Sustainable tourism
Many of our tours feature visits to towns and villages off the beaten tourist trail, enabling you to experience, and keep alive, local traditions and practices, such as artisan pasta-making and cheese production on our gastronomic tours to Italy.
In the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and certain European countries, we employ local agents who take care of many of the logistical tour arrangements on our behalf. Most of our current relationships have been built up over the course of many years of business.
In addition to supporting the communities and local economies of the places we visit, we also strive to limit our impact on the environment. Our itineraries are designed to spend more time in places visited than on conventional tours; this often means there are days without travel.
Like us, you can also choose to donate to the local heritage sites we visit, such as York Minster (visited on The Cathedrals of England tour), where donations contribute to restoration and conservation of the buildings.
We support the conservation of London churches on our London Days. Many of the city's historic church buildings are extremely underfunded yet they are very often free to visit. We always give a donation to the churches we visit, regardless of whether it is expected.
Action for Conservation
Martin Randall Travel is proud to support the UK charity Action for Conservation.
Action for Conservation (AFC) works alongside partners such as the National Trust to inspire young people to become the next generation of nature conservationists. Working exclusively with young people aged 12–18, via workshops in deprived inner-city schools and on residential camps, they help to fill a significant gap in provision in the UK – there is otherwise very little in the way of conservation education for young people in this age range.
MRT is currently aiming to raise £3,000 in order to send four young people on one of AFC's conservation summer camps. Along with our own fundraising activities, such as carol singing at Christmas, we will match any donation made by you, up until we reach our target. Read more about this, and get involved, on our Virgin Money Giving fundraising page.
Read more about this story here.
Carbon offsetting
Martin Randall Travel offers you the option to pay a carbon offset donation every time you book a tour with us that includes flights.
Martin Randall Travel also makes a carbon offset donation for every lecturer, tour manager or member of office staff travelling by air on company business.
Through these donations, we have supported the India Solar Water Heating project, which provides in-house hot water supplies fuelled by renewable energy to homes, community buildings and small to medium-sized businesses throughout India.
We are partnered with this project through the organisation Carbon Neutral.
You can make a carbon offset donation as part of the booking process. If you have already booked, please contact us to make a contribution.
Water-to-Go
To reduce our consumption of single-use plastic on tours, we have partnered with Water-To-Go, a company which produces environmentally-friendly reusable water bottles with an innovative built-in filtering system, to offer you a reduction on their line of products. They aim to protect our planet by offering a responsible alternative to single-use plastic water bottles, which at the same time will provide you with safe, clean water. We hope you will join us in our efforts to reduce the effects on the environment.
You can buy your bottles here: www.watertogo.eu/martinrandalltravel
Venice in Peril
Martin Randall Travel is a proud sponsor of the Venice in Peril Fund, who for over 40 years have contributed millions of pounds for the restoration of Venetian monuments, buildings and works of art.
These include the following projects:
– San Rocco Renaissance doorway and rose window - these had been moved to the side of the church when the baroque facade was added in 1765.
– Conservation of Palma il Vecchio Madonna and Child altarpiece in San Atanasio chapel in San Zaccaria.
– Restoration of organ by Battista Sono from 1802 in Scalzi Church suffering from damp, age and neglect.
– Palazzo Sorano van Axel – research in to conditions and historical importance of new-gothic walls and ground floor.
– Conservation of Renaissance Maiolica at the Correr Museum.
– Donation of £1,000 to Canova monument in the Frari.
In-house practices
In the Martin Randall Travel office, we recycle as much waste as possible. This includes old IT equipment and office furniture as well as the more obvious items such as paper, packaging and food waste.
All our brochures are printed on paper sourced sustainably, and we use a ‘green’ stationery supplier.
We store information electronically, unless printing is unavoidable. We also send all documents relating to your booking to you by e-mail only, where possible (you can still request documents by post on the booking form if you wish).
We have improved our website experience, in part to encourage more people to book and browse online, as an alternative to printed brochures and booking forms.
If you have any questions about our Responsible Tourism policy or would like to provide feedback, please contact us.
View AITO's Responsible Tourism policy