Setting the Standard

These companies make finding a socially responsible tour operator easier than ever.

NIARRA TRAVEL

When planning trips to Africa, many travellers don’t realise that commissions of up to 35 per cent are paid to large tour operators by the local hospitality industry. Niarra Travel, based in London, has committed to reducing its commissions to 10 per cent when referring clients to local businesses, like northern Kenya’s Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, which employs community members as keepers (like Naomi Leshongoro, right). This leaves more funds for the places and communities who need them most—and honours the concept of niarra, the Swahili word for “with utmost purpose.” niarratravel.com

ETERNAL LANDSCAPES MONGOLIA

Women have typically been excluded from meaningful roles in Mongolia’s tourism sector, but Eternal Landscapes aims to change that. The company—which offers adventure journeys throughout the country, including treks on horse or camel—recently launched a 15-day women-only trip led by female guides (right). Highlights include visiting quilters in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, a homestay with herding families in the Gobi Desert, and learning from female eagle hunters in the Bayan Ölgii province. eternal-landscapes.co.uk

BLACK CULTURAL HERITAGE TOURS

This company’s itineraries spotlight the people and places that have shaped Black culture in the United States. Road trips in 2022 will run throughout the Southeast, including a stop at Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast in Durham, North

Carolina, run by Daniel and Monica R. Edwards (right). The trips are supported by the National Blacks in Travel and Tourism Collaborative, which is partnering with tourism boards, local businesses, and other travel associations to build a Black travel “ecosystem.” experienceblackculture.com