What community-based ecotourism actually looks like
It's not a marketing line for us — it's how the business is structured. Here are the rules we work to, and the numbers behind them.
“Ecotourism” gets used loosely in Nepal. We try to be specific about it.
For us it means three things: people in the villages we visit earn meaningfully from our trips; the trails and habitats we use are protected, including with our own money; and we're open about what we measure and what we don't.
Four commitments, in plain language
Fair wages, transparent
Porters earn above IPPG-recommended rates. Tipping is shared equally across the support team — never pocketed by lead guides.
Conservation funding
{{CFUG_SHARE_PCT}} of every trip price goes to {{NAMED_CFUG_PARTNERS}}. Audited by {{CFUG_AUDITOR_NAME}} in {{CFUG_AUDIT_YEAR}}.
Low-impact operations
Refillable bottles standard, no single-use plastics on trek. Office and flight emissions are offset via {{OFFSET_PARTNER_NAME}} ({{OFFSET_STANDARD}}). Offsets do not equal avoidance — see Where we fall short below.
Honest accounting
Below — and on every trip invoice — we publish where your money actually goes. Including the parts that aren't flattering.
Every dollar, accounted for
Figures pending audit for {{MONEY_FLOW_AUDIT_FY}}. We will publish the breakdown for a 14-day Annapurna trek as a baseline, with notes on how higher-altitude trips shift the mix.
Where we fall short
We still rely on diesel jeeps on routes like the Pokhara–Jomsom and Kathmandu–Salleri roads. Hybrid and EV options are not viable until road infrastructure changes.
Domestic flights to Lukla and Juphal are our highest per-trip emissions source. We offset via {{OFFSET_PARTNER_NAME}}, but offsets don't equal avoidance.
We have not yet published an audited porter-payroll figure or a full Scope 3 emissions breakdown. We'd rather say that than pretend otherwise.