Are you planning your next family adventure for 2024? Look no further! In this article, we will explore some of the top-rated family trips that guarantee unforgettable experiences for all ages. These trips are not only fun and exciting but also promote sustainability and responsible travel. From exploring vibrant cultures to immersing in the wonders of nature, these destinations offer something for every member of your family.

Sustainable Travel: Making a Positive Impact

As responsible travelers, we understand the importance of sustainable travel. It’s not just about having an amazing vacation but also about leaving a positive impact on the communities we visit. That’s why the trips we offer prioritize local businesses, support community-run initiatives, and ensure minimal environmental impact. By choosing these trips, you can travel with a clear conscience, knowing that you are contributing to the well-being of local communities and the preservation of our planet.

Maximizing Positive Impact on Local Communities

Our family trips have always prioritized the well-being of local communities. We believe in traveling in small groups to minimize our impact on destinations and ensure meaningful interactions with locals. Wherever possible, we stay in locally owned and managed establishments and eat at local restaurants. By doing so, we support local businesses and gain a respectful insight into local life. These authentic experiences create lasting memories for both you and the communities you visit.

Reducing Carbon Footprint: Our Commitment to a Greener Future

In 2022, we introduced carbon footprint measurements on every one of our tours. Since then, we have been working tirelessly to reduce our emissions and create a greener travel program. Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, with a 7% reduction target for this year. We have made significant changes to achieve this, such as replacing domestic flights with greener alternatives like rail journeys. Additionally, we collaborate with our suppliers and agents globally, encouraging them to make informed choices about their own suppliers and reduce their carbon footprint as well.

Partnering with Klimate: Contributing to Carbon Removal Projects

To further offset our emissions, we have partnered with Klimate, an organization that focuses on carbon removal projects. Rather than traditional offsetting, which only avoids emissions, we now contribute to projects that actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Klimate manages a carefully chosen portfolio of projects that align with our values. For every person that travels with us, we make a contribution to Klimate, supporting their efforts in combating climate change.

Supporting Rewilding Britain: Restoring and Protecting the Natural Environment

As a UK-based company, we are passionate about protecting the natural environment, even in our own backyard. That’s why we donate to Rewilding Britain for every customer that travels with us. The UK is currently considered one of the most nature-depleted countries, with many species in decline. By investing in projects that restore and protect the natural environment, we aim to mitigate the emissions we cannot entirely remove. So far, we have donated over £15,000 to Rewilding Britain, and this number continues to grow.

The Explore Foundation: Making a Difference Worldwide

At Explore, we believe in giving back to the communities we visit. That’s why we have established the Explore Foundation, a registered charity managed by an independent Board of Trustees. The Foundation works in collaboration with our overseas partners and contacts to identify and support projects in countries that our customers visit. Through the Foundation, we aim to positively impact the lives of communities worldwide by supporting grassroots projects focused on poverty alleviation, education, healthcare, and conservation.

Lone Buffalo in Laos: Empowering Local Communities

One of the projects close to our hearts is Lone Buffalo in Laos. This initiative aims to empower local communities through education and sports. By supporting Lone Buffalo, we help provide opportunities for disadvantaged children to access education and develop life skills. Through our customers’ contributions, we have made a significant difference in the lives of these children, fostering hope and a brighter future.

One Bike in Tanzania: Enhancing Mobility and Education

In Tanzania, we support the One Bike project, which focuses on enhancing mobility and education. Many children in rural areas face challenges in accessing schools due to long distances. One Bike provides bicycles to these children, enabling them to commute more easily and attend school regularly. The project not only improves access to education but also promotes a healthier lifestyle and independence among the children. With every customer booking, we contribute to the One Bike project, making a tangible impact on the lives of Tanzanian children.

Responding to Emergencies: Morocco Earthquake Appeal

The Explore Foundation also plays a crucial role in responding to emergencies. When the Morocco earthquake struck, we launched our Morocco earthquake appeal within a few days. Through the Foundation, we raised over £50,000 to support relief efforts, providing aid to those affected by the disaster. This rapid response demonstrates our commitment to making a difference when it matters the most.

Sustainable Operations: Walking the Talk

At Explore, sustainability is not just a buzzword; it’s ingrained in our operations. We strive to make our head office more sustainable and inspire our staff to adopt eco-friendly practices in their personal lives as well.

Zero Waste Building: Recycling and Eco-friendly Methods

In our head office, we have implemented a zero waste building approach. We work with a specialist waste company to sort our recycling and dispose of our rubbish using eco-friendly methods. This ensures that we minimize our waste and maximize recycling efforts. By using renewable energy providers, solar panels, and plant-based cleaning products, we aim to reduce our environmental footprint.

Work-Life Balance: Homeworking and Reduced Commutes

To reduce commuting-related emissions, we have made the decision to close our office on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. During these days, our team works from home, eliminating the need for daily commutes and reducing energy consumption in our office. This initiative not only contributes to a healthier work-life balance but also demonstrates our commitment to sustainable practices.

Low-carbon Staff Transport Policy: Encouraging Sustainable Commuting

We believe in leading by example, and that includes encouraging our staff to embrace sustainable commuting options. Through our low-carbon staff transport policy, employees can claim additional days’ leave when they choose lower carbon transport options for their personal trips and holidays. We have also installed electric vehicle chargers at our office and are exploring an EV scheme in collaboration with Octopus. Additionally, we offer a Cycle to Work scheme and contribute towards rail fares for those who commute by train.

Sustainable Marketing: Spreading the Message

We understand that sustainability should be at the core of our marketing efforts as well. That’s why we have made conscious choices in our marketing strategies to align with our values and promote purpose-led messaging.

Eco-friendly Brochures: Embracing Digital and Reducing Waste

In our commitment to sustainability, we have reduced the size and print runs of our brochures. Instead of automatic mailing, we now offer brochures by request and provide online access to digital versions. This approach significantly reduces paper waste and allows us to reach our customers in a more environmentally friendly manner. We have also designed our exhibition stand for travel shows to be as sustainable as possible, reusing equipment and incorporating natural and recycled materials.

Ethical Digital Partnerships: Choosing Values-aligned Agencies

When selecting our digital tools and partners, we prioritize companies that share our sustainability values. For instance, we have collaborated with Good Loop to create digital adverts that generate profits for charity through clicks. We also look for digital agencies with B-corp accreditation, ensuring that they have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. By choosing ethical digital partnerships, we aim to create a positive impact in the digital marketing space.

Open and Honest Communication: Engaging Customers in Sustainability

Transparency is key in fostering a sustainable travel community. We believe in being open and honest with our customers about our successes, challenges, and ongoing initiatives. Through our communications, we aim to educate and engage our customers in sustainable practices and draw their attention to causes and initiatives around the world that we support. Our goal is to ensure that 20% of our communications have purpose-led messaging, inspiring our customers to join us in making a difference.

Animal Protection Policy: Keeping Wildlife Wild

At Explore, we are committed to protecting wildlife and promoting responsible animal interactions. Our Animal Protection Policy ensures that all our trips operate under strict guidelines to keep animals wild and minimize human impact on their natural behavior.

No-contact Policy: Respecting Wildlife

We operate under a no-contact policy on all our trips to ensure the well-being of wildlife. This means that we prioritize observing animals in their natural habitats without any physical interaction. By maintaining a respectful distance, we allow animals to carry on with their daily activities without disturbance.

Independent Audits: Ensuring Compliance

To ensure the highest standards of animal welfare, we have implemented an independent audit system. Every year, our interactions with animals on each trip are categorized using a traffic light system. This system assesses the impact of our interactions and helps us identify areas for improvement. By regularly reviewing and improving our practices, we strive to provide responsible and ethical wildlife experiences for our travelers.

Planting Trees: A Nature-positive Reward

As part of our commitment to nature, we have partnered with Ecologi to plant trees as a nature-positive reward for our customers. Ecologi invests in a variety of projects that actively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aim to plant a billion trees by partnering with organizations worldwide. To express our gratitude and reward loyalty, we plant a tree for every customer who becomes a Platinum loyalty club member. This initiative not only helps combat climate change but also contributes to reforestation efforts around the globe.

Conclusion: Embark on an Unforgettable Family Adventure

As you plan your family trips for 2024, remember that adventure and sustainability can go hand in hand. By choosing one of our favorite family trips, you can create unforgettable memories while making a positive impact on local communities and the environment. Whether you’re exploring vibrant cultures, immersing in nature, or engaging in meaningful projects, these trips offer something for everyone in your family. Embark on an unforgettable adventure and join us in shaping a better future through responsible and sustainable travel.