We’re Responsible
MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT
Responsible travel promotes the sustainable development of destinations by minimising negative impacts and maximising positive ones for both the environments we operate in, and the people living in them. A steadfast commitment to responsible travel is vital to our ethos.
To help us stay true to this ethos, we work with Travelife. Its certification process provides stringent guidelines for us to follow. To further guide our responsible practices, we created the HET Foundation. Operating independently of HET Travel, the Foundation actively supports a wide range of sustainability programs and audits HET Travel to keep us on track with global sustainability measures.
RESPONSIBLE HOTELS, TOURS & EXPERIENCES
Our comprehensive sustainability rating system for Hotels, Tours and Experiences empowers travellers to maximise the positive benefits of their travels by staying in responsible hotels and taking part in activities that have been deemed to be exceptionally beneficial to local people and environments.
RESPONSIBLE HOTELS
Our teams regularly carry out self-assessments and on-site inspections before classifying hotels into being Eco-friendly or Socially Aware.
RESPONSIBLE TOURS
Leave our destinations better than we find them with these tours that have been evaluated based on our responsible travel criteria.
RESPONSIBLE EXPERIENCES
Make a long-lasting positive impact on these half day, full day or evening excursions that fit into one or more of our five responsible travel categories.
SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION
GOING CARBON NEUTRAL
Being based in Southeast Asia, we understand that climate change is real because we see its effects every day across our destinations.
Simply put, action is needed. Rising to the occasion, we've become the member in Asia to strive for carbon neutrality. Not just for our offices and staff, but also by offering Carbon Neutral Holidays to our clients and their guests.
TREADING LIGHTLY
Treading lightly means reducing our footprint in destinations.
This entails anything from turning off idling engines and selecting eco-friendly transportation to using biodegradable cleaning products, properly disposing waste or recycling when possible.
Additionally, we carefully vet all our suppliers to ensure their practices are in line with our environmental standards while encouraging guests to select eco-friendly accommodation which we can happily arrange.
LOCAL CHARITIES
By supporting local charities, enterprises and organisations that contribute to environmental and cultural causes, we're able to maximise the benefits that tourism has on locals and their economy.
Whenever possible, we encourage guests to partake in sustainable tourism activities, shop at fair-trade shops, or dine in restaurants run by vocational institutions that train youths and disadvantaged peoples.
Additionally, we encourage clients and travellers to do the same.
COMMUNITY BASED TOURISM
By actively supporting community-based tourism projects alongside local and international development organisations, helps generate revenue in remote and impoverished communities in Asia. These projects allow visitors to engage in unique and authentic cultural experiences while simultaneously helping to preserve local traditions, improve welfare and support environmental preservation.
CULTURAL RESPECT
One of the things that makes Asia such a fascinating and exciting place is the boundless opportunities there are for cultural exchange. To celebrate this, we've worked hard to integrate immersive and mutually beneficial cultural experiences in all our tours.
Although similar at first glance, cultures, traditions and customs across Asia can vary substantially. For the most enriching experiences possible, we always encourage guests and clients to keep an open mind and respect local cultures.
CONTACT TO HIGHLANDS ECO TOURS
