In-depth knowledge and a close working relationship with local and international conservation groups helps to underline our responsible attitude towards tourism. Above all else we know what makes a good holiday to ensure that travellers get the very best experience possible.

Travel is really the only one of man’s mass endeavours which joins together the peoples of nearly all nations in a unique partnership, and as an industry can play a distinctive role in influencing the way people and governments act. Countless projects and partnerships across the globe and spanning the entire spectrum of the travel industry have resulted in cooperation in ways which should be an inspiration and example to all.

Over the years Discover the World has raised significant sums of money for organisations such as the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and the Born Free Foundation doing our little bit to support causes that deal with the issues facing our planet. Recently we have also contributed to the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) and the Iceland Nature Conservation Programme (INCA).

Of course there is an environmental price to pay for travel, but when all said and done it is one of life’s ultimate experiences and travel can bring tremendous good to the world. It is about finding the right balance between minimising our impact on the environment and yet not losing the ability to open minds through new experiences and interaction with cultures different from our own. Let us not also forget the economic value of tourism, especially to parts of the world which are in great need.

One way to take responsibility for our travel is to make each journey count to the full - fly less frequently, stay longer and do more. Of course words are cheap and have to be backed up by action and therefore we feel it is appropriate to put a substantial proportion of the money we derive from selling you a holiday back into preserving our world.

We believe that if the governments and peoples of the world who are doing nothing to reduce the damage to our planet are to take these issues seriously, then they need conclusive proof that the earth is warming to dangerous levels due simply to the actions of man. For this reason have funded research because it’s only conclusive proof which will change the views of hard-nosed governments.

'THEIR FUTURE TODAY'

This charity supporting the rebuilding of lives in Sri Lanka following the devastating tsunami in December 2004 was setup by Lynn Stannier, with whom Discover the World have worked for many years. The approach of 'Their Future Today' is different to other charitable organisations. It's personal vision has been to simply identify areas of need, then actively and directly spend funds raised to achieve maximum impact to individuals, and maintain longevity, consistency and sustainability in this support. They work transparently and cost effectively as a not for profit organisation.
Find out more about www.theirfuturetoday.com

DISCOVER THE WORLD – FUNDING RESEARCH INTO GLOBAL WARMING

The Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge is home to unrivalled expertise in the study of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Their pioneering research forms a wide-ranging body of knowledge crucial to understanding complex climatological and environmental issues, such as global warming. SPRI’s work has contributed significantly to discussions on polar issues with scholars and policy-makers around the world as well as to public education about climate change.

Discover the World has helped to fund substantial aspects of the project Eurasian Arctic: Melting Ice. Support is used for the employment of a Research Associate to work in a team headed by renowned glaciologist Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Institute. Funds also support fieldwork carried out in the Eurasian Arctic and the acquisition and analysis of satellite information. Glaciers and icecaps cover about 90,000 km2 of the Eurasian Arctic, which is particularly sensitive to climate change since it sits at the most northern extremity of the Gulf Stream. Small changes in this ocean current will have a particularly large effect on the environment of the Eurasian High Arctic and its ice cover. SPRI’s researchers will work to measure and the impact of climate change gathering information using state-of-the-art techniques combined with data from satellites dating back to the early 1960s, as well as aerial and oblique photographs, and even paintings and sketches from early expeditions.

KIWI CONSERVATION PROGRAMME

Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs in Rotorua, opened in 2004, when the kiwi hatching programme outgrew its original premises. It is the only facility in the world that has been purpose built for the incubation and rearing of kiwi and is the only place in New Zealand where you can see this work in action and get closer to kiwi than ever before.

What you will see here is a huge conservation effort to stop the extinction of a species that is New Zealand’s national icon and it all happens before your eyes. The proceeds from your entrance ticket go directly towards continuing this conservation work and to continue growing the numbers of kiwi eggs that are hatched and raised each year on-site at Kiwi Encounter. As part of Discover the World’s on-going commitment to Responsible Tourism and the impact of tourism on the environment we are committed to assisting this programme. Every client who books a holiday to New Zealand with us will be contributing to this incredible conservation effort.

ICELAND NATURE CONSERVATION PROGRAMME

Having operated the very first whale watching trips in Iceland some fourteen years ago, whaling is an issue especially close to our hearts here at Discover the World and in our campaign to end whaling in Iceland we support the Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA).

The Iceland Nature Conservation Association (INCA) was established in May 1997. It is a conservation NGO, with the primary objective of conserving and protecting the wilderness of Iceland and in 2007, Árni Finnsson, chair of INCA’s board, was awarded the Animal Action Award, for this engagement for the conservation of whales.

Amongst numerous other environmental campaigns INCA has also focused on fisheries issues by co-operation with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, calling for a global moratorium on deep sea trawling in the high seas. Furthermore, INCA has called for strictest possible implementation of scientific recommendations for TAC limits in Icelandic waters. In 2007 and 2008, the fisheries minister has heeded such calls.

And from the outset INCA has focused on the climate change issue. Since 1999 INCA has been represented by Árni Finnsson at the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. INCA has been the leading NGO in Iceland on this issue. Today, the government, in the words of the PM, labels the climate change challenge as “urgent”, and that it  “can only be tackled through the combined efforts of the international community.”

INCA has gained a reputation as a reliable source of information in the media and is called on for representation in events dealing with Nature conservation, including fisheries issues, whaling and climate change. For further details on INCA's activity please visit www.inca.is

In the past Discover the World has been proud to also donate significant funds to developing the Iceland Whale Museum in Husavik North Iceland (www.whalemuseum.is), which we would definitely encourage you to visit if you are in the area. This organization has also been at the forefront of the fight against whaling and their former director, Ásbjörn Björgvinsson, is now a key person within the tourist industry of Iceland as director of the North Iceland Marketing Office and still actively campaigning against whaling. Most people within the tourist industry within Iceland are against whaling and we would encourage all our clients to take at least one whale watching trip when visiting the country (they operate between April and October).