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Tourism has a complex supply chain in every destination. There are many factors to be considered that contribute to the impact of our holidays, not least our travel to and from the destination. We recognise this poses a big challenge for us and everyone in the travel industry.
Overtourism is a problem we have seen develop over the years and is one of the reasons we often limit our departures and prefer to explore off the beaten track. We believe that escaping the tourist traps and exploring lesser-known gems, not only helps to spread the benefits of tourism, it also makes for the best kind of holiday.
The topic of sustainability is something we have always cared deeply about and we continue to challenge ourselves so we can keep improving. There’s still a lot we want to change to do better in many aspects of how we run our holidays.
Keep reading to learn what we’re currently doing and our plans to do our best to help communities and protect the planet we love for future generations.
Global adventures with a local perspective
If we care so much about the planet and its people, why are we still taking overseas journeys and continuing to inspire more of you to travel with us? Well, we believe that when done in the right way, travel can have incredible benefits.
An ethical approach throughout the supply chain, where everyone is treated fairly, is how we have always worked with Skedaddle.
By designing our holidays with sustainability and a local perspective at its heart, we give back to the people, communities, and places we explore along the way. You’ll notice our holidays aren’t the cheapest. But we don’t ever want to cut corners, because ultimately we know that’s not sustainable for the destinations and people we work with, or that it provides the best customer experience.
In short, working with strong local partners on fair terms enables them to give back to the communities they work in. In turn this enables you to enjoy the richest, most rewarding experience possible.
A life-long passion
Back in 1995 our co-founders set off on a cycling adventure in Chile that was to plant the seeds of Saddle Skedaddle and shape the way our cycling holidays have been created to date. Whilst the landscapes undeniably inspired them, it was the people they met along the way that were to have the greatest impact.
Supporting local communities
We choose to work in partnership with local people to develop our cycling holidays. In doing so we incorporate their local knowledge and facilities along the way. Because we wholeheartedly believe strong local communities are essential to helping protect the planet for future generations.
Trusted local partners
Our local teams are passionate about the places they call home! We have forged friendships in far-flung places – from Naomi and Dan in Italy and Spain, to Ernesto in Chile, and everyone in between. In addition to our inspiring guides, we also work with a whole host of local providers including tons of small, friendly guesthouses, local transfer teams, and restaurants highlighting delicious seasonal products.
An alternative to mass tourism
Cycling in small groups offers a healthy, low-impact way to explore a country. Working in harmony with the environment and local communities, we want to provide a different way to explore the world, one with people and planet at the heart of what we do. This is your chance to escape the tourist traps and discover a country’s lesser-known hidden gems.
What we stand for
As a company, we have always believed in designing our cycling holidays responsibly. We have taken into consideration the latest sustainable thinking, specifically in relation to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. These offer an excellent framework to understand how best we can focus our efforts in all areas.
We don’t want to be just tourists, we want our holidays to have a positive impact.
As we developed our approach we have also been guided by three key principles which we believe need to be balanced in order to have the most positive impact.
1. Protect the places we visit
We work to minimise our impact on the environments and ecosystems we explore.
2. Provide economic benefit to the people we visit
Trusted local partners help to design and deliver our cycling holidays, maximising the benefits and ensuring these remain in the destination.
3. Respect local cultures and communities
We work fairly with local people who have the knowledge and enthusiasm to share their favourite places in a way that’s both responsible and fun.
Skedaddle’s Climate Action Plan
Having grown increasingly concerned about the climate crisis, in summer 2021 we joined the Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency community. As part of this we made a pledge to take action and formulate a plan within 12-months, which sets out our intentions to reduce our carbon emissions over the next decade. We are also a proud signatory and launch partner of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism.
We are committed to measuring and reducing our carbon emissions and working towards a net-zero future.
Our next steps include…
- Measure: we want to know what carbon impact each of our holidays has, as well as our activities elsewhere (i.e. the office)
- Reduce: with a better understanding of our carbon footprint we will create a plan for reduction in line with achieving reduction goals for halved emissions before 2030 and working towards a net zero future
This is an evolving plan and it is something we are learning and growing from all the time. We will keep you updated as we discover more.
Sustrans: Donation for every mile
Our community extends beyond those who help deliver our holidays. We also work with partners dedicated to doing good in other ways. For over 11 years now we have worked with the UK’s leading walking and cycling charity Sustrans – the official custodians of the National Cycle Network!
Back in 2010, we pioneered a scheme with Sustrans so that for every mile cycled along the NCN during one of our holidays, we donate 5p to the charity. In addition to this, we also give our generous customers the chance to support Sustrans directly when they book a UK holiday with us.
Since introducing these initiatives in 2010 we are proud to have raised over £22,000. This money has gone on to support a number of Sustrans projects – including maintenance of cycle paths, as well as greenway development aimed at boosting biodiversity along the Network.
A responsible Skedaddle community
The root of responsible travel is simple: behaving with awareness, kindness and respect in everything we do.
Our team are determined to find solutions to help us to minimise our negative impact and ensure we give back to the people and places we visit as well as continuing to develop and improve.
We have learned a lot over the years working together. Skedaddle are always flexible, respectful, and supportive!
We believe everyone has a responsibility to be better. We are proud to have a great community of conscious travellers. As we strive to do better, we are constantly learning from not only you, but our partners and others in the industry with a shared commitment to improve travel for the better.
In sharing our approach and learning, we hope that you too share our vision for a better approach to travel and feel inspired to join us on this journey. In return, we’ll make sure you have the best experience possible when you join us for an adventure on two wheels.
Cycling holidays are a great way to see a country. On a bike you see more and can also meet local people. I felt like I really experienced the place and its people.
This journey took us to places we would not normally have visited on a standard tourist route in Italy and allowed us to meet the locals and see aspects of Italian life outside of the main tourist areas.
The guides took us to excellent local restaurants and gave us recommendations for best local dishes of fish/meat. I felt like we had the chance to enjoy the very best local cuisines.
Our local Cuban guide was fantastic; he gave us so much information about Cuba, the way of life, politics, history etc. and encouraged us to ask any questions. For me, this made the trip so much more worthwhile.
Really loved all the small local hotels which had real character. Lunches were also outstanding. A bit of hot, tasty Spanish-style food during the day really went down a treat.
Find out more…
10 tips for how to be a better traveller by bike
How can your holiday have a positive impact on the places and people we visit?
Meet the local partners that make us proud
Hear from a few of the people that help make our Skedaddle tours so special!
Cultural awareness on a tour and embracing a new destination
Put aside your routines and expectations and get back more from your visit…
Get in touch!
Developing our approach to how we run our trips is an ongoing process. To let us know your thoughts on our approach, please email us at info@skedaddle.com or call us – we’d love to hear from you!