community

The environment & world at large on the go tours believe travel should be a rewarding experience for you, as well as for the local people we encounter and that preserving the natural state and beauty of the areas we pass through is essential.  At all our destinations, we aim to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach the right places, by employing local tour leaders, frequenting where possible locally owned hotels, shops & eating establishments. We focus our responsible tourism initiatives in 3 key areas: People - through, for example, our Change for Children Initiative in Egypt, which has recently been implemented in India and China as well. Equally, it is our policy, that our tours are led by local tour leaders and that we employ the services of local guides. Wildlife - we support TOFT (Travel Operators for Tigers) in their endeavours to protect the Tiger in India The environment at large through some special initiatives like our Eco-Egypt tour. We also encourage all our clients to work with Climate Care to offset the harmful CO2 emmissions of their international flights.  For all flights that we take ourselves, we make an appropriate contirbution to Climate Care. We are proud to make a donation to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on your behalf for every ANZAC package booked.

AITO: 3 RT (Responsible tourism) stars Through our active involvement with a variety of organisations promoting better practise in tourism, the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) has awarded us three RT (Responsible Tourism) Stars. on the go tours works very closely with AITO, which has produced Responsible Tourism guidelines based on a number of important objectives for its members.

Change for children A few Rupees, Yuan or Egyptian Pounds. It all adds up. In support of local causes in Egypt, India and China, we provide all our passengers with an envelope to place inside all their unwanted local currency. on the go tours will then put this money to work by purchasing clothes, educational supplies and other desperately items for underprivileged children. In addition, half the proceeds from our special eco egypt tour will directly benefit change for children. Meanwhile, in India, in support of a local primary school and it’s surrounding village - Peharsar, we provide all passengers with an envelope to place inside all their unwanted Indian currency. on the go tours will then put this money to work by purchasing educational supplies and equipment for the benefit of the local village school.

Eco Egypt: Nile clean-up Taking care of the Nile - The Nile River is the longest river in the world. 10 countries including Egypt, share the Nile and it’s precious resource - water. Approximately 160 million people live within the boundaries of the Nile basin and for most, clean water fetched from the banks is the best that can be hoped for. Sophisticated purification systems and plumbed water is a pipe dream in many of these countries. In helping to preserve the Nile basin in Egypt and in support of reducing environmental damage, aboard our felucca cruises we operate a simple yet effective and hygienic waste disposal system. In addition, we operate an especially rewarding 10 day - Eco Egypt tour that combines touring at some of Egypt’s best-loved sights and the chance for participants to contribute to the environment and people of Egypt, with special initiatives including spring-cleaning the Nile and more.

Eco Egypt: clean the reef A pristine Red Sea, for nature’s sake – The Red Sea is an amazing gift of nature. Proclaimed in 1989 one of the Seven Underwater Wonders and also now a protectorate, this 1930-km long body of water supports a fragile and brilliant eco-system. The coral-carpeted Red Sea teems with in excess of 1,000 marine species. To remind travellers, on the go tours actively dictate the Red Sea Commandments to all our divers and snorkellers. Reminder signs have also been placed at selected coastal points. Each year in late Feb and mid September, our initiative ‘Clean the Reef’ comes into play. By partaking in diving during this period, as a PADI registered Advance diver, you’re welcome to assist us in the removal of any detritus present from the reefs, seabed and shoreline in selected areas along the Dahab coastline. All necessary collection equipment is provided.

Local staff We ensure financial benefits reach the right people, by employing local tour leaders and in Africa a combination of local & Western expedition crew, frequenting where possible locally owned hotels, shops and eating establishments. For example on all tours your leader will be a local person with intimate knowledge of the area that you are travelling. On expeditions in Africa you may have Western and local expedition crew combined, but they will have a great knowledge of and passion for Africa.  As well as benefiting local people, on the go tours believes this helps foster national pride as well as ensuring our money reaches the local community. Understanding today ensures preservation for a better tomorrow.

Travel Operators for Tigers on the go tours are members of TOFT and we are happy to pledge a contribution to TOFT for each of our clients that choose to travel on a wildlife tour in India with us. Travel Operators for Tigers campaign (TOFT) is a collective Global travel industry initiative, in cooperation with the charity Global Tiger Patrol, that aims to advocate and support through supply chain pressures a more responsible approach to tourism in India ’s main wildlife reserves. It also aims to catalyse collective support for specific conservation programmes which benefit local communities and habitat preservation and restoration. For more information regarding TOFT visit www.toftiger.org

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission 1,700,000 men & women of the Commonwealth forces died in the two World Wars. Of this number, the remains of 925,000 were found and their graves are marked by a headstone. The tireless effort of marking and maintaining the graves of the Commonwealth Forces, to build memorials to those no known grave or who perished at sea, to embellish sites with horticulture to give casualites dignified commemoration and to keep records and registers is carried out by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission which was established by Royal Charter in 1917. There are war graves in some 150 countries across the world; mostly in the 2,500 war cemeteries and plots constructed by the Commission. In recognition of the effort the Commonwealth War Graves Commission undertakes at memorials as far afield as Gallipoli, Bita Paka and El Alamein, on the go is proud to make a donation to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on your behalf for every ANZAC package booked. We invite you to peruse the website of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and encourage individuals to make their own personal bequest at www.cwgc.org.

Tourist Community Development Trust Tourist Community Development Trust is playing a leading role in community involvement in South Africa, working on sustainable projects. For every one of our passengers travelling to South Africa, on the go is proud to make a donation to the trust, which will be used across the range of projects - the Respite Centre for those suffering from HIV and other infectious diseases; Africa My Bra, working with local unemployed women in Cape Town townships, using their beadwork skills to produce clothing accessories and in the process giving them a salary; Baphumelele Education Centre, a home for abandoned, sick and abused children and the Clothing Collection, an initiative that has clothing bins at hostels and guesthouses for old and unwanted clothes, which are then re-distributed to poorer communities. Head to www.tcdtrust.org.za to find out more.