Self guided hiking vacation in Spain, Catalan Coast

Planet

All our guests are encouraged to respect the local flora, fauna and wildlife and to act responsibly. They always walk on designated paths and make sure no litter is left behind. All of our business waste is recycled where possible through a local community initiative. On arrival our guests are given information on recycling in this part of Spain. They are also given information in the form of a leaflet on how to minimize waste. During the welcome meeting we discuss the importance of the national parks they pass through, both on land and in the sea and inform them of any local sustainable development projects, such as the most recent project to reintroduce seals back to the Cap de Creus marine reserve.

We uphold the following guidelines on Responsible Tourism:
• Protect the environment – its flora, fauna and landscapes
• Benefit local communities – both economically and socially
• Minimise pollution – through noise, waste disposal and congestion
• Respect local cultures – traditions, religions and built heritage
• Conserve natural resources – from office to destination

People

Our self-guided walking vacations and tourism in general has immensely benefited the local community here in Catalonia, without tourism many of the local restaurants, hotels, guest houses and craft shops would not exist, all of which employ local staff. Many of the younger generation have also stayed due to the employment tourism brings to the community.

We also believe our guests give a positive impact on the community. We encourage all our guests to interact with the local community, this gives both the guests and locals the change to interact and embrace each other’s cultural differences. In order to limit the social impact of tourism all are guests are given information about the local customs, religion, politics and history. We encourage our guests to visit local craft shops and to buy any provisions locally.

We also employ local freelance guides who meet our customers during their welcome meeting. They are all very passionate about the region and spend part of the welcome meeting informing them of the rich culture and history this region has to offer.