Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio holiday

Planet

As an in depth specialist tour operator to Argentina and Brazil, we take a considered approach to the social, environmental and economic impacts of the holidays we design. To us, this means much more than a simple donation to a charity for each client. We try to build long and constructive involvements with local guides, wildlife lodges and hotels, in the course of which we, and our clients, can make lasting wide-ranging contributions to the wonderful places and people we engage with. In this itinerary we have selected several hotels and lodges whose documented practices align with this approach.

At Anselmo Hotel Buenos Aires, part of Hilton's portfolio, environmental measures include the use of LED lighting and initiatives to reduce single-use plastics. These measures form part of Hilton's wider Travel with Purpose programme, which includes actions relating to energy, water and waste reduction and the reduction of single-use plastics across its hotel portfolio.

At La Aldea de la Selva Lodge in Puerto Iguazú, accommodation buildings are connected by wooden walkways through the surrounding forest. The property is located within the Selva Iryapú area and incorporates regional materials and locally crafted furniture and decorative elements.

Arena Hotels in Rio de Janeiro states that its hotels participate in Brazil's incentivised Free Energy Market and use electricity generated from renewable sources, including wind, solar and biomass. The group also has recycling bins throughout its properties to encourage separation of materials and operates a waste-management approach based on reducing, reusing and appropriately disposing of waste.

People

We use local guides in all of our destinations. It is our experience that, with the right approach, local guides' detailed knowledge of their destinations makes them particularly well placed to guide our tours, while their local connections enable them to share their knowledge of the communities and places we visit. We also see employing local guides as a way of creating opportunities for people to build careers in their own communities rather than having to move elsewhere to find work.

In Argentina and Brazil we work with local ground handlers, helping to retain a significant proportion of our operational expenditure within the Argentinian and Brazilian economies and supporting employment, including in more remote regions. By incorporating locally owned hotels, restaurants and the services of local guides and drivers into our itineraries, we aim to keep as much tourism expenditure as possible within the local economy, allowing local businesses and communities to benefit from tourism.

Arena Hotels in Rio de Janeiro provides internal training for employees covering day-to-day practices relating to the use of resources and the reduction of environmental impacts. The group also participates in the Rede Mulher programme, which recognises organisations working to promote gender equality.