Malta and Gozo & Sicily holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

Whilst many visitors to Malta never stray far from the beach nor on Sicily venturing far beyond the resort towns such as Taormina, this varied trip gives a real insight into the scenic and cultural wonders that these diverse islands have to offer.

The hotels we use on this holiday adopt energy saving systems to limit carbon emissions. Some hotels we use have photovoltaic panels, both for electricity and water heating, limit the degrees of heating and/or air conditioning as well as using led bulbs and motion sensors.

Bus transport is used to cover the long distances from town to town but we always provide walking tours to visit and discover historical centres. All buses used for the tours have European certification for low CO2 emissions.

The hotels we use buy local products according to seasonality, avoiding waste and disposing of used oil according to regulations. They also try to produce as much as possible, in small vegetable patches on site, limiting the purchase of packaged products. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free food options are available on request. As a travel company we are acutely aware of our impact on the environment. All of our tours display a carbon footprint, and we strive to reduce our emissions by regularly reviewing our tours and embracing low-impact styles of travel such as trains, public buses or walking – which offer the added benefit of getting a closer connection with the destination and local community.

ENVIRONMNET & WILDLIFE

Though you will need to drink plenty on this trip, we encourage you not to buy bottled water due to the plastic waste this generates. Tap water is perfectly drinkable in this area so bring your own reusable water bottle. If you like you could bring a water bottle with filter to improve the taste of the water but it is not necessary on the grounds of safety.

We strive to support nature and biodiversity through protection and regeneration projects, and for every customer that travels with us we make a donation to Rewilding Britain and Cool Earth.

We encourage customers to avoid single-use plastic on tour, and our leaders give advice on refill points each day. Where tap water isn't safe to drink we recommend Water-to-Go bottles, a filtration bottle allowing you to drink water from any source.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Our trip benefits a wide range of people in the islands, from the small hotels we stay in, to the transport providers, restaurants and other small businesses. Notable are local crafts such as baking, wine making and olive production that we are more than happy to support! Our trips operate to a strict responsible tourism policy so that we are sure to minimise our impacts on the places we visit. On Sicily when we visit the mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale we have chosen to stay in the neighbouring town of Piazza Amerina. Most other operates don't stay here overnight, but we do so you can experience this charming market town set amid rolling countryside. This isn't a town on the tourist trail and so the money spent here is appreciated by the local community. You have the opportunity to dine in one of the family run restaurants and as you stroll along through the peaceful streets and picturesque squares you can see the local men gathering to discuss the events of the day and to put the world to rights, like they will have done for generations. Whilst on Sicily we will also visit one of island's best kept secrets, the delightful medieval hilltop walled town of Erice. Whilst here this is the chance to purchase a variety of delightful cakes in the traditional local shop - Maria Grammatic. On Malta most companies choose to visit the island of Gozo as a day trip and so little money goes to the hotels on the island or to the local staff they employ. We have therefore chosen to spend two nights on Gozo, so that we can explore the sights whilst making sure money is going to the local hotel we use and the local restaurants and attractions that we visit on this smaller and far less touristy sister island. In the Maltese Archipelago and Sicily we work with a local operators. Our Tour Leaders who escort us will be able to explain all about the history and culture, as well as local life on the islands. This makes our experience that much richer than travelling independently as we'll be able to uncover all sorts of aspects of the islands not accessible to most visitors.

Whilst on Malta we'll visit a local farm where we'll spend an afternoon learning how sun dried tomatoes and the local wine is produced and then get to sample these along with a selection of other vegetables farmed in the region as well as Maltese bread and olive oil. Our leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travellers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.

ENVIRONMNET & WILDLIFE

At least 90% of the people employed by our local partner and their operating partners in Sicily are from the local community. Women are a predominant part of the workers in the sector, contributing significantly to the workforce. Our local partner ensures that all staff are paid at least the minimum wage in this destination, adhering to fair labour practices. Their recruitment process prioritizes competence, nurturing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality. Additionally, this trip is LGBTQ+ friendly, welcoming and inclusive to all travellers. Our local agent in Malta employ mainly local Maltese staff and 20% from other nations. At holiday times like Christmas the company and its employees give a donation to charity to help those with less through the holiday season and beyond.