Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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Environment:
The experience of seeing a tiger (or tigers!) in the wild is one of the most incredible wildlife experiences there can be… yet the tiger is critically endangered and time is running out to save it.
As an operator who takes people to see tigers, we have a responsibility to work towards their conservation. Given that there are estimated to be less than 1,400 tigers left in the wild in India, we do not think it is sufficient to just give money. For this reason we joined Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT). This travel industry body works together with suppliers in India's wildlife reserves to ensure the environmental and business practice of all proactively supports conservation and motivates the local community to protect the tiger. TOFT directs a significant proportion of its funding to Global Tiger Patrol to support specific conservation and anti-poaching measures.
We joined TOFT specifically because this is a proactive campaign. Since joining we have also enlisted our supplier in India and have been working with the hotels and lodges we use to ensure they too are working to preserve the environment and support local people to protect the tiger. Whilst on game drives we ensure we abide by park regulations to minimise disruption to the wildlife we have come to see.
Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.
Community:
Our tour leaders are our eyes and ears on the ground ensuring our policies are followed. They are all local as it is our policy to maximise employment opportunities for local people. By training them ourselves we also ensure they have the confidence to do a good job.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO.
This small group operator is just celebrating its 30th year and was originally set up to enrich people’s lives through adventure travel. The directors have roots in overland trucking and are determined to keep a pioneering spirit alive. They believe what sets them apart is the strong relationships they’ve developed with local suppliers and tour guides over the years. A tour leader who thinks creatively can turn a good experience into a fantastic one and open up a place so that travellers gain insight into a completely different way of life. They operate in many different countries and try to avoid a blanket approach – their aim is to get customers involved in the projects they visit and to forge lifelong friendships.
Listen to the podcast below:
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
