By now most people know that Yampu shares the idea of responsible travel. It’s a nice sounding term, but what many may not realize is that our mission, rooted in this idea of responsible travel, is deeply focused on the health of communities and ecosystems within the destinations we travel to. It’s a push to integrate life-changing travel experiences with conservation efforts, a drive to unite people across the world with shared knowledge and experiences, and the determination to share our passion for the preservation of the cultures, habitats, and natural marvels that make the world so awesome.

This mission inspires us take steps such as hiring only local, expert tour guides, ensuring that our tours are supporting conservation efforts in the area of travel, and designing Rainforest Alliance certified tours to regions of Costa Rica and Ecuador that meet strict criteria. These sustainable tours provide lodging accommodations that employ only local citizens, reduce water consumption, conserve energy, and recycle wastes. They emphasize education on local ecosystems, wildlife, energy conservation, and indigenous cultures. The Galapagos sustainable tours also employ a fleet of catamarans offering carbon neutral operations. It is the first recipient of the Rainforest Alliance’s “Green Seal of Approval” for tour boats.

After receiving five consecutive World Travel Awards as South America’s Leading Tour Operator, we have also decided to go back to where Yampu all started and begin giving back more: Peru. You may know that Yampu has partnered with the Phiri School in Sacred Valley, Peru to provide school supplies through Pack for a Purpose. Although we support the Phiri School, we wanted to find additional ways to give back to the country that inspired our mission in the first place. This year we are celebrating more than 17 years of tours to Peru with a pledge to donate $50 for every tour booked to Peru to help the communities that live there. In addition to this pledge, we are planning a voluntourism trip that will allow travelers to become involved in helping the community with hands-on projects, such as replacing dangerous stoves with new, safer ones in homes for rural villagers or supporting schools in the Andean mountains.

Beyond the borders of Peru, as mentioned in our sustainable tours, Ecuador is another popular Yampu destination. We were so sorry to hear about the earthquake that devastated many regions. Fortunately, Quito, the Amazon, Galapagos, the highlands, and Guayaquil, all major tourist destinations, were not affected. Major damages hit the central-north coastal line and relief efforts are in full swing with organizations fundraising for solar kits and other supplies. If you haven’t yet contributed to the Ecuador earthquake relief but would like to, please visit the Care website, it is a great organization that has done great work to help the families affected by the natural disaster.

Beyond operating all Yampu Tours with our mission for responsible travel in mind, we like to take our efforts one step further and make sure that we are actively giving back to the communities we value so dearly in other parts of the world. Last year, one of the ways Yampu gave back was by donating to National Geographic’s Big Cat Initiative, an initiative that works with 64 innovative projects across 27 countries to protect seven big cat species, which inhabit many of the countries we travel to! It works to support big cats through conservation, education, and on-the-ground research. Watch the beautiful video below:

Tags: