Tailor made holiday to Iceland, national parks
How Tailor made holiday to Iceland, national parks makes a difference
Environment
We have a close working relationship with our suppliers and encourage them to share our concerns about minimising impact on the environment. Environmental awareness is fundamentally important to most Icelanders and they are proud that Iceland is one of the most environmentally responsible countries in the world.
Iceland remains at the forefront of renewable energy initiatives, in particular harnessing the abundance of hydro-electric and geothermal sustainable energy resources to provide heat and hot water for nearly the entire country. In addition it plans to become the first 100% renewable energy ‘hydrogen economy’, aiming to power the country’s cars, buses and fishing trawlers through its abundant renewable resources.
We are proud to support the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) whose primary objective is to conserve and protect the wilderness of Iceland. It is heavily involved in the public debate on sustainable and wise use of hydroelectric and geothermal resources, as well as focusing on fisheries issues, climate change and the conservation of whales.
In 26 years of operation, we have raised a significant sum of money for a number of extremely worthwhile causes, including the Whale Museum in Husavik and one of Scott Polar Research Institute’s (SPRI) projects - ‘Eurasian Arctic: Melting Ice’ - an ongoing in-depth study of glaciers and icecaps with regard to their sensitivity to climate change.
The Husavik Whale Museum is a non-profit organisation, founded in 1997, providing an educational and entertaining collection of artefacts and skeletons. It forms the educational component to the whale watching trips enjoyed in Husavik during the summer months. The museum undertakes research of whales and their habitat, using whale watching boats as a platform to collect data about whales and dolphins spotted on these trips. Each day a staff member is aboard whale watching boats gathering information about the different species encountered in the bay, currently the most common are minke whales, humpback whales and white-beaked dolphins. The museum also supports the regulation of whale watching operators in order to minimise the impact of these trips on whales and dolphins.
Overall this trip highlights the national parks, which are free to visitors, and encourages people to be aware of the outstanding natural resources and wildlife and the importance of its continued protection for future generations. Guidelines to visiting protected areas are published in our “Iceland Travel Tips’ booklet which is given to all clients prior to departure.
We are proud to hold the AITO 3-star Responsible Travel accreditation recognising our commitment to sustainable tourism.
Back home we have an active environmental policy in our office including recycling bins throughout; printing our brochures on FSC accredited paper from sustainable forests; systems to encourage a paperless office; and movement sensor lights which use the latest energy-saving long-life elements.
Community
We are dedicated to ensuring that local communities and environment are treated with the utmost care and respect. This holiday travels to a wide area of Iceland bringing the benefits of tourism to these often remote regions, providing a vital income and supporting local businesses, creating employment and contributing to the overall sustainable development of these regions. We support local communities by using locally owned and run hotels and encouraging guests to visit local attractions, eat in local restaurants and buy local produce and crafts.
During this trip there are several opportunities to visit local museums – not only does this give visitors an educational experience, it supports local communities and preserves local heritage. En route between Myvatn and Husavik a small detour takes visitors to Grenjadarstadur, an old turf parsonage and folk museum, dating from 1865; in Hofn there is an excellent Glacier Exhibition; the thriving fishing port of Neskaupstadur has a small Museum of Natural History, giving visitors an insight into the flora, fauna and geology of the area; and near Skogafoss is Skogar Folk Museum, with a collection of over 6000 fascinating artefacts.
Tailor made holiday to Iceland, national parks
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