Beyond Sightseeing: How This Travel Company Creates Positive Impacts on Local Communities

Darrell: Sure. Our first principle is not to view sustainability as a separate issue but as an integral part of our operations. We started our business in 1989, initially travelling locally in Thailand. Although we didn’t have a specific mandate around sustainability, our focus on travelling at a local level and meeting real people in natural communities naturally led us to support fragile environments and delicate communities. This support grew as part of our DNA. Today, we have sophisticated systems for measuring purposes and designing programs, starting from those initial values.

Darrell: It involves multiple aspects. Financial trade is usually the first impact, with money left behind in communities. However, ensuring that this interaction benefits both the tourists and the local community is crucial for sustainability. Our local teams are responsible for creating these positive interactions. For example, our trip leaders collect feedback from travellers and communities to ensure everything is appropriate and beneficial. We manage this process to be respectful and responsible, integrating global best practices with local applications and feedback loops to get it right.

Darrell: While many more people are interested in exploratory travel today, travellers’ fundamental desires remain the same—they seek new experiences and interactions. Technology and logistics have evolved, but the curiosity and need for new experiences have stayed consistent. We’ve noticed that first-time travellers with us might not prioritise sustainability, but returning customers often cite it as a significant reason for returning, which is encouraging.

Natalie: One of the main challenges is the varying pace of understanding and implementation of sustainability across different countries. In Asia, the local industry’s sustainability awareness is developing at different rates. Our role involves working not just with our travellers but also with a vast supply chain, including hoteliers, activity providers, and transporters. It’s a continuous process of giving them ideas and learning from their experiences. For example, in India, there’s a strong focus on improving travel and tourism practices, while in Japan, there’s less awareness and conversation about these issues. So, we tailor our approach to each country’s specific context and pace of development.

Darrell: The catalyst was a personal experience reading about climate change and realising our significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. We started by measuring and offsetting our emissions, achieving carbon-neutral status in 2010. By 2017, we recognised the need to decarbonise our business rather than offset emissions. We aim to reduce our carbon emissions per passenger by 55 per cent by 2035. This involves changing flights, using EVs, and working with our supply chain on renewable energy. It’s a challenging but necessary journey.

Darrell: Just a few days ago, I was in Hanoi and met a young woman from the Hmong ethnic minority in the northern mountains. She collects wild-grown tea, and we talked emotionally about her life and work. It was a reminder that the true value of travel lies in these personal connections more than in staying in luxurious hotels or seeing famous sites. It’s the human connections that leave a lasting impact.

Darrell: Globally, we’re launching our 2030 strategy and visiting all our offices to align our teams. This involves enhancing our sustainability efforts and ensuring all our operations are on the same page for the future.