Responsible Travel & Sustainable Tourism

Sharing our country with visitors, particularly its natural spaces, is important to us.

We recognise the urgent threat that climate change poses to the natural areas we cherish and the need to preserve them for future generations, both for tourists and locals.

To live up to this commitment, we are taking concrete actions to reduce our business’s impact on the environment. We have implemented energy-efficient practices in our office and itineraries, and we are continually measuring and reducing our carbon footprint. As a team, we actively participate in conservation and regeneration efforts for our wild spaces.

The health of the environment is a concern for everyone, and Absolute Escapes takes its responsibilities seriously with a commitment to sustainable tourism that aims to conserve and protect the world’s resources.

Our Plans for 2023

We have committed to being more environmentally conscious and reducing our impact as a tour operator by signing the Glasgow Declaration.

The Glasgow Declaration was created after the UN Climate Change Conference COP 26, held in Glasgow in 2021, to secure strong actions and commitment from the tourism sector, with the goal of cutting tourism emissions by at least 50% over the next decade and achieving net zero emissions before 2050.

Being a signatory involves implementing a climate action plan aligned with specific commitments, reporting progress annually, and collaborating with other organisations for effective climate action in tourism. As part of the climate action plan we are working on, we are aligning our plan with five shared pathways (measure, decarbonise, regenerate, collaborate, finance) to ensure climate action is coordinated across the whole tourism industry.

Our objectives are as follows:

Measure

Measure the carbon footprint of both our most popular walking & tailor-made itineraries.
Reduce the carbon footprint of our team’s research trips.
Measure the carbon footprint of our Information Packs.

Decarbonise / Reduce

Introduce Paper-Lite information packs to reduce the carbon footprint of our client documentation. Find out more about our new paper lite packs here.
Review our Information Pack packaging to make this as reusable or recyclable as possible.
Ensure that 90% of office supplies we buy are circular or fair-trade.

Regenerate

Send 20 members of our team on a volunteer day for the John Muir Trust each year.
Encourage our walking clients to give donations to the walking trails.
Hold regular team litter-picking sessions at lunchtime.
Encourage Professional Development Allowance to be used for environmental or outdoor pursuits.

: Our team litter picking in The Meadows, Edinburgh

: Working on conservation projects at Glenlude Estate in the Scottish Borders

Collaborate

We will raise £500 for Venture Scotland.
Provide staff with training on responsible tourism and our sustainability policy.
Update client information sheets to include further information on responsible tourism.
Regularly promote responsible tourism across all of our social media platforms.

Finance

Commit to the Glasgow Declaration.
Publish the final Declaration on our website.
Have 3 employees working on our climate action plan.
Have a Sustainability Policy in place.

We are currently working on a finalised climate action plan to deliver to the Glasgow Declaration within 12 months of becoming a signatory and implement the new plans and continue our existing objectives. We will publish this plan on our website when it is finalised.

Our Previous Achievements

As members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), we joined their Project Protect pledge in 2018, to commit to a sustainable approach to travel. Project Protect is AITO’s instrument for improving and supporting sustainable tourism practices amongst its members.

: Pippa Robson presenting our Sustainability Policy at the AITO Annual General Meeting

: Helping to rewild land at Glenlude Estate

In 2018, we developed our support and partnership with the John Muir Trust which we continue to maintain today. The John Muir Trust is a conservation charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places in the UK. The trust owns and manages some of the finest wild spaces in Britain, including Ben Nevis, part of the Skye Cuillin, and Schiehallion. These areas provide vital space for adventure, excitement and solitude.

As corporate John Muir Trust members, Absolute Escapes are committed to supporting the conservation efforts of the Trust and working with them to spread the message of the importance of wild spaces. You can find many ways to support their efforts on their website.

In addition to this, we implemented a comprehensive Sustainability Policy which was well received by the team, with every member of staff pledging to engage with the policy to the fullest extent.

Since 2019 we have supported Venture Scotland – a fantastic local charity that helps disadvantaged young people in Scotland improve their physical, mental and emotional well-being by teaching them outdoor skills. We feel this is particularly relevant to our company as we have all experienced the restorative and empowering effects of nature. In that year, we raised £550 for Venture Scotland and are committed to supporting them in the future.

: Absolute Escapes team members at the finish line of the Tough Mudder event to raise money for Venture Scotland

: Working with Venture Scotland

The Future

Our commitment to climate change and sustainability is stronger than ever, and we are determined to make a real impact by developing a comprehensive climate action plan that aligns with the requirements of the Glasgow Declaration. As we work on this plan, we’ll continue to review and update our existing Sustainability Policy, encourage more clients to choose paper-lite information packs and maintain our support for Venture Scotland and the John Muir Trust.

At Absolute Escapes, we believe in transparency and sharing our progress. We invite feedback at any time to help us improve and further our sustainability initiatives. If you would like more information about our sustainability policy or have any questions, please get in touch.

: A group of the Absolute Escapes team volunteering in the Scottish Borders

: Doing conservation work for the John Muir Trust

Looking to travel more sustainably? Consider a walking holiday, an inherently eco-friendly way to explore. Check out our blog on ‘How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Walking Holiday.’ Alternatively, choose an environmentally-friendly train holiday and travel stress-free in comfort while enjoying awe-inspiring views.

The Absolute Escapes team