2024 was a whirlwind! We hosted our largest international guide and driver training, launched thrilling tours in new and existing destinations, and upgraded our Thailand fleet with over 100 brand-new Trek bikes. But most importantly, we're proud of the strides we made in our journey towards making travel more sustainable and responsible.
At SpiceRoads, we champion responsible tourism, respecting the environments and local communities we explore. Travel is our passion, and if you're reading this, clearly yours too. The magic of discovering new places, meeting new people, and experiencing unique cultures fuels us. We strive to protect this magic for generations to come.
Bicycling is inherently sustainable, possibly one of the best forms of low-impact, sustainable travel. Yet, we constantly strive for greater impact. Which is why we partnered with Sustainable Travel International, a global leader in sustainable tourism advocacy, to measure, reduce, and adapt to the ever-looming challenges of climate change. This includes a serious commitment to offset emissions from our tours, head office operations, and conduct annual audits to assess our carbon footprint and identify opportunities to further reduce our environmental impact.
With their guidance, we've also added a carbon footprint calculator to our site with the option of purchasing "carbon offsets" to balance out emissions made during your travels. The proceeds generated from these offsets go towards financing CO2 mitigation projects such as forest restoration, clean energy projects, marine ecosystem preservation, and research into new climate tech.
Try the Carbon Footprint Calculator
We're also mindful of how tourism can affect different places and communities. That's why we're proud to recently join The Code, a group fighting child exploitation, particularly in travel and tourism. Created in 1996, The Code, short for the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, is a multi-stakeholder initiative on a mission to provide awareness, tools, and support to the travel and tourism industry to prevent the exploitation of children.
Learn More at The Code’s Website
As a member, we're committed to spreading the word about this important issue and working with others to make a real difference. Here are the six criteria of which members and ourselves will be working towards with our partners and suppliers.
• Establish policies and procedures against the sexual exploitation of children and regulation of "voluntourism".
• Train employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation, and how to report suspected cases.
• Include a clause in contracts throughout the value chain stating a common repudiation and zero tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children.
• Provide information to travelers on children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation of children, and how to report suspected cases.
• Support, collaborate, and engage stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children.
• Report annually on the implementation of the six criteria of The Code.
See Our Recent Blog on The Code
We're thrilled about these new partnerships, but we know there's always more to do. As you embark on new cycling adventures in 2025, whether with SpiceRoads or another company, we hope you'll join us in prioritizing sustainable and responsible travel.
Happy New Year, and here's to 2025 and more amazing rides around the world.
