Social & Environmental Responsibility
As travelers our relative affluence carries social and environmental responsibility. We want to try to leave the planet a better place than it is, and we can do this by engaging in cultural & learning experiences, wildlife conservation, meeting local people, and giving back.
Throughout the less developed world in particular, our travel experts can help travelers accomplish this with their travel arrangements. We also feel the benefits to humanity and the planet of experiencing and supporting local environments and peoples generally outweighs the carbon emissions our travel causes. We encourage travelers to consider offsetting their carbon emissions. If you wish to do so, you can use our carbon calculator. Read more About Us.
We are pleased to share below the commitment to social and environmental responsibility of some of our preferred suppliers (listed in alphabetical order). You too, through your decisions, can help change the world.
Abercrombie & Kent: A&K has identified projects on all seven continents to which it contributes to help offset the impact of climate change. In addition to supporting grassroots efforts of tree planting in Kenya's Masai Mara and restoring elephant migration corridors in India, the tour company has committed to planting one tree on behalf of every client that traveled on its programs in 2007 -- approximately 30,000 trees.
African Travel Inc: ATI encourages preservation and economic development through a number of activities: donating a portion of profits to wildlife conservation and cultural preservation; promoting education and community-based initiatives and supporting the efforts of locally based properties that encourage conservation and community development. The company was an early proponent of low density tourism to lessen the impact on fragile wildlife and eco-systems.
ATI also partners with hotels, lodges and camps that are involved with giving back to their communities and promoting conservation. In addition, the staff at ATI privately collects and sends hard-to-obtain shoes to children and staff at an AIDS orphanage in South Africa. ATI donates a portion of profits to the Cheetah Outreach Foundation and Masai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and enables its clients to visit these worthwhile foundations while in Africa.
Carnival Corporation: (includes Carnival Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn) See: Cruise Lines. In 2006, Carnival Corporation marked the successful implementation and certification by all of its operating companies to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard. These certifications are issued by internationally recognized maritime regulatory agencies in recognition of demonstrated commitment to systematic management of processes, products and services to minimize environmental impact.
Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity's new ship, Celebrity Solstice, feature solar panels that will power 240 kilowatt hours per day (comparable to powering three homes for a day). While not a huge number, it's a significant initial development, and Celebrity looks forward to technology improvements to boost the potential.
Cruise Lines: The cruise industry has partnered with Conservation International to minimize the environmental impact and protect coastal waters and biodiversity in top cruise destinations. This partnership is called the Ocean Conservation and Tourism Alliance (OCTA) and is currently working on creating a map of the Caribbean to integrate sensitive marine areas into cruise line navigational charts with the goal of protecting critical marine and coastal ecosystems.
As a condition of membership, CLIA member lines follow industry standards for waste management. This includes best practices for everything from recycling efforts, proper disposal of hazardous waste and wastewater discharge. The standards meet or exceed the environmental laws that cruise ships must follow. Behind the scenes, cruise lines are spending millions of dollars on environmentally friendly engines, air emission reductions and wastewater purification systems.
"The cruise industry as a whole has an extremely strong self-interest in preserving the world's oceans. We derive our livelihoods from them. If we don't protect them, we most assuredly will lose our jobs, our way of life and our very quality of life." Richard D. Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Crusies Ltd.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts: In 2005 the Fairmont Green Partnership, a company-wide stewardship program, introduced Eco-Innovations, hotel-based projects that encourage partnerships and learning while highlighting a universal environmental issue in a way that hits close to home. Examples include on Hawaii’s Big Island, where The Fairmont Orchid has developed the Room to Reef project, an integrated approach to sustainability that extends from rooms cleaned with non-toxic, biodegradable products to organic landscaping, marine health and guest learning. And in Kenya, the company has partnered with The Green Belt Movement and its founder, Nobel Peace prize winner Professor Wangari Mathaai, to launch a program that includes an 'Art 4 Change' project aimed at educating and sensitizing communities to environmental conservation in the Mount Kenya region.
G.A.P Adventures: G.A.P Adventures is committed to offering low-impact tours that benefit traveller and host alike. Through dedicated volunteer trip itineraries and in operations of other trip styles, G.A.P Adventures works with local communities, businesses and individuals to develop sustainable tourism opportunities that help local economies while minimizing negative environmental and cultural impacts. G.A.P Adventures developed Planeterra, a non-profit organization, as a way to give back to the people and places that G.A.P travellers visit on its tours. Planeterrra supports local community projects, non-profit organizations and international charities that focus on health, education, community development, environmental conservation and employment skills training.
Hertz: Hertz is expanding is Green Collection with 3,400 hybrid vehicles at 50 major U.S. airport locations, as well as operational initiatives. 64% of the fleet achieves 28mpg or greater fuel efficiency, and 42% achieves 34mpg or greater. Operational initiaties include recycling 80% of their wastewater, refining used oil into refined premium oil (which also reduces greenhouse gases), maintaining a zero landfill policy for disposal of electronic equipment, and more.
Lindblad Expeditions: LE believes respectful adventure tourism can be a key factor in helping to sustain a region and, in some cases, even repair it. LE's efforts include: The Galápagos Conservation Fund (GCF): Funds raised are contributed entirely to local projects across the islands, as determined by an independent board and implemented by the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. Since its inception the GCF has raised more than 3.5 million dollars. Galápagos Teachers Aboard Program: Hosts Galápagos-area high school Teachers aboard the LE Galápagos expedition ships. To date, more than 150 Teachers have participated in Teachers on Board, which draws from the archipelago’s 27 schools serving 5,400 students. Gulf of California Conservation Fund - Baja Forever: Channels support to some of the most pressing conservation priorities in the Gulf. Every dollar is matched dollar by the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza and the Packard Foundation. Projects include sea lion disentanglement at Los Islotes, the restoration of Santa Catalina Island to its natural state, and radar surveillance of Bahia Loreto Marine Reserve to monitor illegal fishing traffic. As of July 2006, a total of more than $900,000 has been invested in this campaign.
Marriott: Marriott has earned more Energy Star labels than any other hotel company (2007), reducing its greenhouse gases by 70,000 tons. In partnership with the London-based Youth Career Initiative, Marriott trains underprivileged kids in several countries, and has encouraged other hotel companies to do so as well. Managers at each of the companies properties are also assessed by his/her "Spirit to Serve" in community programs.
"We are all guests on this planet, and that's why an integrated green strategy is a business imperative. It's important because it is the right thing to do for our guests, our business and more importantly, the environment." Kathleen Matthews, Executive Vice President of Global Communications & Public Affairs
Micato Safaris: Participates in AmericaShare, whose mission is to rescue orphaned and vulnerable children from Nairobi's Mukuru slum. Opportunity to sponsor a child, with 100% of the contribution going directly to those in need.
Norwegian Cruise Lines: NCL has invested heavily not just on new environmental protection technology but also on a shore side department devoted to environmental protection and has placed trained environmental officers onboard every NCL ship. NCL's environmental policies and technologies onboard its ships are among the most stringent in the industry and exceed existing laws and international conventions.
In 2005, the NCL America Foundation was created to support programs that enhance local communities in Hawai`i by making grants to various charitable not-for-profit organizations. The foundation supports groups that: Preserve and protect our oceans, marine life, coral reefs and shore lines; Educate Hawai'i's, families, children and visitors about the importance of our natural and cultural history and heritage; Enrich the lives of children and youth. Since 2001, NCL and NCL America have raised more than $1 million for Hawai'i-based charities.
Sofitel Hotels: The chain qualifies as a Green power Partner, as designated by the EPA, by purchasing wind energy in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for all of its US hotels. The environmental benefit from this purchase is equal to offsetting approximately 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts new Element brand: All of its corporate-owned hotels and franchises under the new Element brand will be built according to energy-efficient and environmentally friendly standards. The properties will utilize green construction, products and operations.
Tauck World Discovery: Tauck is an aggressive supporter of the U.S. National Parks, through grants provided by the family-run Tauck Foundation and through innovative corporate volunteerism programs for Tauck employees and guests.
Since 2000, the company has conducted annual employee volunteerism events that have collectively resulted in over 1,200 work-days contributed to various National Parks and other sites. The program has been honored at the White House by the President with the Preserve America Presidential Award (the nation’s highest award for historic preservation), and with the Take Pride In America Award presented by the United States Department of the Interior.
