Best practice for successful sustainable tour operators

Conserving the local environment through conservation fees and local employment

Sam Veasna Conservation Tours was founded in 2006. The company’s main goal is to protect birds and wildlife species in wildlife-protected areas in Cambodia through ecotourism. Today they work with over 15 communities within protected areas. The operator employs community members as guides, cooks, housekeepers and other staff to support its operations. 

All tours are focussed on wildlife and birding, and all visitors entering the protected areas pay a conservation fee of US$20 to US$40 (depending on the site). The fee goes into a village development fund that finances projects to help the community and conservation. This system ensures local communities benefit from the local environment, and they also understand the importance of looking after it. 

Over the last 18 years this company has created huge benefits for the local communities and environment. These benefits get tracked – to date, nearly US$380,000 has been generated for the following: 

• US$89,500 of income has been generated for the local communities
• US$29,000 has been donated towards the community and conservation funds
• US$123,300 has been invested in the development of infrastructure
• US$138,000 has been raised to directly support conservation activities

Figure 2: Clients enjoying birdwatching

Source: Sam Veasna Conservation Tours, 2024 

Sam Veasna Conservation Tours also works with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including the Wildlife Conservation Society and IBIS Rice . Both organisations work in conservation, and some joint successes include: 

• 500+ nests of threatened birds protected by local people annually in the Northern Plains, one of the most biodiverse places in Southeast Asia.
• The endangered Bengal florican has remained stable in the protected sites in which they work compared with other sites.

Arthur Sim, Business Development Manager

As a birding tour operator working country-wide in Cambodia, we are only as good as our relationships with local communities. Without their help, the giant ibis would be inaccessible in northern Cambodia, the Bengal florican would be unknown to us at sites around the Tonle Sap, the southern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon would be just a distant blur in the canopies of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary. Our model ensures communities benefit from tourism directly via the supplemental income of becoming local bird guides, cooks and housekeepers.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Reducing the carbon footprint of tourism using measurement and reduction techniques

Eternal Landscapes is a social travel enterprise running trips for 150-200 travellers per year. Their mission is to create positive environmental and social impacts through tourism in Mongolia, rather than just financial gain.

The team at Eternal Landscapes is fully aware of the climate-related challenges, as the business is based in Mongolia, a country affected by decreasing rainfall and drought. As it operates in one of the world’s most remote countries, tourists rely heavily on flights to reach their destination. The operator believes it is their duty to take a leading role in reducing the carbon emissions connected with these trips.

To reduce emissions, they realised they would need to start by measuring and tracking process. They could not employ an external consultant to help them with this process because they had a small budget and limited staff capacity, so they signed up with Carmacal, an online carbon calculator designed directly for the tourism industry. 

Carmacal measures emissions of activities like transport and accommodations However, these are only small contributors to a trip’s overall carbon emissions.

In response to these issues, the team connected with students at the Responsible Tourism Management Postgraduate programme of Leeds Beckett University, UK. Together they developed an Environmental Management Plan for the Eternal Landscapes office and a Resilience Report. This included a thorough review of the environmental impacts of Eternal Landscapes activities in the region. 

Figure 3: Horse Riding Experience

Source: Eternal Landscapes, 2024

Together they also developed a system to measure the carbon footprint of meals and specific tour activities to provide a more accurate measurement. Despite being in the early stages of their carbon measurement programme, Eternal Landscapes takes carbon measurement seriously and has demonstrated its commitment by becoming a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. 

So far the team has:

• Deliberately limited the number of experiences involving internal flights. For instance, they stopped organising quick 3- or 4-day ‘highlight loops’ that involve flying between attractions. 
• Prioritised designing low-carbon hiking, horse trekking, and mountain biking itineraries centred on Mongolian culture. 
• Promoted use of the atmosfair index on their website and pre-departure information, enabling guests to compare the carbon emissions of international airlines flying into Mongolia.
• Limited the number of experiences they offer in ‘hotspot’ locations to prevent the creation of a popular ‘tourism circuit’ that may damage the environment and only benefit those communities. 

Eternal Landscapes also forms long-term partnerships with local communities across Mongolia. This is to ensure that rural families benefit from the positive impacts of tourism. From the beginning, the company has focussed on promoting women’s empowerment initiatives, and all their guides are Mongolian women. The company also relies on male drivers who are also from the local communities. In recognition of their efforts, they were honoured with the Equality in Tourism award at ITB in 2024.

Jess Brooks, Founder

Although we’re a small company with a limited budget, we believe we can achieve the same objectives as larger international corporations, albeit with a longer timeline. What’s important is to make a start, as one advantage of our small size is our flexibility, enabling us to adapt our approach as needed along the way. We don’t pretend to get everything right, but we are committed to doing all we can to reduce our carbon footprint in a way that works well with Mongolia, with who we are and what we do, and we are committed to reducing our overall impact in a way that is meaningful rather than tick-list.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Successful community cultural tourism attracts socially conscious travellers 

The tourism scene in Peru is extremely uneven. Major sites like Machu Picchu are very busy, while other places barely see any tourists at all. This has created a very unfair spread of the benefits of tourism. Additionally, in rural areas communities are losing their cultural traditions, as farming practices are changing and young adults leave home to find work in cities.

In reaction to this, Alternative Peru was launched to help spread the benefits of tourism and provide income for communities that will help keep young people at home and preserve their culture. Since the very beginning they have worked closely with locals, and consider them as equal partners in the projects. Local communities are also involved in all the decision-making, which helps the team develop tours in a responsible way that does not exploit the culture. 

Alternative Peru focusses 100% on responsible and sustainable tourism. They are a registered BIC (Company for the Collective Benefit and Interest), with the purpose of creating positive social, economic and environmental value in the communities they visit and work with. 

Figure 9: Cooking class

Source: Alternative Peru, 2024

Activities are focussed on showcasing local culture and traditions: visitors can participate in workshops on traditional architecture or agriculture, handicrafts, local food and cooking habits. The income from these tours, alongside the pride that comes with showcasing them to interested travellers, helps preserve local cultural values.

Through their work, they have created the following positive impacts:

• Provided income to some of the most rural and vulnerable people.
• Helped conserve the natural environment through alternative income streams for communities. 
• Increased awareness of the need to travel responsibly and visit more destinations off the beaten track.
• Employ only local Peruvians. Current staff count are 48 independent guides and 180 casual workers, including cooks, drivers, cleaners and artisans.
• Approximately 90% of the income generated goes directly to the 24 communities they work with.
• Support for 14 social projects and NGOs. 
• Indirectly they estimate that their work positively impacts more than 5,000 people, mostly from indigenous communities.

Alfredo Bendezu, Co-Owner and Manager, and Natalie Lefevre, Founder and Co-Owner

A local tour operator’s success depends largely on your ability to contribute to the success of the communities. Focus on their sustainable development and always see them as partners, work together with them to create experiences, and make them truly feel involved not only in the operations but also in the planning phase. This will make the experience better for everyone and therefore responsible, and socially conscious travellers will be naturally attracted to your company, which will enhance your positive footprint and guarantee you the best reviews and highly reliable and effective word of mouth.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Uplifting rural communities through income generation and female empowerment 

In the remote villages of the Indian Himalayas there are issues around domestic violence, and the area is home to many young widows. In 2005, a shelter was opened to provide support for these victims. Founder Poonam decided to develop tourism activities in the area when it became clear that the shelter was not providing enough support for these women. Tourism would provide jobs and contribute to upskill these women, giving them a purpose and helping them to provide for their families. 

Figure 10: Community experience

Source: Fernweh Fair Travel, 2024

Poonam began speaking directly with the local communities, understanding the importance of including them within the planning process. These discussions helped open a conversation around what type of tourism should be developed and what experiences they would like to create for visitors. Once this was agreed on, training and skills development programmes were provided for all those wanting to get involved. 

Amongst the positive outcomes these initiatives have yielded within the communities: 

• 507 women supported through e.g. education, employment and shelter.
• 50 local men and families work directly and/or indirectly with Fernweh.
• Support provided to locals in building, setting up and marketing their homestays.
• Opportunities created for handcrafters and makers of handmade organic products.

Poonam Rawat-Hahne, Founder 

Engaging local communities in tourism planning is about more than just inclusion, it is about acknowledging their invaluable skills in maintaining culture, protecting the environment, and developing authentic experiences. Their involvement is not optional, it is essential for long-term and enriching sustainable tourism development.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Management and employee commitment to achieving sustainable tourism certification

Gassy Tour is an inbound tour operator in Madagascar focusing on community and village tourism. In 2016 they started a sustainability certification journey to improve their sustainable operations and provide both clients and partners with hard evidence of their sustainability practices. They chose Travelife for Tour Operators sustainable tourism certification, which they were issued in 2018. 

The process of becoming certified was time-consuming and took the team almost two years. All team members were involved in the process with Philippe, the General Manager, leading the way. They estimated that if one person had been working on the certification full-time it would have taken up 6-7 months. In March 2024 they were presented with their renewed certification on stage at ITB Berlin.

Figure 11: ITB Awards

Source: Gassy Tour, 2024

Going through the certification process supported them in making the following operational and purchasing changes: 

• Introduction of eco-responsible purchasing at the office and for customers.
• Installation of a sorting bin at the office and drop-off waste at a collection point that transforms it into eco-responsible bags. 
• Providing guests with reusable water bottles to replace single-use plastic ones.
• Distribution of specific sustainable tour codes of conduct for their local guides and tour partners in Madagascar. 
• Development of a sustainable good practice guide for hotels.

Even though it was a lengthy process, they have seen many benefits: 

• Building better relationships with their tour operator partners in Europe. More tour operators are requesting information around their supplier’s sustainability credentials, and they can now provide this evidence while avoiding greenwashing.
• Improving employee awareness and interest in sustainable development because the entire team was involved in the process.
• Helping the team reevaluate its operations and develop sustainability throughout. 

Philippe Frappat, General Manager

A few things to consider before starting your journey with certification: firstly, the management must be personally convinced that sustainability is necessary, not only for their company but also for their country. Next, management must present this new objective of achieving certification to the employees, making sure that everybody understands this objective and is committed to supporting it. Everyone must be aware that the journey will be a long one and sometimes a difficult one. But at the end it is worth all the hard work, as the positive impact of the change certification brings with it is amazing.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Increasing positive impact tourism through collaboration and reinvestment

Sejiva is a collaboration between three tour operators: Wise Steps Travel, Sebumi and Traval (which has since shut down). Each of these companies were operating separately with a vision of making travel a positive force for good in Indonesia and beyond. They believed that through a successful partnership they could work together, share best practices, and make an even bigger impact.

Together they have co-created extraordinary experiences, enabling travellers to take part in regenerative activities that empower local communities and learn from the community’s wisdom. At the same time, travellers are encouraged to reconnect with nature and restore Indonesia’s incredible ecosystem. 

Figure 12: Tree planting

Source: Sejiva, 2024

This rather new this collaboration (started in 2024) aspires to the following: 

• Build a community of industry leaders and travellers with a joint vision around sustainable tourism. 
• Design experiences that reduce carbon footprints, do not rely on plastic items, and support local communities.
• Support local projects, including regenerative farming, reforestation and coral rehabilitation.

The geography of Indonesia often requires domestic flights. Sejiva tries to reduce emissions by designing itineraries more efficiently, using eco-friendly accommodations and making internal operations more efficient. They measure all remaining CO2 emissions and offset them by supporting a local organisation that has a focus on restoring local ecosystems. 

At the end of 2024 they will publish a transparent impact report highlighting the work the new collaboration is doing and listing improvement goals set for the future.

Matteo Bierschneider, Co-Founder

We were lucky to survive the pandemic. It allowed us to rethink what we want to achieve. We, the three founders of Sejiva, met on a remote island and discussed how we can create a real impact over the next few years. The only way forward was collaboration. After aligning our interests, Sejiva was born; it means ‘one soul’ and symbolises our common goal to change travel. We are designing meaningful experiences for travellers, organisations and educational institutions, and reinvest part of our profits in local projects. Over the next 5 years we plan to co-create regenerative educational centres that will serve local communities and offer immersive experiences.

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs:

Gaining sustainability certification builds stronger relationships with clients

Jordan Geography was established in 2018 by experts in the Jordanian tourism industry with a combined expertise of 30+ years. From the start they built their operations with sustainability at the core of their business. They have been a Travelife Partner since 2018 – partner status shows their commitment to sustainability but does not serve as a certification itself. 

In 2021 the operator applied to take part in a new CBI project centred around sustainable development of the Jordanian tourism industry. Keen to continue their sustainability journey, they were delighted to be selected, along with 12 others. The project supported tour operators to become Travelife-certified, with funding, training and other external support.

In 2023 Jordan Geography was the first tour operator in Jordan to become Travelife-certified. The process was time-consuming and lengthy, but one that they feel has produced great impact on the team and the organisation as a whole. 

Figure 13: Travelife Awards

Source: Jordan Geography, 2024

Being part of the project and becoming certified has: 

• helped them with tips and processes on how to implement sustainability throughout their operations.
• supported them to speak about their sustainability on their website, in their marketing materials and in communications with their suppliers. 
• created a network of sustainability focused on tourism businesses, helping to share best practices and support each other.
• created more interest from outbound tour operators and clients, helping to increase their sales and build better relationships throughout their supply chain.

Ahmed Q, Inbound and Sustainability Manager

Even though we were already on our sustainability pathway, being part of the CBI project helped us to accelerate our journey. I would highly recommend tour operators to look out for donor-funded projects like the one in Jordan and jump on the opportunity. The journey has helped the whole team delve deeper with their understanding of sustainability. And being certified has enabled us to build better relationships with clients and stand out from others, especially with the European outbound market. We did not understand the growing importance of sustainability for European tour operators, however our experience at ITB Berlin 2024 really highlighted this. It gave us a good starting point for conversation and helped us to build better relationships.
                                                                     

The work of this operator contributes to the following United Nations SDGs: