Sustainable travel is making the concious decision to explore the world in a way that minimises the effects your trip has on the destinations you are visiting. There are three main pillars of sustainable travel; The Environmental Pillar - focuses on reducing the negative impact our travel can have on the environment and wildlife. This could include minimising our carbon footprint by taking more direct flights, choosing train travel when covering short distances, being concious of water usage, packaging and plastic waste, and not disturbing wildlife. The Social Pillar – The social pillar is about our impact on local people and communities. A big part of this includes supporting businesses that are run by, employ and support local people, embracing community tourism projects, social enterprises and charities. The Economic Pillar – We can apply the economic pillar to using our money to positively contribute to the local economy. By being conscious of where we spend our tourist dollar we are able to discourage harmful tourism practices. At Sustainable Travel Co. we always plan your travel with these three pillars in mind.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and we can't save the world overnight. It's the little things that will make the difference in the end. Think about each part of your travel as an 'impact tool'. Ask yourself 'how can I make a little less impact with everything I do?'. You may find that your answer includes using flights with less stopovers as each landing and take off produces 90% of its carbon footprint. In Europe you might decide to take a three hour train instead of a one hour flight. You might decide to use hotels which have been recognised for using sustainable programs. You might decide to tour with a company like Intrepid or G Adventures that have spent years thinking through their effects on the places they visit, and positively contribute to local communities. You might want to start with something as simple as taking your own water bottle so you don't need to buy single use plastic bottles as you go. There are countless ways to reduce impact and they are as individual as you - you can 'be the difference'.

The Sustainable Travel Co. has decided to support two charities. Both are active in protecting forests as we believe that trees are the lungs of the earth and essential to our planet's health. Our friends at Forest & Bird say "New Zealand is home to a large number of unique plants and animals found nowhere else on earth, but nature on land is under threat from introduced predators, development, intensive farming, and climate change.. " We love their work protecting New Zealand from deforestation, fighting climate change and conserving our country's diverse flora and fauna. You can find out more about them at https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/ A global approach is taken by The Rainforest Foundation, and they are the worlds biggest NGO working on forestry protection worldwide. The Foundation’s national organizations specialize in different geographies, with Rainforest Foundation US working mostly in Central and South America, Rainforest Foundation UK working mostly in the Congo Basin and Rainforest Foundation Norway operating across the tropical belt. Their financials are transparent and you can find out more about them at https://rainforestfoundation.org/

When we mention sustainable hotels some people might picture a cabin in the woods, but this is far from the truth. Sustainable hotels range from 7 star glamping safaris and eco resorts in African game parks to 1 star 'mum and dad' establishments on beaches in Malaysia. The common characteristic is that the management of the hotel property will be more concerned with tomorrow than today. These hotels are businesses that significantly reduce their environmental impact through green best-practices in maintenance, services, logistics, products, and supplies. The core elements revolve around reducing waste, saving energy, and cutting down on water usage. Sustainable hotels are often designed respecting the environment and the area where they’re located. In many cases, they will implement efficient lighting systems, low pressure water installations and try to generate some of their own energy. In addition to this concern for the environment, eco-friendly hotels often try to benefit the their local community by consuming local products and services.

Air Travel burns carbon dioxide and impacts negatively on our environment. However for us Kiwis to explore the world there is no other practical option than flying. At the Sustainable Travel Co. we strongly believe that people benefit greatly by seeing how other cultures and society's live and breathe, and further that we can make a positive impact on the places that we travel to. To find out more have a look at this website myclimate.org. This international initiative with Swiss roots is one of the world’s leaders in voluntary CO₂-​compensation measures. Its customers include large, medium-​sized and small companies, public administrations, non-​profit organisations, event organisers and private individuals. The high-​quality projects promote quantifiable climate protection and greater sustainability worldwide. CO₂ emissions are currently compensated voluntarily by means of more than 144 climate protection projects in 41 countries.

Not at all. At the Sustainable Travel Co. we can provide you with a range of options to choose from and we can work with any budget. Our background in the travel industry since 2003 means that we are always concerned with finding value for our customers. We use travel wholesalers that have exclusive deals, and tour operators with locally sourced deals in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. You will often find that because some of our packages include boutique suppliers that our prices are likely to be very competitive.

We're passionate travelers like you. We enjoy walking in Europe and lazing on the beach in Fiji. We're happy on a cycling holiday in Canada, or a foodies tour in Morocco. We have over 30 years experience in finding people great travel deals. We believe that the future of travel is sustainable. At the front of our thought process and booking process for our valued clients is how we can See The World and Be The Difference and positively impact the environment and local communities that we visit. You could say it's a journey just to try and be sustainable. Why don't you come with us.