Helsinki and Lakeland nature tour

Planet

The sustainability of our home country is of paramount importance to us. Environmental friendliness and deep respect for the local culture are our main values, and we welcome everyone with wide, open arms to feel it.

We recognise that climate change is one of the most urgent problems facing our world today and the tourism sector is a growing contributor to the problem. Travel and tourism are responsible for around 5% of global CO2 emissions. Our challenge is to prepare for a low-carbon society by further reducing our environmental impacts, while ensuring we preserve tourism’s social and economic benefits – both for the host community and for our customers

Working with all relevant local bodies and authorities, we aim to help preserve or improve the environment and deliver a long-term benefit for the host community. All our suppliers should have or be developing green practices. Our local team in Helsinki has developed a comprehensive sustainability policy, with specific targets on carbon emissions and waste reduction. They are also sharing this amongst their suppliers to assist with the development of sustainable procedures throughout the supply chain. The Scandic Station Hotel and the Scandic group as a whole have been certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel which involves taking a holistic approach in environmental initiatives to meet strict requirements based on life cycle analysis.

Reduction of the use of single use plastic water bottles is actively encouraged, especially when on the hiking trails and cycling parts of this trip. We encourage all our customers not to use single use plastic bags and bring along their own shopping bags or ‘bags for life’.

There are responsibilities at home. Running our office in a responsible manner and monitoring and reducing our energy usage as well as recycling is part of the culture we are developing.

We recognise the need to fly to a destination but thereafter we will encourage travelling overland rather than using internal flights, to minimise carbon emissions. For example on this tour we use the train.

People

We will always try to use small locally owned hotels, guest houses and homestays to provide accommodation. For example in Varjola where we use a local family-owned countryside resort.

Wherever possible we use local businesses to provide activities, ensuring money is put directly back into the communities we visit. Our strategy is to develop long term relationships with our local suppliers to ensure that the economic benefit is ongoing and continuous. There must also be a visible benefit to the local communities. You will be using a number of different local businesses on this tour supporting cycle hire companies, walking guides and nature reserves.

We ensure that local suppliers and operators receive a fair rate for their services and support and encourage fair employment practices.

We actively discourage the exploitation of local people and will only engage with suppliers that demonstrate a duty of care towards the people they employ.

We actively encourages tour leaders and guides to disclose any concerns they may have to us. All suppliers must respect elementary human rights such as non-discrimination, freedom of assembly, no forced labour and no child labour.

It is explicitly forbidden for any participation in or endorsement of commercial sexual activities, exploitative sexual activities or drug use on our trips, from staff or customers.