Participating in the IMEC Porter Partnership Program.
The International Mountain Explorers Connection (formerly Himalayan Explorers Connection), with the help of worldwide tour operators, tourists, trekkers, mountain guides, and industry experts, has developed the Recommended Guidelines for Proper Porter Treatment. At this time, the IMEC invites you to participate in this program. Your participation will help ensure that porters worldwide receive proper treatment in their work.

As a participant you will receive:

• Copies of the "The Porter" poster.

• IMEC Porter English language books.

• A porter guideline logo.

• Duffel bags of equipment for porters.

• Information on how to drop off equipment at the clothing lending programs.

• Sample client post-trek evaluation questionnaires.

In return you will:

• Use these Recommended Guidelines for Proper Porter Treatment to develop your organization's own set of guidelines. Guidelines should be displayed on your website and communicated to your clients.

• Display in your offices and distribute to clients the IMEC "The Porter" poster.

• Provide at least one courier per year to carry equipment to participating countries.

• Distribute the IMEC Porter English language books to clients to use as gifts to their porters. Encourage clients to communicate with porters.

• Develop a post-trek survey, which includes questions about porter issues. Distribute these surveys to clients after their trek.

• Provide estimates of the number of clients reached through your participation in the program.

All companies participating in this partnership program will be posted on the IMEC Web site (we will link to your guidelines and policy statement). Additionally, participants will be listed in IMEC newsletters, and information provided to trekkers at local offices. Tour operators are also invited to promote their participation in IMEC Porter Partnership Program through the use of our logo and materials. While this program is in no way a certification program, tour operators are encouraged to join the IMEC and numerous other companies already involved in this effort to educate tourists and improve working conditions for porters.

Download Porter Partnership Program Application (Word 2002 document).

For more details see our Partnership Goals page.

Contact information for Proper Porter Wages and Weights.