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In recent years ‘Sustainable Travel’ has become a very familiar term, but what is it?
To put it simply it is our responsibility to ensure we offer holidays that are sensitive to the environments and communities you visit, and it is your responsibility as a traveller to ensure you tread carefully, respecting local laws and customs and avoiding any negative impact on the local environment.
To us sustainable tourism is nothing new. Ever since we started as a two-man band in 1980, we have believed that it’s our responsibility to do all we can to protect the places to which we send clients and to ensure that as much as possible of the money spent filters through to local economies.
The way we work
We, and everyone we ask to deliver services to you, take pride in offering sustainable holidays – with minimal impact on the environment, support for community development and ensuring good working conditions. We relay our ST policy to all of our suppliers and they in turn sign an agreement of best practice.
For a number of years we have firmly believed that supporting small local charities in Latin America can really help make a difference. We offer continual financial support which helps them to plan for long term development as well as meet immediate needs. The achievements of our charities over the years have been heart warming. To read more about our charities please click here.
Each year we launch a specific project, helping a particular cause in Latin America:
- In 2008 we sent clients travelling to Peru a toothbrush to support The Dental Project Peru and their work in dental hygiene and treatment in rural communities.
- For the 2009-10 Patagonia season, we are encouraging clients to refill water bottles where possible and reduce plastic waste by sending them a complimentary durable water bottle.
- 2010 marks our 30th anniversary and we are embarking upon an ambitious challenge to get 30 key hotels we use in Latin America to reduce their water and energy consumption.
And of course closer to home we carefully monitor our impact on the environment. In the office we look at ways to reduce energy and paper, we source sustainable fair-trade goods where possible, and we are first in line to take part in a wider recycling programme with our local council.
Given the nature of our business, we do take flights to Latin America throughout the course of the year. To maintain our expertise and up to date knowledge, this is unavoidable, however we minimise the number of trips whenever possible and all staff travel is offset through the TICOS scheme.
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