Responsible Travel
How We Protect the Places You Love
Our vision is to make the world a better place through travel.
We donate, volunteer, and do as much as we can to ensure that the places we love are there for future generations to enjoy.
Here are a few of the things we've been doing.
Our Principles
We don’t only use small mini-coaches for your comfort.
They also take you further off the beaten track than larger coaches can. Which means our tours help the economies of the little out-of-reach villages and communities.
Using mini-coaches is also better for the environment than using your own car or a rental car. Just imagine 10–16 cars on a road instead of one mini-coach. Not only would renting your own car create more pollution, but some of the villages aren't set up to handle lots of traffic.
We also try to only reserve locally-owned accommodation and recommend shops with local owners. this means your money helps the people who have been there for generations instead of international owners who may have never been to the place.
Our Carbon Tax
We use fuel to take you exploring. It’s an unavoidable issue until we find an alternative way to get you to the most beautiful places in the country.
But we do our best to rectify this by taxing ourselves £10 for every tonne of carbon we use. Our team vote on which community or environmental projects this money should go to every year, and we distribute the money according to where most of our passengers go.
Since 2008, we’ve already raised over £120,000.
Here are a few of the charities we’ve helped:
And many more...
You can apply for funding by sending a completed form to greenteam@rabbies.com.
Our Volunteer Days
We encourage each other to go and volunteer as much as possible - no matter how muddy, wet and windy it gets.
Our team have built paths, cleaned beaches, taught classes, and much more.
Not only is this good for the charities we help, it’s also good for us to learn about the work people do to keep our world beautiful.
Our Policies
You need to practice what you preach. So, we go further than simply donating time and money to charities and commit to robust sustainable practices throughout the company.
On the road
- We operate modern fuel-efficient vehicles to minimise environmental impact.
- We have centrally located departure points to avoid contributing to local congestion & pollution levels.
- We endeavour to ensure our tours are appropriate to local factors.
- We implement a zero-litter policy and recycle packaging from anything consumed on our vehicles.
- We encourage our staff to use public transport and offer a cycle to work scheme.
- We encourage customers to use public transport to reach us.
- Our mini-coaches are washed where runoff is controlled.
- We carry bags and litter pickers on our buses to keep our country clean.
At our desks
- We recycle all paper, cans, glass, plastic, uniforms, and re-use where possible.
- Lost property is donated to charities after 1 month.
- We monitor and reduce our energy use and waste production.
- We use low energy lighting and switch appliances off when not in use.
- We use recycled paper and ink cartridges.
- We use bio-degradable low phosphate cleaning products.
- We choose offices in central locations, so staff can easily use public transport, cycle, or walk to work.
- We work with companies with strong environmental credentials.
- Unclaimed spectacles from our lost property are donated to Vision Aid Overseas.
How we can 'leave no trace'
- When possible, take along a litter bag to carry all refuse.
- Travel quietly. Avoid making loud and excessive noise. Let nature's sounds prevail.
- Walk single-file in the centre of the path and stay on main trail even if it's wet. Never shortcut.
- Look at and photograph, never pick or collect.
- Never discard cigarette butts, gum or any litter.
- Walk softly. Don't kick up dirt and stones or trample vegetation.
- Respect any signs, regulations, policies and special concerns for the area you're visiting.
- Park appropriately - avoid blocking gateways, forest entrances or narrow roads. Remember that farm machinery, local residents and emergency services may need access at all times.
- Respect landowners, land managers and their property - avoid damaging walls and fences, do not disturb farm animals.
- Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
- Observe wild animals and birds from a distance. Avoid disturbing them at sensitive times: mating, nesting and raising young (mostly between spring and early summer).
- Never feed wildlife or farm animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health and alters natural behaviour.
- Preserve the past: examine but do not damage archaeological structures, old walls and heritage artefacts.
- Conserve the present: leave rocks, flowers, plants, animals and other natural habitats as you find them.