Responsible Travel
Responsible travel isn’t a tagline for us — it’s a filter every one of our travel executives applies before a single recommendation reaches you. The destination you choose, the accommodation you stay in, the transport you take and the experiences you book all leave a footprint. Our job is to help you make that footprint a positive one.
What responsible travel actually means
Responsible travel isn’t only about ticking an environmental box. It’s about choosing experiences that genuinely connect with, and give back to, the places you visit — without leaving the destination worse off for your having been there. It’s easy to be drawn in by a hotel in a stunning location with five-star facilities, but it’s worth asking who actually benefits from that stay. Many large international hotel chains have historically recruited staff from outside the region, leaving local communities with little beyond low-paid maintenance work — roles that, during the pandemic, were often the first to disappear, deepening the very deprivation tourism should be helping to solve. It’s exactly this kind of detail our travel executives are trained to look for before recommending anywhere.
Where it's done well
Africa leads the way on sustainable, responsibly-run tourism. Many of the properties we work with there run on solar power, treat their own wastewater, operate genuine wildlife conservation programmes, and have moved away from single-use plastics entirely — while investing directly in local education and employment. Costa Rica is another standout: coral reef regeneration, expanded national parks, and a national commitment to renewable energy have made it a model other destinations are now following. Examples like these form part of the criteria our travel executives use when deciding which destinations, accommodation providers and tour operators earn a place in the HE network.
Why it matters to you
So why should this matter before you book? Because simply visiting somewhere doesn’t automatically benefit the people who live there — and done carelessly, tourism can do the opposite. A holiday where you genuinely engage with local communities, whether through shared learning or authentic cultural experiences, tends to be a richer trip in every sense, not just a more responsible one. Every adventure, safari or honeymoon we arrange is built with this in mind — minimising the impact of your visit while making sure the resort, lodge or safari camp you stay in is actively part of the destination’s story, not separate from it.
Sustainable vs eco-friendly
“Sustainable” and “eco-friendly” are two of the most widely misused words in travel, often used interchangeably with “responsible” when they mean quite different things. We prefer to talk about practices rather than fixed labels — because no single activity, hotel or tour operator can honestly claim to have zero social or environmental impact. What matters is a genuine, ongoing effort to minimise that impact. That’s the standard we hold ourselves and our partners to, and it forms the basis of the criteria, which we use to decide who we’re willing to work with.
Ready to Travel the Responsible Way?
Every trip we arrange is built around the same principle: a holiday that’s as good for the destination as it is for you. Let one of our travel executives put that into practice for your next trip.
Any Questions?
If you have any questions about who we are or what we do, contact one of our Travel Advisors or request a call back.