We use a local guide and local Tour Leader on this tour, as well as a special mountain guide, who knows the region very well, having been leading tours up the mountain for 20 years. Our Tour Leaders are trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference.
All accommodation is locally owned and in which you experience great food, most of which is sourced locally, and lovely Sicilian wine. This not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of percolating money beyond to small businesses that supply the hotel and in this way money is spread throughout the region we visit.
Both Etna and Stromboli are both protected sites, and so we ensure we follow our responsible tourism policy of keeping it clean and having minimal impact on the environment here. When visiting Stromboli, there are no cars permitted in the region and so instead, electric cars are used to help prevent pollution and preserve the environment.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost.
This small group operator is just celebrating its 30th year and its activity vacations are very popular. Arriving at a village by bike or on foot immediately fascinates the locals and offers you an opportunity to interact as well as being great exercise and allowing you to reach far flung areas. Activity vacations are a great way to escape, get some fresh air and take life at a slower pace, allowing time for thought and reflection. In completing an active vacation, there is an element of personal development and improvement which can really help travelers focus on doing things differently or better.
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We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!
