Textile tour of Himachal & Punjab, India

Planet

We aim at minimizing the adverse impacts of tourist travel and maximizing its positive effects. We put a lot of thought in working with local providers, making sure that everyone involved in your trip is committed to sharing advice on how to best leave a lighter footprint. Our partner in India was awarded the CSR Committed Seal for Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility in tourism.

We are trying to keep the extra unneeded waste to a minimum in all our tours through our “bring it in, bring it out” policy for litter and rubbish such as food packaging and recycling wherever possible. We have a recycling policy in our UK and local offices and re-use or recycle the information booklets we provide to every client on arrival wherever possible. Moreover, we do not produce a glossy brochure, concentrating on a comprehensive website, and providing as much information to our travelers as possible electronically, reducing the use of paper and inks.

Our partner in India is moreover part of the Beat Plastic Pollution drive. As a first step towards this good cause, plastic in the form of water bottles has been banned within the organisation. An Aluminium Water Tumbler has been designed as a special handout for all employees to place on their work stations and use for consuming water.

Transport
On your trip we will include transport modes like traditional rickshaws. a train ride and a city walking tour in Jaipur, which reduces our carbon footprint and will also give you the opportunity to meet and interact with the local people. If motorized forms are unavoidable, we make sure that vehicle sizes are as small as appropriate and proper licensing on vehicles and certifying to national emission standards are maintained.

Accommodation
For your tour we choose responsible resorts as much as possible, just like the The Cecil in Shimla, part of the Oberoi group. Oberoi hotels are committed to employing the best environmental and ecological practices in technology, equipment and operational processes. Through your stay you will contribute to an organization which is using natural products and recycling items, thus ensuring proper use of the diminishing natural resources.

Buildings:

Through this trip and the entrance fees, you will contribute to the preservation of precious ancient monuments, knowledge and Unesco World Heritage sites, such as the Golden Temple of course, or monasteries in Mcleod Ganj, demonstrating the exceptional results achieved in planning and architecture. You can also contribute to the maintenance of the most the most important pilgrimage site and spiritually the most important shrine of Sikhism - the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Our tour guides receive special training in how to leave a lower impact on the nature trips and in regional conservation projects. Our guides are actively promoting nature conservation practices such as not disturbing wildlife, keeping a safe distance to wildlife, reducing production of disturbing sounds, prohibiting feeding, avoiding litter at all times, using water sparingly and not polluting with harmful detergents, avoid being intrusive when taking photographs, dressing appropriately and in subdued colours when wildlife watching, etc.

People

We make sure we only work with local guides that come from the very region you are visiting, giving back to their families and communities.

While many operators pay per day or per tour, our guides receive an hourly rate which allows a fair and fruitful reward for their expertise. We provide staff with written employment contracts and fair working conditions (e.g. overtime payment, national wage requirements, no discrimination, grievance mechanisms in place and no child labour).

Furthermore we ensure that our drivers do not more than 9 hours of driving per day and are provided adequate accommodation and do not drive at night (with the exception of airport pick-ups/drop-offs). After a driving period of 4.5 h the driver must take a break of at least 45 min. Our tour guides also receive special training in how to leave a lower impact on the trips and in regional conservation projects.

You will also support local communities by staying at on of the Leisure Hotels, as the group provides livelihood and support to more than 250 families directly or indirectly, training and capacity building programmes for the local unemployed youth and Nature Guide training as well as an outlet for the marketing of the locally made handicraft.

If you want to do additional shopping, we will take you to local markets, for example to the wooden crafts market in Shimla, where locals of that very region craft their products to help keep the money earned in that very community. We make sure we change the selected shops, restaurants and markets on a rotating basis to distribute the income to the local communities more evenly. Also we make sure food stops are at locally owned cafes or restaurants and give customers recommendations on locally owned shop and restaurants, especially new start-ups.

We ensure customer awareness by familiarizing our guests with local history, culture, religions and traditions, by informing on culturally appropriate behavior, (e.g. dress codes for religious sites, taking photographs of people, language tips, etc.).