Ethical Travel
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Here at Real Gap we actively promote and support ethical travel. In fact we are the original provider of ethical travel ideas and have been providing ethical travel options for the past five years. We choose most of our programmes specifically for their contribution to ethical travel and want our volunteers to develop their own ethical travel awareness.
Real Gap are ethical travel specialists and we are often asked questions about 'What is ethical travel?' and 'How to travel ethically'. Additionally we have written a page giving more specific ethical travel advice. Here are some questions we are asked in relationship to the ethical travel content of our programmes:
- I want to promote ethical travel when I go to another country.
What will I be doing that will be beneficial?
When we offer a placement, we supply detailed information of what exactly it involves. Each of our travel documents give detailed information on "the role of the volunteer" and that includes the ethical travel content of a programme, that is, what your contribution will mean to the local community or environment.
- Ethical travel for me means working with a local partnership organisation.
Will that happen on this programme?
We only supply volunteers where they are needed, where they have been requested and where there is actually work to be done. Our projects that focus on ethical travel really do need volunteers. We prefer projects with heavy community involvement too as it means it meets ethical travel principles of self-sustainability.
- I believe ethical travel should involve contributing financially back to the projects.
Do you do this?
As part of our responsibility towards ethical travel we give part of the programme cost back to help create self-sustaining organisations in the host countries. This is necessary for the programmes to remain running and to develop an ethical travel consistency that benefits all of the local community in the long term. We are interested in helping to create self-sustaining ethical travel programmes that will help the local economy and local people.
- What are your policies on ethical travel?
We search out and select ethical travel programmes that have a high community involvement and are only based on what a community really needs. We find that using local personnel creates better in-country/on ground support for our volunteers. We emphasise that our volunteers should also abide by a code of ethical travel behaviour when visiting a host country. We also believe ethical travel is not about dropping in for a short period, but about commitment and prefer that our volunteers commit for longer periods if possible.
- What ethical travel support & training will I receive?
We believe ethical travel is vital and as part of the preparation for your trip, we emphasise and prepare you for any culture shock you may receive by giving you a thorough induction to your host country. Once in the country, as part of our ethical travel policy, you will receive competent and total support from your local project co-ordinator and staff, the people who run the ethical travel programmes in the host country.
 Ethical travel tips
What is ethical travel ?
How to travel ethically
Ethical travel advice
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