Members Practising Sustainable Tourism

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

In partnership with our Moving Mountains NGO, we invest in facilities in the mountain villages where our guides and porters live.
Working together and harnessing tourism money, there is now long term improved quality of life.

• Construction of a micro-hydro power plant to bring electricity
• Buying milling machines to invest in businesses
• Clean piped water supply to 66 homes so far
• Installation of 65 high efficiency cooking stoves (so far)
• All sustainable!

We have close ties with the mountain communities where our staff live, and with our Moving Mountains NGO we build schools and employ teachers in the villages where they live.
The ethos is to share your business success with the community.

• Building and upgrading classrooms, toilets, and providing water and power
• This contributes to happy family life and develops strong community life and ultimately happy staff
• Our volunteer programmes provide sustainable income for schools

We combine investment from our Moving Mountains NGO with sustainable financial support from AA.
For schools we use tourism to provide long term funding and also logistical support and advice.
In 20 years we've seen amazing turnarounds.

• We work with 'MM' to build new schools and facilities like water pumps, kitchens,. toilets, desks, chairs etc
• We offer trips for people to help with the project.
• Our volunteer programme provides long term financial support to the school