At Urban Adventures, we firmly believe local travel is one of the best ways we can support responsible tourism. In fact, we believe it so strongly that we’ve made it our entire business! All our tours are run by local experts, not some faceless corporate team located halfway around the world with no sense of the local vibe.

We craft our tours to ensure every traveller has authentic interactions with local people, businesses, transportation, and food and drink. Local travel gives you the opportunity to experience a destination as locals do, and has the potential to impact you in ways you never imagined. In short: local is awesome.

As a responsible travel company, we promise to:

• Use locally owned infrastructure on our tours whenever possible.
• Spread the financial benefits amongst local people and operators.
• Provide employment and leadership opportunities for local people.
• Respect local customs and culture.
• Provide safe tours for Urban Adventure partners, staff, and travellers.
• Educate travellers and our partners about how and why we choose to travel this way.
• Limit any negative impact to the daily lifestyles of local people.
• Limit any physical impact on natural and cultural environments.
• Provide support to organisations and local communities.
• Provide opportunities for travellers to interact with local people.
• Actively ban partners, staff, and passenger participation in or endorsement of commercial sexual activities or illegal drug use on Urban Adventures tours.
• Work to prevent the exploitation of children in tourism.
• Actively discourage participation in activities that exploit animals.
• Use local partners that adhere to Urban Adventures' responsible travel principles.
• Support and encourage fair employment practices.
• Give our travellers the best possible value.
• Have fun!

As a traveller, we ask that you keep the following in mind:

• People: Be mindful of the local citizens, and seek understanding through shared experiences. Consider their customs and values while in their homeland, and when in doubt, ask your guide for advice.
• Environment: Be mindful of the local environment, and act with conservation and sustainability in mind. Follow local guidelines, as recommended by your guide, and make proactive decisions on your own.
• Culture: When travelling to other cultures, remember that not everyone's customs are the same as yours at home. Be respectful, and be mindful of openly questioning a customary practice, even if you disagree with it. Try to understand from their perspective. You may learn something! Your guide will be an excellent point of reference here, so check with them if you're unsure.
• Economy: Make every effort to use local businesses and put your tourism dollars in the right (local) pocket. We use local vendors and businesses, and your guide will be able to advise you on the best ways to support the local economy.

For more suggestions on how to be a responsible traveller check out our top 12 responsible travel tips, or check out what our friends at Intrepid have to say.