Positive impact through travel

Avoiding mass tourism is not a trend for us. It is a consequence of how Ventura Travel is built. Our purpose is to enable travel that creates real interaction, learning, and inspires responsibility. This is incompatible with large scale, extractive tourism models that isolate travelers, concentrate value, and put pressure on destinations without long-term benefit. Mass tourism optimises for volume and convenience. We optimise for depth, local value creation, and long-term partnerships. That choice shapes how our trips are designed, how long they last, and who we work with people on the ground.

Sustainability in travel raises difficult questions, and we believe they deserve clear answers. This section addresses the doubts, tensions, and trade offs that come with responsible travel, without simplifying or avoiding the uncomfortable parts.

Responsible mobility
Mobility creates the largest share of travel emissions. We design trips to reduce flights wherever possible and make unavoidable impacts transparent.

• Avoiding short trips We do not offer short long distance trips and keep distance and duration in balance.
• Rail before flight We promote rail and fly options and avoid domestic feeder flights when alternatives exist.
• Direct routing We prioritize direct flights over connections when flying cannot be avoided.
• Low flight itineraries We design itineraries with as few internal flights as possible.
• Public transport first We prioritize public transport for local transfers where feasible.
• Slow transport We integrate walking, cycling, canoeing, and other low impact transport.

Destination and biodiversity protection
Travel should protect ecosystems and cultural heritage rather than overload them.

• Avoiding overuse We avoid destinations and sites already under heavy tourism pressure.
• Small groups Group sizes are adapted to destinations and limited in sensitive areas.
• Park cooperation We follow national park rules and cooperate with local authorities.
• Sensitive area behavior Travelers are guided on how to behave in fragile ecosystems.
• Cultural care Visits to heritage sites are planned to reduce pressure and damage.
• Rainforest Protection Part of our revenue funds Amazon conservation via Forest Guardians.

Animal welfare in tourism
We avoid travel activities that harm animals and actively support wildlife protection where we have impact.

• No exploitation We exclude activities involving abusive or unnatural animal handling.
• Ethical use Where animals are part of local life, partners follow welfare guidelines.
• Wildlife respect Encounters are designed to minimize disturbance and stress.
• Research for protection We fund biodiversity research and monitoring through Forest Guardians.

Community and local value creation
Tourism should strengthen local livelihoods and decision-making.

• Local partners We work primarily with locally owned guides, hotels, and restaurants.
• Fair conditions We expect fair pay, working hours, and respectful treatment.
• Community ownership We support community-based tourism, owned and managed locally.
• Rotational systems We rotate partners so benefits reach more than one family.
• Social funding Traveler donations and revenue shares support community projects through V Social.

Waste and pollution management
Reducing waste and pollution is essential, especially in regions with limited infrastructure.

• Reusable solutions We encourage refillable bottles and reusable containers.
• Waste guidance Guides provide guidelines on reducing waste and responsible disposal.
• Carry out trash Travelers are encouraged to take back trash where systems are lacking.

Responsible partners and suppliers
Responsibility applies across our entire supply chain.

• Clear standards Partners commit to social, environmental, and ethical guidelines.
• Codes of conduct Contracts include human rights and child protection clauses.
• Local agencies We prioritize agencies employing local staff and expertise.
• Regular reviews Partners are reviewed and improved through ongoing dialogue.

Tour guides and on-trip responsibility
Guides are key to responsible behavior and learning on the ground.

• Guide training Guides receive training on sustainability, ethics, and wildlife rules.
• Cultural mediation Local guides support respectful exchange with communities.
• Child protection Guides are trained on child protection policies and reporting.
• Group management Group size and behavior are actively managed on trips.

Transparent communication with travelers
Responsible tourism requires informed decisions by travelers.

• Honest information Trips are described realistically without exaggeration.
• CO₂ transparency We inform travelers about emissions and climate impact.
• Behavior guidance Guests receive guidance on cultural respect and waste reduction.
• Clear pricing Prices are transparent with no hidden costs.

Sustainable corporate travel
We apply sustainability principles to business travel as well.

• Travel review Business trips are reviewed and avoided when virtual options exist.
• Rail preference Trains are prioritized over flights for short distances.
• CO₂ compensation For all corporate travel we compensate 100% of the CO₂ caused by required business trips.

Internal responsibility and company practices
Sustainability also applies to how we work as a company.

• Green office We use renewable electricity and reduce paper and waste.
• Fair work We offer fair pay, flexible work models, and development options.
• CSR training All team members receive a training on social and environmental responsibility.
• Team engagement Fair Days and Fundraising events enable hands on involvement.

We are currently defining our long-term impact goals across environmental, social, and operational areas. This process includes internal analysis, external benchmarks, and alignment with independent standards to ensure that our goals are measurable, relevant, and achievable.

While we have been committed to positive impact from the start, we know that clear, measurable goals are essential as we grow. We therefore work with external experts who guide and review our work.

We work with independent organizations and networks that hold us accountable and push responsible travel forward. Membership is not a label for us, but a commitment to shared standards, learning, and long term impact beyond our own operations.

Independent awards help validate our work by assessing actions and impact rather than intentions, and by holding us to external standards beyond our own claims.

Forest Guardians turns travel into long term rainforest conservation. It is built by an alliance between Ventura TRAVEL, the V Social Foundation, and the Indigenous community Sinchi Warmi, our partner since 2017. Together we develop community-led conservation that transfers stewardship back to Indigenous communities, funds regular forest patrols, and supports biodiversity monitoring rooted in both science and ancestral knowledge. Your trip helps finance land protection, monitoring, and community initiatives so the forest has more value alive than destroyed. In the Amazon, Sinchi Warmi are protecting 350,000 m² of vulnerable rainforest through an Indigenous-owned reserve that strengthens culture, livelihoods, and biodiversity.

VSocial focuses on the areas where community-based tourism can create long term change: preserving cultures, protecting the environment, empowering women, developing youth training, and building peace. In practice, this means supporting indigenous and rural communities to preserve traditions through cultural exchange, strengthening women-led cooperatives through training and education, creating opportunities for young people through skills and employment in tourism, and enabling tourism initiatives that help post-conflict communities build livelihoods and shift perceptions.

Projects that created positive impact:

Four times a year we pause normal work for a Fun Day, a Fair Day, and a Focus Day each quarter. This adds up to four Fair Days per year. On these days, vMembers can take up to one day off if they use the time to support a fair cause. This can mean cleaning up a neighborhood, spending time with elderly people, or providing practical support for people experiencing homelessness. Because many of us work remotely, we often agree on one shared theme and then take action in parallel across many locations worldwide at the same time for the same cause.

Some impacts are still too high, some data still incomplete, and some changes take longer than we would like. We continue to work on reducing emissions, improving transparency, and addressing limits that require broader industry change.

Sustainability at Ventura Travel is implemented through concrete decisions and standards across our operations, trips, and partnerships. The following actions show how responsibility is translated into daily practice, from trip design to internal processes and long term partnerships.

Laura coordinates CSR as full-time CSR Coordinator, supported by a CSR Lead role that ensures strategic alignment, impact measurement, and continuous development. Together, the team represents CSR perspectives internally and externally, and ensures that social and environmental considerations are embedded in everyday business operations.

If you want to get in touch with us, contact: csr@venturatravel.org

The V Social Foundation and the Forest Guardians team are also full-time team members within Ventura Travel. Their work focuses on community-based tourism, social development projects, and long-term rainforest protection. These teams translate CSR principles into concrete action on the ground, working closely with local partners and communities. The Foundation team is further supported by additional project coordinators and contributors, whom you can get to know on their website.

Learn how the community Mucuyche in Yucatan, Mexico, thrives through tourism and how V Social has supported them along the way.

Responsibility for sustainability does not stop with dedicated teams. All vMembers have a role in CSR. Team members receive training, are expected to apply sustainability standards in their daily work, and are accountable for implementing them consistently. This shared responsibility is essential to creating real impact and maintaining credibility.