Travel with Conscience

What is Sustainable tourism*?

Sustainable tourism, like a doctor's code of ethics, means "First, do no harm." It is basic to good destination stewardship.

Sustainable tourism does not abuse its product—the destination. It seeks to avoid the "loved to death" syndrome. Businesses and other stakeholders anticipate development pressures and apply limits and management techniques that sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, scenic appeal, and local culture.

It conserves resources. Environmentally aware travelers favor businesses that minimize pollution, waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping chemicals, and excessive nighttime lighting.

It respects local culture and tradition. Foreign visitors learn about and observe local etiquette, including using at least a few courtesy words in the local language. Residents learn how to deal with foreign expectations that may differ from their own.

It aims for quality, not quantity. Communities measure tourism success not by sheer numbers of visitors, but by length of stay, distribution of money spent, and quality of experience.

*According to the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations

In keeping with these ideas, Travel with Conscience includes the purchase of carbon credits for each tailor-made itinerary we handle to compensate for (offset) the carbon your travel contributes to the dangerous greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. You have the choice of 2 carbon offset initiatives: renewable energy from our Green partner Native Energy or tree planting/ land and habitat conservation from our partner Conservation Fund. You can help too - Here’s how you can make a difference.