Tips for a more responsible holiday
The world’s most treasured places are precious. We have a responsibility to help make sure they stay that way. Here are some of our tips on how you can ensure you have a positive impact...
Why book with us?
Responsible is the only kind of travel we know
We’re passionate about providing more sustainable holidays that protect and respect the world we help you explore.
DEVELOPED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE TRAVEL FOUNDATION
Enriching Escapes
Good travel should be enriching for all. It should bring you deeper into local cultures, to get an authentic taste of your destination; savouring the dishes, the landscapes, and the people that make the special moments along the way, as well as having a positive impact on the communities and environments you visit.
We’ve partnered with The Travel Foundation to develop a new approach to holiday itinerary development – one that works towards tourism having only a positive impact on destinations.
These carefully curated trips are designed to bring out the best of the regions you’ll navigate, creating connections and memories that will last a lifetime. View our enriching escapes here.
We’re striving to leave no negative trace
We’re on a journey to champion responsible travel. Through education of our colleagues and customers - and more considerate selection of the experiences we provide - we’re working to only have a positive impact on the planet and the places and people we visit.
Our Green Leaf symbol denotes elements of your holiday that have proven to maximise social and economic benefits for the local community. These help enhance cultural heritage, reduce negative impacts on the environment, and have effective sustainability planning.
Each has been certified by a sustainability assessor using criteria created by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Sustainable wallets and luggage tags
Handmade and eco-friendly
The introduction of our new, proudly South African, sustainable document wallets and luggage tags aligns perfectly with our sustainable travel goals.
Both are handmade from rPET felt, a planet-friendly innovation made from 100% recycled single-use plastic refined to become a soft, durable felt fabric that lasts for years. It takes 12 recycled plastic bottles to produce one linear metre of rPet felt, reducing the amount of plastic ending up in our landfills.
The benefits of rPET Felt:
- Reduces consumption of non-renewable resources by using recycled content.
- Reduces carbon emission, water, and energy (with a significantly smaller environmental impact than virgin fibres).
- International standards and best practices are applied to all operations throughout production, guaranteeing quality as well as environmental and social responsibility and compliance.
- The entire process, from the PET bottles to the finished felt product, is 100% local, ensuring economic growth in South Africa, supporting the local textile industry, and strengthening a circular recycling economy.
Our responsible travel choices are helping to...
Maximise social and economic benefits for the local community
- Ikos and Sani Resorts are meeting 60% of their resorts’ needs through local producers.
- Attitude Resorts have created their Otentik Discovery app to encourage guests to get out and explore the island, experiencing Mauritius through a local’s eyes.
Enhance cultural heritage
- Beachcomber Resorts uses their ‘Beautiful Localhands’ project to help local artisans sell their products to tourists, earning an income and preserving traditional crafts and cultural heritage
Reduce negative impacts on the environment
- LUX* Le Mourne launched its Zero Food Waste Programme in 2019 which focuses first on reducing food waste and then repurposing unavoidable waste by donating food from the buffet to local schools, and leftovers from guests’ plates to pig farms or composting it on site.
- Heritage Resorts are recycling 65% of their waste with an aim to increase this to 75% by the end of 2022, and also treat wastewater onsite and recycle it as irrigation water.
Authentic travel experiences that give back
These are just some of the ways you can access authentic experiences that benefit local communities; ask your Travel Counsellor about the whole array of others that are available.
The best European destinations to visit by rail
Many of us are striving to be more eco-conscious travellers, including reducing our carbon emissions, and one of the ways of doing this is by using rail travel where possible.
Our Commitment to Care
Reuben’s Retreat was born in memory of Reuben Michael Graham who tragically passed away aged 23 months and is Travel Counsellors dedicated charity partner in the UK.
Making a difference
It’s something special when over 2,000 people across the globe are working together to make a difference. We actively support our people in giving back and host events and initiatives that enable them to do this.
