Responsible Travel Policy

Tourism is one of the largest industries worldwide, employing directly and indirectly millions of people, benefiting economically and socially all the hosting communities. In Greece, in particular, tourism is the backbone of the economy, thus one of the most important industries of our country. While tourism can largely benefit a large proportion of the population, it can also have widely negative effects both in the societies and the environment, if no measures are taken for responsible and sustainable tourism development. In Sail in Greece, responsible travel is central to our ethos and our mission is to work towards more sustainable forms of tourism in Greece. Through our operation, we aim at extending the tourism season, promoting less developed tourism destinations, thus distributing the social and economic benefits of tourism to other regions and communities too, besides the already well known tourism destinations, protecting the natural environment and supporting as much as possible the local hosting communities.

Using locally owned, and environmentally and socially responsible, accommodation wherever possible.
Support the local communities by choosing locally owned partners in our destinations, using local guides and drivers, family-run hotels and restaurants.
Ensuring that people who work for Sail in Greece are treated fairly and paid a fair wage
Developing long-term relationships with our local partners so that the economic benefit is ongoing.

Wild and domestic animal protection alongside broader good environmental practice.
Being environmentally friendly also in our own offices such as encouraging cycling to work, car sharing, recycling, lowering energy use and using planet-friendly cleaning products.
Minimising our environmental footprint while on a tour, by traveling in small groups, avoiding the use of plastic bottles, recycling our cans, paper and plastics
The implementation of practices that help in the environmental conservation of the areas we visit.

Ongoing training of our staff and local partners in the principles and practices of responsible travel
Ensuring that our type and scale of tourism is appropriate to local conditions and does not overload local infrastructure.
Encouraging positive cultural exchanges between our travelers and the hosting communities, offering a deep understanding of the hosting culture and preserving the local traditions and customs.
Encouraging our clients, through our literature, staff and leaders, to act in a socially responsible way.
Attempt to integrate the ethos of responsible travel throughout our organisation.