Responsible travel was not really understood when Adventure Center opened for business in 1972. Our philosophy has always been rooted in immersing adventure travelers in the countries they visit by exposing them to local people, culture, wildlife and the delicate balance that sustains the environments in which these communities thrive.

The worldwide travel industry claims to practice "responsible tourism" now, but does that really happen?

What responsible travel means to Adventure Center

We've been traveling responsibly for an awful long time, and we've summarized our thoughts on the subject here:

Small Groups - Small groups lessen the environmental and cultural impact that travelers have on places and the people that live in them. When huge tour busses disgorge dozens of tourists in a remote village in Africa, Asia or anywhere else, it has a shocking, negative effect on the people that live there.

Local sourcing - Guess where your money goes when you stay at an international hotel in Manila, Dar es Salaam or La Paz? There is some trickle-down to the local economy, but most of it goes overseas.

The economic, environmental and cultural effects of a trip are key considerations in responsible adventure travel companies' itinerary design process. Where possible, we source locally in order to distribute the economic benefits throughout the places we travel.

Putting our hearts into it - When everyone involved with the organization of a trip promotes and adheres to sustainable travel principles, travelers cannot help but embrace them. Tour companies have an obligation to, not only create responsible tours, but also to pass on these values. We hope that you will put them into practice on future trips and pass them on to fellow travellers.

Over the years, our trip operators have become increasingly pro-active about ensuring that trips foster positive relations with locals by maximizing the economic benefits for people and minimizing the environmental impact. Adventure Center partner companies all put reponsible travel values into practice. When you book a trip with us, you can be assured that you'll be traveling responsibly.

Special projects

In addition to operating socially and ecologically responsible trips, our suppliers also contribute services and goods to the communities we visit. These remain long after the travelers have gone. One example of the many projects undertaken is the Exodus solar cooker project. Exodus has started purchasing parabolic solar cookers for use in Nepal. These solar cookers help reduce the use of wood as fuel, which helps save forests, reduces air pollution that can lead to respiratory problems and reduces carbon emissions. In the summer of 2008, ten cookers were transported to Lukla, and porters were hired to carry the cookers to some of the lodges we use in the Everest region. You will see them in Lukla, Phakding, Monzo, Namche, Thyangboche, Dingboche, Lobuje and Gorak Shep. Twenty more solar cookers have been ordered and will be ready at the end of the year and early in 2009 these will be sent to the Everest region ready for use next season.

What you can do

By choosing to be a traveler with Adventure Center, you already do more than many people. While our suppliers take great care in creating trips that respect, protect and benefit all the communities they work with, certain environmental impacts of global travel are unavoidable. For example, the biggest environmental drawback of international travel is flying; airplanes release hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The good news is there's an easy way to offset some of the carbon emissions associated with your flights: Purchasing  AdventureOffsets invests in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that reduce carbon emissions. With the proceeds from your  AdventureOffset purchase, in collaboration with Sustainable Travel International, we help finance climate protection projects in different countries, thereby enabling you to compensate for the impact of your air travel. Purchase AdventureOffsets  here.

Adventure Center is also a sponsor of  Sustainable Travel International.

Adventure Center Supports: