Our Responsible Travel

Exploring the world is a deeply enriching experience that has the power to transform us. Through travel, our horizons expand and we become aware of the beauty and diversity of the planet. Encountering new cultures, unique landscapes, and inspiring people allows us to form meaningful connections that reach far beyond borders.

Travelling is not simply about ticking off places to see. It is an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, to discover who you truly are and reconnect with your place in the world.

Our ambition has always been to move beyond mass tourism by creating authentic journeys that benefit both travellers and local communities. This vision gave birth to Viventura more than 20 years ago, when its founder, Andre Kiwitz, witnessed firsthand in South America the negative effects of mass tourism — which often distorts cultures and depletes local resources.

Driven by the desire to offer a more sustainable alternative, we have since crafted journeys built around human-scale experiences, allowing travellers to forge deep connections with the places they visit while supporting local businesses and guides. By avoiding overcrowded destinations and championing responsible tourism, we help preserve cultural heritage and create meaningful, enriching travel experiences for everyone.

Travel has the power not only to change us, but also to be a force for kindness — for others and for our world. Mindful travel can directly benefit the people you meet and the places you visit, all while giving you an unforgettable experience.

Responsible and sustainable travel has always been at the heart of our journeys. Our core values are fun, fair, and focus. These values guide us and ensure we stay true to our commitment to travelling responsibly.

At Ventura, we are fully aware of the environmental challenges facing our industry — from CO₂ emissions linked to air travel to the energy consumption of digital technologies, including AI tools. While travel brings people and cultures together, we also recognise its carbon footprint and accept our responsibility to minimise our impact.

We actively reduce flights whenever possible, prioritise eco-friendly itineraries, and fully offset our employees’ business travel through carbon-compensation programmes. We also carefully evaluate the environmental impact of our IT infrastructure, choosing providers committed to renewable energy and efficiency. By balancing innovation with sustainability, we strive to make travel more responsible without compromising its benefits.

Responsibility is at the heart of how we design our trips. When you choose to travel with us, we want you to know that sustainability is far more than a trend — every journey we create is built on responsible and sustainable principles.

Our team is made up of passionate travellers from all around the world, united by a deep appreciation for the places we showcase. We believe that living our values makes us better at what we do, which is why we regularly engage in collective initiatives.

Our FUN days strengthen our team spirit through shared adventures, while our FOCUS days allow us to work together on major projects. Our FAIR days are dedicated to giving back to communities — whether by supporting local organisations or taking part in environmental clean-up activities.

To ensure we stay true to our commitments, our CSR team meets regularly with representatives to evaluate our practices and confirm that our actions align with our values. We also work closely with the V Social Foundation, ensuring that every decision — whether at the executive or operational level — reflects our dedication to responsible tourism.

We place great importance on work–life balance and invest in the personal and professional growth of our team, so that passion and commitment drive everything we do.

We fully embody and honour our values, just as our suppliers and tour leaders do. For us, it is essential to improve the lives of our team members, those who work with us, and their families.

Sustainable travel practices are essential to safeguarding our planet for future generations. We strive to minimise our environmental footprint by making thoughtful choices — from carefully planned itineraries to encouraging slower travel and supporting local economies.

Travel brings people together. By creating unique travel experiences at the heart of local communities, we celebrate cultures and give you the chance to connect with people in moments you’ll never forget. One of our core goals is ensuring that our trips directly benefit the people and places you visit, through development, prosperity, and self-determination. We believe that travel can be a force for good, and we have adopted several measures to ensure our journeys create a positive impact.

The V Social Foundation is a non-profit organisation that has supported community-based tourism groups for more than 20 years. With a strong focus on sustainability and local development needs, the foundation helps strengthen local communities in the places we visit, preserve cultural heritage, and build partnerships that support their path toward self-management.

Many of our trips include a donation to V Social, and our travellers have the opportunity to visit local projects during their journey to see firsthand the positive impact that community-based tourism has on both travellers and host communities.

A portion of the cost of your trip is allocated to Ventura’s conservation project, an initiative of the V Social Foundation launching in 2024. The conservation project will work with local communities to give them ownership of their land, protect the environment through reforestation and regeneration efforts, and prepare the community to take full leadership of the project within five years.

In this way, your trip supports environmental protection and truly shows that travel can be a force for good! Together, we are building something genuinely meaningful. Stay tuned for more details on how you can help make a difference through responsible tourism.

As an active member of the Roundtable for Human Rights in Tourism for many years, we ensure that all our trips and all our partners comply with legal requirements regarding fair wages and employment, particularly for young people.

In addition, through the V Social Foundation, we actively contribute to protecting the human rights of local communities by promoting gender equality, facilitating access to quality employment, and strengthening cultural identity to fight discrimination. To learn more, click here: https://www.vsocialfoundation.org/en/what-we-do

In addition to organising sustainable journeys in small groups and using local services, we are committed to implementing environmental protection measures throughout our trips.

By working closely with local guides and partners, we avoid mass-tourism hotspots and include off-the-beaten-path locations alongside each destination’s highlights. By supporting local businesses and the sustainable development of each region, we minimise the negative impact of travel while offering our travellers a richer, more meaningful experience.

As a sustainable tour operator, we are certified by TourCert and undergo a detailed review of all our business activities every two years. TourCert GmbH is a non-profit organisation specialising in tourism certification, dedicated to promoting ecological, social, and economic responsibility within the travel industry.

The Forum Anders Reisen e.V. is an association of travel companies committed to sustainable tourism. The travel experiences offered by its members are people- and environment-focused, make careful and purposeful use of local resources, and treat other cultures with respect. Founded in 1998, the Forum Anders Reisen now has around 130 members.

Travelling responsibly is a way of life. Embracing sustainable practices not only helps protect natural wonders and local cultures, but also deepens our understanding of how closely connected we are to others and to the environment.

To learn more about our work, our travel style, or how you can get involved, speak with your travel advisor.

Follow our commitment to positive change by subscribing to the VSocial newsletter: https://www.vsocialfoundation.org/

Find inspiration by signing up for our own newsletter.

Discover the impact of meaningful travel by joining one of our journeys.

Have questions? Contact our CSR team here.

Accessibility Statement:
At Japaventura, we are committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We strive to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

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