responsible travel

We have been focused on responsible tourism from the very beginning here at Activities Abroad. This policy puts down in writing exactly what we have been doing for years.

Our responsible tourism policy is constantly re evaluated and amended in line with best practice. We do our very best (and we know there is still more to do) with the resources we have to ensure that all of our operations, both at home and abroad are as responsible as possible.

This policy is available to our clients and is issued to all of our suppliers in order to ensure that the core principles are adhered to and upheld throughout our supply chain and that our clients are aware of our stance on certain practices etc.

This policy is divided into three primary sections: social, economic and environmental responsibility.

Firstly it is appropriate to mention the general approach which Activities Abroad takes to responsible tourism. This can best be described by the theory of the triple bottom line, a phrase coined by John Elkington in the 1990's and one which features heavily in sustainable policies today. Basically the triple bottom line is where the profitability of the company and the positive economic impact of our holidays to a destination is as equally valued as the company's environmental and social performance. Where many tour operators may well simply quote Elkington as a tick box in a policy we endeavor to provide tangible evidence that we are putting this into action. Responsible tourism is at the core of what we do. We are independent and therefore have the luxury of being able to determine our own priorities and our own bench marks for success and have the ability to ensure that this ethos is central to everything we do.

Our offices are based in a converted barn in rural Northumberland situated around 10 miles north of Newcastle. There are not many tour operators in the area! This is vitally important to the staff members who work here. We work in an industry where in most cases we would be required to abandon the North East for southern counties where travel jobs are more prolific. In time of economic uncertainty the success of smaller, entrepreneurial led businesses is extra important in a region where such large job losses have occurred.

The staff who we employ come from a diverse range of backgrounds and our location enables us to employ people from a wide area. We employ people from both the city centre and remote rural areas of the county – it is rural diversification at its best. Unfortunately, the public transport links to the village in which we are based are not ideal and so we travel by car but we always try and ensure we pool whenever possible.

We also have a very successful relationship with Northumbria University. Each year we take on a Travel and Tourism Management student on a work placement. Extensive and comprehensive training is provided and this has resulted in successful graduate opportunities for all the students who have taken part in the scheme. In the North East of England opportunities for employment within the tourism industry are limited and so this relationship means that graduates have an opportunity to remain in the North East if they choose to do so. The alternative would be to move further south.

The office has a stringent recycling policy which has been successfully implemented over the past two years. Everything from lunchtime food packaging to ink cartridges is recycled. We turn off all the PCs which we can outside of office hours and ensure that responsible practices are thought out wherever possible.

We also try and avoid printing emails and sending out unnecessary documentation in the post where possible. We are also continually improving our web systems to ensure that as much can be stored electronically rather than on paper.

We have a working policy which allows those office members with children added flexibility in working hours and holidays to avoid additional childcare costs.

Firstly we ensure that wherever possible we use local guides, local transport providers, locally owned accommodation providers. This obviously means that we do not need to send people from the UK to destinations and so lowers our carbon footprint. This gives our clients a much more intimate relationship with the destination in which they are visiting, provides local people with employment and ensures that wherever possible the economic benefits of the tourists' visits are received in the local communities. We do not want this money to act as compensation to the communities for our clients' visits, but as payment for excellent services provided.

We also feel very strongly that the local guides in particular are better qualified than anyone to talk about the destinations in which they work and to operate within a region which they know like the back of their hands. This both enables them to take pride in the area they work as well as improving safety levels in many of the activities as the guides generally have years of experience rather than weeks. In some destinations our clients will meet expatriate Brits who run some of our weeks. These people have lived and invested heavily in their new homes and are providing unique services in an area.

We ensure that across the board anyone involved in an Activities Abroad holiday abroad:

• Has a safe and clean environment in which to work.

• Is paid fairly for their work.

• Is not given an unreasonable amount of work.

• Is treated with respect and equality by all clients and members of staff.

• Is not discriminated against for reasons of colour, race, gender, religion or disability.

We always utilize locally owned accommodation and activity providers wherever possible. In the areas in which we choose to operate they are generally the only main accommodation choice. We like to stay off the beaten track and provide a more unique experience for clients so this all goes hand in hand. We do not use hotel chains where money does not remain in the local community but is leaked to foreign owners. The areas in which we operate tend to be rural and so employment opportunities more limited than in larger towns. A local hotel can provide a vital source of employment in a town and help stem the flow of people from these communities to urban environments. In turn this helps to sustain the economies of small rural towns. We ensure that wherever possible our accommodation providers and activity guides source produce locally when meals are included and if not then we recommend local restaurants to clients. We want to utilize the tourism multiplier effect wherever possible in order to widen the economic benefit of our presence.

When it comes to souvenirs we inform clients of some of the locally produced handicrafts to look out for and try and encourage them to purchase goods from the region if they wish to take something home. We also ensure that we discourage the removal of natural souvenirs such as shells etc. Our clients are informed about souvenir trades that may be detrimental to the environment or that perhaps do not provide their workers with appropriate working conditions.

In some countries we feature, bargaining for goods is the local custom and we give guidelines to clients to help them negotiate prices which are both fair to them and the seller. We discourage any form of aggressive haggling.

By ensuring that the economic benefits (wherever possible) are felt by the people in the areas in which our holidays operate then we improve our relationships and show our commitment to a destination. This in turn enables us to improve the experiences in a destination as this mutual cooperation fosters excellent working relationships.

This is the section that most people will associate most strongly with responsible tourism and it certainly is the most high profile area.

Tourism and the environment must be managed and the relationship monitored. It is something which we take into account throughout the planning of a holiday, the operation of a holiday and the evaluation of a holiday.

Firstly we are a niche operator; we do not send hundreds of clients into one destination during a week. It is not the way in which we operate and nor will it ever be. Large groups are not conducive to successful and high quality activity holidays and so we limit our group size and vary it depending on the destination – our holidays can all be classed as small groups. The group size is always made appropriate with regards to the nature of the environment and the proximity of our guests with the local population. We do not want local people to feel they have been invaded!

We work in remote areas and in many places which can only be described as pristine wildernesses. The impact of unmanaged tourism in these areas can be wholly detrimental. The basis in most of these destinations is that if the environment is damaged then for future clients and generations the word pristine or wilderness might be removed from the descriptions and this would be tragic.

Working with local people obviously provides us with a huge advantage in this respect. Our guides' pride in the regions is always tangible and they ensure that the 'leave no trace' ethos is continually expressed to clients and visibly implemented during the activities.

When we plan our holidays we do so with the environment in mind. We deliberately leave out certain activities if we feel that their impact on the environment is to its detriment. The group sizes which we offer are designed with the client's experience in mind as well as the likely impact on a natural area if large groups are continually bombarding it.

We assess a hotel's facilities with regards to the environment and have developed an audit which we are introducing to enable us to document the processes and facilities in places in each of our hotels with greater accuracy and in order to help provide our clients with further information.

Where possible we always include group transportation. Not only is this obviously more economical but it reduces emissions. We also ask clients to consider the use of public transport such as trains and buses on their free days (when available).

When planning hotels we ensure that we familiarize ourselves with all means of arriving in a destination, whether by train, sea or by road. When flights are involved we encourage clients to off set the emissions caused – in fact we encourage this for all methods of transport.

We dedicate additional time and money to ensuring that the impacts of our holidays are positive and that the environments we operate in remain unspoiled by our presence

To neutralise the impact of your chosen holiday destination. Click here for information on how you can offset those carbon emissions. The carbon calculator will work out how much CO2 you share of the plane, car or train emits over the course of your journey. It will calculate how much you should contribute to offset this, which you can then pay via their secure server.

We fully recognise the impact which tourism can have on a community, a culture and on an individual. For us this is especially important as we work closely with local people in sometimes very remote and rural communities all over the world. Having a positive relationship and impact on these communities and ensuring that any negative impacts are obliterated is key to us for two main reasons. Firstly we need to sleep at night, as we are a small operator and we have very personal relationships with suppliers and local people in the destinations we offer in some cases we have close friendships and we want these relationships to be harmonious and mutually beneficial (sounds a bit sweet I know but it is true!) and secondly we want our clients to get the best experience possible, a warm welcome and an interactive experience on their holidays. This can only be achieved if the impact of our visits is managed.

There are many ways inwhich we hope to ensure that this is the case.

www.zulufadder.no

Responsible Travel is not solely about the environment, it is also about the social and economic impact of your visit. Our South African programme includes Zulu Sponsor, a project which aims to help children in Zululand. Many of these children are orphans having lost their parents to AIDS. They do not have money for food or school fees which means no education and very little hope. We are delighted to be sponsoring two children and promoting Zulu Sponsor because we know the people running the project deserve our help.

The Project

"Zulufadder" is an organisation established by Mari Maurstad (a Norwegian actress and author) and Ragnhild (Rung) Button (a Norwegian-born Tour Operator and guide, living in Durban, South Africa). The word "Zulufadder" is Norwegian, meaning "Zulu Godparent" or "Zulu Sponsor".

The aim of the project is to help as many children as possible in Eshowe, a district in Zululand. Many of the children are orphans; in most cases AIDS claimed their parents. It is not uncommon to find as many as 15 children living together with their grandmother or aunt in the same hut. They do not have enough money for food or school fees, which means no education.

We are involved, Why not join us?

With both the project's originators being Norwegian it is little surprise that Zulu Sponsor already has many benefactors in Norway. We hope that we can generate a similar support from our clients in the UK and further afield. Each sponsor pays the equivalent of US$30 (approximately £15) per month. It's not a lot and for this, each child receives school fees, a food parcel each month, as well as help with other needs such as a blanket, clothes, medicines if they are ill, etc.

Each sponsor receives a profile of "their" child with photo, brief history and also information of the child's hopes and dreams for the future.

Our Children

As well as helping to promote Zulu Sponsor here in the UK, we are also delighted to have adopted two of the children both of whom are pictured above. We hope to support them for a long time to come and will follow their progress on our website over the years.

Who knows, maybe one day they will become guides for Activities Abroad in KwaZulu-Natal.

NHLAHLENHLE NGCOBOIS - "GOOD LUCK"

Nhlahlenhle Ngcobois is impossible to pronounce but means "good luck".

"I was born on 4 August 2001. In my family we are five people: me, grandmother, one brother, one sister and my aunt. My parents have passed away. We get foster care grant and grandmother gets old age pension. My grandmother also have responsibility for many other children, so we do not have enough money for buying food and clothes for everybody. It is hard to feed so many kids only from her pension.

"When I grow up I would like to become a teacher. My biggest wish right now is to get new shoes. We need blankets and clothes to stay warm."

SAMKELO MTHEMBU - "THANK YOU"

Our second little girl is Samkelo Mthembu. Her Zulu name Samkelo means "thank you".

"I was born on 23 June 2000. Both my parents have passed away. I am living with my grandmother and four cousins. My uncle used to own a little store, and my family had an income from that. He passed away in June 2006 and since that it has been hard to get enough money to buy food and clothes for the whole family. Our only income now is the child support grant.

"When I grow up I would like to become a nurse. I am sleeping on the floor on a Zulu mat. We don't have water at home and I have to carry big buckets of water on my head from the nearest tap."

Fair trade is something which we believe should apply in all commercial transactions, both national and international. We pay a fair price for the services we receive wherever the destination. We are lucky in that our independence enables us to set our own guidance on such matters and ensure that all of our stakeholders (our clients, suppliers, communities and staff) are able to be considered as well as our bottom line.

• Cultural Relationships and Interactions.

• The relationship between the tourist and their 'host' has long been part of academic research
  and theory, especially when developing countries are visited during tours. In practice this
  relationship has always been something which we believe should be central to a holiday
  experience.

• We encourage as much interaction between local cultures and communities as possible in our holidays. Even in well known destinations and within the UK we feel it enhances a client's
  holiday if they feel as though they have personal relationships with people who live there.

The fact that we utilize local guides and representatives greatly aids the possibilities for clients to learn about local culture and facilitates unstaged interaction.

We feature many destinations where clients will meet with cultures very different from their own and so steps are taken to ensure that these differences do not hinder any relationships or the respect which both the guests and hosts have for each other. We ensure that all guests are supplied with necessary information with regards to local customs, cultures, dress codes and conduct. We also send all clients some basic phrases in the language of the destination – we always encourage people to learn some of these and use them when in a destination, this encourages more spontaneous interaction with local people. Our representatives will also help to ensure that if guests wish to take photographs of a place or person then they ask the relevant permissions before hand.

We are acutely aware of the disparities in wealth that exist between our clients and their hosts in some destinations we feature and we try and ensure that this situation is managed as well as it can be. For example we discourage the giving of money to beggars which can be found in many destinations. We feel that our clients' donations can be better used and benefit a wider number of people if it used more constructively and not for those who rely on begging. For example we encourage the giving of school books and stationary in some areas or perhaps the sponsorship of a community project in others. We support structured organizations which means that our clients have the peace of mind in knowing that their money will provide more sustainable support to the people or the environment.

In your hotel

• Please turn off any electrical appliances during the day when you are not in your room. This includes TVs being turned off at the main switch and not left on standby and turning off your
  air conditioning. Air con doesn't take long to cool a room and you can keep out the sun by
  drawing the curtains. Please also unplug mobile phone chargers from sockets when not in use
  as they still utilise electricity when plugged in. Always make sure that all lights are off whilst
  you are out and about.

• Please follow any guidelines with regards to the usage of the bathroom facilities. If it says
  don't put paper in the loo, then don't put paper in the loo. If you have your own shampoo
  and body lotion then please do not use any freebies as it can prove wasteful.

• In most cases our accommodation providers are heavily conscious that there is a need to
  recycle as much waste as possible. In some countries the facilities are not always in place. In
  these cases please consider taking plastic bottles (for example) home with you to recycle. If
  you are unsure about the recycling policies then please ask your guide or the hotel. Most
  hotels do have a policy on towels and changing linen. If you are happy to keep your towels
  and bed linen for an additional period and there is no system in place in the room then
  please notify the hotel staff.

• Please try to use as little water as possible – this is something which you will hear in the UK
  as well. Showers (not always available) are obviously more economical than baths and things
  such as turning off a tap when brushing your teeth can make a difference.

Out and about
On activities

• Take a reusable water bottle with you if possible. These can easily be purchased before
  leaving the UK and some of the insulated bottles allow you to keep water much cooler in the
  heat. This really does save on empties. Whenever possible our guides will supply you with
  drinking water from which to fill your bottle. In countries where the water is not drinkable
  then we suggest that you purchase the largest containers available and then decant water
  into individual bottles.

• When you have a picnic lunch please ensure that you remove every scrap of rubbish from the
  area. We try and find lovely lunch spots where possible and we like to keep them clean for
  the local people and for our future groups. Litter should be disposed of responsibly
   including cigarette butts which can also pose a fire threat in many areas.

• Safety is of course paramount and your guide's word on a situation is final with regards to this.
  The guides are there to look after your safety and so if you disagree with something then
  please deal with this in a respectful manner. We use local guides who know the activities
  better than anyone and so respect for their opinion and of course their respect for you is
  vital.

• If you are out hiking please ensure you stick to the paths – this is for your own safety as much
  as the protection of the flora and fauna.

• If you visit historic sites please obey instructions and do not remove anything from the site
  except your own litter.

In your free time

• Consider public transport options during your free time. Taxis are not the only way to travel
  and in some cases trains and buses can be much more enjoyable. Your guide or hotel will
  help you with this and they can generally suggest some great options.

• Buy local. If you are making your own lunch then please try and buy from local shops (in many
  cases this will be all that is available) or eat in locally owned restaurants. You'll get a much
  greater insight into a destination and you know you can eat at McDonald's anywhere in the
  world. If you want to take a momento home then local handicrafts or foods (check what you
  are allowed to import) are always a great option but try and ensure that you find out their
  origins.

• Shop wisely. If you want to take souvenirs back please try and shop responsibly, please don't
  buy coral products for example as this encourages the destruction of these special
  environments or products that may be made from protected woods. If in doubt ask your
  guide.

• Photographs are a great souvenir – very cheap! If you are taking pictures of a person or
  something belonging to someone then please always ask their permission – it is simply good
  manners.

• Learn the language – we don't mean that we are going to ask you to sit a French GCSE however some basics (we send them to you) will generally go down very well. Locals really will
  appreciate the effort.

• Please do not give money to beggars. We know that in some cases stories can be very
  heartfelt but we always try to ensure that we help people in a long term way and handing
  out cash only promotes this short term gain. Please ask your guide for the best way to help. In
  many cases we do have a project included in our itineraries and so there will be the
  opportunity to really contribute in a more sustainable way.

• Always consider local customs, culture and dress codes. You are guests in another country and practices may not be the same as in the UK. For example in Finland the huskies there are bred
  as working dogs, not pets. They are well looked after but they live outside and are well
  controlled by their owners. Please ask questions but do not openly criticize practices that
  you may not know enough about.

• Take a reusable shopping bag with you on holiday or at least reuse your old ones – they're
  great for soggy shoes!