Ski Safari & Responsible Tourism
We recognise that travel has an impact on the environment and the communities we visit, and that we should minimise our impact wherever possible.
What are we doing?
Our website:
We send out annual environmental audits to the resorts and hotels that we feature. We ask resorts and hotels how they limit their environmental impact, whether they promote sustainable tourism and whether they are involved with any socially beneficial projects. We then use this information to grade the resorts and hotels for their responsible tourism policy. So, if you are interested in going to a resort that is really making an effort, you can incorporate responsible tourism into your serach criteria. Where a resort is exemplary, we have also added further information under Responsible Tourism on the resort page.
Our office:
A high proportion of staff cycle to work, we recycle all waste paper, plastic, glass and cans, buy our energy from sustainable sources and try to reduce the amount of paper we produce.
Carbon-offsetting:
We offset the carbon emissions generated by the flights that we sell and the flights taken by our staff on work related trips. So, when you book with us, you can be assured that we are doing this on your behalf.
We do this through the Tourism Industry Carbon Offset Service (TICOS) which works with specific travel projects to reduce carbon and create environmental, social and economic benefits in the process. It is supported by a number of international and national agencies including UNESCO, IUCN World Commission for Protected Areas and AITO. Revenue raised from the service will fund projects where there is a real additional and measurable carbon saving and wider social benefits which favour the environment; wildlife, pro poor policies and community improvements.
For more information, take a look at the TICOS Factsheet or visit their website at www.ticos.co.uk
Non flight travel options:
We offer train and self drive holidays to our Swiss and Austrian resorts - please click here for details.
In resort:
We sponsor an annual Mountain Clean-up Day in Whistler, our largest resort.
We had over 100 people participate on 7 August 2007 in our annual Mountain Clean Up Day. Whistler Blackcomb staff took part as well as many people from around the community. This year we had help from the First Nations snowboard team, Tourism Whistler, The Residence Inn Marriot Hotel, VIP Mountain Holidays, The Four Seasons Hotel, and the Fairmont Whistler Hotel.
Together we picked up over 200 bags of rubbish (including plastic bottles and lift tickets and some other items such as cell phones, coins, bamboo poles, goggles and other ski paraphernalia) - half of which was recycled. In total there were over 2 tonnes of rubbish.
Of course, the ideal is that the litter isn’t dropped in the first place - so bear this in mind when you are next on the mountain.
What can you do?
Brochure:
Rather than requesting our brochure, you could use our website and the downloadable brochure pages available on each resort page. If you want to receive a brochure, we encourage you to recycle it when you have finished with it, or share it with friends.
Choosing a holiday destination:
You can use our search facility to find out which resorts and hotels are best for their environmental and social policies.
In Resort:
Once in resort we ask our customers to be aware of the following:
Vegetation damage – Above 1500m it can take between 30 and 50 years for a tree to grow to a height of 4m. Ski and board edges can seriously damage vegetation. Please avoid areas where young trees are growing.
Wildlife – Please be sensitive to mountain wildlife. Many species survive by conserving energy when conditions are harsh. If birds and animals are disturbed by skiers they can expend 10 times as much energy trying to escape as they would at rest.
Litter – Vast amounts of litter are left by skiers. It can be damaging to wildlife and food scraps attract predators. Disturbance to the mountain ecology impacts down the flora and food chain. Please take your rubbish off the mountain with you.
Traffic – Most of the resorts we offer provide excellent shuttle buses, please make use of them to cut down on the number of car journeys.
Accommodation – Please respect hotel policies regarding re-use of towels and energy. Turn off lights and TVs when you are not using them. Sort your rubbish so that it can be recycled by the property.
People – Please respect the local population and the fact that they are not on holiday, but living and working in the same way as you do at home. Respect local customs such as tipping.
Association of Independent Tour Operators
As a member of AITO we are committed to the principles of Responsible Tourism:
- To protect the environment – its flora, fauna and landscape
- To respect local cultures – traditions, religions and built heritage
- To benefit local communities – both economically and socially
- To conserve natural resources – from office to destination
- To minimise pollution – through noise, waste disposal and congestion
See www.aito.org.uk for more information.