CONSCIOUS TRAVEL
Sustainable travel is essential for preserving the world's natural and cultural resources for future generations. By requiring conscious travel practices from our tour operators, staff, and participants for all our trips, we encourage responsible and respectful engagement with local communities and environments.
Quite simply, embarking on an adventure in nature with us to engage with our projects is the best way to fulfill our mission of fostering positive global connections, gaining perspectives, and raising funds to co-create.
“Conscious travel is making sure that when traveling, you do so mindfully, taking into consideration the impact of your trip on the environment and the people around you.”
The 3 Guiding Principles of Sustainable Travel
Implement environmentally-friendly practices, such as minimizing gas usage and trash production.
Protect natural and cultural heritage areas, such as natural parks and historic sites.
Support local communities, such as employing local staff, buying local products, and engaging in charity work.
Why do we believe this is important?
Earth’s resources are limited.
There is growing research that at our current rate of consumption of Earth's resources, there will not be enough for our future children just less than seven generations from now.
Due to the overuse of resources and excess carbon emissions, the current change in environmental climate is already making for difficult living situations with more frequent natural disasters and less ability to grow much-needed food and provide clean water.
We believe in sustainable tourism - bringing global awareness to travel and putting it into action. It was a top priority for the United Nations in 2017, and is upheld as one of Trek Relief’s core values.
What does this look like on our trips?
We encourage the following practices on our trips, and as a conscious lifestyle choice.
Transportation
We curate our trips to promote human-powered methods of transportation.
We understand that in most cases air travel is required to attend our trips, and would like our travelers to be aware of the different levels of carbon emissions associated with various modes of transport. We have listed them in order of least to greatest carbon footprint, as well as some suggestions for greener choices.
By foot (walking, running, hiking, etc.)
By bicycle
By animal (horse, mule, etc.—taking into consideration animal welfare)
Trains
Buses
Vehicles (choose those that are fuel-efficient or run on electric power/alternative fuels; carpool when possible)
Boats (especially natural or human-powered)
Airplanes (minimize the number of flights, including layovers)
Accommodations & Hygiene
Reuse bed linens & towels (and clothes) multiple times before laundering to reduce water and energy needs
Bring your own toiletries in reusable travel containers to minimize the generation of waste. Choose biodegradable/reusable products whenever possible
Avoid putting anything besides human byproducts in toilets, including toilet paper - our hosts will thank us for not clogging their pipes!
Food & Drink
Bring a reusable bottle for water instead of using disposable water bottles
Use reusable/regular tableware (spoons, forks, bowls) instead of disposable ones. Or bring your own!
Use a handkerchief or bandana instead of napkins
Avoid food waste and overproduction by not ordering more food than you can personally eat. Encourage composting
Trash & Recycling
Practice the simple principle of “Leave No Trace.” Take out what you bring in, and bring a zippered/sealable bag to carry your own trash
Minimize trash and waste as much as possible. Avoiding purchasing heavily packaged items. Reuse packaging if possible
We encourage proper recycling when disposable materials cannot be avoided, even if it means holding onto them a bit longer to get to a proper receptacle
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
Preserving Natural and Cultural Heritage
Follow all government-imposed rules for treating natural areas, such as staying on the trails to respect the environment
Do not contaminate water sources (lakes, beaches, rivers, etc.) with chemical products such as sunscreen, non-biodegradable soap, etc
Avoid defecating in natural areas unless permitted. If permitted (i.e. in the backcountry), then do so in a 6-inch (15 cm) deep hole that is at least 100 ft (300 m) away from water sources
Avoid visiting places that are endangered to allow for natural restoration
Supporting Local Economies
Utilize local services (especially small independent businesses) as much as possible for everything: lodging, food, services, etc. Buy groceries and gifts from local farms or farmers’ markets. This decreases carbon footprints and improves the local economy.
Bring a reusable shopping bag or backpack to carry your purchases
Safety and Security
To best protect you and all of our group members, we require comprehensive travel insurance in the case of medical emergencies and logistics. We’ve specially partnered with USI Travel Insurance Services to provide adequate coverage for our trips at a special rate.
Making Conscious Choices in Everyday Life
Mindful Consumption
If every person adopts these practices as personal habits, then collectively we could make a big enough impact and influence over our lifetimes that our future generations can also enjoy the beauties of this planet.
Practice these actions and share the importance of them with others in your own community as well as abroad.
Trip Reflection & Integration
We believe that a meaningful journey doesn’t end when you return home. Reflection is a vital step in integrating the lessons, insights, and experiences from your trip into daily life. Through journaling prompts crafted to inspire self-awareness, we encourage you to explore your personal growth and the impact of your journey. This practice of intentional reflection helps deepen connections, transform perspectives, and infuse your adventures with lasting purpose.
Embrace "Conscious Travel" with us by taking time to pause, reflect, and integrate all you’ve discovered.
