Georgia and Armenia tour

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.

All meals are made used locally sourced, not only support nearby farmers and producers but also ensuring fresh and flavourful meals. Fresh from the farm fruits and vegetables bursting with seasonal goodness to locally raised meats and dairy products. This commitment to local sourcing allows us to create dishes that are not only delicious but also environmentally sustainable, reducing the carbon footprint.

From vibrant salads made with fresh produce to hearty vegetable stir-fries and innovative plant-based protein creations, plant-based and vegetarian dishes are available too and you'll find a diverse selection of delicious meals available every day.

ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE

We travel in small groups which helps us to minimize our impact on the environment. Despite the distances involved in getting around Georgia and Armenia we only travel by bus. As our groups are small we are not using the larger, less efficient coaches to transport our customers. On several days during the trip we will walk to many of the attractions that we are visiting. In particular we undertake walking tours of the towns that we visit, such as Tbilisi, rather than touring the city by bus. When visiting Gergeti Church in the Caucasus Mountains we choose to hike there rather than drive.

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.

We encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, and our leaders give advice on refill points each day. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Our leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.

Georgia and Armenia are a cultural treasure trove, not only for their historic sites but for their traditions and heritage. We always want to show you as much of the real country as we can so we employ a local tour leader and variety of local guides who can really bring the culture to life for you in an authentic way. Staying in small and relatively out of the way places really brings us closer to the local culture and gives us many opportunities for unique experiences. Using local guides and crew is consistent with our policy to generate local employment and deliver direct economic benefits to the areas we are travelling in. We also do this by using locally owned hotels, spreading our business to a variety of local restaurants. In this area which was relatively isolated until recently, the income we generate is really significant to these small businesses. It is important that the people who work for us are treated fairly and confident in their work. This is why we take care to train all our local tour leaders and give them all the support they need to do their job well.

During our stay we visit a family who specialise in the traditional making of Kvevri, huge clay jars used for the fermentation of the wine.

EMPLOYMEMT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

We believe that diversity is to be celebrated and as a Certified B Corp we're committed to championing equity and inclusion throughout our entire supply chain. We believe that an inclusive approach is essential, and that the best results occur when contributors have different opinions, experiences and backgrounds to bring to the table.

This trip employs over 90% of people from local communities and our ground agents regularly support locally owned enterprises.
This tour is LGBTQ+ friendly and suitable for people with hearing or limited mobility too.