Via Dinarica in North Macedonia self guided walking holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

This walking holiday in Madecodia along Via Dinarica following the Šar mountain range in North Macedonia, starting and finishing in Skopje, is by its very nature a slow and sustainable way to travel, with guests walking 14-21km per day.

Contributing to carbon reduction, our local partners and us support eating vegetarian or vegan meals on this trip. Macedonia with 300 days of sun produces sweet tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, okras, zucchini, widely used in the local cuisine.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Areas along the Via Dinarica are protected and managed in line with best practices and internationally recognised standards to protect the future of the route and its people. Any unsustainable activities, such as excessive logging, hunting and other activities that negatively impact biodiversity and cultural heritage are actively discouraged. We believe that bringing sustainable tourism to the area supports this positive change in land use

We try and encourage walkers to keep their impact as low as possible on the environment during busy times. Before departure, guests are also encouraged to bring their own water bottles and to avoid single-use plastic during their trip.

We have an in-house responsible tourism expert, who shares tips and advice with our guests in trip notes, blogs and newsletters. For example, on how to practise responsible hiking with regards to the environment and wildlife, giving tips on environmental charities they can support, practising responsible wildlife watching and taking care to protect the marine environment when hiking or swimming.

Our local partner is in partnership with the National Association for Incoming Tourism in Macedonia in many sustainable activities, joining forces to raise the awareness of the tourism industry, as well as the public awareness of the negative impact of tourism on the environment to promote sustainable activities to minimise this impact.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

The main accommodations on this holiday are locally-owned guesthouses, mountain huts and hotels, accommodations employ local people all year round, source food and equipment locally and are a vital source of income for the region. As nearly all meals are included in the holiday, this is an excellent local source of income. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, good local food or commitment to responsible tourism. Staying in accommodations as mentioned before not only contributes to the local economy but makes the experience more memorable and authentic for our guests.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

All of our partners in Macedonia live locally and play an important role in contributing to the local economy. At home, we have a strict policy to pay all our own employees and team members a living wage and fair wage, with holiday entitlement. In the hiring process, we prioritise experience, qualifications and passion, emphasising that race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality are not factors of consideration. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace based on skills and expertise. We also endeavour to support any guests with visible and non-visible disabilities or any special requirements, when possible.