Responsible travel

What is responsible travel?

For Kuoni, it’s about caring for the world we live in and respecting the people, places and animals we may encounter during our travels. All of the hotels we offer have signed up to our Responsible Promise; and many go the extra eco-mile, including some of the best hotels in the world.

Kuoni Water-to-Go bottles

Kuoni Water-to-go bottle

Kuoni wants to keep the world beautiful for future generations to enjoy. As part of its commitment to reduce plastic waste the company has created its own branded drinking bottle in collaboration with Water-to-Go which more than 250 Kuoni staff have tried and tested on their own travels over the past year. Each bottle will filter 200 litres and so replace 400 single use 50 cls bottles. Water-to-Go is a filtration system that eliminates over 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants including viruses, bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals from any non-salt water source.

Kuoni has chosen Water-to-Go as its partner as the filter has been independently tested against internationally recognised standards by industry specialists in the USA, UK, China and India. All have confirmed that the filters in the Water-to-Go bottles eliminate up to 99.9999% of harmful contaminants in water so is ideal for travelling.

To get your own Kuoni bottle click here to save 30% on the regular price

12 responsible travel tips

Here are a few easy, simple tips to help become a responsible traveller.

View 12 responsible travel tips  
  1. Book the most direct route possible. Most flight carbon emissions are emitted during take-off and landing.
  2. Choose an eco-friendly hotel, one of our homestays in South India or an escorted tour using local guides.
  3. Take a reusable cotton bag with you, which you can take to local markets. This will help tackle plastic waste – and you can use it for the beach, too. We also recommend taking a reusable water bottle to reduce plastic waste.
  4. Dress appropriately in places of worship and remove your sunglasses when talking to people, as this is often considered bad karma around the world.
  5. Learn about local customs, traditions and a few words of the local language before you travel.
  6. Always ask before taking portrait photos of others and avoid having your photo taken with any animals used as photo props, as this encourages captivity.
  7. Remove and recycle excess packaging before you pack your suitcase to avoid simply throwing it in the bin while on holiday.
  8. Support eco-friendly initiatives during your stay, such as reusing towels and turning off the air-conditioning and lights when you’re not in the room.
  9. Make sure you’re buying locally-made souvenirs rather than mass-produced items that have been imported. Avoid items made from endangered animals or ivory and never take away ‘natural’ souvenirs you find, such as shells from the beach.
  10. Eat in local restaurants and choose locally-branded drinks rather than imported big named brands.
  11. It often feels tough, but try to avoid giving money to beggars. If a beggar earns more than someone who works for a living, this can boost the practice and cause economic problems. We would also discourage giving money to children, as this may encourage parents to stop sending their children to school.
  12. You can offset your flight emissions at myclimate.

“There are a thousand things you can do to be a responsible traveller”
Simon Reeve

Find out more

Reducing our carbon footprint

Kuoni has been at the forefront of conservation and responsible travel for many years. We feel passionately that travel is a force for good – but we realise that there are costs and compromises involved. We believe that to travel responsibly is to live responsibly: lots of small actions add up to decisive change. The choices we make all have a role to play in climate change, from the food we eat and how we heat our homes, to the transport we take on holiday. Our actions, however small, can have a profound impact when combined with thousands of others. To calculate your total carbon footprint, visit WWF’s footprint calculator. At Kuoni, our team believes that whilst carbon offsetting may not be a long-term solution, we give clients the opportunity to offset flights through Gold Standard and want to be part of the conversation and action to keep our planet beautiful for future generations to enjoy.

Responsible travel: our promise

We work with our hotel and ground agent suppliers closely, encouraging them to sign up to the Kuoni Code of Conduct. We trust in these hotels and agencies to do their utmost to respect and achieve the standards we set out. We have a responsibility towards society to be a good corporate citizen, from a sustainable supply chain to ethical human rights.

View our Code of Conduct  

Some of the points we highlight in our Kuoni Code of Conduct are:

  • Comply with all applicable international and local laws and regulations.
  • Minimise the negative impact on the environment.
  • Comply with animal welfare standards outlined in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in ABTA’s Animal Welfare Minimum Requirement.
  • Do not discriminate against employees.
  • There should be no form of forced labour or violation of human rights.
  • Wages must meet or exceed legal minimum and/or industry standards, with no illegal or unauthorised deductions from wages.
  • Working hours of employees must be in line with the legal requirements and/or industry requirements.
  • Do not allow or tolerate any child prostitution at premises and facilities.
  • Actively purchase locally-produced goods in preference to imported ones wherever reasonably possible.