Regenerative Travel and Sustainability

We believe that travelling responsibly is the only way. Panoramic Journeys was founded on ethical principles and regenerative travel is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission for our journeys and film shoots to have a positive social and environmental impact is the primary measure of success of our business. It so happens that this passion drives likeminded people our way which in turn drives the business forward.

There is a tendency for people to search for "that last unspoilt destination." The countries that we visit reward those on such a quest but how long can they remain that way? When two cultures come together, both are inevitably affected. We benefit a great deal from contact with such hospitable people, pristine environments and historic sites. It is essential that any interaction is based on respect and understanding of cultural differences and our possible impact upon the places we visit.

Of course, we do all of the common sense things to make sure that our impact on the destinations we visit isn’t negative; that our offices are run in an environmentally sound way and that our clients understand the role that they can play in travelling responsibly. You can read more about what you can do with our helpful 'DOs' for guests to get an idea of what this means on the ground. As our involvement and commitment to the countries we visit is personal and long term, we are in a position such that, rather than just avoiding doing things badly, we can really go out of our way to do things well and make positive contributions. We can invest time and energy in making small but significant differences to the communities and individuals with whom we have a long term relationship.

We are not an NGO (non governmental organisation), a charity or philanthropists; we just try to do good things. In Mongolia our Sustainable Projects Fund has filled a gap that these groups don’t cater for; namely small rural projects run by individuals with passion and energy but not with the time or skills to do lots of form filling. Our support of various projects has been quite informal but we realise now that like these bigger entities we still need to be accountable and transparent about our motivations, aims and achievements.

We believe that when managed carefully, visitors getting involved in projects can be beneficial to all parties. We are cautious about “token” visits to schools or orphanages that can be disruptive and going down the route of “zoo tourism.”

Whilst discussing your dream journey, we will be listening out for your particular interests and trying to find ways to connect you with projects or communities in your destination country that might lead to a two way positive exchange. In the past we have made arrangements for a midwife to meet with local midwives; teachers to spend time at the Soaring Crane Summer Camp; a designer to spend time with lotus thread producers; a deer specialist to assist conservationists and a philanthropist to meet with several NGOs.

Each of our journeys and film shoots are different but they all share one thing – they all set out to have a positive impact for all involved. This is something that we have been dedicated to throughout our 18 years. We are now focused especially on measuring, reporting and monitoring our impact. We would love to hear your thoughts on this. Get in touch