Elite Travel & Tourism
Aims
Oman is a country blessed by natural beauty though is becoming one of the fastest growing tourism destinations. The country’s ruler Sultan Qaboos Bin Said and his government are making every effort to preserve the natural beauty and integrity of The Sultanate of Oman but there are very few companies who are following suit.
At Elite Travel & Tourism we want to help to play our part and our product and the ethos with which we run our tours is geared to show the very best of this stunning country but not at the expense of the local community or environment. Our Responsible Travel Policy sets out the ways we are aiming to minimize the impact on the country and to becoming the leading eco-operator in Oman. It demonstrates our use of local guides, local suppliers and above all respect and appreciation for the country and communities we are showing to our clients.
Economic responsibility
Omanization and Local Guides:
Oman has a policy of Omanization where 60% of a company’s workforce must be Omani and Elite Travel & Tourism meet all these stipulations within our head office setup. In addition all of the guides that we use for clients are all Omani who can fluently speak the required language of the guest. We encourage them to wear traditional Omani clothing when showing the clients the country to ensure that an authentic experience is enjoyed by all.
Equipment:
Where possible local materials have been used to maximise the clients authentic experience. In the case of our luxury camping tents it was not possible to obtain these within Oman but they are all decorated in local products and are maintained within the country. Locally made furniture can be found within all of our tents.
Services:
Hotels are provided as the guests required but we always try and ensure that where possible guests stay in a local hotel, if it is of a high enough standard. Food served on our trips is locally sourced in each destination. We will take clients to local restaurants or will have picnic lunches made for them. When in camp we typically prepare a local option, though Western food is available as required by our guests.
Environmental responsibility
E brochure & recycle:
It was a hard decision to take to actually produce a brochure. Where possible we send it out as an 'e brochure' and have only printed a limited number of paper copies. We encourage clients and agents when they have finished with their brochure to send it back to our office to be reused. All predeparture information is sent out by email and we only print a welcome letter with contact details for our clients’ arrival.
Destinations within Oman:
The percentage of our trips are tailormade specifically to meet our clients’ needs. This gives us an opportunity to recommend areas of cultural, historical and environmental interest and to ensure that our clients have the most authentic and positive experience in each place. Where clients choose one of our scheduled departure trips they are enjoying a trip that has been carefully though through by our trip planners to show off the best of the country in an efficient and enjoyable way.
Water:
Tap water in Oman is safe to drink and we go to great pains to ensure that where possible clients refill the water bottles they are provided with. We ensure that all plastic waterbottles are recycled if they are not to be reused.
Waste:
We take all waste away from our camps, leaving no footprint on the environment. We ask clients if they see waste as they travel around to picked it up to assist us in preserving the natural beauty of Oman. Biodegradable toiletries are provided in our luxury camping and the camps feature chemical toilets which are taken away and disposed of in an eco-responsible manor.
Environmental and Cultural Awareness and Respect:
We like to educate our guests where possible about local life. We hope that this knowledge and awareness will help with respect for local customs, as well as preserving the spectacular natural beauty of the country.
Social responsibility
Pre-Departure Information:
Our pre-departure information, which is sent to all clients, includes clear details of the political and social situation in Oman. We make recommendations to all clients as to what to take to ensure local customs and traditions are respected.
Positive Experience for Guest and hosts:
A holiday is about having an enjoyable time, and above all else this is our primary aim when showing our clients Oman. Our guides are all proud of their country, and we hope that both parties have a positive experience for mutually beneficial enjoyment. We fine completely unprompted our guides will take clients to homes of relatives while in a particular area who will serve them coffee and dates. This is nothing more than a courtesy and no charge is ever expected nor payment advised by the head office. Guides will always very happily escort clients around the souks to shop but no guide will ever receive a kickback for taking clients to a particular ship and there will never be any pressure to buy products – this is part of the guides’ contracts with us.
Minimal impact – small groups:
We do not believe in taking large groups to places, and where possible we try to keep group numbers as small as possible to minimise the impact on the environment. We also operate a no convey system and vehicles travel independent of one another at a pace dictated by the clients.
