Before your departure, we invite you to read the Traveler's Charter of Ethics and to respect the recommendations for responsible travel.
By taking into account a number of aspects, our travel can leave a positive mark on the destination we visit. It is our contribution to a better world to travel in.
Embodying the concept of ethics in a company is a fundamental step towards commitment. And the issue should not just be a matter of fine words: we must get down to work and generate good practices that endorse and fulfill it.
The commitment extends to all stakeholders who are part of the company's day-to-day business: the actions of each of us affect society and the whole world, and we therefore invite them to read and comply with these principles.
With the presentation of our code of ethics, from Cusco we intend to encourage the collaboration and responsibility of each and every one of us when it comes to managing a trip and enjoying it, because the goal is a better world to travel now and in the future.
Inevitably, talking about a code of ethics in tourism leads us to talk about what it means to be a responsible traveler.
You are a responsible traveler when you have in the spirit of your trip the respect for the people who welcome you, for their culture, their customs and their natural environment.
It is necessary to be careful when traveling and to be correctly informed about the destination, but what is fundamental is to respect the rules established in the place visited, especially in those with which there is a great cultural difference.
The footprint left by our passage through the receiving populations can generate negative effects, which are often produced by ignorance, and most of the time unintentionally. For this reason, we would like to mention a series of aspects that will help us to travel in an ethical and respectful manner.
- Respect is the best business card in the world. Let us treat people, their beliefs and religions with respect. Let us open our minds to accept other truths, let us make the most of cultural differences, which are what enriches us the most.
- When we are in another country or in another culture, let us always keep in mind that we, the travelers, are the guests. Respect their customs, do not act as clients of a country.
- Do not give money to children, no matter how much they insist. Children should know that going to school will be their future. This will prevent them from skipping school to get quick money.
- In developing countries it is not advisable to leave medicines in the population, as they can be a risk to the physical integrity of those who receive them if they do not know how to administer them correctly. It is necessary to make sure to leave them in hospitals or health entities that make good use of them, and in this way we will also avoid a possible traffic of interests.
- Accept with positivity and patience the setbacks, such as possible laughs generated by our lack of knowledge of the environment, a possible refusal of entry in a place that does not accept tourists, slow bureaucracy at borders...
- Respect the rules and customs in places of worship.
- Take care of the historical places we visit as if they were our own home.
- Respect for human rights: we must be unequivocally against sex tourism, which takes advantage of the misery of the countries that welcome us. Child sexual exploitation is a punishable offense, both in the place where it takes place and in the country of residence of the person who commits it.
- Do not buy or use drugs: they promote the black market and their possession and consumption pose a high risk to the traveler himself.
Respect for nature is respect for our home, the Earth. It is necessary to follow the regulations in natural parks and to comply with the taxes or entrance fees means to collaborate with the preservation of the environmental patrimony.
- Nature must be left as it is when it receives us. Respect silence, cleanliness, do not incorporate foreign species to the visited ecosystems: it can be devastating for the native fauna and flora.
- Respect the distance with wild animals, do not scare them and do not disturb their tranquility, for their well-being and for the traveler's own safety.
- Let's use the trails or paths that have already been marked out. Do not disturb the daily life of animal and plant species.
- Let us not subtract from the landscape its fruits, plants, minerals, shells, corals, archaeological remains... let us preserve its harmony.
- Let's use water well: let's enjoy quick showers rather than baths.
- If we stay more than one day in the same hotel, we should reuse towels and sheets to save water and electricity.
- Make good use of electricity. Do not waste it: in many countries, its generation is a very polluting process.
- Recommended travel material: personal water bottle or canteen to refill with water (in countries where it is not necessary to buy bottled water), use biodegradable personal hygiene products, sunscreen milk rather than oils that harm the sea, solar chargers that will make us save on batteries and avoid waste...
The world is affected by the serious problem of global warming, and we have to act together. Climate change is mainly caused by the excessive CO2 accumulated in the atmosphere, which is the consequence of the way and pace of life and consumption of industrialized countries, and affects everyone, including developing countries, which in turn are the most vulnerable to its serious effects (extreme weather events).
Every time we turn on the lights, the heating, or travel in cars, boats or airplanes, we are emitting CO2. Being aware of this makes us responsible. It is about living and traveling in a conscious way, taking responsibility for the consequences of these CO2 emissions. For our own benefit, for the benefit of all.
- During your trip, take a walk, or use a bicycle or other non-polluting means of transport.
- The train and local buses are magnificent resources for saving CO2 emissions and an excellent way to interact with local populations.
- If we are going to use it, let's carpool.
- Did you know that you can offset the CO2 emissions of your trip? Enter our Projects section, there you will also find those related to the environment. Participating in them is an absolutely voluntary but very beneficial act.
For more information about global warming and what to do to stop it, we recommend you to visit these NGOs: WWF and Greenpeace.
- Waste: In terms of waste, the traveler can leave a positive impact, especially in countries that do not have a regular collection system. Do not leave our garbage anywhere, the local populations will gradually become aware if they see us acting correctly. Carry garbage bags and keep the waste until you can dispose of it correctly. If we have spent some time in natural areas, leave them as they were when we arrived. Alert to plastics: never throw them into the sea or near waterways. Beware of fire and smokers' cigarette butts, which take more than two years to decompose.
- Shopping: When shopping for souvenirs, value the offerings of local producers, buy handicrafts and regional products that have a direct impact on the local economy. In this way, our contribution as a traveler will support local development. Whenever possible, stick to the principles of fair trade and when bargaining, keep in mind the concept of fair payment.
Avoid buying any original object or piece that could be archaeological heritage of the country, as well as live or dead animals, or pieces that encourage black market and illegal trafficking (e.g. ivory or skins) and its consequent impact on biodiversity and species extinction.
It is good to bargain in a positive tone and with a sense of humor and not in an aggressive manner. Let's reach an agreement through bargaining in which we offer a fair payment.
- Photographs and filming may disturb the people we want to portray. Always ask for permission before taking a photo, especially when taking pictures of children and also in Muslim countries.
- Tipping is not obligatory, but in many countries it is a reward for the quality of a job that is not included in the wages. The tip must be proportional to the cost of living in the place you are visiting.
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