Family adventure vacation to Cuba

Environment

On our family tour to Cuba we take the chance to visit the lesser-known destination of Topes de Collantes where we sleep under the stars and stay at a hacienda hosted by the local community. They cook wholesome local food for us and also provide the guides that we use on our walks in the area. By staying at the hacienda we support local people directly and use minimal resources when compared to staying at a hotel. The night in the hacienda is always listed as a highlight of the tour by our customers as they have a chance for interaction with the locals, which is often much harder in larger cities.

In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators. We acknowledge that air travel has a negative impact on our environment, so we work together with Cool Earth to offset carbon and protect our important rainforests.

Community

We use a local tour leader which not only ensures we maximise the income and employment opportunities for local people, but also that we get first hand information on life in Cuba. Our ground handling agent in Cuba is locally owned and run and the majority of the hotels we stay in are locally run and not part of a chain of hotels or other large conglomerates that dominate tourism in Cuba. We also encourage our groups to eat in small Paladars run by the locals. Whilst the menu options may be more limited in Paladars compared to the hotel restaurants, by eating in them it not only supports the local economy but also gives our customers a real insight into the realities of Cuban life.