Our sustainability practices

We always prioritize animal and marine welfare when planning a trip. Below is a checklist of points that we use to evaluate lodges. We select properties that:

• Support conservation efforts and work with communities on anti-poaching initiatives and other human/wildlife conflict
• Participate in innovative livestock compensation schemes
• Conserve and protect habitats conducive to species protection and join other special efforts to preserve endangered species
• Ensure wildlife cannot get into human food/trash or compost
• Educate guests not to feed or approach wildlife and discourage guests from trying to get the attention of animals in an aggressive or disruptive manor
• Select insect sprays that won’t harm the native flora or fauna
• Ensure they have not built nor have plans of building on sensitive wildlife areas
• Research and monitor wildlife with the local community or specialized organizations

Elevate Destinations partners with Native Energy (carbon calculator here) to carbon offset our trips including the domestic flights for each trip. We always encourage travelers to do the same for their international flights, and we offset all of our staff travel.

We select lodges that implement the following sustainable policies and practices where available:

• Develop guest engagement and donation opportunities to promote conservation initiatives
• Practice effective and safe waste water treatment and disposal and thoughtful water usage, especially during drought
• Practice sustainable energy use (solar, wind, minimal generator use, etc.)
• Minimize trash and waste (lodges that compost and recycle) and practice of “leave no trace” policies
• Minimize or eliminate single-use plastic water bottles and straws

You can’t protect the environment if you are not supporting the people. Each of our vendors are thoroughly vetted to ensure they pay fair wages, and uphold fair employment practices and are welcomed by the community. We will not work with hotels with prior histories of unfair or inhumane practices or hotels who are owned by individuals with a track record of human rights abuses (a widely unknown problem in the travel industry).

Elevate Destinations has signed the Code of conduct for the protection of children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism and expects all of its partners to refuse and report involvement, both direct and indirect, in the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Learn more at thecode.org.

We look for lodges that implement the following points where possible:

• Are owned or partially-owned and operated by local/indigenous communities that protect wilderness and conservation habitat
• Hire or train local community members
• Hire women
• Offer fair and adequate pay for staff
• Provide training and professional development opportunities
• Have programs for guest engagement in local issues and communities
• Are members of the CODE and committed to the protection of children from sexual exploitation

Elevate Destinations is democratizing travel through our award-winning ‘Buy a Trip, Give a Trip’ program. The innovative program allows local children to visit tourist sites in their own country. Visiting historical sites, seeing conservation projects, and getting up close with wildlife is an immeasurable experience for local youth—many of who have never traveled out of their own villages.

As one of the first green travel companies, Elevate Destinations is always adopting innovative ideas to promote social responsibility in the travel industry. This model is unique to Elevate Destinations and has won numerous responsible travel awards.