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 office:
- Office ecosystem: Our office staff work from home to reduce commuting and allow a work / life balance. Environmentally responsible choices in 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 local 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 local guides who can give us an understanding of their area’s nature and culture
- Tour design: We are continuously 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: Request itineraries and e-news updates
The Environment:
We recognise that the environment, the communities and cultures within which we operate and our relationships with key groups and local operators are vital to improving the best practice of our business. We therefore commit in the long term to:
- Minimising the direct environmental impact of our operations and being proactively involved in activities and projects that work to protect and restore the natural environment
- Working with customers, employees, suppliers, industry partners, local communities and other interested parties, to understand, respect their needs and support them in delivering our commitments
- Being open, honest and realistic about our environmental and social impacts, targets and achievements in the context of our business objectives