Trusting a responsible tour operator that share our values means having the guarantee of making a positive impact while traveling in every step of the journey.
Responsible tour operators prefer less touristic spots and authentic experiences in contact with the local population. They build solid and sustainable relationships between locals and travellers and they have the objective to reduce the carbon offset of tourism through the promotion and support of local initiatives and projects in favour of the development of the community. Very often, they share good practices with travellers concerning plastic alternatives, water consumption and waste management for example.
After the article about Sites and platforms to find responsible accommodation for your next trip, here's a list of tour operators engaged in offering valuable travel experiences while protecting the social, economic and environmental dimension of the visited destination. The idea is to conceive travel as a force of good that corresponds to the vision of the WTO for sustainable travel.
INTREPID TRAVEL
Intrepid Travel is an international responsible tourism tour operator and the largest travel B Corporation*. Their mission? Create positive change through the joy of travel. This means they want their trips to be a force of good both for people and for the Planet. Intrepid Travel is dedicated to sustainability in all its forms (social, environmental and economic) also thanks to the Intrepid Foundation.
*B Corps are businesses focused on creating benefits for all stakeholders by meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and right balance between profit and purpose.
ALTAI TRAVEL
Altai travel is a community that unifies French travellers and local experts to encourage positive tourism based on a sustainable relationship between locals, travellers and experts. The idea is to choose a destination and to be directly in contact with the Altai team on spot in order to define the itinerary, the budget, the activities and so on. Among Altai’s mission there’s the creation of development opportunities and concrete actions to protect the environment and its inhabitants
BYWAY TRAVEL
A UK-based tour operator specialized in slow travel experiences in UK and Europe that don’t include flying. In fact, they organize the various journeys by train and by boat. Perfect choice if you like to explore hidden gems and off-the-beaten-tracks itineraries!
EVANEOS
With a similar concept to the one of Altai Travel, Evaneos offers tailor-made authentic experiences with the help of French expert agencies in 160 destinations in the world. Travelling with them means transparency on the price paid to the agencies and 24h/24 assistance on spot.
VIAGGI SOLIDALI
A social cooperative that was born in 2004 to promote responsible tourism in Italy, giving travellers the opportunity to discover this country through its inhabitants. Viaggi solidali is also the founder of AITR Italian Association of Responsible Tourism.
G ADVENTURES
‘Reconnect to your world with small group travel’ describes well their mission. With G Adventures you’ll travel in small groups accompanied by local guides while having a guarantee of the direct benefits on the people and places visited.
MUCH BETTER ADVENTURES
Much better adventures is focused on off-the-beaten-paths adventure trips in wilder sides of the world for either long periods or for shorter weekend escapades. If the idea of a hike trip in Cape Verde or a rock climbing and yoga trip in Morocco fascinate you, this is the right tour operator for your next trip!
SUMAK TRAVEL
Here’s a social enterprise based on community-based ecotourism trips in Latin America. This means people and the environment are the core of their actions. Sumak Travel uses tourism as a vector of social and economic development for local communities, such a meaningful mission!
UNDISCOVERED MOUNTAINS
A small tour operator specialized in sustainable trips in the French Alps. Many outdoor activities and adventures in program: mountain biking, wildlife holidays, via ferrata holidays, ski touring and much more!
TERRES D’AVENTURE
A French tour operator that offers adventure journeys for groups and families based on open air activities such as walking. Terres d’aventure compensates the carbon emissions of their travellers and supports various social projects in the world as those focused on helping migrants.
VIAGGI E MIRAGGI
A no-profit organization that wants to give the right value to the territory through responsible tourism, while putting the local community at the heart of the experience. During their journey, travellers have also the opportunity to meet other associations and discover local initiatives of social and environmental development.
Do you know other responsible tour operators? Do not hesitate to mention them in a comment under this article! Together, we can be more responsible travellers!