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Responsible Travel
By choosing responsible travel, you can have the fabulous vacation that you´ve dreamed of, while ensuring that your dollar are benefiting the environment and the local people at your destination. We invite you to be stay connected to our social media channels for more information
Our Responsible Tourism Policy
What is responsible travel?
Responsible travel is travel with a purpose. When choosing destinations, accommodations and tour operators, consider which ones work to protect the environment and benefit local cultures and communities.
Who travels responsibly?
Anyone can be a responsible traveler! You can get back to nature, or bathe in luxury hike into the rainforest, or explore the city stay close to home, or travel to the exotic location of your dreams. Responsible travel provides many options, and is often very affordable.
To fulfill our mission, we offer a wide range of activities in Ecuador, from the essential travel basics (car and driver rental, domestic and international flights, boat charters, hotel reservations, and more…) to the most specialized of services such as rain forest expeditions, naturalist and scuba diving cruises in the Galápagos Islands, cultural exchange experiences, bird watching, trekking, rafting, horse riding and, stays at Spanish colonial haciendas in the inter-Andean valley
Economic Responsibility
As an important fact we also donate a percentage of our income to the local non-profit Foundation Conservation in Action, who works directly with natives from the Amazonia. In this way we can be sure that these people will receive a benefit that eco tourism gives and at the same time we are trying to protect the most beautiful places for next generations.
Environmental Responsibility
Tropic is a dynamic and professional tour operator with a reputation for excellent service and environmental responsibility. Our dedicated staff shares a special love and respect for our wilderness and traditions and so is uniquely qualified to help you make the most of your visit to Ecuador.
Our bilingual naturalist guides are among the finest in the world. They have been leading educational nature and adventure tours for many years, for visitors from all over the world, communicating in English, Spanish, German and French. Each bilingual naturalist guides bring his or her own personality and field of expertise to the interpretation of Ecuador's nature, history and culture.
Social Responsibility
We are honored to operate programs for several highly reputable companies and universities from all over the world, who share our conservation and business philosophy.
Additionally, whenever we visit the remoter regions such as the rain forest or the cloud forest we always include a local indigenous guide in our team. This not only enables our clients to learn of the cultural dimension to our natural areas, but it is one way we can ensure ecotourism is providing benefits for the people living in them.
Our goal with the company and our foundation is to provide support to native cultures in the efforts to withstand the pressures of assimilation and to protect the natural forests that are their livelihood and the essential elements of their cultural life.
We support community managed sustainable development programmes such as our new lodge developed with the Huaorani community: Huaorani Ecolodge, train nature guides, hold workshops to improve the quality of crafts and write the proposals to find the funds to make it all happen.
Responsible travel myths
Myth: I have to sacrifice quality and luxury of accommodations.
Reality: Many lodges, hotels and B&Bs have very high standards for quality and luxury. They bring nature and culture within your reach, while still assuring your level of comfort.
Myth: It´s expensive!
Reality: responsible tours and accommodations come in a range of prices, depending on the level of comfort and convenience you desire.
Myth: It´s too difficult to be a responsible traveler.
Reality: The internet maker it easy to plan and book responsible travel. When you arrive at your destination, there are simples steps you can take to make your trip environmentally and socially responsible (see “ While Traveling” on tear – off card).
Myth: It means traveling to tropical jungles.
Reality: responsible travel often brings to mind images of exotic tropical locations, but the reality is that destinations, accommodations, and tour packages exist on very continent.
Traveler´s Philanthropy
Traveler´s Philanthropy is a growing movement of travel businesses that are helping to support community projects in host countries. Increasingly, hotels and tour companies are providing financial and material assistance to projects such as schools, health clinics, and orphanages. Many are also giving tourists an opportunity to contribute to and even visit these projects. Like others, you´ll find you enrich your travel experience when you help contribute to the well – being of the places that you´re visiting.
For more information please visit:
www.travelersphilanthropy.org
Making informed choices before and during your trip is the single most important thing you can do to become a responsible traveler.
Planning your Trip
With a little planning, you can improve the quality of your trip, while making a real difference to the people and places you visit.
What is Certification?
Have you heard of the AAA or 5 – star rating systems? These long – standing labels judge hotel quality and services. Over the last decade, many ´green´ certification programs have been created. These use independent auditors to rate the environmental and social impacts of hotel ( or other tourism businesses). They help travelers to make responsible choices. A growing number of companies have earned eco – labels. We encourage you to patronize those that have.
Tropic was the first tour operator in Ecuador to sign an agreement with Rainforest Allaince and support operations that are applying best practices for Sustainable Managment in Ecuador.
What you can do while traveling
By exploring alternative travel choice, you can have a unique trip and avoid leaving negative marks on cultures, economies, and the environment.
At the hotel: Ask about environmental policies and practices. Talk with staff about working conditions. Does the hotel support community projects?
Helpful internet resources:
TIES Travel Choice Directory: www.ecotourism.org
Rainforest Alliance – Sustainable Tourism: www.rainforest-alliance.org
Planeta: www.planeta.com
Tourism Concern: www.tourismconcern.org.uk
Tour Operators Initiative: www.toinitiative.org
