Adventure holiday in Patagonia with Iguazu Falls

Environment

A trip to Patagonia is an adventure into nature, and we expect all of our guides, drivers, tour leaders and staff to brief our customers on how to respect these fragile environments. The trip includes visits to three of Patagonia's most significant National Parks - The Tierra del Fuego and Parque Nacional los Glaciares, and Chile's Torres del Paine, as well as the Iguazu National Park up in the northeast. In each location the tour leaders and guides are trained to understand best practice in wildlife and nature protection. They will brief customers to keep all waste with them until back in the town, to walk only on designated paths and not to disturb the natural environments. Patagonia also has a good reputation for its drinking water, so we also encourage customers to fill up their reusable water bottles from the tap.

The excursions on this trip are all taken by boat or on foot - for example hiking in Mt Fitzroy or Torres del Paine, and exploring the Beagle Channel or viewing the Perito Moreno Glacier. This offers a low-carbon way to get around, as well as getting us closer to the Patagonian nature, which is such a draw to the area. Our Patagonia trips concentrate on the outdoors, and some, in particular the glacier excursions at Ushuaia and the Vespigiani Glacier, are incredibly educational in promoting environmental awareness. The receding glaciers are a stark reminder of the importance of practicing sustainability both at home and abroad, and the Tour Leaders highlight this point while with their groups - this sparks off some interesting discussions over the dinner table!

Community

We use an Argentinian tour leader throughout our Patagonia trips, and in addition to this they are supported by local guides within each of the National Parks. They are trained and licensed to guide in the area, and are incredibly knowledgeable about the environment and the local communities that they work in. We make sure that our Tour Leaders and guides are working with a fair wage, in good working conditions, and that they are fit and well to work outdoors in what can be harsh conditions. We source locally-owned and operated accommodation, such as the Villa Brescia hotel in Ushuaia, who's owners have lived in the area for over 40 years, and our staff direct customers to eat in local eateries as much as possible, encouraging our groups to discover the fantastic food and wine that Argentina is famous for.

The hotel that we use in Iguazu has a strong sustainability policy. This contains many environmental points, such as a commitment to Sustainable Water and an Energy Management Plan as well as collaborating in projects related to Jaguar protection and Rainforest conservation. It also includes a Social Responsibility section, which gives priority to hiring staff who live in Puerto Iguazu, as well as prioritising local suppliers and taking a stand against child trafficking and sex tourism.

In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators. We acknowledge that air travel has a negative impact on our environment, so we work together with Cool Earth to offset carbon and protect our important rainforests.