This World Oceans Day (8th June), the Meaningful Travel experts at Rickshaw Travel are recognising the importance of responsible tourism and providing meaningful travel experiences that benefit both travellers and local culture.
More than 12.2 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in to world oceans each year. It is thought that only 1% of this is seen floating on ocean surfaces, while 94% of this waste ends up on the sea floor.
The highest concentration of plastic waste is found on beaches, threatening 31 species of marine mammals and 100 species of birds.
Protecting nature and wildlife – and encouraging travellers to do the same – is key for the Rickshaw team. The company has partnered with Animondial to develop an Animal Welfare Policy and our Meaningful Travel Vision.
Hannah Hesford, spokesperson at Rickshaw Travel, said: “For us, Meaningful Travel is about providing enriching experiences for our travellers, while at the same time ensuring that the local communities, wildlife and environment benefit too. We know that tourism has a huge impact on the planet, which is why World Ocean Day is so important to us. On Tuesday 5th June, we’re even taking part in our own beach clean on Brighton beach!”
Anyone wanting to travel in a more responsible and sustainable way can benefit from one of Rickshaw’s meaningful holidays. Celebrate the ocean by visiting a secluded beach in Lankayan Island, Borneo, where travellers can witness volunteers at local project Reef Guardian releasing baby turtles into the sea, or relax between the palm trees in Costa Rica and see dolphins swimming in the bay.
Trip examples include:
Location: Bocas del Toro
Prices from: £168 per person – standard accommodation / £398 per person – special stay accommodation
Insight: A year after the law against the use of plastic bags was signed by the Mayor in Bocas, plastic bags are no longer available in super markets and souvenir shops. 90% of bars also no longer offer plastic straws, but metal or paper instead!
Location: Sandakan – Lankayan – Sandakan
Prices from: £525 per person – in style accommodation
Location: Ojochal / Costa Ballena
Prices from: £275 per person – Shuttle Bus accommodation / £248 per person – Standard accommodation
-Ends-
For further press information, please contact:
Nicole Lovett/James Brooke/Natalie Garland/Baillie Horwood
Rooster PR
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8930
E: [email protected]
About Rickshaw Travel
Rickshaw Travel is an independent tour operator based in Brighton. They are committed to providing enriching, immersive travel experiences that take holidaymakers off the beaten path and into the heart of local communities.
Meaningful travel – or travelling in a way that everybody benefits from – is the core ethos of Rickshaw: the traveller benefits from enriching experiences where they learn something new (about the destination, culture, a skill or about themselves) and at the same time the local people, animals and/or environment benefit too.
Rickshaw Travel’s individual approach to independent exploration enables adventurous holidaymakers to visit the heart of a destination and experience the real spirit of a local culture. Rickshaw specialises in offering small-scale, authentic accommodation that truly reflects the character of each destination.
Rickshaw are proud to have built up a team of passionate Travel Specialists who each have extensive travel experience in their own dedicated destinations. They pride themselves on being open and honest about the places they have visited and are on hand to inspire and support travellers. The company’s style of travel is unique – Rickshaw’s dedicated Product Team has worked alongside the company’s in-destination partners to create a choice of carefully selected bite-size trips, typically 2-4 days long, which can be combined to create the perfect itinerary. Rickshaw’s bite-size trips include a range of local excursions, charming authentic accommodation and some transfers to ensure a hassle-free holiday. A minimum of three bite-sized trips must be combined to create a full itinerary.
Protecting nature and wildlife – and encouraging travellers to do the same – is also key for the Rickshaw team. The company has partnered with World Animal Protection to develop an Animal Welfare Policy, has committed to supporting the end of elephant riding by signing World Animal Protection’s elephant-friendly pledge, and is in the process of auditing trips involving any type of wild animal interaction.
Rickshaw Travel now offers trips in 24 destinations across Asia, Central and South America, including Cuba, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Costa Rica, Peru, Borneo, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Chile, Brazil and Japan. The company’s turnover and passengers carried increased by 50% from 2015 to 2017 and the company is aiming for a further 30% increase by 2019.
