Responsible Travel and Tourism

Responsible tourism. It’s basically doing business well and travelling with a mind to how it affects the places we are going. To us it means that;

• We work to ensure people who work for Explore are treated fairly and paid a fair wage
• We learn about and respect the customs and culture of the country we are visiting so that we do not offend local people
• We ensure that local people benefit economically from tourism by employing them as leaders and guides, eating out in local restaurants and using family-run hotels where possible
• We minimise our impact on the environment by travelling in small groups, offsetting our carbon emissions, reducing waste and supporting conservation projects

We’ve worked hard at these things to ensure we are welcomed in the places we all love to visit, meaning local people benefit and you get a better trip. It could be through some of our great community based tourism experiences, meeting local people or experiencing the pristine wilderness and leaving it untouched. Want to see how your tour makes a difference? Have a look at the Earthmatters box on every trip dossier.

Achievements and Awards

We’re not perfect but we’re pretty good. In recognition of this, we have won the following awards:

• 5 star responsible tourism rating - the highest achievable – from the Association of Independent Tour Operators
• Best Tour Operator in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards
• Green Business Awards - Best Transport or Travel Business