Galapagos Islands small ship cruise vacation

Planet

To fulfil our dedication to our valued customers and the places we explore, we prioritise providing tours that feature a strong focus on environmental sustainability and creating positive impacts on the remote destinations we visit.

CARBON REDUCTION

As a further commitment to delivering environmentally conscientious once-in-a-lifetime adventures to our customers, we ensure that we only use suppliers and operators who echo our commitments and promises. The suppliers of your Galapagos tour take their responsibility to animal welfare and the environment exceptionally seriously. The operator is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and has implemented a number of initiatives to minimise the environmental impact of its tours. This includes using public transportation whenever possible and supporting renewable energy projects. To protect the Galapagos archipelago, all cruise vessels used must have sophisticated water filtration systems, modern efficient engines, and strict maintenance schedules to minimise pollution.

On your Galapagos cruise you will be sailing aboard a small, 16 passenger capacity yacht, meaning that the vessel will create a much smaller impact on the surrounding environments than some of the larger, more cumbersome vessels in operation across the islands. Onboard, vegan and vegetarian options are available as standard, with talented chefs providing meals with low or even zero CO2 footprints.

Through the operator’s non-profit arm, they are part of the Glasgow Declaration which supports the global commitment to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050.

During your tour, you will spend hotel nights in Quito pre and post voyage. The hotel you will stay in have stringent systems in place for reducing their environmental impacts. They have an award-winning LightStay system in place to measure, report and improve upon the environmental impact if their hotels to help fight climate change, with science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. They are also taking major steps toward reducing their environmental footprint through their Watts, Water and Waste programs.

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENT

As a dedicated group of wildlife enthusiasts, our primary focus is on conservation efforts. We provide support to numerous wildlife organisations worldwide, including Save the Albatross, Wader Quest, the South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project, and many others. We have observed that our clients often return from our wildlife expeditions with an increased environmental awareness and become passionate advocates for wildlife conservation. We actively encourage our customers to contribute to the charities endorsed by us and our partners upon their return.

During this specific sailing experience, you will have the opportunity to encounter a wide variety of exceptional and captivating wildlife. We place great importance on engaging with these creatures in a responsible manner. The CEO Naturalist Guides, who will accompany you throughout the journey, are certified by the Galápagos National Park Service. They will provide you with precise guidelines on appropriate behaviour in the vicinity of wildlife. Each landing will be carefully planned to minimise impact on the local wildlife populations, and you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing conservation efforts that are being implemented to protect these remarkable species.

To reinforce our dedication to providing environmentally conscious and unforgettable experiences to our customers, we prioritise collaborating with suppliers and operators who share our values and commitments. The suppliers chosen for your Galapagos tour demonstrate a very high level of responsibility towards animal welfare and environmental preservation. Their mission statement on animal welfare states, “We believe that tourism can be a means for positive animal experiences; however, where such experiences are not carefully managed or do not exhibit high welfare standards there is potential to jeopardize animal welfare, the well-being of the local community, or the travelers’ safety. We believe that a robust animal welfare policy is an essential part of a commitment to responsible tourism and to making the world a better place.” These suppliers have embraced guidelines established by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) in collaboration with the Born Free Foundation, an external organisation committed to safeguarding vulnerable animals from mistreatment. They rely on the expertise of these organisations, as well as World Animal Protection and others, to make informed decisions when designing their tours. They actively avoid engaging with businesses that keep wild animals as pets, prohibit guests from feeding or touching wildlife, and enforce stringent policies to ensure travelers maintain a safe distance from all wild animals encountered during the tours. This approach aims to respect their habitats, minimise stress, and prevent any harm. Additionally, they support visits to recognised animal sanctuaries where wildlife thrives in a natural environment under the careful supervision of trained and experienced animal caretakers who actively promote conservation. This includes the tortoise breeding center you will have the opportunity to visit during this tour.

People

As a company we are proud of our principle based values which our community can always depend on.

LOCAL ECONOMY

We are committed to ethically working with overseas partners who employ and support local communities and local guides who know and love their region like no other, delighted to share knowledge and are dedicated to looking after our valued passengers. Likewise, the operators of this tour are fully committed to their responsibilities to the local communities that their tours visit and also support a broad range of charities throughout the world. The utmost respect is given to all local cultures and the valuable cultural sites that you may visit on your trip. Strict guidelines will be in place when visiting any cultural sites and your expert tour guides will offer information along the way.

Importantly, the operators use their innovative “Ripple Score” to give an honest evaluation of how often they use local businesses and services to create each tour. With this score you can see the percentage of the local expenses that stay in the communities you visit on any particular itinerary. The Ripple Score for this trip is 100%!

The operators state, “the foundation of our success is built on one very simple principle: Do the right thing all the time, every time. For our staff, for our travelers, for the people and places we visit.”. The utmost emphasis is placed on ensuring that every trip they operate only brings about positive effects on the places they visit. “A unique combination of respect and enthusiasm prevents us from losing sight of what matters most – community, people, cultural exchange – and reminds us that creating happiness is a privilege we all share together.” The suppliers of this trip work with locally owned businesses, including the operators of your Galapagos yacht, ensuring that your money stays where it is spent. They have numerous, very stringent, policies in place for supporting local communities and a Traveler Conduct Policy which ensures that guests visit the locations on this tour in a respectful and conscientious manner. They also have their own non-profit partner foundation that is dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides including empowering local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours.

5 of the Galapagos islands have permanent residents, and during your visits here you can embrace the opportunity to connect with the local residents. Your team will gladly provide guidance on interacting respectfully with the locals, allowing you to truly appreciate their way of life. When exploring the mainland, we're here to offer recommendations on dining experiences and hidden gems. We can also direct you to the best establishments for acquiring unique souvenirs and gifts, ensuring that your purchases directly support the talented vendors of the region.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

The operators of your tour fully commit to and celebrate individuality within their workforce and like to think of themselves as “a family – a family of diverse individuals united by a profound respect for, and enthusiastic belief in, not only our values, but each other.” They champion diversity and have a firm focus on improving diversity within all of their operations, continuously tracking progress of this. This includes the introduction of anonymised job applications, building more BIPOC and, specifically, Black narrative into their tours, a commitment to increasing diversity amongst their tour guides, buying from and partnering with BIPOC owned businesses, training staff on issues of unconscious bias in the workplace, continuously assessing their marketing approach and assets to assess how inclusive they are and much, much more. Through their non-profit partner foundation they empower 85 community tourism projects, 66 of which are run and managed by BIPOC, 14 are Black owned/managed businesses, and 9 are Black female owned/managed.