Responsible Travel Policy
Accessibility
A key part of our philosophy at EDGE Travel Worldwide is accessible tourism for all; we believe that the personal benefits of travel and tourism should be available to everyone and anyone, without discrimination. We understand that accessibility issues vary beyond physical disabilities, and, as well as those with mobility issues, can include those with visible and invisible illnesses, sensory disabilities, learning difficulties, injuries, allergies, medical conditions, and the elderly. At EDGE Travel Worldwide we aim to provide barrier-free and inclusive trips wherever possible.
“This was truly an opportunity of a life time with EDGE Travel Worldwide. To set such a goal and challenge was something that we all needed and wanted after already going through such a life changing situation of losing our initial quality of life. The journey leading up to the trek was just as important as Kilimanjaro itself including weight loss, conditioning, training, health, well being and fitness. Gaining stronger self-confidence and re-invigorating self-belief has been the life change and is still positively influencing our life months and hopefully years to come.”
Environment
We recognise that smaller tour groups have less of an impact on our host destinations. We aim to make sure the nature and scale of our activities are suitable to local conditions and do not overexert local resources. With the exception of charity trips, we only lead tours in groups of up to twenty to reduce the pressure of our activity on the environment.
To help to keep the environments we visit as pristine as we found them, EDGE Travel Worldwide has a zero litter “leave-no-trace” policy for both guides and travellers.
We encourage travellers to only bring friendly products with them on trips.
When selecting local agents to use for our trips we seek to choose those who work to conserve natural resources and minimise the impact of their services on the environment in which they operate.
Environment
A key part of our philosophy at EDGE Travel Worldwide is promoting positive cultural exchanges. Not only do we try to provide our clients with a thorough insight into the culture of the host community, we also encourage our local agents and their staff to seek an insight into the way of life of our clients.
Prior to each trip we provide our travellers with information on the culture and traditions of each of the host communities we visit. We advise our travellers on how they can act in a socially responsible way with respect for local laws, practices and customs as well as how they can respect the religious beliefs of local communities. Before and during our trips we actively encourage travellers to learn a few words of the local language.
EDGE Travel Worldwide aim to bring economic value to natural and cultural resources by encouraging travellers to make donations upon visit to different sites that help towards their conservation
“Nepal has always been a dream to travel to but interacting with the local people and seeing how culture and religion are part of their everyday lives while on the EDGE Travel Worldwide Everest Base Camp trek was great.
To be invited into the Tyangboche Monastery to speak with the monks, listen to them pray and listen to a study session on Nepalese culture and history, was simply amazing”
Communities
One of the many benefits of the tourism sector is its potential to contribute to the economic development of host destinations. An important part of sustainable tourism is ensuring that the income generated is retained locally in order to maximise the benefits of tourism for the local community. EDGE Travel Worldwide aims to reduce leakage by supporting locally owned businesses and employing local guides.
Identifying good local guides and promoting their abilities with the local agent is key to set high standards of service and employment.
Developing a guide mentoring scheme where they are not in place by encouraging the local guides to help identify other potential good quality guides and offer employment.
At each of our trip destinations EDGE Travel Worldwide contribute financially to projects that benefit local communities.
Prior to each trip we provide our travellers with information on the culture and traditions of each of the host communities we visit. We advise our travellers on how they can act in a socially responsible way with respect for local laws, practices and customs as well as how they can respect the religious beliefs of local communities. Before and during our trips we actively encourage travellers to learn a few words of the local language.
EDGE Travel Worldwide aim to bring economic value to natural and cultural resources by encouraging travellers to make donations upon visit to different sites that help towards their conservation
“The Kazakhstan remote wilderness adventure was a truly incredible experience; apart from the variety of terrain we trekked in and went to, but with also interacting with the Kyrgys people and culture too. We crossed over the Kazakh Kyrgys boarder a few times and our
local crew was a mix of Kazakh, Kyrgys and Russian. Every evening the sharing of songs, dancing, jokes and stories was brilliant.
Completely unexpected! Not only was the area we went to and the itinerary unique but also the experiences we had learning about the culture and what was important to those who were acting as our guide, interpreter, cook and porters. We were really happy to provide tips at the end of the trek because we knew more about who we were giving them to, their Families and what their dreams were for their
future.”
People
To operate our trip EDGE Travel Worldwide work with a variety of partners overseas. We aim to develop and maintain good long-term working relationships with these partners to ensure the economic benefit of our collaboration for them is ongoing.
EDGE Travel Worldwide provide employment opportunities for local agents and their permanent and contracted staff in many countries around the world. A significant issue within tourism employment is the seasonal nature of tourism demand in many destinations, leaving workers unemployed for a large portion of the year. Rather than just running trips in high seasons, we aim to run our trips throughout the year where possible in order to address the seasonality issue and spread the wealth for our local crew, as well as minimising the negative impacts that come with too many visitors to destinations at one time.
“The Kazakhstan remote wilderness adventure was a truly incredible experience; apart from the variety of terrain we trekked in and went to, but with also interacting with the Kyrgys people and culture too. We crossed over the Kazakh Kyrgys boarder a few times and our local crew was a mix of Kazakh, Kyrgys and Russian. Every evening the sharing of songs, dancing, jokes and stories was brilliant.
Completely unexpected! Not only was the area we went to and the itinerary unique but also the experiences we had learning about the culture and what was important to those who were acting as our guide, interpreter, cook and porters. We were really happy to provide tips at the end of the trek because we knew more about who we were giving them to, their Families and what their dreams were for their future.”
EDGE Travel Worldwide recognises that tourism workers are often underpaid and made to work in poor conditions. We vet all of our local agents to ensure they pay their staff a fair rate for their services, follow labour regulations and care about the welfare of their permanent and contracted staff.
We aim to use local agents that provide their workforce with professional training and development opportunities.
EDGE Travel Worldwide believes in equal opportunity and treatment for all, therefore we endeavor to use local agents that employ a diverse workforce, with no discrimination against race, colour, sex, religion or social origin. We do not use agents that employ children and take measures to ensure that we, our travellers, partners and local agents are not involved in the exploitation of children or vulnerable groups.
“Before we started our trek up Kilimanjaro, my Wife and I went on a 4-day safari where we stopped off in a Maasai village to listen and learn more about their customs and how they lived day to day along with what was important to them and their future generations. Smiling and hugging a Maasai worrier was something we never thought we would ever experience, but the unexpected stop in the village left us feeling humble and happy from the encounter.”local crew was a mix of Kazakh, Kyrgys and Russian. Every evening the sharing of songs, dancing, jokes and stories was brilliant.
Completely unexpected! Not only was the area we went to and the itinerary unique but also the experiences we had learning about the culture and what was important to those who were acting as our guide, interpreter, cook and porters. We were really happy to provide tips at the end of the trek because we knew more about who we were giving them to, their Families and what their dreams were for their
future.”
“EDGE Travel Worldwide engages with local Charities, Families and Communities wherever they run international trips, which is one of the reasons we love going on the trip itself.
The interaction that happens with the local crew and their Families, along with the Community they are from, really does help to bring value to the trip experience and also helps us understand
the local culture and Community better. We always bring gifts with on trips for local Children that can help schooling and education along with in some case paying for a child to go to school for a year as their sponsor.
The value of supporting someone through their education to help fuel their dreams is sometimes overwhelming.”
“On our recent trip to Kilimanjaro with EDGE Travel Worldwide
we were delighted to learn that funding is provided each year
towards a local school that helps children who don’t have any
parents. It enables their siblings to have some time to work or
time off too which is vital. Providing a ‘Give-Back’ scheme and
getting clients to interact with the project helped enrich our
experience of the trip and was a great way to finish our brilliant
experience of Kilimanjaro and Tanzania.”
“EDGE Travel Worldwide is developing a sustainable relationship with a local Charity called ‘Feathers Tale Children’s Village’ near Moshi. The Charity and EDGE Travel Worldwide work together to not only provide a great experience of Kilimanjaro and the Safari region but to also provide essential funding into the Charity to keep the project work alive. To go and meet some of the Children was so sad but also a very happy experience in knowing there is hope for them.
The visit and donation helped cement our experience and love of Tanzania.”
“EDGE Travel Worldwide are engaged with supporting a local Charity that looks after disabled children who are targeted for abduction. Being made aware of the project was enough to get
us thinking about how we could help after our trip up Kilimanjaro. By going and seeing the people at the Charity and the Children along with the workers, volunteers and single Mothers
was heart wrenching. After spending some time there, we started to have some lovely conversations with the Mothers and the workers.
Understanding what their stories were and what their needs were enabled us to think about future ongoing support when we got back to the UK. A flash in the plan approach of support is never the right thing to do and could only understand that by being made aware before the trip and also by visiting the Charity itself.”the local culture and Community better. We always bring gifts with on trips for local Children that can help schooling and education along with in some case paying for a child to go to school for a year as their sponsor.
The value of supporting someone through their education to help fuel their dreams is sometimes overwhelming.”
EDGE Travel Worldwide as Associate members of and accreditation through the following organisations
