Nutty’s Adventures – Sustainable Tourism

Nutty’s Adventures is totally committed to the concept of Community-Based Tourism; tourism that will bring benefit to all parties involved. This means working closely with small rural communities, often in quite remote parts of the country.  By their nature, these communities and the environment in which they are located are fragile. Therefore, if benefits are to be gained by the communities, the company and our customers in the long term, serious concrete steps must be taken to safeguard the communities, their cultures and their natural environments; steps to protect them from physical and cultural degradation. It is therefore a prerequisite of CBT that it be sustainable. 

• Low impact – the numbers of visitors to each community are kept small by rotating arrivals among a number of different communities.
• Each party of arrival is kept small (6-8 persons)
• All clients are briefed in advance on how to behave in a culturally sensitive way during their stay in the village.
• Community enterprises that strengthen the cohesion of the community are supported
• Clients are encouraged to support the local economy.
• All local transport employed is low-impact village transport
• Wherever possible we try to create additional employment in the community to help keep families together and provide alternatives to illegal or detrimental activities.
• We promote local culture and traditions to help keep them alive for future generations.

• Along with instilling pride in their traditional culture heritage, we also endeavour to instill pride among community members in their natural heritage, as the two are often intimately entwined. With pride in these aspects of their life, from knowing that visitors have come half away round the world to experience them, will come the desire to preserve them.
•  The additional employment and economic stimulus that visitors will bring may reduce harmful activities such as illegal logging and poaching, and so aid in the aim of environmental protection.
• The company’s activities extend beyond CBT however and we are engaged in more general tourism activities: soft adventure and activity holidays, general sightseeing, beach breaks and teach and travel programmes.
• Our commitment to sustainable operations extends to all of these areas, influencing our choice of hotels, transport and activities.
• All our tours are structured in a way to reduce their environmental impact and all associated transport, with a strong preference for public surface transport rather than flights or private transport.
• All food is purchased locally, to boost the local economy and reduce any impact on the environment.
• Trekking, kayaking, rafting and cycling are major activities in many of our programmes.
• We avoid environmentally harmful activities such as off-road racing, mountain biking, zip lining, etc.
• Captive animals are featured in our tours only if they are humanely treated, well housed, well fed and with good medical care. Only domesticated animals may be used for riding and no animals used for performing tricks.
• Wild animals may only be viewed from afar with no interaction with people.

• All office practices are geared to reducing consumption and waste.
• Use of water and electricity are monitored and goals set for their reduction
• Use of paper and all office supplies are also monitored and goals set for their reduction.
• Only non-toxic cleaning materials and water-based paints are used in the office.
• We actively aim to reduce the use of disposable and consumer goods.
• Where possible we purchase products in bulk, to reduce the amount of packaging materials.
• We have a policy commitment to monitor carbon emission from company travel and compensate for it. Business travel is minimized by the use of video conferencing.
• Comply with the national legislation concerning waste disposal
• All waste that can be recycled, is recycled.
• We have eliminated all single-use plastic from our office and our operations.
• Printing is kept to a minimum
• Batteries are safely disposed of.
• All vehicles used by the company are regularly serviced and properly maintained.
• All staff receive regular training in the sustainability policy and operations of the company.

At least once a year, Nutty’s Adventures, our sister company ABT Journeys and our restaurant Raan Tha Luang, take on a project to help a local community or institution, in or around Ayutthaya, where we have identified a need or where we have received a request for assistance. For this we will raise the necessary funds and then all the staff, along with family and friends donate a weekend of their time to implement the project. Examples of the projects carried out in recent years:

• Clean Wat Bang Tan Temple at Ban Sai Noi.
• Clean and repair paintwork at Wat Tha Sutthawat Temple in Ban Sai Noi.
• Clean and decorate school library at Wat Pichan Sophon School, Pa Mok.
• Clean and decorate school canteen and kitchen at Wat Amphawa, Bang Ban.
• Clean and decorate school canteen and school lunch project at Wat Lad Chado School, Pak Hai.
• Save four buffaloes from the abattoir and donate them to local rice farmers for the community to re-establish traditional farming methods.
• Donate medical equipment and other items to Ayutthaya Prison for the benefit of the female prisoners.
• In cooperation with Thailand Association of the Blind, provide a free one-day tour of Ayutthaya Historical Park for blind Thai people.
• Provide lunch boxes for the staff at hospitals around Ayutthaya during the Covid-19 outbreak.
• In this way we stay involved with the local communities around us and give something back to society in general.

• Electricity consumption has risen by 13% while total staff has increased by 15%
• Water consumption has fallen by 5% even though total staff has increased by 15%
• 100% of the paper used in the office is recycled paper
• All the coffee drunk in the office is produced by local communities in Thailand.
• Only non-hazardous cleaning materials are used in the office.
• Look for ways to further reduce electricity consumption by 10% by the middle of 2019 – ongoing
• All water taps have been fitted with aerators and all lighting is by low-energy bulbs
• All single-use plastic has been eliminated from the office by 2019.

• Sexual harassment and a ban on illegal handicrafts have been added to our Clients’ Codes of Conduct
• Codes of Best Practices have been sent to our key partners and accommodation providers and Agreements on Sustainability have been signed.
• Creation of Destination Folders to keep track of each destination’s sustainability status.
• Detailed Procedures in Case of Emergency have been drawn up and put in place.
• A client feedback form with reference to sustainability has been added to our website

The COVID pandemic prevented us from achieving most of our original aims but they are carried forward to 2022-24.

Keep formal records of our conformity with our sustainably policy and goals.

Continue research into sources of better recycled paper and paper from sustainably managed forests - SCG, PEFC, FSC.

Continue research into sustainably produced office supplies.

Establish our support a reforestation scheme to offset CO2 emissions resulting from our electricity consumption and business travel.

Implement self-assessment of their sustainability status by partner agencies within 3 months. Achieved by mid-2022

Implement self-assessment of their sustainability status by accommodation providers within 3 months. Achieved by mid-2022

Implement self-assessment by excursion providers within 3 months. Achieved by mid-2022

Summarise the sustainability status of accommodations, excursions and activities in each area for sales and marketing purposes.

From the Destination Information folders create trip notes to explain the nature, culture and heritage of each destination.

Create specific destination do’s and don’ts to cover sensitive excursions, for the Destination information folders.

Add sustainability information to each itinerary.

Create an HR policy including flexible working hours, working conditions and disciplinary procedures. Achieved by Dec 2020.

Expand and strengthen coverage of sexual exploitation in our guide training and advice to customers. Achieved by 2022

Have guides take the Travelife training course on child protection.

Distribute Clients’ Codes of Conduct to our partners. Achieved by 2022

Keep formal records of our conformity with our sustainably policy and goals

Ensure all new partner agencies and accommodation providers are informed of our sustainability policy and goals and are integrated into our system of assessments and compliance.

Continue research into sources of better recycled paper and paper from sustainably managed forests - SCG, PEFC, FSC.

Continue research into sustainably produced office supplies.

Establish our support a reforestation scheme to offset CO2 emissions resulting from our electricity consumption and business travel.

Summarise the sustainability status of accommodations, excursions and activities in each area for sales and marketing purposes.

From the Destination Information folders create trip notes to explain the nature, culture and heritage of each destination.

Create specific destination do’s and don’ts to cover sensitive excursions, for the Destination information folders.

Add sustainability information to each itinerary.

Have guides take the Travelife training course on child protection.

Keep a log of all phone conversations with clients that touch on sustainability matters.

Review feedback from clients regarding sustainability and make improvements where possible.

Recommence regular training sessions for both office and field staff.

                                                                                                                                                                                          July 2022

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