We are passionate about the countries we specialise in, so it is natural that we try to maximise the economic benefits that tourism can bring to these destinations whilst trying to minimise its environmental and social impact upon them. We are committed to continually improving our Responsible Tourism policy and our 3* Responsible Tourism status from AITO, the highest rating achievable, reflects this.
Destinations
* We are committed to supporting a wide number of responsible and ethical initiatives including environmental projects, community tourism projects and education programmes. We encourage our clients to visit many of these initiatives such as wildlife sanctuaries, local schools, orphanages and co-operatives.
* We are able to recommend a variety of homestays in many different countries for those clients who are interested. Not only does the money from homestays directly benefit the local community, but clients also gain an authentic insight into local culture.
* Through client specific notes in tailor-made itineraries, we continue to actively recommend restaurants, shops and other local businesses so that the community is directly benefited. Most of these have been discovered by our country specialists and include craft shops that ensure tourist money is fed back to the hill tribes that produce the crafts, and restaurants which train local street children.
* We promote environmentally friendly tours and accommodation in a number of destinations.
Ground agents
* We prefer, where possible, to use smaller, locally owned ground agents. Not only does this ensure that it is the host community who are managing and benefiting from the local tourist industry, but we also believe that our clients will have a better trip as local agents have a much more intimate knowledge of the region.
* For the same reasons as above, we always use local guides and drivers. This not only provides crucial employment and income for the local community, but also increases the authenticity of the client’s trip.
* We favour ground agents who have an awareness of responsible tourism policies and strong environmental commitment. Responsible practice is one of the principle criteria during the selection of new suppliers, and ethical initiatives form a fundamental element in our ground arrangements.
* In addition to feedback from country specialist visits, all our ground agents are asked to keep us updated on their own responsible tourism practices as well as potential community tourism projects, local charities, eco-accommodation etc that we can recommend to our clients.
* Clients are asked to report on the behaviour and awareness of our agents and local guides once they have returned home from their trip.
Hotels
* We always try to favour small locally owned hotels over large international chains. We work closely with our local ground agents to source more small guesthouses, B&Bs, boutique hotels and eco-friendly lodges. This ensures that as much revenue as possible remains in the host country as well as providing a more characterful experience for our clients.
* We always prefer to use hotels which have environmental policies in place regarding reuse of towels and sheets, electricity and water usage etc.
* Where available we recommend our clients stay in ethically responsible accommodation, such as eco-lodges that aim to preserve the beauty of natural surroundings.
Clients
* Whilst we recognise that a vital element of any holiday is relaxation, we do try to encourage our clients to be aware of their impact in their destination. For each booking, we provide notes on the cultural sensitivities of the chosen destination and our local guides brief our clients upon their arrival. We hope this will serve not only to ensure the sustainability of our destinations, but also to improve the quality of the experience overall.
* In addition to providing advice specific to each destination, we have drawn up a generic Traveller’s Code which we hope will benefit all our clients as well as the destinations they visit. These travel guidelines include advice on everything from preserving local resources to appropriate tipping and bartering customs.
* Ethical considerations are also part of our research and development process and we encourage feedback on our practices. Clients are asked to comment and make suggestions on our responsible practice when completing the post-trip questionnaire they receive when travelling with us. In addition to this, as well as visiting destination-based initiatives whilst on their educational trips, our country specialists are encouraged to also make suggestions through a dedicated area on our company Intranet.
Office practice
* Ethical practice is not just limited to the destinations we operate in. Responsible practice is exercised in our office with various measures put in place aimed at reducing, re-using and recycling resources where possible.
* We carry out dedicated responsible travel training sessions with all employees upon joining the company.
* We buy fair trade coffee and tea products for the office.
* We minimise our electricity consumption by switching off lights, computers, fans etc in rooms that are not in use and at night. We also monitor thermostats and keep doors and windows closed when heating is on.
* We recycle all office paper, encourage double-side photocopying and, where appropriate, circulate documents by email. We also exercise effective control of brochure production, distribution and disposal.
* We encourage car sharing amongst employees.
* We offset the carbon emissions resulting from staff educational trips through the Friends of Conservation carbon-offsetting programme. We also offer the facility for clients to do the same for their own travels. Please visit our Carbon Reduction pages for more details.
The Audley charity portfolio
* As part of our commitment to responsible tourism, we formed the ‘Audley Charity Portfolio’ in early 2005, which consists of five organisations that we actively support.
* The charities are: Schools for Children of Cambodia, Task Brasil, Encompass Trust, Friends of Conservation and The Galapagos Conservation Trust.
* Our ongoing support covers sponsorship of specific projects, the promotion of these charities plus ad hoc fundraising projects.
We have tried to help a wide variety of causes from wildlife, human rights issues and education through to the environment and conservation.
* We have selected charities that involve a number of countries across our range of programmes.
Future aims
* We are committed to developing our Responsible Practices policy even further in the future. Our aim is to continually incorporate new responsible practices into our business at all levels.
* We are committed to increasing our involvement with the Audley Charity Portfolio and developing the number of good causes we support throughout the destinations we visit.
