Iraq history tour, from Babylon to Kurdistan

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

We use vehicles that are big enough for four travellers, which reduces the amount of fossil fuels burnt and consumed while they are on tour. We also explore by foot as much as possible.

While on tour, our travellers are able to have vegan/vegetarian food where possible. Additionally, most of the food is locally sourced and grown in the country the travellers visit.

In our UK office, we aim to reduce our carbon footprint by opting to share information online via our website or through email rather than printing out documents and posting them to our travellers.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

We strive to ensure that we leave the areas that we visit as we find them and our team have been trained in strict no litter policies, meaning that we take all refuse to either be recycled or properly disposed of in nearby towns. Many people in Iraq do not have the same approach to the environment as we would in western Europe, therefore it is not uncommon for local people to dispose of rubbish simply by throwing it out of the window. We work to educate our drivers and other service providers so as to avoid contributing to this problem.

When exploring the landscape on foot we make sure that we stick to whatever tracks there may be, and when driving we stick to the dirt roads so as not to degrade the landscape.

In conjunction with our local team we work with hotels and guesthouses to implement best practices when it comes to environmental matters – in some places this is far behind what we might be used to in other parts of the world. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off.

When we visit national parks or other protected areas, our entrance fees go towards protecting and improving the landscape and surrounding environment as well as protecting wildlife.

People

We visit a number of sites and monuments on this tour that do not necessarily receive much funding from other sources; the entrance fees that we include help to maintain the heritage of this country for future generations – not just western travellers but more importantly to local people to whom they have far more cultural and historical significance. We use locally owned suppliers and our partners here are deeply involved with the preservation of the culture and heritage of the country.

These are very traditional areas with certain codes of behaviour, and the people here are not that accustomed to outsiders. We ensure that our travellers are appropriately briefed in order so as not to offend local sensibilities.

LOCAL ECONOMY

Where possible we encourage our travellers to spend their money with local businesses; for example when visiting villages we usually make a point of stopping at a tea shop or buying supplies from shops, which helps to spread the economic benefits of tourism. It is not always practical to eat outside of the hotels and guesthouses but where possible we try to do this, again to make sure that a variety of businesses and people gain from our visit. Many of the hotels/home stays our travellers stay in are owned by the local people, which in turn benefits the community thanks to an increase in income from tourism.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

We employ drivers and local guides from within the areas that we visit, helping to provide income to a region that has traditionally been rather neglected from an economic point of view. When we visit remote regions, travellers often buy food, souvenirs, and more which then gives a direct income in potentially marginalised groups in the country.