Charity trek of the Great Wall of China
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We go to great lengths to minimise the potential harm that can come from taking groups into areas of fragile ecosystems and go to great lengths to ensure that our customers are well informed about the area and aware of the impact that they can have on the environment. Our local guides will only take you along established trails and will adhere to our policy of ‘leave no trace’ tourism.
We provide information to each participant about social etiquette, dress codes, how to deal with begging and what to do with litter among many other issues. We encourage the use of environmentally friendly hygiene products and ensure that the only thing that is left in the destination is our footsteps.
We base our tours on small groups of no more than 30 participants. We believe that the negative impact of tourism on communities is lessened when we travel in small groups.
We endeavour to only use hotels who have adopted environmentally responsible practices and require our agents and hotels to observe environmentally sustainable practices, including limiting pollution, sound water management, recycling of glass and paper, and the sourcing of materials and foods locally.
We encourage minimising water usage and the use of environmentally safe detergent as many places flush water directly into rivers and the sea. We encourage hotels to adopt a policy of giving guests the choice of re-using hand/bath towels rather than automatically sending them to the laundry.
Where possible, we use direct flights to our destinations. The worst carbon emissions are emitted during take off and landing, so the fewer landings and take offs, the better. Internal flights are avoided unless absolutely necessary.
Community
We believe that life-enhancing travel is not about seeing a place, but experiencing a place, its people, its cultures, food and ways of life. We believe that when tourists enjoy the benefits of tourism, they should do so responsibly, by ensuring that they are not contributing to the exploitation of either people or the environment, that they are contributing to the sustainable economic development of the communities who host them, and that they are respectful towards and assist in the maintenance of indigenous cultures.
This tour offers you opportunities which few others do. Instead of just ‘seeing’ China as a tourist, a spectator of sceneries and events happening to other people, this tour will allow you to meet people from the communities in which you are staying each night you are on or near the wall so you can learn about local culture and traditions.
On this challenge you will have the amazing experience of meeting local people, interacting with them and experiencing their culture and way of life, safe in the knowledge that you are contributing directly to the local economy and making a difference to the lives of the local population. Your achievements during your project work will have long-lasting impacts on the community.
We check that the hotel workers, guides and porters benefit from ‘staff friendly’ employment practices, (such as the right to belong to trades union), and earn a fair wage. Any animals that are used for carrying equipment, luggage or used for transport are checked to ensure they are well looked after, healthy and have not been subjected to any kind of mistreatment. We can guarantee that the money spent in these hotels directly benefits local people.
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