Responsible Tourism

• During the year 2023, we donated £1,742 (US$2,200) to Pipal Tree (including an extra £742 from The Big Give). This translates into planting 1,564 trees in Nepal. We have planted 7,102 trees in Nepal since 2022.
• In 2023, we switched our partner for planting trees in Nepal from the US charity Eden Reforestation Project to the UK charity, Pipal Tree. As a result, our cost has increased from £0.12 per tree to £1.10 per tree. However, the higher quality of Pipal Tree’s operations means their plantations are better managed so ultimately more trees will survive and thrive. On the ground, they work with a Nepalese NGO, Mithila Wildlife Trust. Their mission is to restore nature and to uplift people in Nepal through community-based conservation approaches.
• During the year 2022, we donated funds to the Eden Reforestation Project for planting 5,538 trees in Nepal.
• In June 2021, we partnered with the Eden Reforestation Project to plant trees in Nepal. Their project aims to reforest tropical forests in community forests found in the Terai Region. From January 1st, 2022 we will plant a predetermined number of native trees in Nepal for every holiday sold in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and India.
• In February 2022, we published our Carbon Action Plan for 2022 for Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.
• In 2021, we set up a GoFundMe campaign to support our trek crews in Nepal who have had no work since Autumn 2019. We raised £8k from GoFundMe and a further £5k by direct donations.
• In February 2021, we signed up to Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. You can read more about our declaration in our News section. 
• In April 2020, we launched a fundraising campaign for our trek crews in Nepal and Bhutan that lost work as a result of COVID 19. The total amount raised during 2020 came to £20k. This money has been distributed and will help the trek crews and their families survive the downturn. For more about this project, you can read the article in the Travel Trade Gazette.
• 2019: Our AITO Project Protect was selling Buff scarves to raise money for our charitable/ guides hardship fund
• 2018: Our AITO Project Protect was picking up rubbish from the trails of the Himalaya. We incorporated environmental protection into our standard operating procedures.
• 2017: Our AITO Project Project was picking up rubbish from the trails of the Himalaya
• In 2017 & 2018 we raised funds to sponsor a teacher at the school in Chalise village in Ruby Valley.
• In 2016 we raised funds for rebuilding a school in Chalise village located in the Ruby Valley region of Nepal that had been destroyed by the 2015 earthquake.
• In April 2015, Roland was living in Nepal at the time of the 7.8 Richter earthquake. We organised a Nepal Earthquake relief fund in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake raising US$15k from our clients and friends. In addition, we paid out hardship money to our guides and trek crew that lost work during the Spring season.
• In October 2005 we supported Pakistan after the 8.5 Richter earthquake caused much damage to Kashmir region. We worked with Islamic Relief to transport clothes and tents out to Islamabad for distribution.

All areas of our operations are planned with responsible and sustainable tourism in mind and we require our business partners to support this vision. Porter welfare is a top priority, we follow the International Porter Protection five guidelines and have demonstrated our support by becoming one of their financial sponsors.

From the start in 2017, we have been involved with AITO’s Project PROTECT that was launched to encourage sustainable tourism and to nurture the destinations for tomorrow's travellers. This project is led by Professor Xavier Font of the University of Surrey and each AITO member has to publish an annual pledge and report back at the end of the year on how they got along.