Our unique travel experiences aim to inspire people to care about the planet by providing meaningful opportunities to explore it. National Geographic Expeditions is committed to sustaining the character and integrity of each place we visit—its environment, culture, and heritage, as well as the well-being of its residents. In providing authentic travel experiences, we strive to support local economies in our choice of services. At the same time, we believe that the powerful positive effects of sustainable travel go beyond the long-term economic benefits, inspiring passionate stewards committed to protecting the places we visit.
Based on this commitment to sustainable tourism, all National Geographic Day Tours meet the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria, and a portion of the proceeds from these tours goes back to the National Geographic Society to fund research and sustainable programs around the world.
Global Sustainable Tourism Council
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria is the global standard for sustainability in travel and tourism and is focused on four key pillars: sustainable management; environmental protection; social and economic support of the local community; and recognizing and promoting cultural heritage.
By working together with TUI and their experience partners, we believe that we can create more sustainable experiences—beneficial for all—while allowing travelers to discover new places and contribute to the local economy.
We have embedded the GSTC sustainability criteria into our differentiated experiences through a thorough process, certified by independent audit organization Control Union, allowing the verification of the sustainability credentials of individual experiences in a robust, consistent and transparent way.
TUI and National Geographic Expeditions are leading the way in helping travelers make more sustainable choices when it comes to travel experiences. Our National Geographic Day Tours have been independently certified to meet global standards for sustainability so that experiences are not only enriching, but also environmentally responsible.
Making a Difference
For more than 135 years, the National Geographic Society has identified and funded a global community of Explorers: leading scientists, educators, storytellers, conservationists, technologists and many other changemakers who help us define some of the critical challenges of our time, drive new knowledge, advance new solutions and inspire positive transformative change.
Every year, National Geographic Expeditions distribute a portion of its proceeds to the non-profit National Geographic Society, which awards grants to scientists, educators, innovators and storytellers around the globe who are working to preserve species and ecosystems, protect cultures and advance understanding of our planet and its inhabitants.
These Explorers conduct work around the globe with programs like the National Geographic Pristine Seas project, which seeks to explore and help inspire the protection of the last wild places in the ocean; the Big Cats Initiative, a comprehensive program to protect endangered felines worldwide; and the Enduring Voices Project, which documented a language in India that had previously been unknown to linguists.
When you travel on a National Geographic Day Tour, you help fulfill the National Geographic Society’s mission to illuminate and protect the wonders of our world and to advance the urgent need to protect our planet.
National Geographic Society receives funds from National Geographic Expeditions, as a division of National Geographic Partners LLC, funded in part by your purchase. To learn more, visit natgeo.com/info.