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Why is Travel Philanthropy so important?

In an age of increasing awareness of world issues and global needs, there has been a recent surge in travel philanthropy or, more simply put, using travel as a means to give back.

What is it?

Philanthropic travel is becoming more popular because people are becoming more eager to reconnect with humanity. Travel Philanthropy is about supporting the areas we visit and promoting them in a sustainable, positive manner, resulting in a mutually beneficial and rewarding experience for both the region and our clients alike.

Travelling with a Heart - Why is it important?

Consumers are beginning to view holidays differently these days. They are becoming more aware of the environments they touch; monitoring their impact on a social, moral and economic level. They want to leave having made a positive impact on an area, which makes a tangible difference, making them feel good. There are only positives to this approach.

The days of ersatz tourism I think are well on the wane, as intelligent people seek to holiday whilst making a difference. We call it ‘Travelling with A Heart’. This is where The Explorations Company excels. We have been involved in philanthropic tourism for over 28 years, supporting various conservation and humanitarian projects since our inception. We advise and educate our clients on the regions they intend to visit, to understand their footprint from a sociological, financial and ecological perspective. This entails enormous responsibility and accountability on our behalf.

We spend more time in the field than any other company, researching places and properties which match these criteria and being selective of where we advise our clients to stay; understanding the values of each establishment we recommend, the direct impact each client has and finally how the establishments make a difference to the areas they occupy on an ecological and humanitarian basis. All of our specialists come from the continents we promote and we have an innate and deep love, passion and understanding for the areas in which we operate.

How It Helps to Support The Challenges We Face

Sustainable travel has a far reaching effect on many levels. Purely from an economic perspective, there is a direct benefit to the area in terms of employment. For each person employed in Africa, around 10 family members derive immediate financial benefit.

The communities are supported through employment, healthcare and education. The education contributes towards the conservation of wildlife as children are taught the importance of protecting wildlife, their economic value to an area and to the communities as a whole. Rangers are employed to combat poaching. The largest problem third world continents face is population explosion. Africa’s population will double by 2050. Human wildlife conflict is our largest problem as wildlife numbers continue to dwindle at an alarming rate.

This is partially due to human pressure and ancient tribal custom, but largely due to poaching (specifically for tiger, elephant, rhino and pangolin) on behalf of China, Vietnam and Korea. By visiting these areas, we provide a constant presence which reduces poaching and we provide economic sustainability to a region which manifests itself in a better quality of life for local communities which in turn supports education.

We also contribute in protecting the wildlife, ensuring its survival for generations to come, through park and conservancy fees, through funding scientists and researchers and their research work in the field.

Where and how can I make a difference?

One can make a difference by travelling with us, because we have already taken the pain out of the research for you and undertaken this as part of our annual due diligence when visiting places for several months each year when we travel around the world.

But for regions we don’t cover, you can make a difference by doing your own due diligence; by looking more deeply at what each place does to support the local region within which it operates and by understanding its ecological footprint.

One can also become part of our Donor Travel programme – Philanthropy Plus.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore – Dream – Discover - Mark Twain - You can view clips of some of our own favourite discoveries here.


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- Utterly designed and tailored around you and your requirements

- Totally unique every time you travel with us

- The very best hand picked guides which can make the difference between a  good and an outstanding holiday

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Priceless Knowledge

- Established over 30 years ago we have been around longer than most

- Our specialists come from, have lived in or travelled extensively in the regions we cover

- Unparalleled knowledge provides you with the best possible experience

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Making a difference

- Philanthropy is our philosophy

- Our founding principle is to always ‘put something back’

- An amount from each holiday is donated to our selected conservation and humanitarian charities


Would you like to know more?

Our team can help prepare a unique itinerary that best suits your personal interests  – no pressure, just
support and advice. Please complete your information and we will be in touch in no time.

As a guide, the cost of our extraordinary and utterly bespoke journeys tends to start from $1200 per person per day excluding international flights.

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Explore with The Explorations Company

By Marcela Kunova - 20th April 2017

Nicola Shepherd, founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, organises unusual trips for HNW and UHNW clients ranging from birthday parties at an Indian Maharajah's palace to reliving Sir Vivian Fuchs's 1950s expedition to the South Pole. Citywealth caught ...

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