OUR TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY
There are many ways to travel. We’ve been in the business of traveling for almost two decades now and feel like we do it just right. There are four cornerstones to our travel philosophy: avoiding large-group travel, traveling safely, having a positive impact on the environment and the cultures we visit, and making a constant and concerted effort to give back to the local communities.
On a Southern Crossings trip, you will not feel like an anonymous tourist being piled onto a bus and herded relentlessly from destination to destination. Our tours are memorable, educational, cultural and just plain fun. They are for individuals, friends, families and small groups and we take pride in providing a personal and unique experience. We do this by creating custom made itineraries including any particular interests, hobbies or special requests you may have. Often your tour will be private, with your own guide and private driver. We also have a 24-hour local phone number for any questions you might have during your tour.
There are several ways we try to make your trip as safe as possible. On all of our tours, our guides are bilingual, have degrees in tourism and history and are from the regions in which they work. We utilize the most experienced and reputable crews for all of our adventure activities. Our adventure sport teams have a combined 30 years of experience and excellent safety records. Finally, we only use bus companies and airlines that have exceptional safety records and are reliable, even when other companies are considerably cheaper.
What’s positive-impact tourism? A lot of things, both big and small, like using a trekking staff that packs out all of its garbage, or encouraging our passengers not to hand out money or candy to the kids we encounter along the way (we encourage postcards from home, school supplies, toothbrushes, kind words, a smile or Polaroid pictures instead). Our preference is to make donations to local non-profits that know the best ways to help those in need. We recognize that any form of tourism has an impact on its destination, and we try to make ours as positive as possible.
We practice and promote ecotourism according to the principles of ecotourism established by the International Ecotourism Society:
- Minimizing impact.
- Building environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
- Providing positive experiences for both visitors and locals.
- Providing direct financial benefits for conservation.
- Providing financial benefits and empowerment for local people.
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