Our focus on sustainability

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At Black Tomato, we work to ensure travel is a genuine force for good in the destinations in which we operate and for the travellers we serve.

Travel has always helped fund local economies and, in recent years in particular, become increasingly adept at preserving the culture and supporting conservation of lands and protection of ecosystems. Travel creates empathy and understanding, can inspire and educate. It creates the human-to-human and human-to-nature connection.

This type of regenerative travel is the foundation of our approach to sustainability.

We believe in the positive impact travel can have on local communities and travellers alike. We are proud to work with a global network of partners who work to high standards of societal and environmental sustainability. Beyond this, we recognise that sustainability is a deeply personal issue, and would love to work with you to create a bespoke solution to make your trip as impactful and meaningful for you as possible – whether via a carbon contribution, engaging with a local charity or volunteering during your travels. Your travel expert will be able to provide specific recommendations around your interests and itinerary.

How we commit to driving positive impact

Field Trip Anti Poaching

Our Partners

We choose partners who prioritise positive impact on their local communities, including:

  • Hiring local guides and staff and paying a fair living wage
  • Supporting local charities and foundations
  • Incorporating planet-friendly policies appropriate to the destination, including plastic waste reduction, minimising carbon emissions, local sourcing
Our clients, Sustainability

Our Clients

We help our clients make responsible travel choices, including:

  • Making them aware of the sustainability credentials of various travel experiences we offer, including hotels, tours, and transport
  • Offering opportunities to support local initiatives through donations or – where appropriate – direct action
  • Sharing ways in which travellers can promote positive change while away, such as supporting local artisans and reducing plastic waste
Ronan and Alister Volunteering in Cambodia

Ourselves

We ensure our corporate activities are consistent with our own sustainability goals, including:

  • Creating a supportive work environment in which our employees are able to thrive
  • Maintaining a low carbon footprint through our paperless policies and ongoing efforts to reduce energy consumption
  • Providing opportunities for our staff to volunteer at home and abroad
  • By supporting UN Gold Standard certified carbon offset projects – every year we work with our carbon auditors to calculate our corporate emissions, and we select an offset project to support
Huaypo school Peru

A Recent initiative

Earlier this year, we chose to support a local community project started by our wonderful partners in Peru. Juan Velazco Alvarado school is located in the Huaypo Lake area of the Sacred Valley and is attended by 200 boys and girls from the local, rural communities. Our donation aims to help with:

  • Supplying the school library with books, a projector screen and computers with internet access to help the children further their knowledge, connect to the world beyond their immediate surroundings and dream big
  • Contributing towards a recycling centre and greenhouse at the school to encourage awareness and understanding of how they and their families can help to preserve the fragile ecosystems around Huaypo Lake
  • Funding the start of the construction of a playground for the children – a facility they did not previously have

Stories of sustainability

A spotlight on some of our partners’ sustainability efforts

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Sol Y Luna, Luxury Hotels Peru

Sol Y Luna

This is a truly inspirational hotel. Owner Petit and Franz created Sol y Luna in order to fund their foundation that educated some of Peru’s most underprivileged children. The foundation started with just 5 children and now has the care of over 200 children ageing between kindergarten and seventeen. As well as the school the hotel supports a disability centre and local orphanage and is a truly pioneering force for good in the Sacred Valley.

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Xigera Safari Lodge, Luxury Travel Black Tomato

Xigera Safari Lodge

Sustainability and conservation are at the forefront at Xigera Safari Lodge, and the initiatives are numerous – yet another reason we’re huge fans. To name just two, the site is powered exclusively by renewable solar panel energy, and they have eliminated unnecessary single-use plastics from lodge operations. Through strong partnerships with local communities, there is an acute awareness at Xigera of the Okavango Delta’s delicate ecosystem; safeguarding it for the generations to come is integral to their forward-thinking vision.

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Torfhús Retreat, Luxury Travel Iceland

Torfhús Retreat

To remain in harmony with the natural environment, Torfhús Retreat was built with reclaimed wood and both the houses and basalt pools are powered by local sustainable hydroelectric and geothermal energy. Ingredients used at the restaurant are all locally sourced from a 10 mile radius, from the fruits and vegetables grown in greenhouses to the freshly-caught salmon from the rivers and mountain-grazed lamb from local farms. Meanwhile, plastic bottles are non-existent and electric cars have been introduced for housekeepers and local excursions.

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