AMAZON RAINFOREST, COLOMBIA

Responsible Travel

At Journey Latin America, responsible travel has long been an important part of how we operate. Our passion for the people, cultures and environments of Latin America shapes the decisions we make, and we continually look for ways to strengthen our social and environmental practices, both within our business and through the partners we work with.

We believe that experiencing the natural world and diverse cultures first-hand can foster greater understanding, appreciation and respect for them. As a travel company, we recognise the responsibility we have to encourage more responsible travel practices, support initiatives that benefit local communities and environments, and work collaboratively with suppliers, partners and travellers to help make tourism a force for good.

Our commitment

Journey Latin America is committed to integrating responsible and sustainable practices across our business. We assess our activities against a number of relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals and use these as a framework to help guide our priorities, monitor progress and identify areas for improvement, both in the UK and across the destinations where we operate.

We have also chosen to have aspects of our sustainability approach independently reviewed through Ethy, and have achieved verification against a growing number of their standards. You can read more about Journey Latin America’s Ethy verification here.

In 2023, we were honoured to receive the British & Colombian Chamber of Commerce Responsible Business Award (SMEs), recognising the progress we have made on our responsible business journey and our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.

Ethy badges (1)

Climate action plan

There’s no denying the negative carbon impact caused by international flights and we recognise the situation is far more complicated than simply offsetting emissions. However, we strongly believe that the overwhelming impact of well-managed sustainable tourism is positive and can undoubtedly be used as a force for good. As part of our climate commitment we are a proud signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. We pledge to deliver an aligned plan to cut tourism emissions in half over the next decade, by 2030, and aim to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.

Our company-wide Climate Action Strategy follows a five-step pathway to Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate and Finance.

Read our full climate action plan for more information.

Aerial view of iceburg, Antarctica

On the ground

We seek to support responsible travel in Latin America by building long-term relationships with local suppliers whose values align with our own. When selecting partners, we consider a range of factors, including employment practices, community engagement and their approach to operating responsibly within the destinations where they work.

We also provide financial support to a number of social and environmental organisations working across Latin America. In addition, travellers have the option to make a voluntary contribution when booking their holiday, with donations helping to support the projects and communities these organisations serve.

Some of the local projects we have supported include Rewilding Chile, the LATA Foundation, El Rio Foundation, Sol y Luna Foundation, Projecto Pintando, Oncafari Jaguar project, and the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

We also work hard to partner with accommodation that supports local communities and eco-systems. Here is a list of our accommodation with selected environmental or community initiatives.

CHILDREN IN ECUADOR

Journey Latin America is committed to operating responsibly and continuously improving our approach to social, environmental and governance issues. We recognise that this is an ongoing process, and while we do not have all the answers, we are committed to learning, adapting and improving the way we work.

To help guide this approach, we have worked with external specialists to develop a set of responsible business policies and practices. These provide a framework for setting priorities, monitoring progress and identifying areas for improvement, and are reviewed annually to ensure they remain relevant to our business and the destinations in which we operate.

We believe transparency is important, which is why we make our policies publicly available on our Responsible Business Policies page.

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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Steve Yates
    Steve Yates - Travel Expert

    Steve has travelled extensively over the years, experiencing destinations in many different ways. From backpacking through basic hostels, hitchhiking and taking overnight buses, to enjoying stays in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and lodges, he has developed a deep appreciation for every style of travel

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Sallly
    Sally Watkins - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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