We are committed to the principles of responsible travel and ecotourism and how this supports you as travellers, the local communities you visit and the environment.
In the IPT office:
- Office ecosystem: We pay for 100% Greenpower, use tank water, a composting toilet and recycle our waste. Environmentally responsible choices in printing, tour equipment & local transport are a priority.
- Donations: We make regular donations to community, charity and environmental groups.
- Local community: IPT office staff and guides are involved in their local community via schools, environment, social action and enterprise groups.
- Accreditation: In 2008 we achieved advanced accreditation with Ecotourism Australia. This continues to lift our eco standards at home and on tour.
On tours:
- Supporting local communities: Where possible, we use locally owned hotels, restaurants, transport and tour operators. We also engage guides who can give us an understanding of their culture.
- Tour design: We are gradually refining the style of our tours to a "slower" more sustainable pace. The transport we use, the hotels we stay at, the food we eat on a tour, all contribute to the impact of our tours.
- Encouraging local change: Working with business partners worldwide, including local guides and operators, we strive to source as much as possible from the local economy, maximising efficiency and minimising waste.
As a traveller:
- Research: We encourage you to research destinations and we aim to provide you with sufficient, accurate information to understand local communities and environment.
- Feedback: We appreciate your feedback and your ideas. We are constantly searching for new ideas and appreciate your thoughts on best practice in responsible and sustainable travel.
- Save trees: Make a small step by going online to request itineraries and e-news updates.
Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions. Be gentle with the earth. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. From the Dalai Lama's Instructions for Life.
For your protection, we are allied members of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents. We are also licensed travel agents with the Office of Fair Trading which is part of the Queensland Government. In addition we are paid up members of the Travel Compensation Fund. This is an Australian organisation to which tour operators and travel agents contribute large sums of money so that if a company ceases business, assistance may be given to stranded travellers. Finally, your payments are kept in a trust account until required for payment of your tour.
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