Our Responsibility

Our Conservation Foundation

The Travel Corporation's Conservation Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which supports work that fosters sustainable tourism and protects culturally and ecologically sensitive areas around the world. The Foundation is a joint initiative by leading companies from The Travel Corporation family of brands.

Already, The Foundation has helped Conservation International to protect three million hectares of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, an area of unmatched importance to protect the planets biological diversity, supported WWF to help establish the first sustainable tourism project wholly managed by the area's indigenous community in The Kimberley, Australia, and funded research in Venice to help protect the city from degradation.

To Learn more abou the work supported by The Foundation, please visit www.TheTravelCorporation.com/foundation

Protecting the environment and the people and places we visit is a top priority for Milestones. We want to help ensure these remain for future generations to enjoy. We are committed to ensuring we minimize the environmental impact of our own operations around the world and believe that together we can truly make a difference.

Our Responsibility

Every time we travel, whether by car, train, plane or coach, we are burning fossil fuels and contributing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And while there are many ways to travel while on holiday, we are pleased to advise that by choosing a Milestones escorted tour, you are opting for one of the most environmentally friendly ways to go. This grid below shows you the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per km for a passenger traveling on various forms of transport which clearly shows coach transport as emitting significantly less carbon dioxide than other forms of transport. With carbon dioxide being one of the main causes of global warming, it’s good to know that buying an escorted tour holiday is a better way to travel.

Source DEFRA(Dept for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Conversion Figures June 2007
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/envrp/pdf/conversion-factors.pdf (pdf)

With constant improvements in technology newer engines offer greater fuel efficiency while also emitting less pollutants which is why The Travel Corporation is continually upgrading its motor coach fleet and we are proud to have one of the best in Europe.

We are reducing the carbon footprints and environmental impact of our offices by introducing recycling, energy reduction and waste minimisation projects as well as supporting local community projects where we live and work. Our staff are proud to be involved in making a difference and we encourage our staff to spend two working days a year volunteering for charitable projects.

You can make a difference

There are many things you can do while traveling to minimize your environmental impact. Some of them you may already do at home but you can also do them while on holiday:-

• When you've finished with your holiday brochures, pass them onto a friend or recycle them
• Buy local produce which reduces air miles incurred in transporting the food to a kitchen for final preparation
• Respect the local culture and traditions where you are traveling through. Ensure your dress and behaviour is appropriate for the places you visit. If you’re unsure, ask your tour manager
• Minimise waste by bringing your own water bottle and reusing it, and refuse or reuse plastic bags when shopping
• Learn a few words of the local language and ensure the way you dress, eat and greet people is polite according to the local custom
• Please don’t pick plants and flowers, leave them for others to enjoy
• At your hotel use water sparingly, take short showers instead of baths and hang towels for drying and reuse
• Separate paper from plastic and try to recycle as much as possible
• Throw any litter in the bin and keep the local environment tidy
• Switch lights off & air conditioning off if you are not in the room or don’t need them
• Turn off your TV instead of leaving it on standby
• Support a local environmental group and learn more about what you can do
• Reduce your use and waste of precious resources such as water, food and energy
• Leave as much packaging at home from goods you buy for your trip and recycle as much of this as possible.

Climate Change & Carbon Offsetting - FAQs

How do I impact on climate change? Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) are emitted when fossil-fuels are consumed. Each time we drive a car, fly in a plane, use electricity, or generate waste these fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are burnt and CO2 is added into the atmosphere warming the earth and causing climate change.

What can I do to help avoid Climate Change? We can all take simple steps to reduce the amount of CO2 we produce and for those emissions we can’t reduce we can neutralise the rest.  Neutralising means paying someone to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere on your behalf.  In that way we can pay for the damage we are causing and the money helps to fund transition to a lower-carbon world.

Will going carbon neutral really make a difference? By neutralising your carbon emissions you are supporting projects which lower the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Some of the most effective ways to do this is by supporting energy efficiency projects and the development of renewable energy sources such as those offered by our partner carbon offset organisations.

How do I know the carbon projects are effective? Each of the carbon projects we support are independently audited and meet high quality standards such as the Gold Standard or the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The Gold Standard is an independently audited, globally applicable best practice methodology for project development that delivers high quality carbon offsets.