Responsible travel has become a priority for many travelers, but finding companies dedicated to sustainability may not always be straightforward.
Travel companies are taking great strides towards making sure their environmental impact is positive, with numerous travel companies taking measures to do just that. Here are a few of our favorites that take environmental sustainability seriously: Discovery Corps prioritizes female safety when booking eco-luxury vacations; Goko is carbon neutral and contributes 3% of bookings directly into its GoKo Earth Preservation Foundation; Row Adventures provides experience-packed intercontinental tours.
1. Up Norway
Up Norway is a premier luxury travel curator that specializes in authentic Norwegian experiences for global discerning travelers. Their local expertise, sustainable approach, personalized itineraries and passion for Norway create journeys unlike any other.
They utilize technology throughout the guest experience – from their two-sided digital platform that matches travelers with their dream journeys, digital itineraries and their distinctive service standards. Their goal is to redefine luxury by adding human touches.
One of the hallmarks of their travels is that they specialize in staying at regeneratively run lodges, cottages and iconic designer homes that share nature’s gifts with people who respect fjords, mountains, waterfalls, forests, lakes and wildlife – thus contributing to more eco-friendly tourism practices.
2. Gondwana
Gondwana Eco Travel Company stands out for their dedication to environmental preservation and sustainability through eco-travel holidays that meet all these criteria, with holidays that not only are eco-friendly but also socially and economically responsible. Gondwana uses their dynamic Trip Builder to craft tailored experiences tailored exactly to you while also working with underprivileged children through their Trip for a Trip program.
CTC Travel Group are recognized leaders in the sustainable travel industry, known for their responsible tourism policies that protect animals, land and people. Furthermore, they have joined TribesforGOOD which is revolutionising volunteerism.
They have successfully installed solar power, new staff transport and a compost wormery for composting. Furthermore, they support rhino conservation efforts in Botswana while offering luxury safaris that enable clients to track the Great Migration or see big game.
3. Book Different
Sustainable travel has quickly become the focus of many travelers and several eco-conscious travel companies have emerged to provide sustainable experiences for them. These travel companies prioritize environmentally responsible practices, provide unique trips for adventure-seekers and support local communities and indigenous cultures.
Some sustainable travel companies, like Book Different, use an online platform to connect travelers with accommodations vetted for sustainability practices such as ethical labor standards, respecting local traditions and ecological impact.
Very Local Trip is another company dedicated to sustainable travel that provides travel experiences all around the globe. Working closely with local partners ensures their experiences are culturally sensitive and eco-friendly while offsetting carbon emissions helps the planet. Their goal is to make sustainable travel accessible and affordable.
4. Seacology
Travelers who choose sustainable trips benefit local communities and protect the environment. Companies offering sustainable trips prioritize environmentally conscious practices while offering unique adventure tours. Furthermore, these organizations use renewable energy sources, reduce emissions, minimize waste management issues, and support sustainable projects in addition to renewable projects.
Seacology helps preserve delicate island ecosystems by funding conservation projects on them, such as creating community centers or an elevated walkway through mangroves to offer tourists better vantage points to spot wildlife.
This company also organizes nature tours that visit lesser-visited areas to avoid crowds, such as seeing wolves in US national parks or polar bears in the Arctic. Furthermore, they donate to World Wildlife Fund projects while supporting global sustainability projects as well as partner with airlines that use sustainable aviation fuel products.
5. Food Stories Travel
Food Stories Travel, as a travel agency, prioritizes sustainable tourism practices and products that empower local communities and stimulate economic development. Their accommodations (homestays and budget hostels) support small businesses and artisans while offering cultural exchange with the host community – creating lower environmental impact while encouraging visitors to shop locally for handmade items.
Travel is one of the primary contributors of carbon emissions, yet many airlines provide tools that help travelers reduce their footprint or offset it by contributing to climate projects. Alaska Airlines uses an online tool called Carbon Calculator which assists customers in calculating their carbon footprint for flights; other airlines such as Lufthansa use Compensaid platforms as offset options.
Hotel marketers can also make sustainability a top priority by emphasizing green initiatives and eco-friendly amenities that resonate with travelers who value this aspect of travel. Showcase energy efficiency, reduced water usage and reused towels as means of showing their strong commitment to environmental conservation.
6. Discovery Corps
Discovery Corps makes it easier for travelers to leave a positive social, economic, and environmental footprint when visiting new places. They provide tours as well as advocacy and research initiatives designed to transform travel industry into one for good.
Since 2007, they have held onto their status of Certified B Corporation – an honor given only to businesses that meet certain standards of environmental sustainability and social justice.
They work to empower women and girls through local initiatives, fund wildlife research and donate to grassroots sustainable development projects like Namibia’s Cheetah Fund or one that introduces hydroponic agriculture in Canada’s subarctic regions. Plus they offset their carbon footprint with every tour they arrange; plus they were the first travel company to introduce zero-waste expeditions! Their eco-friendly adventure company seeks to connect people across continents through thrilling experiences like gorilla trekking in Rwanda or hiking in Patagonia – with unforgettable encounters like gorilla trekking in Rwanda or hiking through Patagonia!
7. Goko
Goko offers ethical and impactful adventures across the world. Their GiveBack program gives back to local communities with each traveler joining one of their trips.
GoKo also provides experiences without flights, such as hiking, cycling and boat cruises. Furthermore, they are carbon neutral and donate 3% of profits back into the GoKo Earth Preservation Foundation.
They are working tirelessly to limit overtourism by restricting their presence in overcrowded regions, while encouraging travelers to discover authentic experiences to reduce tourism’s effects.
8. Row Adventures
ROW Adventures makes every effort to minimize their environmental footprint and provide local communities with services. Their cultural experiences such as visiting weaving cooperatives help preserve cultural heritage while their TreadRight Foundation funds conservation projects.
They make their commitment to climate change clear by clearly displaying carbon footprints in search results, offsetting twice as many emissions as they generate and offering travel scholarships with every booking.
Family adventures are at the core of this tour company’s tours. Kids learn about history and geology of each destination they visit, experience nature through hands-on exploration and participate in engaging activities that are fun and interactive. Guides have years of experience and are trained in wilderness medical skills for added safety while exploring. Each trip also has an experienced River Jester who leads younger members in nature-themed games and activities.
9. Lindblad
Lindblad Expeditions (LEX) pioneered expedition travel when its founder led citizen explorers on an Antarctic voyage in 1966. Since then, LEX has offered expedition cruises throughout the globe in their belief that traveling to remote places fosters conservationist ideals and increases environmental stewardship.
The company has taken steps to reduce plastic usage and become carbon neutral in 2019 through offsetting emissions from their ships, land-based operations, employee travel and offices. They have implemented policies ensuring local food purchases with an emphasis on sustainable seafood purchasing policies, which helps local economies while keeping ocean fish stocks healthy.
Staze is a hotel search engine that displays and offsets twice the CO2 emissions per booking, while supporting local communities through allocating 50% of platform fees and commissions into community development projects.
10. Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is one of the premier sustainable travel companies, taking travelers off-grid to experience local culture. Their trips offset carbon emissions while they prohibit activities which exploit or endanger domestic or wild animals.
Intrepid has also teamed up with ethy, an industry-leading sustainability certification company, to meet their sustainability goals and demonstrate responsible practices. So far they have met 8 out of the 9 standards established by ethy and were awarded with eight ecolabels for their efforts. Intrepid is dedicated to creating positive change for each destination they visit by supporting grass root projects and working closely with local leaders guiding travellers along their travel itineraries – while offering their 10-step Guide to Decarbonising Your Tour Business as a resource that assists other travel businesses reduce and offset emissions emissions.