Biodiversity

From picturesque landscapes to diverse wildlife, clean rivers to crisp mountain air, biodiversity is central to every Explore journey. The natural world isn't just a backdrop to our adventures, it's the very heart of them. And that means we have a genuine responsibility to protect it.

We're committed to safeguarding the ecosystems that make each destination unique, not just for our travellers today, but for the health of the planet and the communities that depend on it for generations to come. That commitment runs through everything we do, from the experiences we include in our trips, to the partners we work with, to the standards we hold ourselves and our suppliers to.

Our Animal Protection Policy sets clear principles for how wildlife features in our tours, with a strict no-contact approach to wild animals, independent auditing of animal experiences, and a firm stance against performances and harmful practices. We believe wildlife should be wild, and that the best encounters are those built on respect and distance.

We also invest in restoring nature, not just protecting it. Through our partnerships with Rewilding Britain, Greening Australia and Cool Earth, every booking with Explore contributes to ecosystem restoration from recovering native forests to protecting rainforests around the world.

Animal Protection Policy

At Explore, we care deeply about the welfare of animals and we’ll never knowingly compromise it for the sake of our trips.

Our aim is simple: to help keep animals wild, protect their natural behaviours, and lead the way in raising welfare standards across the travel industry. We introduced our Animal Protection Policy in 2021 and review it every year to make sure we’re learning, improving, and reducing our impact wherever we can.

We follow a strict no-contact approach, and we’ve introduced a traffic light system that helps us assess and categorise every wildlife interaction we offer. This system is independently audited each year, to help keep us transparent and accountable.

But we also know we don’t have all the answers, and meaningful change can only happen when we listen, learn and work together. That’s why we’re partnering with animal welfare experts to develop training, support our suppliers, and keep evolving.

Read the Animal Protection Policy

Supporting Rewilding Britain

For every traveller that books with us, we donate to Rewilding Britain, a small, independent charity, committed to championing rewilding for people, nature and in the fight against the climate emergency.

A key element of our Climate Action Plan is recognising and taking responsibility for the footprint of our trips. Alongside our commitment to measure and reduce our carbon footprint, we are seeking to mitigate the emissions that we cannot entirely remove by investing in ways to restore and protect the natural environment. It feels right to protect and restore nature close to home, and we're proud to be working with Rewilding Britain.

Image credit: Cam Goodhead for Rewilding Britain

Learn more

Purpose paper

As a purpose-led business, we want to held accountable for People and Planet goals too. We're delighted to share our latest Purpose Paper, which charts our successes in these, and also our areas for more focus. Read about:

- Our Explore Foundation projects and their progress
- Our targets for next year, including identifying five key destinations where we'll focus our nature-positive efforts.

And much more!

Read the purpose paper

We're committed to doing right by the planet and the communities we visit, and we're always keen to hear from people who share that commitment. If you'd like to learn more about our approach to sustainability, or if you have ideas or concerns to raise, please reach out to us at sustainability@explore.co.uk we genuinely welcome your input.

What drives us

Climate

Explore our Climate policies

Community

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