Responsible Tourism
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
Mountain Kingdoms is committed to responsible tourism through its policies and practices which aim to ensure that Mountain Kingdoms, and its clients, act in a way which is socially, environmentally and culturally sound. We feel strongly that all our holidays should benefit the local communities, protect the environment by minimising pollution, and respect local traditions, religion and heritage. We tread lightly - low volume, low impact trekking/touring is the best way of preserving the beautiful and fragile places we visit. In conjunction with Tourism Concern, we have drawn up comprehensive guidelines for porters' rights and conditions which our agents are obliged to adhere to. The welfare of our local trekking staff is one of our most important responsible tourism issues, and we try to ensure they have appropriate clothing, shelter and footwear on all our trips.
Niki Morgan is our Responsible Tourism Manager.
AWARD WINNING
In 2008, we were presented with the prestigious annual AITO Responsible Tourism Award for our consistent commitment to Responsible Tourism.
FIVE STAR RATING
Mountain Kingdoms is delighted to announce that it has been granted a 5 star rating for Responsible Tourism by AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators).
NORTHPOINT SCHOOL, NEPAL
We believe that Responsible Tourism is more than just about policies. It involves giving something tangible back to the communities that we visit. That’s why, for our major Responsible Tourism initiative, we’ve chosen to support Northpoint School in Kathmandu through the UK registered charity SHIVA. We’ve already raised over £7,500 for the school through a host of fundraising activities and client donations and hope to raise even more this year. Donations so far have enabled the school to improve the classrooms, purchase books, toys and equipment, provide uniforms and secure teaching staff. Without the school the delightful Nepalese pupils would get at best only a very basic rural education; Northpoint gives them real hope for the future.
For the latest on our fundraising efforts, and information on how to donate, visit our Responsible Tourism News page.
OTHER PROJECTS & CHARITIES SUPPORTED BY MOUNTAIN KINGDOMS
In addition to Northpoint School we support several other charities and projects in the Himalaya and beyond. For a full list of the projects and charities we currently support please go to our Responsible Tourism Projects page or download a summary of our Responsible Tourism initiatives.
CARBON OFFSETTING
Working with the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service (TICOS) we offset the carbon emissions for every Mountain Kingdoms holiday booked by clients that includes a flight, as well as staff and trek leader flights. TICOS is an industry wide programme supported by international agencies such as UNESCO and bodies such as the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) to stimulate collective action by travel companies selling holidays which include air travel. We are working with TICOS to allocate funds to a solar energy project by the Druk White Lotus School in Ladakh, a charity we have worked with for a number of years.
HOLIDAYS THAT OPERATE THROUGH LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS
We run several holidays that are either directly support, or are organised through local community projects. Click on the links below to find out more.
The Treasure Discoverer's Trek - the Nabji Trail, Bhutan
The Pioneers' Trail to Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Markha Valley Homestay Trek, Ladakh, India
Mekong and Minorities Trek, Laos