Members Practising Sustainable Tourism

Our local team is working together with two young tourism professionals originating from Kalaw. They decided to set up a project there that is focused on protecting nature, elephants and the traditions of local people.

• The project includes creating a natural environment for Myanmar elephants and helping the local population to use education and micro finance to emerge from poverty.
• It is not encouraged to ride the elephants.

In Guyana, we stay at Karanambu Ranch home of Diane McTurk, well known for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild.

• Diane has started the Karanambu Trust in an attempt to create a private protected area at Karanambu. The primary purpose of the protected area will be the protection of the habitat for the otters and ensuring their survival.

This is a special project in Laos offering young people free English courses, taught by a native speaker.

• Meeting foreigners (with different accents!) to practice English is a special event for students and helps to overcome their shyness of speaking in public. LBF encourages their students to continue to study for careers.

Sailing is inherently sustainable. Using wind to travel from island to island is the most environmentally friendly way to travel around the Greek Islands. There is no noise pollution or engine emissions whilst sailing!

• Customers are encouraged to use the wind wherever possible
• This limits diesel emissions & noise pollution

We work with the Ionian Dolphin Project. Our clients are actively encouraged to get in touch with the project when they spot a dolphin or school of dolphins!

• The crew on our flotillas carry information for clients
• Customers learn to identify the different species of dolphins
• Sightings are mentioned on social media
• We actively promote customers reporting their sightings

This sounds completely logical - and it is - but we take the responsibility to equip our mountain staff in Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and Russia with good quality mountaineering clothing and equipment.

• We provide soft shell jackets, waterproof jackets, base layers, hats, gloves and climbing kit if necessary
• Porters get Tshirts, sweatshirts, hats, socks and gloves, waterproofs.
• The kit gets re-purchased every two years on average

We invest in our staff and Lopsang Sherpa is a good example of someone wanting to become a guide but needing the backing of a sponsor
We pay for his professional development during the off season

• Nepal is a member of the UIAGM, and their international guide courses cost several thousand pounds and takes years to complete
• As our employee, we commit to each other. He to his job and we to his career
• Loyal staff = sustainable company

Every year we donate ~ 300 mattresses to the six porters lodges in the Khumbu Valley near Everest. Some come from our big expeditions, some are bought.
A mattress is about £18.00.
Great way of doing the right thing in a simple way!

• Porters accommodation is great but the lodges are mostly empty, people need to keep warm and cook food
• Blankets, mattresses, cooking stoves - basic requirements for sustainable living!
• Happy staff = happy trips = reputation = sustainable