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Best Ethical Travel Tour Companies

Responsible Tourism

With so much travel all around the world, it’s no surprise tourism is taking a heavy toll on our planet. From environmental destruction to residential displacement and community harm, tourism poses a threat to every destination and all walks of life.

 

As the climate crisis and over-tourism present monumental challenges to the global landscape, we have tools and strategies available to us lessen the burden tourism can have on the places we visit.

 

And from our vantage point, we have a responsibility to pick ethical travel and tour companies that emphasize harm reduction and give back to the communities when you travel.

 

We made sustainable travel part of our mission as travelers and travel bloggers, and as such, we try to keep track of the best sustainable practices and resources as best we can. 

 

So, we put together this list of some of the best ethical travel companies, services and resources so you can include ethical travel as a part of your next journey. 

 

Here is our list of tour companies that travel the right way and leave a positive impact on the communities where they operate.

Ethical Travel Explained

So you may be asking yourself, what is ethical travel? If you travel places and aren’t a jerk, wouldn’t that meet the bar?

 

Ethical Travel, in our view, takes things an extra step. It incorporates being super mindful of how your choices as a traveler impact the people, communities, and nature of your destination. 

 

Ethical Travel involves being very purposeful in the travel choices you make, such as where you visit, who you buy from, where you stay, and the tour companies you use in order to leave a positive impact! Here are our recommendations for ethical tour companies that are impacting the communities and nature in a positive way. 

 

You can read more about our mission to do more ethical and sustainable travel here.



The Best Ethical and Sustainable Travel Companies and Services to Try

If you share our passion for ethical travel, then we have a perfect list of companies that offer services you could use to make your travel more sustainable. Let’s check it out: 

Tours By Locals

Tours By Locals is a Canadian company that is exactly what it sounds like, tours given by locals. Locals give all the tours so you get the local’s perspective about a city. This is the best way to learn all about the place and they offer TONS of options of tours with something for everyone. The website is so easy to use and find any type of tour you are looking for! 

 

Much Better Adventures

Much Better Adventures is epic adventures in the wild led by all local guides and let’s face it, who would you rather lead your hikes than a local? Around 70% of all travelers are joining the tours solo, it is perfect for any and all travelers creating a welcoming community of adventurers. The prices are much more affordable than most tour companies and their trips look awe inspiring. 

 

Intrepid Travels

Intrepid Travels is a small group travel tour company that offers almost any tour you can imagine from nature tours, food tours, You can feel good about Intrepid Travel, they are a Certified B Corps company, focus on community based tourism, and have a non profit organization to give back to communities. 

One Seed Expeditions

Oneseed Expedition’s goal is to “Explore the World and Invest in the People” and it does so in so many ways. They hire local guides, invest in local entrepreneurs, protect local environments, and respect local communities. What I love about one seed is not simply the donating but giving the power in the hands of local entrepreneurs by investing in their companies and allowing them to better their communities. It is such a neat concept leaving an impact that can sustain long after your trip ends. They offer group and private trips which can be customizable or you can select from their variety of adventures with something for everything, they honestly look life changing.

 

Invisible Cities

Invisible Cities is such a cool concept, they lead tours by locals that have experience homelessness. They train the tour guides giving them experience in public speaking, customer service, and confidence building. They are only operating in 5 cities right now- York, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburg, and Glasgow. What a great way to see a city and get a learn about a place from a local who calls it home. And the best part you are helping to uplift and support the people in the community. 

Traveling for good and investing in the people and the communities you visit is so crucial to make sure we are being responsible travelers and leaving the world a little better every time we start a new adventure. And in doing so we can learn and broaden our own view points of the world and better ourselves in the process. Happy Travels! 

Check out our Ethical Sustainable Travel page for more ways to travel better! 

P.S. Looking for more about ethical travel, check out my favorite resource AFAR– it is a magazine and online publication that has TONS of information about how to travel the right way!