Outdoor Alaska vacation

Planet

The USA may not be the first country you think of when considering responsible travel, but the national park authorities have a long tradition of maintaining high standards of conservation and environmental practice.

Traveling solely by small vehicle we visit many areas of pristine wilderness in Alaska, making it essential that our Tour Leaders are trained to high standards of environmental management in order to minimise our impact. They are all given training on our Responsible Tourism policy, and as they are all inherently hikers at heart, who explore these parks in their spare time, they are eager to impart their principles of traveling sustainably onto their groups. You will be advised to stick to signposted trails at all times, and while picnic-ing in the wilderness you will be asked to take any rubbish with you, ensuring that no litter is left behind. Alaska is a playground for wildlife, particularly grizzly bear, and we want to ensure that they do not have access to other food sources that might lead to more frequent interaction with humans.

Most hotels on this tour have the option to save towels, rather than washing each day. In order to save water and energy, we encourage you not to get towels changed every day. We ask you to do your bit to reduce plastic bottle waste by bringing a water bottle as tap water is drinkable.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

Our Tour Leaders will encourage us to eat in family-run restaurants and visit local shops whenever possible throughout the tour. This all brings economic benefit to the local communities that we visit. Spending time in the visitor centers of the national parks, going rafting, kayaking or wildlife-spotting with guides from the local area, and visiting the many dive bars that proliferate in Alaska's small towns, all helps to further our positive interactions with the locals, as they impart their knowledge and enthusiasm for the local area.

We travel in small groups of 12-13 people to minimise the effects that large groups have when visiting remote areas and small villages. This allows us to stay in smaller properties and eat in more local establishments, which wouldn't be able to accommodate larger coachloads of 40-50 people.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.