Asia Adventures Community Based Responsible Tourism Mission Statement:
Asia Adventures operates tourism that supports, promotes understanding, and appreciation of the cultures and environments we visit. We operate in an economically, socially, and culturally responsible manner. We are committed to working with our clients and the people of our host destinations to ensure direct economic benefits in the local community, and to contribute to cultural and environmental conservation. With the continual monitoring of our operations, we strive to operate beyond best practice guidelines, matching or exceeding the world-wide industry benchmark for responsible tourism operation.
Our Company
Established in 2007, Asia Adventures is owned and operated by local adventure travel experts, in cooperation with international travel professionals. Our management team has over 20 years of combined experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, and we are well-traveled throughout Cambodia and the region. Moreover, we are cycling, trekking, and cruise-travel enthusiasts ourselves.
We believe in Responsible Tourism: an approach that involves grassroots local participation – utilizing tourism to facilitate poverty alleviation. Asia Adventures is the leading Responsible Tourism operator in Cambodia, having been awarded the Heritage Friendly Business Accreditation Gold Status, as well as being an active member of the Cambodia Community Based Eco-tourism Network. All revenue generated remains within the region, assisting in its social and economic development.
Our Responsible Tourism Policy
We comply with international conventions and abide by the laws, regulations, and guidelines of the countries, cultures, and natural areas we visit.
Guiding principles for economic responsibility:
- We hire local people whenever possible, throughout all levels of the organization: management, office staff, tour guides, drivers, tour support.
- We invest in the training and development of our local staff.
- We select locally owned and operated vendors to the extent possible whose business practices most closely follow these principles.
- We cooperate with local citizens to offer homestays, school visits, and cooking and language, classes.
- We operate in a manner that maximizes the retention of our clients’ expenditure in the local communities.
- We follow equitable business practices with respect to pay and fair prices paid to vendors.
Guiding principles for cultural and environmental responsibility:
- We actively work with the host community in all tourism projects that we operate.
- We protect the integrity of local cultures and heritage by accepting their right to determine their own development.
- We endeavor to make tourism an inclusive social experience and to ensure that there is access for all, in particular vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and individuals.
- We assess environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle of tour operations – including the planning and design phase – and ensure that negative impacts are reduced to the minimum while maximizing positive ones.
- We encourage and facilitate staff participation in local charitable organizations and activities.
- All aspects of the visitors’ experience are in harmony with the cultural and natural environment.
- We help prepare our clients by providing information at all stages in order to help them minimize their cultural and environmental impact.
- We aim to instill in our clients an understanding and appreciation of the culture and environment in which they travel by encouraging considerate, culturally, and environmentally conscious habits.
- We help enrich our clients’ experience by providing cultural and environmental interpretation, both through local site-specific guides and by providing our leaders with the appropriate training.