G Adventures is making its financial contribution to communities around the world as transparent as possible to its guests through a new ‘Ripple Score’ rating.
Unveiled this month, the ‘Ripple Score’ evaluates each of G Adventures’ tours and shows travellers what percentage of the local expenditure remains in the local economy.
Travellers will be able to see the Ripple Score for G Adventures trips on the company website or inside the 2019 brochure released mid-November 2018.
Among the tours with a ‘Ripple Score’ is the eight-day Caribbean Colombia Express, which has a 100 percent rating as all money spent in-destination goes towards local guides, locally-owned restaurants, local transport providers, local hotels and more.
Vice President for Social Enterprise and Responsible Travel, Jamie Sweeting, said the Ripple Score was an important step for the industry as it provides transparency for travellers and makes brands accountable.
“As well as educating our travellers about the positive impact they can have through travel, we want to push the industry forward so our suppliers and other operators become more accountable for their local economic and social impact.”
Jamie Sweeting, G Adventures Vice President for Social Enterprise and Responsible Travel
Overall, around 640 of G Adventures’ 700 trips received a Ripple Score, which Sweeting believes was achieved through the brand’s recent analysis of supply chain to ensure in-destination suppliers are majority locally-owned.
Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, Adrian Piotto said holidaymakers will now be able to see how well G Adventures is doing to employ and support local people.
“It’s always been our goal to prioritise the use of local service providers who employ local people. But just how well we were doing, and what benefits we were helping to create, were less than clear.”
Adrian Piotto, G Adventures Managing Director for Australia & New Zealand
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