TTC Tour Brands has plans to mitigate the effects of overtourism on local communities and wildlife. Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold are adopting more measures while offering immersive experiences to improve the lives and environment of those that call it home.
Transportation is optimized by reducing and removing short-haul flights and replacing those with carbon-conscious options such as rail travel, introducing new “zero-emission” and people-powered experiences such as walking and biking, along with the usage of fuel-efficient coaches equipped with biofuel and hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions. The brands have expanded their “Make Travel Matter” experiences, which emphasize supporting local, small, women-owned, BIPOC and indigenous-owned businesses, besides selecting eco-conscious partners to educate travelers on everything from plant medicine and wildlife migration to regenerative farming.
“Our love for travel should not come at the expense of the communities we visit,” says Melissa da Silva, president of TTC Tour Brands, North America. “It is our job as leaders in the industry to ensure that we use our curiosity and love for travel as a tool to preserve and support the environments and communities we seek to discover. Through our conscious travel experiences, ‘Make Travel Matter’ experiences, we offer travelers the opportunity to embrace their inherent desire to explore and work with grassroots organizations to leave a positive impact on the world.”
Trafalgar, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold work with local organizations to help reduce the impact their travel offerings make on the lives of those within a region. From encouraging train travel over flying or driving to offering more farm-to-table meals on trip, the tour companies encourage travelers to take part in responsible travel options throughout their journey.
Trafalgar encourages visitors to experience a destination without producing carbon emissions by traveling on foot. This helps the environment and exposes guests to a new perspective and way of life, enabling them to step into the shoes of locals. On the “Golden Triangle” and the “Tigers of Ranthambore” itinerary, travelers embark on a walking tour of the Indian city of Delhi run by a child from the Salaam Baalak Trust—a nonprofit that supports the street children of the city. The tour encourages travelers to see a destination by foot besides lending support to a vulnerable part of the community.
Insight Vacations is working to increase the local and organic products in its supply chain by implementing more farm-to-table experiences. On “Best of Britain”, travelers will visit Heskyn Mill Farm and enjoy a meal made with responsibly sourced ingredients from local producers or foraged from the local area to reduce food waste.
Luxury Gold continues to offer rail journeys as a more eco-friendly mode of transportation. On “Majesty of the Rockies”, guests embark on a two-day-long rail journey on the Canadian luxury Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service train from Jasper National Park to Vancouver. The rail journey gives travelers to embrace slow travel and enjoy the sights while reducing emissions.
TTC Tour Brands continue to take steps to make a positive impact through more sustainable travel experiences. By reducing long-distance travel, offering more off-the-beaten path experiences and working with local suppliers, the brands are taking strides to combat overtourism while continuing to offer experiences that dive deep into culture and create community.
For more information, visit impact.treadright.org.
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