We support and run our company following responsible and sustainable tourism guidelines. We aim to fulfill the following mission statements in making our company as sustainable and supporting of local ventures and people as possible.
In the Office
Local builders reused and preserved windows / original features of our Headquarters where possible.
We recycle all glass, plastic, paper & printer / fax ink cartridges that pass through the office.
Our staff are local people who live in the area where we run our tours and are familiar with the landscape, culture and language. Our staff receive a fair wage and are protected by the social security standards of the country.
We encourage local student work experience ventures where possible in order to give experience and opportunity to local Tourism students in the course of their study.
Electricity:
- We use natural daylight as our main light source for most of the working day.
- We do not have air-conditioning in our office. Due to the way the office is built with deep exterior walls, the summer heat is kept out.
- Computers and appliances are turned off at night and not left on standby.
On Tour
We aim to keep our group sizes small to minimize the impact on the landscape and village resources.
We encourage travellers to be economical about water use and provide information for doing so. We take efforts to educate our guests about the serious problems plaguing Southern Iberia, concerning its drought and water usage
We carry flora & fauna identification guide books and
binoculars to appreciate the wildlife here.
We publish our own guide book specifically for each tour citing the historical importance of the towns and pueblos passed as well as highlighting issues affecting these places, cultural fiestas and particular or notable wildlife / geographical features. We also send a pre-tour info sheet informing our guests of some of the cultural, social and climatic issues they may face whilst travelling.
We offer, where possible, tours or meetings with local entrepreneurs who are involved in sustainable projects or businesses which benefit the environment.
We sort and recycle all plastics, paper, glass and tins used on tour.
We strongly advise people who fly to Spain, Portugal or England to neutralise their carbon emissions.
Pamphlets are only printed on recycled paper and brochures are all digitially published to reduce paper use. Any maps which are used on each tour are re-used for other tours.
Andalucia is an area of high unemployment and we encourage and provide information on utilising local shops, restaurants, hotels and other artisanal providers as well as promoting travelling with sensitivity concerning the economics of others.
City tours use small, local guiding business run by young entrepreneurs who we feel have a similar philosophy to ours and who are native to the country or town.
In each destination, we will endeavor to answer any questions clients may have about the culture, projects, etc and encourage interaction between them and the local communities we travel through .
Above all, we believe it is all about the bike and run our tours with an enthusiasm we hope will be passed on and which will encourage more people to take up cycling as a viable and tremendously good way to travel every day.
Find out more about the important issues facing tourism worldwide:
Tourism Concern - campaigning for fair and ethically traded tourism
World Tourism Organization - promoting the global code of ethics for tourism
Climate Care - donate online to offset your travel related carbon emissions
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