Altaï DMC is a community of local experts promoting positive and responsible tourism where travellers, locals and local experts learn from each other.
Our responsibility as a specialist in nature & adventure travel is to develop the positive impacts and minimise the negative impacts of our activity. We guarantee the safety of our travellers, respect for others and the territories we explore.
SETTING IN STONE OUR AMBITIONS FOR RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
By becoming a company with a mission in 2022, the Altaï Group* and its various brands have decided to anchor the consideration of social and environmental issues in the development of its business. Our corporate mission: “Travelling to meet nature and people to make the world a better place”.
Our daily objective is not to be the best in the world, but to strive to be the best for the world. This mission is a genuine corporate ambition, and sheds light on the direction in which we direct our actions. It is enshrined in our articles of association and is monitored by an independent body and an internal governance committee.
It guides all the Group’s strategic decisions, as well as our day-to-day actions, with a view to achieving three objectives:
– Preserve the environment
– Create sustainable, shared value
– Develope people
* Altaï DMC is a brand of the Altaï Group, a network of local agencies and nature & adventure tour operators based in more than 30 countries around the world.
A WORD FROM THE MANAGEMENT
“Our travel company is a reflection of the world, rich with a wealth of varied personalities from complementary backgrounds. A community of enthusiasts who have been working for over 40 years to create active, immersive journeys to the very edge of nature and mankind. We believe that knowledge is the first step towards understanding and respect. We campaign for responsible, authentic and meaningful travel. Sincere, unpretentious travel.
Respect for the land is the guiding principle behind all our trips. The preservation and development of biodiversity and human beings are at the heart of our concerns, whether we’re talking about fauna, flora, the people we meet, Altai employees or our guides and partners around the world.
We have gradually integrated our local agencies to control the quality of the travel experience as well as our environmental, social and economic impacts on the destinations.
As the creators of the Traveller’s Charter in 1996, we have long applied the principles of responsible tourism, such as Leave No Trace, respect for wildlife and local legislation, and fair payment for wealth created locally.
By offsetting all our emissions, we guarantee our travelers a carbon-neutral impact. By becoming a company with a mission, we are committed to becoming one of the pioneers of responsible travel in order to instill a positive dynamic. Although there is always room for improvement, we are constantly making progress towards a more virtuous form of tourism.
We are proud of how far we have come, and we are optimistic and enthusiastic about how far we still have to go to make the world a better place through our travels…”.
Yann Wulser
A WORD FROM THE MANAGEMENT
“Our travel company is a reflection of the world, with a wealth of varied personalities from complementary backgrounds. A community of enthusiasts who have been working for over 40 years to create active, immersive journeys to the very edge of nature and mankind. We believe that knowledge is the first step towards understanding and respect. We campaign for responsible, authentic and meaningful travel. Sincere, unpretentious travel.
Respect for the land is the guiding principle behind all our trips. The preservation and development of biodiversity and human beings are at the heart of our concerns, whether we’re talking about fauna, flora, the people we meet, Altai employees or our guides and partners around the world.
We have gradually integrated our local agencies to control the quality of the travel experience as well as our environmental, social and economic impacts on the destinations.
As the creator of the Traveller’s Charter in 1996, we have long applied the principles of responsible tourism, such as Leave No Trace, respect for wildlife and local legislation, and fair payment for wealth created locally.
By offsetting all our emissions, we guarantee our travellers a carbon-neutral impact. By becoming a company with a mission, we are committed to becoming one of the pioneers of responsible travel in order to instil a positive dynamic. Although there is always room for improvement, we are constantly making progress towards a more virtuous form of tourism.
We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and we’re optimistic and enthusiastic about how far we still have to go to make the world a better place through our travels…”.
Yann Wulser
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL CHARTER:
a mutual commitment between you and us.
Aware that through our activity we have an impact on the territories we travel through and therefore a responsibility in their preservation and our way of traveling, we have put in place concrete actions before and during your trip to limit the impact we all have.
Our aim is to enable you to discover remarkable natural areas through active holidays that respect biodiversity and local populations. This charter, inspired by the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, commits every traveler to Altaï DMC.
Natural areas are the playgrounds of choice for our business. We contribute to their preservation in the destinations where we operate and work to minimize our use of resources when we travel. This involves promoting responsible travel best practice, as well as researching and implementing solutions to limit and/or offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with our travel.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL CHARTER:
a mutual commitment between you and us.
Aware that through our activity we have an impact on the territories we travel through and therefore a responsibility in their preservation and our way of travelling, we have put in place concrete actions before and during your trip to limit the impact we all have.
Our aim is to enable you to discover remarkable natural areas through active holidays that respect biodiversity and local populations. This charter, inspired by the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, commits every traveller to Altai DMC.
Natural areas are the playgrounds of choice for our business. We contribute to their preservation in the destinations where we operate and work to minimise our use of resources when we travel. This involves promoting responsible travel best practice, as well as researching and implementing solutions to limit and/or offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with our travel.
All travelers are asked to respect the natural areas they encounter and to avoid disturbing the local fauna and flora:
- By staying on the paths and avoiding taking plants and rocks,
- By not leaving any traces of their passage,
- By respecting animals and keeping their distance when observing them, avoiding feeding them and buying souvenirs made from wildlife,
- By using environmentally-friendly body products when swimming.
We work in partnership with suppliers (hotels, restaurants, guides, etc.) who are sensitive to environmental issues.
At Altaï DMC, we encourage meals based on local food.
- All travelers are asked to take home any consumables that cannot be recycled locally (batteries, etc.),
- Each traveler is invited to limit and sort waste whenever possible and to try to make the trip plastic-free,
- We try not to leave any trace of our passage,
- Every traveler is asked to use water sparingly, especially in countries where it is scarce,
- We avoid booking accommodation with swimming pools in places where water is in short supply.
- Promote a range of holidays using soft mobility (walking, cycling, kayaking, etc.) and public transport,
- Offering holidays that are accessible by land transport (train, bus, etc.) in France and neighboring countries,
- Rationalization of the length of our holidays to the flight time needed to reach the destination (1 hour flight = 1 day on site),
- Carbon offsetting of our customers’ air travel,
- Planting of one tree per customer.
Human beings as well as their well-being and fulfilment are at the heart of our concerns, whether they are the people our travelers meet, Altaï employees or our guides and partners around the world.
We aim to ensure that our tourism activities which promote rural life, directly benefit local populations, who are often far removed from the traditional economic fabric:
- Work with partners from the areas we visit and who work with local service providers who are decently paid.
- Develop the skills of our partners, and in particular our local guides, to make their work more sustainable
- Set up partnerships with local NGOs working for social development or the preservation of local heritage
When we travel in a group, the involvement of all travelers in the life of the group contributes to the dynamic of the trip. Exchanges with locals and other members of the group must be respectful, friendly and convivial. We invite you to respect the local people and their traditions:
- By adapting your attitude during meetings and moments of sharing,
- By adopting a friendly and inquisitive approach, which will encourage discussion but never force it,
- By only visiting places of worship that are open to you,
- Asking permission before taking individual photos.
We work to ensure that our tourism activities provide sustainable economic benefits for the local communities in the areas where we operate and where we send our travelers.
We make certain that our trips are a tool in the fight against poverty, and we work mainly with small local structures (accommodation, catering, transport, etc.) to ensure that each traveller has a positive economic impact on the often-isolated populations that welcome them. We therefore endeavor to :
- Distribute our Code of Conduct for partners and suppliers to each of our suppliers to make our supply chain more accountable
- Where necessary, support our partners and suppliers in their responsible transformation
- Work with partners who comply with local and international laws and regulations
- Work with partners who respect international human rights and labor standards
- Work with partners who protect vulnerable people and denounce deviant practices (sexual exploitation, work by minors under the age of 15, etc.)
- Work with partners who protect wildlife and take a responsible approach to it
- Working with partners who do not engage in any form of bribery, corruption or fraudulent activities.
To guarantee that our travelers also have a positive impact on the local economy, they need to adopt a number of responsible attitudes:
- Avoid giving money to the locals (give preference to donations to recognized NGOs rather than individuals and mainly children),
- Give tips in line with the cost of living so as not to destabilize the local economy,
- Encourage the purchase of souvenirs made from local crafts.