to build memories, to learn and to support local business
people, cultures, habitats and wildlife
to improve who we are, what we offer and the lives we touch
Tucan Travel was first established in South America in the year 1987 with a vision to provide exceptional travel experiences to adventurers around the globe. Over the years, we have evolved into a comprehensive online platform offering a wealth of resources and valuable insights to assist you in making informed decisions about the perfect tours and destinations for your next trip. Whether you’re seeking a thrilling adventure in the heart of the Amazon rainforest or a relaxing beach getaway in the Caribbean, we are here to guide you every step of the way. Our website is dedicated to curating unique and unforgettable travel experiences that cater to all interests and preferences. Trust Tucan Travel to be your ultimate travel companion on your journey to discovering the world’s wonders.
that it is only by seeing and engaging with different people, cultures and habitats that we can begin to have an understanding of the world around us. It is only through this understanding that we can hope to learn how to protect and conserve the world for the future generations of all species.
We would like to live in a world where our experience of adventure is open to everyone. We are realistic enough to know that as a small independent company there is a limit to what we can achieve. Doing nothing isn’t an option, so we act with purpose to do what we can where we are and trust our tribe of Tucan travelers to do the same.
that ‘adventure’ may mean different things to different people. Here at Tucan Travel we believe there is adventure in the everyday as much as in the exotic. We also recognise that we are fortunate in that our everyday offers the opportunity, and the freedom to choose our adventure. Others are less fortunate and for many adventures may be the dream of living free from fear, hunger, poverty and exploitation.
Tucan Travel’s long term commitment to responsible travel is informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the world’s best plan to end poverty, reduce inequalities and tackle climate change. Our Purpose sets out how we support our travelers to make informed decisions so that they are able to travel without causing harm and be in a position to offer benefit to the people, cultures, animals and habitats they visit. In this way we can all contribute to the realization of the development goals.
has been shared with all of our staff and destination partners. Further information is available for Tucan travelers on request.
Our approach to responsible travel means that we seek to operate in a manner that is responsible to this generation, whoever or wherever they are, without compromising the potential of future generations.
Human welfare starts with the opportunity to earn a living wage under fair working conditions.
As a company we shop local, wherever that local may be. For example, we prefer to use small, locally owned hotels on our tours. When we provide food we source local, seasonal foods preferably from the local markets. This strategy channels our spend into businesses that are embedded in and supportive of the local communities. This enables sustainability and empowers growth.
We rely on the local operators, representatives and specialist guides to support our tours. Not only does this ensure that our travelers benefit from local expertise, but it also means that we are employing locals, helping to inject revenue into their communities.
We work with our partners to ensure that everyone involved in our tours are paid a living wage and have fair working conditions.
Traveling opens our eyes to different people, cultures, and ways of living. Seeing and experiencing cultures other than our own helps understanding which in turn leads to mutual respect.
We encourage our travelers to shop local too, to eat in the local restaurants, buy locally sourced and sustainable goods and visit the local attractions. This channels your extra spend into the local communities. It is also the best way to learn about the communities you are visiting.
We trust our travelers to respect the cultures and traditions of the people and places they encounter. Our staff are always on hand to offer additional information, advice and guidance if it is required.
People are not tourist attractions and should never be treated as such. We have drawn up some simple guidelines to help our travelers.
Everyone in the travel industry is passionate about travel and adventure. Of course we are – It’s why we are here! Tucan Travel staff are no different (though we would argue we are more passionate than some). But we are also passionate about protecting and preserving the world for this and future generations.
Here at Tucan Travel we want to put our values into action, which is why we are working towards value based recruitment and staff development. For example, all staff are expected, as Tucan Travel ambassadors, to respect the rights and freedoms of the people we encounter on our tours.
Tucan Travel has a Child Safeguarding policy and is committed to ensuring that children are kept safe from harm. We operate a zero tolerance of child abuse or neglect and require that all of our staff undergo a minimum of Awareness Training and that they report any concerns in a timely and appropriate manner. We also operate a Modern Slavery policy throughout our supply line and require all staff to be aware of their responsibilities to be vigilant to all forms of trafficking.
Human welfare depends upon our willingness to be observant and to report any concerns that we may have. If you have any concerns during your tour we ask that you raise these directly with your tour leader.
Our approach to responsible travel means that we seek to operate in a manner that ensures that Tucan Travel, our staff, partners and travelers have a positive impact on all animals, habitats and ecosystems that we encounter on our tours. You can view our full Animal Welfare Policy here.
We work in line with the Global Welfare Guidance for Animals in Tourism by committing to assessing and monitoring animal welfare throughout our supply chain.
Tucan Travel is highly selective of local partners and works only with those who share our commitment to the promotion of animal welfare and who can demonstrate that they uphold the principles of animal welfare.
An extremely important part of animal welfare is working with animal owners and carers throughout the destinations we travel to. We recognise that our commitment to animal welfare can have a huge impact on both the animals and those dependent on them for an income. We therefore remain committed to providing our suppliers with guidelines for animal welfare, and discussing ways to make sure they adhere to these guidelines.
Tucan Travel do not promote wildlife performances, animal rides (with the exception of domesticated animals), the use of wild or caged animals as photographic props or cuddling and playing with wildlife. We have a few limited exceptions, principally where human contact may be required for the rehabilitation or care of certain animals.
We recognise that seeing animals in the wild can be the very reason why some people travel. Seeing majestic lions on the plains of Africa can be a once in a lifetime experience. We are committed to ensuring that lions, and other animals in the wild are safe and protected in their lifetime, and to conservation that ensures that there is a ‘wild’ for all future generations.
We expect all of our Tucan Travel staff to adhere to our Animal Welfare Policy on all tours that involve contact with animals. Our staff are supported to challenge any activity that they believe may cause harm or that is contradictory to the welfare and conservation of animals, their habitats or the wider ecosystem they inhabit. This means that our staff will advise travelers against visiting shows where captive animals are made to perform, venues where animals are used as props for photographs and from buying wildlife souvenirs.
We acknowledge the work of Born Free Foundation and their commitment to Compassionate Conservation.
Animal welfare depends upon our willingness to be observant and to report any concerns that we may have. If you have any concerns about animals during your tour we ask that you raise these directly with your tour leader.
Our approach to responsible travel means that we seek to minimise our impact on the environment, both at a global and a local level wherever we operate.We will Reduce waste in all its forms, Reuse resources whenever possible and Recycle at every opportunity.
Let’s be honest. We promote tours. Whilst we are totally committed to environmental protection, we would be hypocritical in the least to say that our business does not have implications for the environment. The vast majority of our travelers fly to their tour destinations. We acknowledge this, and the impact this has.
So, whilst we acknowledge that traveling has an impact on the environment, we are committed to reducing that impact whenever possible.
All of our group tours use public and local forms of transport whenever possible. Not only does this reduce our footprint, it provides revenue directly to local businesses and communities. Our transport options including local buses, ferries, junk boats, felucca, bicycles, canoes, trains, taxis, tuk tuks and of course, trekking and walking.
Short, local flights are included in some tours. When they are included it will only be because no reasonable alternative is available.
On our group tours We limit our groups to a maximum of 19 (with averages of 8-12) in order to limit our impact on the local environment, resources and on the cultural spaces and communities we visit.
Whilst tourism can bring economic benefits to an area, it can also put pressure on local resources such as water and electricity. Pressures that may, if unchecked, reduce the supplies available to local people and services.
Traveling to remote, rural or developing areas is a privilege that offers untold opportunities for learning about cultures other than our own. We ask that travelers to such locations accept that sanitation may be of a different standard to that which they are used to at home. Not all of the people in our host destinations have access to running water, hot water on demand or western style flushing toilets. The sewage systems in many countries are not able to cope with non-human waste. Blockages, caused by tissues, wipes, nappies or non biodegradable waste can lead to the disruption of vital water supplies for local people and services.
Our tour leaders and local guides will keep travelers updated on information about local issues such as the scarcity of water and offer tips on how to reduce waste in all its forms. We have also drawn up some simple guidelines to help our travelers respect the environment, habitats and ecosystems they encounter.
Tucan Travel recognises that we all have environmental responsibilities whether we are at home, at work or traveling. Our offices endeavour to be environmentally sound through practising energy conservation and adhering to recycling schemes.
Tucan Travel believes in leading through example and operates in this manner to encourage other businesses and individuals throughout our supply chain to be considerate of the environment.
Environmental welfare depends upon our willingness to be observant and to report any concerns that we may have. If you have any concerns during your tour we ask that you raise these directly with your tour leader.
Our approach to responsible travel means that we seek to operate in a manner that is sensitive, respectful and observant of the cultural identity and historic assets of this generation, whoever or wherever they are, without compromising those cultures or assets for future generations.
At Tucan Travel we work with individuals and communities to achieve a sustainable balance between opening the space to visitors, while generating the income necessary for welfare, education and conservation.
We find that traveling as and with local people gives travelers the opportunity to try out your language skills, share stories and make new friends for a mutually enriching, cross-cultural experience.
Many of our tours offer opportunities to visit ancient places such as UNESCO World Heritage Sites where our entrance fees contribute to the maintenance and restoration of these unique places. Tucan Travel asks that our travelers follow the instructions of staff and local guides at all times. Tucan Travel staff and travelers should respect signage and instructions given and leave no litter or graffiti behind, even if others have done so.
We ask that travelers do not attempt to remove any rocks or stones or other souvenirs of the location and never purchase such items from vendors as this can encourage the ongoing destruction of local areas of interest.
Some of our tours may involve a small amount of camping. Tucan Travel aims to ‘take only photos and leave only footprints’ wherever we camp. We have developed simple guidelines for responsible camping.
– Use existing camping sites
– Keep campsites small and focus activity on previously cleared areas
– Do not disturb vegetation
– Do not urinate near or into streams or dump chemicals into the water
– Use the toilet and ablution facilities provided
– Avoid using soaps with phosphates and don’t wash while you’re swimming if the fresh waterway is likely to be polluted for local people downstream
– Be considerate of other campers and keep the noise down at night-time
– Be considerate when lighting a campfire. Is it an appropriate and safe area? Are the fuels used to light the fire from a renewable resource? Will it be possible to put out the fire afterwards and ensure it does not leave any blemishes on the local landscape?
People are not tourist attractions, and should never be treated as such. Many of our staff are involved with local initiatives, charities and programs that support local economies by showcasing customs and heritage. We respect the insight that this offers, and ask that our travelers are respectful to all people, cultures, sites and landscapes that we visit.
Many of our tour leaders and guides are local to our tour locations. Many of our team are socially and culturally connected to the heritage sites and landscapes we visit and they all passionate about the protection of historic sites and cultural histories. Bringing tourists to these spaces supports local economies and generates growth, but at Tucan Travel we recognise our responsibility to respect and preserve these fragile communities and ecosystems. That is why we are committed to limiting the numbers and impact of visitors to heritage sites and communities.
Tucan Travel supports visits to appropriate local social projects which directly or indirectly benefit the host community, and rely upon the expertise and cultural sensitivity of our local staff in identifying and collaborating with these communities.
Cultural welfare depends upon our willingness to be observant and to report any concerns that we may have. If you have any concerns during your tour we ask that you raise these directly with your tour leader.
Founded in 2008 by publisher Tom Maschler, and now run by former overland travel expert David Gordon, The Book Bus operates a fleet of buses in Zambia, Malawi and Ecuador, providing reading schemes for schools in these countries. The registered charity provides reading material for children of all ages and has both local and international volunteers to help support reading sessions and library workshops with schools in regions where literacy is not the forefront. Each bus is named after a famous children’s book character and is designed by famed illustrator and patron to the charity, Quentin Blake.
We are passionate adventure travelers who want to share the world and our travel experiences with everyone…
Social Purpose
We have given much thought as to whether or not we should follow suit and develop something similar. After careful consideration we at Tucan Travel have chosen not to go down this route. We have always been a small and independent company. With less than 100 staff across the world we know each other by name and connect with each daily.
Our business model means that we already support local people, economies and ecologies and are proud to have been doing so since the company was created in 1987. For over 30 years Tucan Travel has supported many different community-led projects around the world, with the goal of ensuring that our business, tours and travelers can make a lasting difference in the local communities that we visit.
We ensure that local economies benefit from our business by using locally-owned accommodation, employing local people as specialist guides, working with local operators and suppliers, sourcing food from locally-owned stores and eating and drinking in local bars and restaurants. In doing so, we are not only investing in local communities but also offering you a genuine insight into a country and its people. Many of our tours also have a local payment which means a portion of the full tour cost will be paid locally; this helps the local economy as we can pay directly in cash to local businesses to provide communities with an immediate economic benefit.
So, rather than spending money on a new foundation, or signing up to misleading marketing gimmicks, we are proudly partnering with two existing charities.
Tucan Travel uses the Responsible and Sustainable Travel policy to underpin our commitment to do what we can, where we can, to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are a small independent for profit company, and know we cannot change the world. But, that doesn’t stop us from feeling and acting upon our individual and collective responsibility to do what we can as global citizens.
Two of the 17 sustainable goals is to End Poverty and Provide Quality Education. The UN has said that all children should have access to free primary education. We know that education can change lives for the better. Matt Gannan, Tucan Travel’s CEO and his staff are committed to supporting education in all its forms. That is why Tucan Travel is currently looking at how we can partner with a small charitable company to provide food and education to children in Africa and South America. This is in addition to the work we already do.
These statements outline our commitment to responsible travel practices. They detail what we are doing now and our strategy to improve in the future.