Under 30 Turkey tour

Environment

The biggest contribution we make to managing the impact of our transportation on the local environment is to travel on public transport. This entire itinerary uses public or shared transport facilities, and this will only change if we feel that the impact of our group on the transport route is adversely affecting the local community. Traveling on local buses, ferries and trains not only lessens the emissions we create but allows for a more local tour by way of interaction and understanding of the local culture.

In an effort to reduce single-use plastic during this trip we provide reusable cloth bags to all of our travelers. It’s easy to use plastic excessively, especially during the warmer months. However, we encourage our travelers to buy large 5-10 litre bottles to refill their smaller water bottles. We have also introduced water refill stations in most of our hotels where you can pay to refill your existing water bottle. A reusable bottle is highly recommended on this trip.

Community

This trip is run by our own local Turkish operator who shares our commitment to responsible travel, from waste and water management to ensuring we leave as minimal a footprint as possible. By establishing our own local operator in country, we have created employment opportunities and invested in educating local industry experts in responsible business practices. Our hotel providers are also locally owned and share our commitment of working together for a more sustainable travel industry.

This trip supports many aspects of the Turkish economy, from public transport to local hotels and restaurants. We select our providers with care and ensure that their attitude to their business is aligned with our own. We are also actively assessing our supply chain to ensure a fair deal for all genders in Turkey.

We have a foundation which was set up to empower travelers to give back to the communities they visit. It now supports more than 50 local, grassroots projects around the world. Over the past 15 years, the foundation has distributed over AU $5 million to projects tackling areas such as sustainable development, human rights, child protection, environmental conservation, wildlife protection, education and healthcare. Our foundation supports two projects in Turkey: Small Projects Istanbul and Support to Life. Small Projects Istanbul is an initiative that supports those displaced by conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, helping them to rebuild their lives. Whilst Support to Life helps communities build capacity for disaster preparedness, provides emergency relief to disaster-affected areas and offers refugee support.