We have been committed to operating in a responsible way ever since it began,. On tour we aim, through working with suppliers, tour leaders, local crew and customers to:
- Ensure local crew are treated well and fairly and paid a fair wage
- Encourage positive relations with local people and be an economic benefit to them
- Minimise our impact on the environment
The aim of our Responsible Tourism Policy is to:
- Educate our staff, Tour Leaders, local agents, guides, crew, suppliers and clients on the importance of sensitivity to environmental, cultural and economic matters in the countries visited
- Give practical guidance on how to achieve our objectives and
- Set goals to work towards to work together.
We recognise that we are not perfect; but through feedback from clients, leaders and suppliers we endeavour to drive up standards and performance in every field.
In addition, our In-House Responsible Tourism Policy provides staff with policy and guidelines as to how we may perform our duties and operate in a more responsible way.
Social responsibility
Where possible and practical, Explore seeks to use locally owned and operated suppliers and employ local people as leaders and crew to operate our tours.
We believe and try to ensure that our suppliers and local crew are:
- Treated as equals socially. Where the crew work with or accompany the group, our tour leaders encourage interaction, whilst respecting the individual's wishes for privacy
- Given practical support by our tour leaders
- Treated well and paid a fair wage promptly
- Tipped fairly and appropriately for their efforts
- Not given an unreasonable workload. Working hours should be reasonable and safe within local regulations and not involve dangerous practices in carrying out the job
Local suppliers are audited to identify responsible tourism issues on the services they operate and we work with them to find solutions. Tour leaders are our eyes on the ground to identify issues and discuss good and bad practice with local crew, agents and suppliers.
We are committed to supporting initiatives which improve working practice and conditions such as the International Porter Protection Group guidelines and the work or Tourism Concern in this field. We are working on methods to effectively identify and tackle any labour issues relating to staff directly or indirectly employed by us.
On our tours we try to:
- Plan tours in a way which maximises the opportunity to meet local people and learn about the local culture
- Provide employment for local people by using local guides and locally owned and operated services rather than international chains
- Present talks and discussions on all aspects of the history and culture to present a balanced view of the country
- Encourage clients and Tour Leaders to dress appropriately to the local norm, even if other visitors do not
- Brief clients on the significance of local customs, traditions, religion, body language and eating habits in the country visited, so as to foster respect and understanding and avoid causing offence
- Encourage and initiate contact with local people as much as possible. We prefer to promote cultural exchange through playing games, showing photos and conversation to avoid the awkwardness of the 'human zoo'. Where there is local contact, learning a few words of the local language can be a great way to make contact.
- Ask permission before taking photos. We don't condone giving money for photos as it can encourage a begging culture. In some cases, being photographed is the individual's income and in such cases it is up to the individual to agree to this BEFORE taking the photo.
- Discourage giving to beggars. Whilst in many countries some people depend on begging for their livelihood, we regard giving money as a short-term solution to a more fundamental problem. Explore tries to find ways we and our customers can offer more long -term support to the communities visited by supporting local charities and projects.
- Ensure that gifts customers bring for local people (pens, t-shirts etc) are presented in an appropriate situation - eg to a teacher in a school or in return for hospitality when visiting a local house. We oppose giving directly to children as this may encourage begging and can undermine parents who cannot afford to give their children such items.
- Be an economic benefit to the communities visited by using a variety of local restaurants, shopping in local markets and buying locally produced goods but also by avoiding any overuse which may deprive locals of goods
- Advise tour leaders and customers about local bargaining customs and give guidelines to reasonable prices where possible. Neither customers nor Tour Leaders nor crew should haggle too aggressively as their saving may be somebody else's shortage.
Environmental responsibility
Small groups may 'leave fewer footprints' but they still leave footprints! We are aware that wherever we go we are having an impact on the environment. We endeavour to minimise this impact and, where possible, engage in projects and activities that not only make the environment sustainable but contribute to improving it.
Tour planning:
- Tours are planned to visit destinations which are sustainable
- Group sizes are determined by what is appropriate to the area we are travelling to. Tours involving wildlife visits and walking are often smaller in order to minimise disruption to wildlife and the natural habitat.
Hotels:
- Advise clients to turn a/c, lights, TVs and fans off when not in room and consider not using a/c if possible. TVs should be switched off, not left on stand-by as this uses electricity
- Look out for any hotels that use more sustainable resources - eg hotels with solar panels
- Ask our agents and tour leaders to talk to hoteliers about towel washing options and encourage them to introduce a system where clients fold towels for reuse rather than wash every day
- Ask our agents and Tour Leaders to check if hotels recycle any goods and encourage others to adopt the system if it works.
Use of water:
Water should ALWAYS be used sparingly. Even in countries with seemingly ample water supply, energy is used in sewage and clean water processing; overuse could be depleting the water table and causing further pollution. ALL should follow the following policy:
- Consider taking a shower rather than a bath
- Consider whether you really need two showers a day or if one would suffice
- Do not leave water to run - use a plug as you generally use less water
- Don't leave the tap running when brushing teeth.
Litter and reduction of waste: Litter is a huge problem in many countries where there is limited or no infrastructure for waste disposal, let alone recycling facilities. The first step is to ensure that we minimise our use of resources in the first place -in order to generate less waste. Then we try to ensure that waste is disposed of in the most effective way possible.
We encourage customers to avoid accepting plastic bags for everything in shops and to reuse the ones they have (for litter collection etc). Locally made cotton bags can be purchased in some countries for very little. These can be provided by Tour Leaders and handed back at the end of the trip.
Where possible, water is provided for clients to fill their own water bottles, selling cheap refills from a large container or purified water to reduce plastic bottle waste.
On camping tours, where possible we use reusable food containers rather than foil or plastic bags. We avoid using disposable plates, cups and cutlery.
Litter should always be disposed of responsibly. If it is not clear that rubbish bins are emptied regularly, rubbish should be carried out to where it will be disposed of.
On walks, at sites or other areas where appropriate, we suggest a voluntary system where customers take a plastic bag and collect a few pieces of litter from the trail and dispose of it at the end of the walk, leaving the environment cleaner than when we found it!
On walks:
We try to ensure we and our Leaders are aware of local guidelines and regulations regarding walking. To avoid erosion, the following general guidelines always apply:
- Concentrate use on existing trails
- Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy
- Disperse use to prevent the creation of trails
- Avoid places where impact is just beginning to show
- Only walk on planted ground if there is no other choice. Where a walk crosses a field or planted area, we recommend our groups go carefully at the edge, in single file and ask permission from the owner first if possible.
Use of water:
- In delicate areas do not take water from springs if not necessary - you may be depriving local people
- Does the provision of hot water for personal washing mean burning more fuel or is it solar generated? Restrict use if so
- If using 'bucket' showers or similar, turn off water supply whilst soaping up
- Dirty water, eg from washing dishes, should be disposed of by scattering over ground at least 30m (100ft) away from water source / river if a drain is not available
- Do not use non-biodegradable soap in lakes or streams. Locate sources selling bio-degradable products where possible and use these products
- Do not pour oily water into streams
- Wash dishes in a bowl / sink rather than running tap as this uses less water
