Travel Inn’s Responsible Tourism Policy
ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY
- We ensure that the financial benefits of tourism are passed down throughout the entire company, including the office staff, guides, naturalists and the wildlife communities in which we work
- We use hotels and resorts at a destination whose drivers, guides and support staff have been selected and trained from local communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
- We reduce paper wastage in our office by not producing any form of paper brochures. All communications are by email and paper mail is rarely sent or received. Our brochure is only printed when required (on average every 3-4 years), to eliminate excess wastage. We have reduced the need for paper in our office by the use of computer technology.
- We have an ongoing training of our guides and naturalists to ensure high standards of environmental care and responsible behaviour.
- We have various office initiatives to reduce our impact on the environment and use of energy: we recycle all paper, wear thick jumpers in winter, use local suppliers whenever possible, encourage the use of public transport by staff, and strive for a paper-free office.
- We undertake regular meetings to discuss Responsible Tourism and make sure that all staff are involved in the decision-making process and encouraged to contribute.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IN THE NATIONAL PARKS & WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
- Travel Inn ensures that our lodge-partners brief our clients about the park-rules properly, as we are committed to respecting park-rules and creating awareness about environment concerns, which is helpful in providing a good wildlife experience to clients.
- We work with wildlife-lodges which are environment-friendly and follow ethical practices, as we give emphasis on overall learning of wildlife, birdlife, environment, local cultures, tribal lives and people around the park. Our park safaris are conducted by trained naturalists, who help in preparing a check-list of sightings of mammals, birds, insects, plants, trees, as a responsible tourism initiative.
- Our clients travel in well maintained vehicles driven by experienced drivers, which is also helpful for environment and protecting fragile nature of our park’s eco-system, as vehicles in good condition cause lesser pollution.
- Our prompt payment-policy ensures everyone in the chain is paid their wages timely, which keeps the ground staff happy, including park-guides and drivers, and ensures better delivery of services for our clients.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- We encourage our clients to act in a responsible manner. Our guides and naturalists are professionally qualified and have a great passion for their work. Not only will they tell you about the history of the places you will visit but they will also be able to tell you about the culture and the local traditions and superstitions.
- We are particular and committed towards using hotels and resorts which follow environmental policy.
- Our associate offices all across India employ local people and pay them a fair wage helping to put money into the local economy.
- We contribute directly to many community projects as mentioned in our Initiatives mentioned below:
Travel Inn Initiatives
Over the years, we have realised that ecotourism constitutes an important part of any travel experience. With concern to our environment and its preservation we contribute to some of the conservation initiatives, a couple of which are listed below:
TRAVEL OPERATORS FOR TIGERS
Say NO to Bear Dancing
Adopt a rare bird
India alone has 8 critically endangered, 10 endangered, 57 vulnerable and 52 near threatened species. Action on almost a war footing is required to save specific species and their habitats. Hence to meet the dual objectives of bringing awareness and raising funds to action the conservation programme, BNHS has executed a campaign titled Adopt-A-Rare-Bird. Travel Inn has extended its support to this campaign and has adopted two rare species – Malabar Pied Hornbill and Nilgiri Laughing Thrush
Naturalist Training Programme
The Park Naturalist Programme is designed to establish a pool of knowledgeable individuals that magnify the abilities of the Extension Service and others to deliver quality wildlife education programme. The programme is designed to familiarize participants with basic knowledge about the landscape, natural history and wildlife. Over a ten-day period, trainees are schooled in a wide range of topics that integrate information about the forested landscape (basic geology, geomorphology and hydrology), the habitats that make up the landscape, and the major groups of organisms that live within these habitats. The connections and interactions of habitats and organisms on broader regional and global scales are also addressed, along with key socially important issues regarding the environment, such as community and habitat conservation. The underlying theme of this training programme is that the habitats exist and function as integrated parts of the overall landscape. As such, this programme is largely habitat-based and focuses attention on the major habitat types that are spread across the country.
Change for Children
Travel Inn in association with its travel partner, On The Go Tours UK, are helping to transform the lives of the underprivileged children of two adopted local schools in small villages in Abhaneri & Karauli, Rajasthan. In support of the local children in these villages, On The Go Tours provides all its travelers to India with a special envelope in which to place all their unwanted foreign currency. This money is then put to work by purchasing clothing, educational supplies and other desperately needed items for underprivileged children in the care of these adopted schools.