Dominican Republic authentic tour

Planet

We recognise that climate change is one of the most urgent problems facing our world today and the tourism sector is a growing contributor to the problem. Travel and tourism are responsible for around 5% of global CO2 emissions. Our challenge is to prepare for a low-carbon society by further reducing our environmental impacts, while ensuring we preserve tourism’s social and economic benefits – both for the host community in the Dominican Republic and for our customers.
Working with all relevant local bodies and authorities, we aim to help preserve or improve the environment and deliver a long-term benefit for the host community. All our suppliers should have or be developing green practices. Our local teams are working with their hotel suppliers such as the locally owned Hodelpa Group and our local Dominican guides to reduce plastic waste and promote the use of reusable water bottles. Guides are now trained to take travelers to shops and stores where they can purchase glass or reusable bottles for on tour. The team look at even the smallest details. For example, making sure our picnic meals are served on reusable plastic or carton utensils. Of course, they also ensure that hotels, camps and lodges that we offer to our guests are those applying high standards of environmental policy.
We recognise the need to fly to a destination but thereafter we will encourage traveling overland or by local boat rather than using regional Caribbean flights, to minimise carbon emissions.

People

We actively discourage the exploitation of local people and will only engage with suppliers that demonstrate a duty of care towards the people they employ.
Our team in the Dominican Republic actively encourages the tour leaders and guides to disclose any concerns they may have to us. All suppliers must respect elementary human rights such as non-discrimination, freedom of assembly, no forced labour, and no child labour.
It is explicitly forbidden for any participation in or endorsement of commercial sexual activities, exploitative sexual activities or drug use on our trips, from staff or customers. Our local team is encouraging female owned businesses and making sure they are paid and treated equally.
On our Dominican Republic Northern Adventure Tour, we visit the area of Los Pepines and learn about how tourism has been used to support and revitalise the local economy. We also support a number of local street food vendors and learn about their culture and lifestyles.