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Why we travel – the benefits

Having measured the emissions of every one of our trips we’re now Clear on Carbon and working hard to reduce our emissions in line with our target of 50% reduction by 2030. But sustainability is about much more than just carbon, and there are greater benefits to tourism than just a light footprint.

 

The economic impact

Tourism has a huge, often vital, economic impact on destinations all over the world. In 2019, the industry contributed more than 10% of the global GDP – a share that fell by half in 2020 due to the pandemic. That year, a huge 621 million tourism jobs were lost. 

Explore chooses small, locally owned and run businesses to support – from ground agents and tour leaders, to hotels and restaurants used in its trips. We employ local tour leaders – over 700 of them – as well as local drivers and porters, and use local suppliers who employ local staff in turn. By working with local suppliers Explore maximises the % of spend going directly to the local economy.

The social impact

Tourism provides a higher quality of life for locals, by bringing in money and providing jobs. But the improved understanding and tolerance it promotes works both ways. Explore groups will meet local people and communities and it’s a two-way interaction. We learn about their lives; they learn about ours. 

Increasing tolerance and inclusion and celebrating difference is a huge benefit of global tourism. By broadening our awareness and understanding we become more open-minded and tolerant as a people. 
Tourism money can help support communities and development. Every one of our tour leaders receives full training and first aid to help their own development, and we invest in local art and culture. We work with a number of charities and initiatives doing fantastic work to support communities all over the world. Charities like Lone Buffalo which provides free education to children in Laos, and the weaving cooperative in Sanjiang Dong Village, in China, which we supported at its very conception via our start up fund.
Our projects

The environmental impact

We know that flying and using transport in particular has a negative effect on our environment, but there are ways that tourism can benefit our environment too.

We can help support local projects by getting our customers involved on the ground. Tourism can help protect nature, biodiversity and wildlife. We’ve developed an Animal Protection Policy we’re really proud of and, as we share this with our partners and suppliers, we’re hoping to help those facilities that don’t meet our standards to improve – through the experts we work with at Wild Welfare and ANIMONDIAL. 

For every customer that travels with us, we make a donation to Cool Earth and Rewilding Britain. These two charities support and enable the protection and regeneration of landscapes both in the UK and Peru to improve biodiversity, champion community-led initiatives and nature-based economies which in turn helps to fight the climate emergency.  

 

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