sustainable travel

Sustainable Travel is defined as "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities"  - UNWTO

Our commitment to sustainable travel is guided by the best practices laid out by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and organizations such as Conservation International, The Long Run, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association. It is based on a holistic balance of the 4 C's: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce. As an industry, tourism has one of the highest rates of global female employment, it contributes to the economic value of protecting raw wilderness, and offers indigenous communities agency and preservation of their heritage as well as a bridge of understanding between cultures. When designed and operated properly, travel is a powerful tool for expanding nature-positive economies. However, not all travel is created equal. We don't have to look far to find examples of negative tourism impacts: a crumbling lower and middle class financially pushed out of their own communities, cultural erosion or exploitation, over tourism that harms quality of life and pressures infrastructure beyond sustainable limits, and corporate businesses whose profits do not remain in the local economy. In a world where social media, influencers, and now AI are continuing that reductive filtration towards the common denominator, how do you sift through the greenwashing and ensure your holiday is good for more than just yourself? That's where we come in.

We believe in looking at each destination as a unique set of circumstances that will inform sustainable travel choices. Sustainable adventure travel experiences do not require travelers to sacrifice or suffer. You do not have to pay more and settle for less. In fact, it's an enrichment for a deeper experience. We select local partnerships with operators who are tailoring their tourism efforts to serve the needs of their communities, allowing the unique challenges of the destination to inform the direction of positive impact. This opens a world of creative opportunities to showcase local character that elevates the experience for the traveler while supporting the local economy and conservation efforts. Some considerations for your vacation include: 

• National Parks, Conservation Areas, & Marine Reserves - Tourism to massive swaths of wilderness contributes to the operating expenses of the parks including anti-poaching units. In many cases, local communities benefit from employment and sometimes compensation for use of their lands. It ensures these regions offer high economic value as protected ecosystems compared to the short-term financial gains of population expansion and agricultural production. 
• Supporting Local Businesses - Keeping the tourism dollars in the local economy contributes to local economic growth and increases the likelihood of supporting businesses owned by women. 
• Eco Accommodations - This goes well beyond hotels asking you to reuse your towel. It also doesn't limit you to basic or rustic living quarters. Eco practices include responsibly sourced building materials, local employment, water conservation and grey water reuse, renewable power sources, carbon offsetting programs, and giving back to the local community. 
• Cultural Heritage - We love to include unique experiences authentic to the local destination including working with local guides, showcasing local cuisine, and offering the chance to support local artisans. Engaging with local cultures, respecting the customs and traditions of your hosts, and supporting cultural heritage sites is an expression of admiration and supports the preservation of that heritage. Local community involvement also helps prevent the commodification of culture or voyeurism. 
• Carbon Offsetting - While long-haul flights remain the largest polluter in travel, many small countries and island nations that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are also the most reliant on long-haul visitors. Many countries in the global south have not developed their tourism economies and will not have resources to jump into perfectly green infrastructure. As such, we feel that carbon offsetting is a helpful component that the traveler can decide to offset, and the benefits of going (responsibly) outweigh the emissions impact of air travel. In addition, we are Planet Care Ambassadors, partnering with an air ticketing service that works with Sustainable Travel International to offset all tickets booked through them at no additional cost to the traveler. Using Grasp Technologies to measure CO2 flight emissions, the carbon offsets are used to power a variety of STI vetted projects that benefit both people and nature, including: forests, clean energy and coastal blue carbon projects.

Understanding that perfection is impossible, these are our true north guiding principles. We are happy to discuss the sustainability components of your destination and itinerary and help craft a trip suited to your interests, budget, and standards. We aim to help you distinguish between greenwashing and genuine efforts.