Canoeing holiday in East Hungary
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our company is committed to environmentally, socially and culturally responsible tourism. During our canoe tours in the Hortobágy National Park we aim to leave the environment in the same state as we found it, if not better. We advise our guests not to pick flowers or disturb the natural resources. We also ask guests during the tour to keep waste with them until back in nearest settlement. We are committed conserving the biodiversity of the areas visited, therefore we tell our guests about the actual environmental issues of the areas visited, such as deforestation or river control. Where possible we engage in partnership with local environmental groups and land managers to actively campaign conservation or promote environmental protection or rehabilitation. We also invite our guests to participate in upcoming environmental actions.
Using muscle power to drive the canoes is the simplest way to decrease carbon emission and the best way to approach nature. The campsites are selected on the basis of their environmental policies, e.g. waste management and commitment to sustainability. The campsites are also close to the Tisza Lake and the rivers, hence most of our activity locations can be accessed just by walking. This way we decrease our carbon emission. We also encourage our guests to carbon offset their flights. The small group sizes (5-18 persons) enable us to minimize impact on delicate environments.
Community
During the walks we visit remote locations too where our presence helps local communities to generate income. To make sure the money stays within the visited community we rely on local suppliers both in terms of accommodation and catering. We actively minimize the negative effects that tourism can have by ensuring that tourism does not divert resources away from local communities or drive up prices on local resources. The tour provides opportunities for cultural exchange both in the small communities and during the canoe tours. Our presence also encourages local governments to invest into tourism-related infrastructure. There is also a great need for this because tourism in Hungary is much too focused on key locations while other places with great potential and a high level of touristic complexity remain unnoticed.
An indirect benefit of this holiday is that we support hiking, cycling and canoeing activities of state adopted children by donating 1% of our income to this charity. In collaboration with an NGO we organise and guide these activities, and document the tours on the internet with itinerary, budget, names of participants and photos. Environmental education of the young generations, and especially of those most in need, is the guarantee for our principles to live on and for our efforts to bear fruit.
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