Our Commitment to a Better World

At South Expeditions we aim to have a positive impact on the communities in the destinations in which we operate and we like to give something back when we can.

South Expeditions invites guests to “Discover Your World,” but our philosophy is not only that everyone should know this world we share better. We also believe we are all responsible for its well being, in terms of both nature and humanity. We have programs designed to give back in areas of environmental and social responsibility.

We are aware of the need to manage our impact on the planet and engage in the development of the local community of the many cultures with which we interact on the trips that we organize.

One of the things that differentiate us from other operators is that we offer our clients the chance to meet local people and to really get to know their culture first hand. We believe that it is those real life experiences that add incredible value to travelling overseas. Throughout the years, we have noticed that people enjoy knowing that they are contributing directly to local economies and helping to develop cross-cultural understanding.

We believe that demonstrating responsible business practices in the communities where we work is one of the keys of our success. For many years, South Expeditions has been engaged in various projects that support local cultures from the regions in which we operate.

Social Responsibility

Sometimes it seems hard to reconcile environmental and human needs, but that just means we have to look harder. South Expeditions believes that the best way to ensure sustainable tourism and protect the environment is through social responsibility: education, empowerment, and economics are the key ingredients.

In all of our trips, we seek to make the least environmental impact and the most economic impact on local people. We recently launched a program called “Building Blocks for a Better Life” which aims to help build classrooms in schools in the areas in which we operate. We believe that education is the key to sustainable development and we want to play an active role in making sure that more children in Ecuador and Chile have the opportunity to go to school.

Click here to read more about our program.

Our Environment

We have all heard the expression “think outside the box” and perhaps a great way to do this is to look at a picture of Earth from space and then to imagine the extreme care and concern that go into constructing and maintaining a spaceship to take astronauts out into our universe. After all, if the spaceship is not cared for and protected, those lives are at risk. Now, looking at our planet from space, we can see that what we call Earth is a spaceship, too, one that we all must share, preserve, and protect.

South Expeditions believes that we can make immediate changes to stop the degradation of our environment. We believe in the power of little acts to affect big changes, such as offering an interest-free loan to operators in Galapagos to change from two-stroke to four-stroke engines, thus reducing pollution and making fuel-consumption more efficient. Years ago, we developed a recycling manual for our operations that is now close to becoming reality in many parts of Ecuador. That manual emphasizes the importance of not buying or consuming products that come in packages that are not recyclable. Sounds simple? It is!

Perhaps the way in which our environmental beliefs most affect you, our clients, is that we try to create trips that produce less environmental impact. Our journeys involve biking, hiking, sea kayaking, rafting, and such activities—not merely because they are fun—but to actually get you from point A to point B! Of course, sometimes we do have to travel by bus, and that is the reason we are investigating how to change all the vehicles we use to alternative energy. Another way we minimize impact is by practicing Leave No Trace ethics in all campsites. We are members of Leave No Trace, and when we camp we choose sites that have experienced negative impact and actually clean them up, meaning we leave them better than we found them.

Without a safe and healthy environment, we can’t work or play or live, and that is why South Expeditions is committed to improving this Earth that we all share.