplements for an additional fee. (Refer to your tour's web page at ecovillagetours.com for current single supplement prices.) If a private room is not available when we receive your tour order, we will notify you immediately, and you will have the option to cancel your reservation. Please note that a single supplement does not guarantee a private, larger or nicer room. We will do our best to give you a private room when possible, however the nature of some accommodations may not allow for a private room during every night of the trip. Single supplements are refundable if cancelled at least 60 days prior to tour departure; those cancelled later will be forfeited, unless you booked a tour less than 60 days before its departure date, in which case, the single supplement becomes non-refundable after 7 days, but may be creditable in the event of a medical or family emergency.

Returned payments: If a payment to ET is returned unpaid for any reason, we will assess a $35 returned-item fee per occurrence. The fee(s) will be added to the applicable tour balance, and must be paid in full prior to your tour departure.

Cancellations, refunds, and credits: Your tour deposit is 100% refundable for 30 days from the date it is received, unless noted otherwise. Deposits made 60–90 days before a tour departs become non-refundable on the final payment due date. If you book a tour less than 60 days before its departure date, the entire tour cost becomes non-refundable after 7 days, but may be creditable in the event of a medical or family emergency. Once your deposit refund date has passed, your deposit will not be refunded under any circumstance.

All payments to ET become non-refundable on your final payment due date (60 days before departure). We may provide you a credit for future travel with Ecovillage Tours if you cancel your reservation for a creditable event, as outlined below, before the tour begins. If you cancel your reservation for a creditable event 31–60 days before the first day of the tour, your credit will be equal to 100% of your original tour price. If you cancel your reservation for a creditable event 1–30 days before the first day of the tour, your credit will be equal to 50% of your original tour price. The credit is not transferable and will expire on December 31, two years following the year of the originally scheduled tour (e.g. if you receive a credit for a tour set to depart in 2020, you may use that credit toward any tour(s) departing prior to December 31, 2022). This is not insurance and is not intended as a substitute for comprehensive travel and health insurance!

If we cancel a tour you have reserved, the entire amount you have paid to ET for the applicable tour will be refunded to you within 14 days after the tour's cancellation. Once this occurs, ET and its representatives have no other obligations to tour members on cancelled trips including any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations not made by ET.

Creditable medical or family Emergency ("Creditable Event"): ET may provide you a credit for future travel with Ecovillage Tours if one of the following creditable medical or family emergency events requires you to cancel your reservation. A creditable event must first occur less than 60 days prior to your tour's start date. It is ET’s sole discretion to determine if your situation is a Creditable Event. For these purposes, we consider your traveling partner to be someone who shares the same accommodations with you and a family member to be your spouse, step-child, or blood relative in the first degree.

  1. You, your travel partner or a family member dies or suffers an unexpected and disabling injury or illness requiring hospitalization or urgent medical care prior to joining the tour.

  2. You, your travel partner or family member suffers a certifiable personal disaster (such as your home floods or burns down, or you are a victim of a serious crime) necessitating a change in travel plans.

  3. You or your spouse are called into active military service or have leave revoked.

  4. Loss of employment.

Credit request process: If you need to cancel your tour you must notify ET immediately in writing: sent via email to info@ecovillagetours.com. Cancellations become effective on the date received by ET. If you wish to request a credit for a creditable event and you have comprehensive travel insurance, you must first file a claim with your insurance provider before requesting a credit from ET. ET will only process your request for credit after you have filed a claim with your insurance provider and can demonstrate the final insurance payment or settlement. You also must provide the following documentation along with your cancellation notice: For an unexpected illness or injury, we require you to provide a letter from your attending physician, on the physician's letterhead, verifying the specific reason and date of the onset of the condition given for advice against traveling; in the event of a death, we require a death certificate or obituary; due to a crime, flood, fire or accident, you must provide a copy of a pertinent police, fire department or investigative report; for unexpected loss of your job, we require a letter signed by your employer specifying the date of termination, on the company's letterhead (including contact information).

Tour forms, obligations, and risks: To travel on a tour, and to qualify for cancellation credit, all tour members are required to review and accept a Release and Waiver Agreement prior to the beginning of a tour. Omitting important information, or altering the Release and Waiver Agreement, will render it invalid, and could result in expulsion from a tour at your own expense.

Participation: Although we want everyone to have a good time, it sometimes happens that someone participating in a tour can misbehave or do things that are incompatible with the safety, comfort, or convenience of other members of the tour. In those circumstances we have the exclusive right and discretion to expel someone (even you) from a tour at any time.

Tour member expectations: ET tours are physically active, our accommodations are rustic and may provide fewer American-style amenities, and our people policy emphasizes NO GRUMPS! These are essential characteristics of the Ecovillage Tour tour experience. On any Ecovillage Tour, you assume certain obligations and responsibilities to ET and your fellow tour members, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Be comfortable on your feet during walking tours, climbing lots of stairs, plus standing and walking for up to four hours inside and outdoors in all weather conditions. (If you have concerns about the physical demands of our tours, please call us!)

  2. Sleep in accommodations with no air conditioning and slow Wi-Fi connections or Wi-Fi only in common areas.

  3. Visit or be near working farms, including pets and livestock.

  4. Prepare some of your own meals as a group activity.

Pack light: Each tour member encouraged to bring just one airline carry-on-size piece of luggage (approximately 21" x 14" x 9") plus a small day pack or shoulder bag. You’ll receive a suggested packing list after registering.

Tipping Policy: Tipping is a personal expression of appreciation for exceptional service and is not included in the tour price. It remains entirely at your discretion, reflecting your satisfaction with our guide's effort to make your ecovillage tour experience memorable. While our guides are committed to excellence, if you wish to acknowledge their dedication, tipping is encouraged.

Suggested Tipping Guidelines:

  • Half-day tours: $5-$10 per person.

  • Full-day tours: $10-$20 per person.

  • Multi-day tours: $20-$50 per person for the entire trip, depending on your level of satisfaction.

Tips:

  • Tipping in local currency at the tour's end is preferred.

  • For group travelers, pooling tips as a collective thank you can be a considerate approach.

  • Remember, while appreciated, tipping is not mandatory. Our guides aim to provide a high-quality experience to all guests, irrespective of gratuities. Your engagement and feedback are also highly valued.

Ecovillage Tours LLC is registered with the State of Vermont as a provider and seller of travel.